Читать книгу: «The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 10, No. 281, November 3, 1827», страница 6
Astronomical Occurrences
FOR NOVEMBER, 1827
(For the Mirror.)
Should the afternoon of Saturday, the 3rd of the month, prove favourable, we shall be afforded an opportunity of witnessing another of those interesting phenomena—eclipses, at least the latter part of one, a portion of it only being visible to the inhabitants of this island; the defect above alluded to is a lunar one. The passage of the moon through the earth's shadow commences at 3 h. 29 m. 34 s. afternoon; she rises at Greenwich at 4 h. 45 m. 34 s. with the northern part of her disk darkened to the extent of nearly 10 digits. The greatest obscuration will take place at 5 h. 7 m. 42 s. when 10½ digits will be eclipsed; she then recedes from the earth's shadow, when the sun's light will first be perceived extending itself on her lower limb towards the east; it will gradually increase till she entirely emerges from her veil of darkness, the extreme verge of which leaves her at her upper limb 32 deg. from her vertex, or highest point of her disc.
We have the following in "Moore," some years ago, on the nature and causes of eclipses of the sun and moon:—
"Far different sun's and moon's eclipses are,
The moon's are often, but the sun's more rare
The moon's do much deface her beauty bright;
Sol's do not his, but hide from us his sight:
It is the earth the moon's defect procures,
'Tis the moon's shadow that the sun obscures.
Eastward, moon's front beginneth first to lack,
Westward, sun's brows begin their mourning black:
Moon's eclipses come when she most glorious shines,
Sun's in moon's wane, when beauty most declines;
Moon's general, towards heaven and earth together,
Sun's but to earth, nor to all places neither."
The Sun enters Sagittarius on the 23rd, at 1 h. 2 m. morning.
Mercury will be visible on the 10th, in 10 deg. of Sagittarius, a little after sunset, being then at his greatest eastern elongation; he is stationary on the 20th, and passes his inferior conjunction on the 30th, at 1¾ h. afternoon.
Venus is in conjunction with the above planet on the 24th, at 9 h. evening; she sets on the 1st at 5 h. 7 m., and on the 30th at 4 h. 47 m. evening.
Jupiter may be seen before sunrise making his appearance above the horizon about 5 h.; he is not yet distant enough from the sun to render the eclipses of his satellites visible to us.
A small comet has just been discovered, situated in one of the feet of Cassiopea. It is invisible to the naked eye, and appears approaching the pole with great rapidity.
PASCHE.
RETROSPECTIVE GLEANINGS
DOMESTIC ECONOMY OF THE ROMANS IN THE FOURTH CENTURY
A recent discovery has added to our information the most extensive series of statistical data, which make known from an official act, and by numerical figures, the state of the Roman empire 1500 years ago; the price of agricultural and ordinary labour; the relative value of money; the abundance or scarcity of certain natural productions; the use, more or less common, of particular sorts of food; the multiplication of cattle and of flocks; the progress of horticulture; the abundance of vineyards of various qualities; the common use of singular meats, and dishes, which we think betrays a corruption of taste; in short the relation of the value existing between the productions of agriculture and those of industry, from whence we obtain a proof of the degree of prosperity which both had reached at this remote period.
This precious archaeological monument is an edict of Diocletian, published in the year 303 of our era, and fixing the price of labour and of food in the Roman empire. The first part of this edict was found by Mr. William Hanks, written upon a table of stone, which he discovered at Stratonice, now called Eskihissar in Asia Minor. The second part, which was in the possession of a traveller lately returned from the Levant, has been, brought from Rome to London by M. de Vescovali, and Colonel Leake intends to publish a literal translation of it. This agreement of so many persons of respectable character, and known talents, excludes all doubts respecting the authenticity of the monument.
The imperial edict of Diocletian is composed of more than twenty-four articles. It is quite distinct from that delivered the preceding year for taxing the price of corn in the eastern provinces, and it contained no law upon the value of corn. It fixed for all the articles which it enumerated a maximum, which was the price in times of scarcity. For all the established prices it makes use of the Roman Denarii; and it applies them to the sextarius for liquids, and to the Roman pound for the things sold by weight.
