PHENOMENON.
To the Editor of the Literary Gazette.
Sir,
I lately read an account of the figure, which, under some peculiar state of the atmosphere, appears on the Hartz mountain, in Germany. It reminds me of an extraordinary illusion to which I was once exposed; if it have interest enough for publication, it is at your service. About seven years since, I was one evening, in the month of October, returning late from a friend's house in the country, where I had dined, to the neighbouring town, about a mile distant: the night was exceedingly dark, and I had been requested to take with me a lantern; a pocket one could not be found, and I was provided with that which the servants generally carried swung in the hand. I had to pass through some fields over high ground: soon after I had entered the second of these, I observed something large moving along with me. I placed the lantern on the ground, and walking toward it, saw a gigantic figure retiring with astonishing speed. I immediately perceived it was my own shadow on a fog, which I had not before observed. The appearance of retiring was phantasmagoric, and arose from my interruption of the rays of light from the lantern, at a lesser angle, as my distance from the light increased. My return to the light was terrific; the figure appeared to advance upon me with frightful rapidity, till it seemed forty feet high. If I had been ignorant of the cause of this appearance, the effects might have much alarmed me, and led to my telling such stories as I should not have gained credit by relating: but aware of the cause, I was delighted with the singularity of my situation; and might have been thought mad by an observer, for every fantastic attitude and action I could assume I did, to be mimicked by my new and shadowy acquaintance. I am, sir, your obedient servant,
W.
English vegetables.—In the former part of the reign of king Henry VIII. there did not grow in England a cabbage, carrot, turnip, or other edible root—and even Queen Catherine could not command a sallad for dinner, till the king brought over a gardener from the Netherlands.—The artichoke, apricot, and damask rose, then made their first appearance in England.
Coaches.—Coaches were introduced in 1585; before which time, Queen Elizabeth rode, on public occasions, behind her Lord Chamberlain.