it the fuller the box will be? 13. What kind of snuff is that, the more you take of Th' ingenious nymph, who first reveals my name,

Br-Looking over some former numbers of your amusing publication, I fell in with that in which you hare inserted the truly humourous letter on Shaking Hands After reading it, and when I had a little recovered from the repeated fits of laughter into which bad thrown me, I was led to the consideration of he various forms of salute used in general society. Iticular friend of mine, he was a very pretty hand at m one of the old school, and, as such, have a pardon- the small-sword; but this, by the way. But I see ble predilection for old customs. Having confessed my paper runs short, and at seventy-five my fingers self laudator temporis acti," you will not be are rather stiffer than they used to be; so I shall conrprised at my regret for the gradual disappearance of clude, by recommending to your young female readers Courtesy, which is exchanged, in these degenes the practise of the Courtesy, and the adoption of the te days, for an undignified dip of the head; a mode hoop, which may serve to keep off rude young fellows; salutation inäuitely less expressive. Formerly, Sit, they say I was a rude young fellow once; but, as I said importance attached to the manner in which a before, I keep the history of my pranks in pello, till artery was executed was extreme; and there were we meet, and am, Mr. Editor, gulacions laid down for the use of young beginners. hever could discover that there were more than two mera in this system; but then, they admitted of an nite variety of modifications; and, when backed by Aiful management of the hoop, conveyed a great more than met the eye. The first of these was Retreating Courtesy, executed on the principles of binigy sesita apoll TO THE EDITOR www Nash; head drawn up, and thrown a little backДомоторов na to that sc d; eye steady; elbow bent at an angle of 779; Sin. Allow me to call your attention once more to a enger and thumb lightly grasping the circumfeace of the hoop; then right foot brought (if I mis-subject, not the less important, because it has so often ineffectually been offered to the public notice. I mean ke not) five inches three lines behind the left; knees the establishment of a second Dispensary in this popuding slowly; body, in rising, thrown gracefully lous and increasing town. It is needless to dwell on the This paragraph beginning "It was, indeed, too, ck, so as to rest on the right leg; countenance un- general principles which should prompt us to assist our poorer brethren, whose situation, exposed to all the small," has lost from its commencement the notice ored. Such, as I remember, was the retreating evils of life, should at least have an admitted claim to of setting out next day for the wilds of Stanachan. urtesy, as practised by my poor wife, Mrs. Modish, its sympathies. I should be sorry to think that any one In the second, column there is "Jona" for " long, g's gone now, dear woman) at the Lower Rooms, could be found to deny the principle on which these" Lisurora" for " Lismore." In the third columb In the the first columu, claims are founded; yet it would appear, that, in the Turec" for " Tiree." Bath, in 75. Permit this passing tribute from particular instance which is the subject of this letter, third page, "gloomy complacency" for "glowing onsolate husband: my poor wife, Mrs. Modish, the better feelings of our richer fellow-townsmen are not universally allowed to execute the Retreat in easy to be roused, perhaps from an ignorance of the complacency." ter style than any lady of her day, the Dowager real state of the case. It is impossible for any one antess of M. not excepted. The other genus is the to doubt the extensive utility of the present Dispensary, and the zeal of its medical officers. But that zeal, urtesy in Advance, used only in cases of the strictest which finds its utmost exertions fall short of their macys so much so, indeed, that I never recollect object, might well be excused for yielding to despair, have seen my poor wife, Mrs. Modish, indulge in and forgetting the motto of successful labour; but once, and that was to Captain Coupdemain, of gooler's regiment, the handsomest man then extant, da particular friend of mine. Rules: head inned a little forward; countenance gracious and enuraging; hoop firmly grasped; right foot en avant, 4 distance regulated by the degree of intimacy; sees bent, rather more alertly than in the Retreat dy exactly at the centre of the circle, formed by the op when it begins to sink, but rising in front of the cumference; whereas in the other case it rises at the motest point, so as to interpose between the parties regular chevaux-de-frite, in the shape of nearly the hole width of the hoop. Ah! Sir, those were gloTous times. When I was presented to my poor wife, Are. Modish, for the first time, I was struck with awe, I saw her perform the Courtesy in Retreat, in her est syle, with a steady eye, a frigid countenance, and

TO THE EDITOR jaring SIR,-If any of your ingenious, correspondents will favour me with solutions of the following Hitorical Queries, I shall feel infinitely obliged.

