Genre:

Reminiscences, Spoof; Reportage, Extract, Spoof

Subjects:

Geology

    The narrator describes an evening spent in Marylebone with a friend and his mercantile agent from Lisbon, who recounted his experiences of the great earthquake there. At the end of the evening, on taking his leave, the narrator experienced similar violent motions of the earth under his feet. A spoof extract from the police reports of the Morning Herald Morning Herald and Daily Advertiser (1780–1869) Waterloo Directory
Close   View the register entry >> reveals that he was drunk.

Genre:

Essay, Drollery

Subjects:

Disability, Astronomy, Botany, Materialism

    A blind man has eyes 'like shotten stars,—mere jellies' (62). 'With botanists he is a species of solanum, or night shade, whereof the berries are in his eyes'. 'In his religion he is a materialist, putting no faith but in things palpable'. (63)

Genre:

Poetry, Drollery

Relevant illustrations:

wdct. [3]

Illustrators:

T H, pseud.  [Thomas Hood] Hood, Thomas (1799–1845) ODNB
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Subjects:

Zoological Gardens, Menageries, Publishing, Illustration, Horticulture, Biblical Authority

People mentioned:

Edward T Bennett Bennett, Edward Turner (1797–1836) ODNB
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    The writer has heard 'a deal of talk' about both Vigors's book and his 'Menagerie' Zoological Society of London —Gardens
Close   View the register entry >> (Vigors was president of the Zoological Society Zoological Society of London
Close   View the register entry >>), but has never visited it (65). He speculates that this is a 'gardening volume [...] like old Mawe's [Abercrombie, John] 1767. Every Man his Own Gardener: Being a New and Much More Complete Gardener's Kalendar than any one Hitherto Published [...] By Mr. Mawe, [...] and other Gardeners, London: W. Griffin; Norwich: W. Chase; Chelmsford: T. Toft; York: E. Etherington
Close   View the register entry >>! / Containing rules for cultivating brutes, / Like fruits, / Thro' April, May, or June' (66). The illustration captioned 'Preparing a Hot-Bed' (facing 67) depicts a man who has fallen asleep in bed, with a candle in one hand and a copy of Robert Burns's Burns, Robert (1759–96) ODNB
Close   View the register entry >> poetry in the other. Enquires into Vigors's role in the garden. Speculates that from his title he might be a 'sort of Secretary Bird', writing letters home for the animals (67). The illustration captioned 'A Strange Bird' (facing 68) depicts a short man with a beak-like nose and tail-coat stooping over a flower pot, watched intently by a man with a gun and dog. Speculates that Vigors's animals might be but 'garden brutes, indeed'—examples of topiary—but concludes from the illustrations that they cannot be. Praises the illustrator, William Harvey Harvey, William (1796–1866) ODNB
Close   View the register entry >>, and the engravers, Robert E Branston Branston, Robert E (bap. 1823–77) ODNB
Close   View the register entry >> and John Wright Wright, John (fl. 1828–41) Engen 1985
Close   View the register entry >>. The illustration captioned 'From the Zoological Gardens' (facing 70) depicts a vase of flowers in which both the flowers and the vase appear to have animal faces. Urges Vigors: 'Go on then publishing your Monthly parts, / And let the wealthy crowd, / The noble and the proud, / Learn of brute beasts to patronise the Arts'. Hopes that his animals will 'Go on as swimmingly as old Noah's Ark!'. (71) The illustration captioned 'Nature's School' (71) depicts animals walking in pairs, followed by a well-dressed gentleman.

