Drinking cups of a fantastic shape were very much in vogue in the sixteenth century. Sometimes they assumed the shape of birds, sometimes of animals. In general it is the head that takes off, and serves as a lid or cover; but sometimes the orifice is in another part of the body, as, for example, on the back. The specimen now before us is from Lord Londesborough's collection.
The stag is of silver, gilt all over; the collar set with a garnet. Silver bands encircle this curious figure, to which are appended many small silver escutcheons engraved with the arms and names of distinguished officers of the Court of Saxe Gotha, the latest being "Her Von Maagenheim, Camer Juncker und Regierung Assessor in Gotha, d. 15 Augusti, Ao 1722." It has probably been a prize for shooting, successively won by those persons whose arms decorate it.
BANQUETS TO QUEEN ELIZABETH.
Few English sovereigns were so well acquainted with their dominions as was Queen Elizabeth: she may be said to have visited every corner of her empire, and in these royal journeys or "progresses," as they are called, her loyal subjects strove to outvie each other in the splendour of their receptions. Nothing could surpass the magnificence of the entertainments thus planned for the queen's gratification, either as respects the splendour of show, or the costliness of the more substantial banquet. These occasions are too numerous to mention; and we can only notice one of the queen's visits to the palace at Greenwich, as described by a German, who travelled in England in 1598. It was Sunday, and after attending service in the chapel, the queen prepared for dinner. A gentleman entered the room bearing a rod, and with him another bearing a table-cloth, which, after they had both kneeled three times, he spread upon the table, and after kneeling again, they both retired: then came two others, one with the rod again, the other with a salt-cellar, a plate, and bread, which, after kneeling, they also placed on the table: then came an unmarried and a married lady, bearing a tasting-knife, and having stooped three times gracefully, they rubbed the table with bread and salt. Then came the yeomen of the guard, bringing in, at each time, a course of dishes, served in plate, most of it gilt; these dishes were received by a gentleman, and placed upon the table, while the lady-taster gave to each guard a mouthful to eat of the particular dish he had brought, for fear of any poison. During the time that this guard (which consisted of the tallest and stoutest men that could be found in all England, being carefully selected for this service) were bringing dinner, twelve trumpets and two kettle-drums made the hall ring for half an hour together. After this a number of unmarried ladies appeared, who lifted the meat from the table, and conveyed it to the queen's inner and more private chamber, where, after she had chosen for herself, the rest was sent to the ladies of the court. The queen dined and supped alone, with very few attendants.
THE GREAT FOG OF 1783.
It prevailed over the adjoining continent, and produced much fear that the end of all things was at hand. It appeared first at Copenhagen on the 29th of May, reached Dijon on the 14th June, and was perceived in Italy on the 16th. It was noticed at Spydberg, in Norway, on the 22nd, and at Stockholm two days later; the following day it reached Moscow. On the 23rd it was felt on the St. Gothard, and at Buda. By the close of that month it entered Syria; and on the 18th of July, reached the Altai Mountains. Before its appearance at these places the condition of the atmosphere was not similar; for in this country it followed continued rains; in Denmark it succeeded fine weather of some continuance; and in other places it was preceded by high winds. The sun at noon looked rusty-red, reminding one of the lines of Milton. The heat was intense during its continuance, and the atmosphere was highly electric. Lightnings were awfully vivid and destructive. In England many deaths arose from this cause, and a great amount of property was lost. In Germany public edifices were thrown down or consumed by it; and in Hungary one of the chief northern towns was destroyed by fires, caused by the electric fluid, which struck it in nine different places. In France there were hailstones and violent winds. In Silesia there were great inundations. The dry fogs of 1782-83 were accompanied by influenza; at St. Petersburgh 40,000 persons were immediately attacked by it, after the thermometer had suddenly risen 30 degrees. Calabria and Sicily were convulsed by earthquakes; in Iceland a volcano was active, and about the same time one sprung out of the sea off Norway. The co-existence of dry fogs with earthquakes and volcanic eruptions had been previously observed—e.g., in the years 526, 1348, 1721; and since then, in 1822 and 1834.
A somewhat similar fog overspread London before the cholera of 1831, and the influenza of 1847. Hecker ("Epidemics of the Middle Ages") has collected notices of various phenomena of this kind, which have preceded the great continental plagues, and have often been characterised by offensive odours.
MONKEYS DEMANDING THEIR DEAD.