The writer of the following essay has chalked out for himself a task of no ordinary difficulty, in his

ever has seen the confident air of some young men
on eutering a room; the embarrassment of others-

To Correspondents.

meditated series of papers on the state of society and whoever has perceived the inattention and neglect HOUSELESS POOR-In order to lose no time in this

manners, in Liverpool; and, if it be not using too ́great a freedom with him, we shall venture to express the hope, that his satyric vein may be tempered with all possible candour and good humour; by which he will be ultimately most successful, if his aim be to improve those who may be the subject of his strictures, rather than to inflict castigation, however merited it may occasionally be. We cannot choose but sobserve, en passant, that we have had the pleasure to associate with many young gentlemen resident amongst us, whose minds are highly cultivated, and who certainly may claim exemption from the genus alluded to in the following essay.-Edt. Kaleidoscope.

ORIGINAL ESSAY.

[Written expressly for the Kaleidoscope.]

ciousness of several, and in fact the total absence
of many towards their partners, the awkward offi
of ease and grace in the generality, will think__the
latter part of my position well advanced; and I am
convinced that the entire silence of the younger
part of the Gentlemen, though fortunately relieved
by the striking witticisms of the more forward, will
bear me out in the former. For, what is the male
chants, whose education (generally speaking) has
portion of Liverpool society composed of ?—Of mer-
been circumscribed, and whose conversation turns
far more frequently on subjects relating to com
merce than on those of general interest ;-of pro-
fessional men, who have certainly far better oppor
tunities of acquiring information, and who may be
deemed enlightened; and lastly, of young men in
offices. These deserve some attention. The greater
part are taken from school at an early age, long be-
fore they have acquired any taste for learning, and
are sent from different parts of the kingdom to fill
situations, of whose duties and employments they
are wholly ignorant. Perhaps they have a few in-
troductions given them, and are then left in lodg-

SIR,-No performance has lately interested me more than the sketches of society from the admira.ings to use or mispend their time at pleasure. The ble pen of The Hermit in London. It has fre- consequences are obviously of a bad tendency, for quently struck me, that observations confined to independent of other and more important cousider. our own town, written on a similar plan, would ations, youths seldom prefer society which will imbe acceptable to your miscellany. I have often prove them. They feel a pleasure in being at ease, thought of attempting such idleness, or a diffidence and therefore descend below the level of rank to of my own powers, has hitherto prevented my put which they are entitled. Their names become proporting my design into execution, until I fear it is too tionably degraded, and when, after some time, they late. An essay, similar to the one in my coutem-have felt and regretted the bad taste which induced plation, has, I am told, already appeared in the Monthly Magazine, and thus my purpose has been anticipated. I have not read the publication in question; but my informants assure me that it contains an able delineation of the present manners and customs of society in Liverpool. Such being the case, it may seem presumption in me to follow the same track, since I shall neither possess the charm of novelty, nor the merit of originality. Perhaps, however, you will give precedence to this attempt, in consequence of its being written expressly for your paper; and to those who may not have an opportunity of perusing the sketch I allude to, the present will prove amusing, as they will recognise, at all events, that the picture, though imperfect, is drawn from the life.

Our public amusements, during the winter, are few; the Wellington Rooms and concerts constitute the whole. But we are by no means destitute of gaiety, by reason of the hospitable disposition of the genteel part of society. Few families suffer the season to pass without giving one route at least; many treble that number. Generally speaking, these halls entertain from fifty to one or two hundred persons, and are given in a style, which, if it does not emulate the magnificence of nobility, yet makes up in real gratification what they want in splendor. I would by no means be understood to imply that they are deficient in this respect, as I have more than once compared, and to advantage, the entertainments given in this town, to those of the highest circles in London and Bath. The decorations; the lights; the music; the crowds of elegantly-dressed ladies; all conspire to steal away our senses, and lead us to faney, almost, that we are enjoying an Elysium, such as Mohammed promised, and Moore describes. "Tis an illusion so dear and delightful, that I love to indulge in it. As for those who never felt as if they were entranced and transported beyond the common realities of life, I pity them; they will not understand me. But, to return to the subject.