Genre:

Reportage, Drollery

Relevant illustrations:

wdct. [2]

Illustrators:

T H, pseud.  [Thomas Hood] Hood, Thomas (1799–1845) ODNB
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Subjects:

Menageries, Animal Behaviour, Political Economy, Instruments

    Describes having once seen the feeding of the boa constrictor at 'Charing Cross's' Cross's Menagerie, King's Mews, Charing Cross
Close   View the register entry >>. The only other witness to the event was a man who 'looked like a personification of what Political Economists call the Public Consumer; or, Geoffrey Crayon's Irving, Washington ('Geoffrey Crayon') (1783–1859) CBD
Close   View the register entry >> Stout Gentleman, seen through Carpenter's Carpenter, Philip (d. 1833) Turner 1989
Close   View the register entry >> Solar Microscope' (86–87). The illustration captioned 'The Boa after a Meal' (facing 85) depicts a fat man gazing at a snake which has an enormous rabbit-shaped engorgement in the middle of its length. The illustration captioned 'The Great Sea Serpent Discovered From the Mast-Head' (89) depicts a giant sea serpent attached to, and trailing from, the mast of a ship.

Genre:

Ballad, Drollery

Subjects:

Superstition, Zoology, Nutrition, Natural Economy

    A family is troubled over dinner by the appearance of what purports to be the ghost of their absent sailor son. The apparition warns them that the cod, oysters, and shrimps they are about to eat recently consumed his corpse.

Genre:

Essay, Drollery

Subjects:

Nutrition, Hydropathy

    Observes of water: 'M. hath written a volume, I am told, in its commendation, and above all of its nutritive quality; and truly to see it floating the Victory HMS Victory
Close   View the register entry >> with all her armament and complement of guns, and men, one must confess there is some support in it—at least as an outward application; but then, taken internally, look at the wreck of the Royal George HMS Royal George
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Genre:

Ballad, Drollery

Subjects:

Manufactories, Accidents, Pharmaceuticals

    Describes an explosion at the mill of a 'Powder-maker', who makes 'Not vile apothecary's pounded stuffs, / But something blacker, bloodier, and louder, / Gun-powder!' (111).

Genre:

Poetry, Drollery

Subjects:

Quackery, Medical Treatment, Pharmaceuticals

    Mrs W refuses to take the Cockle's anti-bilious pills given to her by her children. In the end she throws them out of the window, whereupon her neighbour's chickens eat them and die.

Genre:

Miscellaneous, Drollery

Relevant illustrations:

wdct.

Illustrators:

T H, pseud.  [Thomas Hood] Hood, Thomas (1799–1845) ODNB
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Subjects:

Natural History, Superstition, Natural Economy

    At the wake of a drowned Scottish ferryman, the sheet over the corpse is seen to move. This proves to be due to a 'large pound Crab', which had been secreted in the dead man's clothes 'with some design, perhaps sinister' (140). To the horror of her neighbours, an old 'sea-roamer' captures the crab and makes a meal of it. The illustration captioned 'A Scotch Crab' (142) depicts a crab whose carapace is a Scottish hat.

Genre:

Illustration, Drollery

Relevant illustrations:

wdct.

Illustrators:

T H, pseud.  [Thomas Hood] Hood, Thomas (1799–1845) ODNB
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Subjects:

Mapping, Exploration

    A disconsolate-looking man sits at a table with a large sheet of paper and compasses in front of him. A small child at his elbow is playing with a quill, and has evidently upset the ink-well, which has sent rivers of ink over the paper.

Genre:

Introduction; Diary, Spoof

Subjects:

Menageries

    Refers to having bought a mare, compared to which 'no animal could be quieter, except the leather one, formerly in the Show-room, at Exeter Change Exeter Exchange—Royal Menagerie
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Genre:

Poetry, Drollery

Relevant illustrations:

wdct.

Illustrators:

T H, pseud.  [Thomas Hood] Hood, Thomas (1799–1845) ODNB
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Subjects:

Engineers, Engineering

    Reflects on the leakage of water into Marc I Brunel's Brunel, Sir Marc Isambard (1769–1849) ODNB
Close   View the register entry >> Thames Tunnel Thames Tunnel
Close   View the register entry >>. 'Sad it is, worthy of one's tears, / Just when one seems the most successful, / To find one's self o'er head and ears / In difficulties most distressful!' (175). Suggests that Brunel should put up the sign of the 'Bore's Head', and make the failed tunnel his 'Shades' (176). The illustration captioned 'Fancy Portrait:—M. Brunel' (facing 174) depicts a man with his mouth wide open and looking somewhat like a tunnel.