Before the Augustan age, the denarius was equal to eighteen sous of our money; but it diminished gradually in value, and under Diocletian its value was not above nine sous of French money, and 45 centimes. The Roman pound was equivalent to 12 ounces, and the sextarius which was the sixth part of a conge, came near to the old Paris chopin, or half a litre.
Proceeding on these data, M. Moreau de Jonnes has formed a table, showing, 1. the maximum in Roman measures, the same as the established imperial edict; and 2. the mean price of objects formed from half the maximum, and reduced into French measures.
The following is the table drawn up by M. Moreau de Jonnes. The slightest inspection of it will enable us to appreciate the importance of this archaeological discovery, for no monument of antiquity has furnished so long a series of numerical terms, of statistical data, and positive testimony of the civil life and domestic economy of the Greeks and Romans:—
We are much surprised at the very high prices in this table. Labour and provisions cost ten and twenty times as much as with us. But when we come to compare the price of provisions with the price of labour the dearness of all the necessaries of life appears still more excessive. M. Moreau de Jonnes makes this comparison. He brings together from the edicts of Diocletian a great many facts given by historians, and he shows, that, if the abundance of the precious metals has any influence on raising the prices, the want of labour, industry, and of produce, must cause it also.
These considerations point out in the strongest manner the poverty of this royal people, of whom two-thirds, if not three-fourths, were reduced to live on fish and cheese, and drink piquette, when the expense of the table of Vitellius amounted, in a single year, to 175 millions of Francs.—Brewster's Journal of Science.
THE GATHERER
"I am but a Gatherer and disposer of other men's stuff."
—Wotton
TWELVE GOLDEN RULES OF CHARLES I
1. Profane no divine ordinances. 2. Touch no state matters. 3. Urge no healths. 4. Pick no quarrels. 5. Maintain no ill opinions. 6. Encourage no vice. 7. Repeat no grievances. 8. Reveal no secrets. 9. Make no comparisons. 10. Keep no bad company. 11. Make no long meals. 12. Lay no wagers.
EPIGRAMS,
Written on the Union, 1801, by a celebrated Barrister of Dublin
Adapted to the Commercial Failures, 1800
Why should we exclaim, that the times are so bad,
Pursuing a querulous strain?
When Erin gives up all the rights that she had,
What right has she left to complain?
The Cit complains to all he meets,
That grass will grow in Dublin streets,
And swears that all is over!
Short-sighted mortals, can't you see,
Your mourning will be chang'd to glee—
For then you'll live in clover.
Necessitas non habet legem
ON SIR JOHN ANSTRUTHER
By the Honourable Thomas Erskine
Necessity and Law are alike each other:
Necessity has no Law—nor has Anstruther.
EPITAPH ON A CONTROVERSIALIST
On the death of that turbulent and refractory enthusiast, John Lilburne, alias Free-born John, alias Lilburne the Trouble-world, there appeared the following epigrammatic epitaph:—
Is John departed, and is Lilburne gone?
Farewell to both, to Lilburne and to John!
Yet being gone, take this advice from me,
Let them not both in one grave buried be.
Here lay ye John; lay Lilburne thereabout,
For if they both should meet, they would fall out.
This alluded to a saying, that John Lilburne was so quarrelsome, that if he were the only man in the world, John would quarrel with Lilburne, and Lilburne with John. Lilburne, it will be remembered, was a sad thorn in Cromwell's sore side, for which the protector amply repaid him.
HOSPITAL OF SURGERY
A new surgical hospital is to be forthwith erected in the neighbourhood of Charing Cross, where the King, with his usual and characteristic munificence, has given a spot of ground on which it is to be erected. A benevolent individual has given, within these few days, 1,500l. towards a fund for the building.
Printed and Published by J. Limbird, 143, Strand, (near Somerset House,) and sold by all Newssmen and Booksellers.
