Books · Monarchies · Observations · Mores · Humour
Sir John Harington's joke, which he played on James VI. At least, so it is recorded in the book by the admirable Christina Larner, a historian and one of the first to take up the subject of witchcraft. The court poet, incidentally an ancestor of our beloved Kit
Archive · Books · Monarchies · Mores · People
To put it mildly, the people and the court received the news of Catherine de' Medici's death with mixed feelings. Here are a few interesting remarks about the poor old lady. “There were those who said all sorts of things about her death, and even about poison.
Art · Books · Monarchies · Observations
In an Icelandic retelling of "Snow White" published in 1852, with illustrations by Theodor Hosemann, the queen bears a striking resemblance to Catherine II. Well, a fine touch for Russo-Danish relations. Iceland at that time, as a result of the Danish-Norwegian union, formed part of Denmark.
Books · London · Science · Mores · Society
From the middle of the eighteenth century, men were increasingly called upon to assist at childbirth in England: physicians with surgical training and specialised instruments were far more effective than midwives versed in folk medicine. But the fashion provoked a public controversy, fuelled all the more by the fact that
Books · Humour
...“I think I understand him,” said Gargantua. “It puts me in mind of the answer of an ancient philosopher who was asked whether he had possessed a certain woman of whom people were speaking: ‘I have her, yes,’ replied the philosopher, ‘but she has never had me; I possessed her
Archaeology · Books · Observations · Science · Education
Friends! My book is out! It is a course of study on the peopling of the Americas, on which I worked for two years and which sets out exhaustive information on where the first people to reach the American continent came from, by what route, what drove them and what
Books · Observations · Humour
A Contraption for When You Have Been Set Far Too Much Homework. Friends are busily sharing a photograph of a device for working with documents dating from as far back as 1580. Something similar can be found in many libraries, and not only in antique versions either: it is a
NB! · Books · Observations · Humour
Don't even think of inviting me if your book party doesn't look like the gathering in this cupboard. First shelf: the collected works of Charles Darwin. Third shelf: the Halych Gospels of 1144. Mind blown
Books · Observations · Humour
Yesterday I received, for the first time in my life, a fee for a public appearance. In the form of a bottle of wine and a bottle of whisky, admittedly. I shall not hide that it was unexpected and very pleasant that the proprietor of the establishment, seated at the
Architecture · Books · Observations
The fairly authoritative Book of Architecture by James Gibbs, published in 1728, contains, for instance, this illustration of overmantel frames for pictures, which might in principle explain the appearance of such doorways in Salisbury. If, say, some enterprising builder decided to economise and used these elements, taken from a wealthy
Archive · Books · Society · Saint Petersburg · Humour
One peasant shook his fist at the criminals; he was seized, on the supposition that he was against the police. One woman was seized: she had waved a handkerchief. I inform the author of these lines, from 4 April 1881: there is still a great deal of comedy here, you
Books · Ethnography · Humour
Another alarming superstition. From a book of 1903: to carry unsalted meat across a road or a stretch of water will make the devil follow you. So do take care, and safe travels