them to make so unfortunate a choice, and again
re-enter into company, it is plain that much atten
tion and great pains will be required to rub off the
rust and contamination contracted by degrading
associations. But it is more easy to commit a fault
than to repair it, and even after the most strenuous
exertions for that purpose, something of a stain
will often remain behind, and betray to the eye of
an observer that such politeness is an effort, and
not the result of natural and easy acquirement.

I have spoken of manner only, but the same rea-
son will hold as to the general cultivation of the
mind, which is even worse attended to than the
other. It will hardly be necessary to add any thing
further on this head, than to say that some Gentle-
meu descend so low in point of literary attainments,
as not to be able to spell correctly.

On the whole, such is the impression I bave re. ceived; but, I beg to observe, that there are many exceptions. There are numbers of gentlemen of all the above classes in this town, who possess eminent talents and acquirements; who unite the charm of perfect ease of manner to the still greater grace of refinement of mind, and whose acquaintance it is an honour to cultivate. It will hardly be expected that I should omit mentioning something about the important article of dress; an article most truly important to the majority of those whom I have be fore noticed. If a cravat with a paper stiffener, which occupies an hour in tying on in the proper form; if a head, curled till it becomes a perfect wig in appearance; if a long-waisted and short-tailed coat, with a gay watch ribbon, constitute fashionable costume, you have here "the full, true, and particular" description of a Liverpool beau. This dress, with the assistance of the information acquired in sitting behind a huge ledger, or a ponderous law book, is all that is necessary to enable a young man to imagine himself an accomplished member of society in this place.

I turn with pleasure (as says a celebrated writer) from that barren waste, in which so few salutary plants take root, to characters fertile, as I willingly believe, in many excellent qualifications to the

It seems evident to me that the minds of the ladies in Liverpool are better cultivated; their manners more refined than those of the men. This may appear an indiscriminate and sweeping assertion, ladies. but I believe any accurate observer will agree with me in thinking that it is borne out by facts. Who

(To be continued in our next. )

important business, we take this opportunity to state, that notwithstanding what we remarked in the last Mercury, finding by inquiries from the street watch men, that there really was occasion for the re-establishment of an asylum for the houseless, we on Saturday last procured a cellar, with good fires and clean straw, in Kitchen-street, opposite the weighing-machine, where there are about six inmates. All the watchmon of the town were apprised on Saturday, previously to going their rounds, of this establishinent, with dires. tions to pass on to Kitchen-street any houseless was derer with whom they might meet. The pecuniary means with which we have been favoured towards the prosecution of this establishment, shall be acknow. ledged in the next Mercury.

CHRISTMAS.-Such of our readers as possess the former volumes of the Kaleidoscope (old series) may sRN and instruct their young friends, by turning to m most interesting sketches of Geoffrey Crayon, which appeared in the second volume, and which have be recently copied into the London and provincial p We allude particularly to the following incompable sketches: "Christmas," "The Stage Coach," "Christmas Eve," "Christmas Day."-See Kalh doscope, old series, Vol. II. pages 141, 145, 149, 158, 157. There are also, in the same volume, about fifty choice stratagems of Chess, which will be a source of much amusement to such of our youthful readers have cultivated the game.

CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY READERS.-We have enda voured to render our publication of this day as amusing as possible to the juvenile part of our readers: and, our arrangements for their recreation have, for the week, interfered with the original paper on the Foo OF MAN, and the third number of Hona OTIONA which shall appear in our next.

RED SNOW-A correspondent enquires whether red appearance of the snow in the arctic regions, tioned by Captains Ross and Parry, is not owing to the presence of oxide of iron. A quantity of the preserved in bottles, was submitted to Mr. Brand of the Royal Institution, who determined that the n colour was owing to an immense quantity of a very small species of fungus, of a red colour. He even succeeded in separating the fungi from the snow, and making them vegetate in another medium.

