The Mirror Of Literature, Amusement, And Instruction | Page 5

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PLEDGING HEALTHS.
The origin of the very common expression, to pledge one drinking, is
curious: it is thus related by a very celebrated antiquarian of the
fifteenth century. "When the Danes bore sway in this land, if a native
did drink, they would sometimes stab him with a dagger or knife;
hereupon people would not drink in company unless some one present
would be their pledge or surety, that they should receive no hurt, whilst
they were in their draught; hence that usual phrase, I'll _pledge you_, or
be a pledge for you." Others affirm the true sense of the word was, that
if the party drank to, were not disposed to drink himself, he would put
another for a pledge to do it for him, else the party who began would
take it ill.
J.W.
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RUSSIAN SUPERSTITION.
The extreme superstition of the Greek church, the national one of
Russia, seems to exceed that of the Roman Catholic devotees, even in
Spain and Portugal. The following instance will show the absurdity of
it even among the higher classes:--
A Russian princess, some few years since, had always a large silver
crucifix following her in a separate carriage, and which was placed in
her chamber. When any thing fortunate happened to her in the course of
the day, and she was satisfied with all that had occurred, she had

lighted tapers placed around the crucifix, and said to it in a familiar
style, "See, now, as you have been very good to me to-day, you shall be
treated well; you shall have candles all night; I will love you; I will
pray to you." If on the contrary, any thing happened to vex the lady, she
had the candles put out, ordered her servants not to pay any homage to
the poor image, and loaded it herself with the bitterest reproaches.
INA.
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THE SELECTOR;
AND LITERARY NOTICES OF NEW WORKS.
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LIBRARY OF ENTERTAINING KNOWLEDGE.
FRUITS.
This Part (5) completes the volume of "Vegetable Substances used in
the Arts and in Domestic Economy." The first portion--Timber Trees
was noticed at some length in our last volume (page 309,) and received
our almost unqualified commendation, which we are induced to extend
to the Part now before us. Still, we do not recollect to have pointed out
to our readers that which appears to us the great recommendatory
feature of this series of works--we mean the arrangement of the
volumes--their subdivisions and exemplifications--and these evince a
master-hand in compilation.
Every general reader must be aware that little novelty could be
expected in a brief History and Description of Timber Trees and Fruits,
and that the object of the Useful Knowledge Society was not merely to
furnish the public with new views, but to present in the most attractive
form the most entertaining facts of established writers, and illustrate
their views with the observations of contemporary authors as well as
their own personal acquaintance with the subjects. In this manner, the
Editor has taken "a general and rapid view of fruits," and, considering
the great hold their description possesses on all readers, we are
disposed to think almost too rapid. We should have enjoyed a volume
or two more than half a volume of such reading as the present; but as
we are not purchasers, and are unacquainted with the number to which
the Society propose to extend their works, we ought not perhaps to

raise this objection, which, to say the truth, is a sort of negative
commendation. Hitherto, we have been accustomed to see compilations
of pretensions similar to the present, executed with little regard to
neatness or unity, or weight or consideration. Whole pages and long
extracts have been stripped and sliced off books, with little rule or
arrangement, and what is still worse, without any acknowledgment of
the sources. The last defect is certainly the greatest, since, in spite of
ill-arrangement, an intelligent inquirer may with much trouble, avail
himself of further reference to the authors quoted, and thus complete in
his own mind what the compiler had so indifferently begun. The work
before us is, however, altogether of a much higher order than general
compilations. The introductions and inferences are pointed and
judicious, and the facts themselves of the most interesting character, are
narrated in a condensed but perspicuous style; while the slightest
reference will prove that the best and latest authorities have been
appreciated. Thus, in the History and Description of Fruits, the
Transactions of the Horticultural Society are frequently and pertinently
quoted to establish disputed points, as well as the journals of intelligent
travellers and naturalists; with occasional poetical embellishments,
which lend a charm even to this attractive species of reading.
To