We shall do all in our power to render the Kaleidoscope as entertaining and instructive as possible whilst th Christmas vacation continues.

One of our correspondents, whom we need not parts
larize, will perceive that we have taken the liber
omit a simile in which he had indulged, as we
ceive, in violation of analogy and fact: the diam
does not become corroded or tarnished in the w
alluded to.

The Lines transcribed by L. G. are very acceptable.
PINCHER's Letter in our next.

We entirely agree in opinion with A SUBSCRIBER AN
WELL-WISHER, and shall endeavour to Back-
out with as good a grace as possible.

Printed, published, and sold

BY EGERTON SMITH AND CO.
Sold also by John Bywater and Co. Pool-lane; M
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No. 28.-NEW SERIES.

OR,

Literary and Scientific Mirror.

Scientific Notices.

ORIGINAL ESSAY.

No. III.

ON THE FOOD OF MAN.

(Written expressly for the Kaleidoscope.)

Sed multi mortales dedite ventri atque somno, indocti neultique vitam, sicuti peregrinantes, transegere; quibus profecto, contra naturam, corpus voluptati, anima onert falt, eorum ego vitam mortemque juxta mestumo, quoniam je utraque siletur.

Sallust.

"UTILE DULCI."

TUESDAY, JANUARY 9, 1821.

being most excited into action, become the great foci
of the vital energy of the system; and, instead of the
| pineal gland of Descartes, are the seat of the soul, and
deprive the brain, nerves, and muscles of their due
proportion of vitality. This did not escape our poet
of nature,

"Fat paunches have lean pates, and dainty bits

Make rich the sides, but hanker out the wits."

PRICE 31d.

We come now to the consideration of aliments from the animal kingdom. It is allowed by all that the milk of the mother, or of a healthy nurse, is the most wholesome and nutritious food for the infant; and next to this, the new, warm milk of the cow, ass, or goat. The eggs of our tame fowls afford a simple, pure, and nourishing food to man. Flesh in a raw state, although more nutritious than when roasted or boiled, is rarely eaten, unless it is salted or smoked. We generally use the flesh of herbivorous, but very seldom that of carnivorous, animals. The accounts of Anthropophogi, or such as eat human flesh, have been supposed to originate more from a taste for the marvellous, so common to travellers, than from a regard to truth; but, if any such exist, they are confined to a few of the islands of the South Pacific Ocean. Amphibious animals, such as eels, vipers, and turtles, likewise administer to our repasts. From the fowls of the air, and, of the lake, we obtain some of the most agreeable, wholesome, and elegant of our dishes. The ingenuity of man, stimulated by the cravings of healthy and pampered appetite, has devised various means of rendering the fish of the sea and of the lake more delicious to his taste, and more easily preserved; for, by the process of toasting, smoaking, and salting, we can enjoy this prevalent article of food, when the tompests of the one, and the freezing of the other, proserve their finny treasures safe from the hardy fisherman. We even extend our appetite to insects and the latter the oyster, one of the most admired, and by some supposed to be the most salubrious, of the various articles of food.

I shall now proceed to make a few observations on the quantity and quality of the food of man. For seems the proper nourishment of the human body, requisite that we partake of the food which agrees best with our juices,—that of a bland, diluted, mucilaginous, or gelatinous nature. A soft and gelatinous Excess in food and drink is the principal cause of matter is contained in plants as well as flesh; but that hose manifold diseases which flesh is heir to. In this which is procured from the former is rather acidulous, expect "the toe of the peasant galls the kibe of the contains more carbon, and is consequently less liable to courtier." The shepherd of the hills, and the plough- decomposition or putrefaction than animal matter of siman of the plains, after a day of labour and fatigue,milar qualities, in which a greater proportion of azote re. partake of their humble fare with a keen appetite, mjoy a night of undisturbed repose, and awake in the horning with buoyant spirits and renovated strength. But the wealthy citizen and refined courtier are strangers to these pleasures. After wallowing in all the luxuries of Epicurus, they consign themselves to Test; but sleep seldom visits their sad eyes, and they rise in the morning weak, melancholy, and irritable. I is the digestive organs which chiefly suffer by these Diphabits, and thus diseases are generally contracted, which terminate sooner or later in death. This, how-table has been found less nutritious to man than ani-worms; from the former we select the crab, and from ever, is not the only evil consequence; the brain betomes secondarily affected, and many derangements of the mind, supposed to proceed from moral causes, are solely to be attributed to material ones. Thus the epicure and the hard drinker will find the springs of their mental energies often lost, and many imaginary difficulties arise to embarrass their pursuits and defeat their objects.

Enterprises of vast pith and moment,
In this respect their currents turn away,
And lose the name of action."

sides. This highly nutritious aliment is procured in great
abundance from the farina of seeds: of our common
corn, wheat affords it in the greatest quantity, barley
next and then oats. It resides to a greater or less de-
gree in others; such as rice, millet, peas, beans, ches-
nuts, and hazel-nuts. Likewise in some fruits; such as
cucumbers, melons, figs, olives, prunes, apples, pears,
grapes, and black mulberries; and in roots, some bul-
bous plants, a few flowers, various fungi, and in those
trees which produce gum arabic and sugar. But vege-

mal matter, as the juices of plants are not so analagous to his juices; thus those who are fed solely on vegetables, particularly if they are of sedentary habits, and Upon the whole, we may reckon the flesh of herhave been previously accustomed to animal food, become debilitated, lean, and pale, and are frequently bivorous animals the most nutritious article of food afflicted with acidity in the stomach. Of fruits, ripe to men, from, the great quantity of gelatine and fat apples seem to be the most agreeable to nature, and which it contains, and from its property of restoring the most simple and useful kind of aliment, for the the wasted strength of our bodies, and, as some sup following reasons-they contain a sufficient quantity of pose, of rendering the manners more fierce, to a nutritious matter, as a solid gelatine can be extracted greater extent than any other species of diet. The from them by the simplest process; they belong to hunter is generally bolder and fiercer than the peasant It has been well remarked by the Florentine moralist, that species of food which is grateful to our palate: of the fields; but whether this is to be ascribed to that "luxury renders us unfit for the studies of litera- they allay both hunger and thirst, and in the sandy and physical or moral causes is uncertain. To me it apture, shakes the strength of the limbs, makes a woman arid deserts of Arabia, administer both food and drink pears, that the superior ferocity of the veteran soldier of a man, causes the learned to be ignorant, and the to the pilgrim who travels to the shrine of his prophet; and of the experienced hunter, is deducible from the wise to be foolish; therefore," he continues, "you in the sick room they are not less valuable, and convey same cause a long acquaintance with dangers and always find that those who are given to luxury have no both refreshment and nourishment to the feverish hardships. Courage, the most characteristic quality mand, no vigour, no prudence; and that they are fool-patient. In the primitive ages they were the chief of the English nation, has been imputed by some ish, abject, and contemptible." This moral reflection of Poggio is confirmed by daily experience, and by the researches of the physiologist, who has discovered this important law in the animal economy, that where one organ, or set of organs is over-exerted, the others fall Into a state of quiescence or deficient action. Thus in the luxurious: the stomach and neighbouring organs

Some French writer his quaintly observed, that "most men their graves with their teeth."-Note by the Editor...

article of food to man, and the poets in their glowing
descriptions of Arcadian happiness, generally assign
them the highest rank amongst the viands of the pas-
toral banquet. Thus, the shepherd Tityrus, in his
benevolent invitation to the banished Melibaus to
spend the night with him, promises him the following
humble repast:-

"Sunt nobis mitia poma,
Castanæ molles, et pressi copia lactis.'

theorists to their living chiefly on animal food; but for a refutation of such an opinion, we have only to adduce the Swedes, who are by no means over fond of that diet, but who have gained a name in arms, which is exceeded by that of no other country.

Although the mineral kingdom has unlocked its treasures to us for various purposes, we have been only enabled to select, with the exception of water, one article from its vast stores, for the gratification of