Knowledge For the Time

About this eBook

Author

Timbs, John, 1801-1875

Title

Knowledge for the Time A Manual of Reading, Reference, and Conversation on Subjects of Living Interest, Useful Curiosity, and Amusing Research

Credits

Produced by Chris Curnow and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive)

Language

English

LoC Class

AG: General Works: Dictionaries and other general reference books

Subject

Encyclopedias and dictionaries

Category

Text

eBook-No.

49524

Project Gutenberg

https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/49524

Release Date

July 25, 2015

Copyright

Public domain in the USA.

Contents

1. 1.KNOWLEDGE FOR THE TIME:
2. 2.TO THE READER.
3. 3.THE FRONTISPIECE.
4. 4.CONTENTS.
5. 5.KNOWLEDGE FOR THE TIME.
6. 6.Historico-Political Information. — Politics not yet a Science. — The Philosopher and the Historian. — Whig and Tory Ministries. — Protectionists. — Rats, and Ratting. — The Heir to the British Throne always in Opposition. — Legitimacy and Government. — “The Fourth Estate.” — Writing for the Press. — Shorthand Writers. — The Worth of Popular Opinion. — Machiavelism. — Free-speaking. — Speakers of the Houses of Parliament. — The National Conscience. — “The Nation of Shopkeepers.” — Results of Revolutions. — Worth of a Republic. — “Safe Men.” — Church Preferment. — Peace Statesmanship. — The Burial of Sir John Moore. — The Ancestors of Washington. — The “Star-spangled Banner” of the United States. — Ancestry of President Adams. — The Irish Union. — The House of Bonaparte. — Invasion of England projected by Napoleon I. — Fate of the Duc d’Enghien. — Last Moments of Mr. Pitt. — What drove George the Third mad. — Predictions of the Downfal of Napoleon I. — Wellington predicts the Peninsular Campaign. — The Battle of Waterloo. — Wellington’s Defence of the Waterloo Campaign. — Lord Castlereagh at the Congress of Vienna. — The Cato-street Conspiracy. — Money Panic of 1832. — A Great Sufferer by Revolutions. — Origin of the Anti-Corn-Law League. — Wellington’s Military Administration. — Gustavus III. of Sweden. — Fall of Louis-Philippe. — The Chartists in 1848. — Revival of the French Emperorship. — French Coup d’Etat Predictions. — Statesmanship of Lord Melbourne. — Ungraceful Observance. — The Partition of Poland. — The Invasion of England. [2] — What a Militia can do. — White-Boys. — Naval Heroes. — How Russia is bound to Germany. — Count Cavour’s Estimate of Napoleon III. — The Mutiny at the Nore. — Catholic Emancipation and Sir Robert Peel. — The House of Coburg. — A Few Years of the World’s Changes. — Noteworthy Pensions.
7. 7.Progress of Civilization. — How the Earth was peopled. — Revelations of Geology. — The Stone Age. — What are Celtes? — Roman Civilization of Britain. — Roman Roads and British Railways. — Domestic Life of the Saxons. — Love of Freedom. — The Despot deceived. — True Source of Civilization. — The Lowest Civilization. — Why do we shake Hands? — Various Modes of Salutation. — What is Comfort? — What is Luxury? — What do we know of Life? — The truest Patriot the greatest Hero. — The old Philosophers. — Glory of the Past. — Wild Oats. — How Shyness spoils Enjoyment. — “Custom, the Queen of the World.” — Ancient Guilds and Modern Benefit Clubs. — The Oxford Man and the Cambridge Man. — “Great Events from Little Causes spring.” — Great Britain on the Map of the World. — Ancient and Modern London. — Potatoes the national food of the Irish. — Irish-speaking Population. — Our Colonial Empire. — The English People.
8. 8.Dignities and Distinctions. — Worth of Heraldry. — Heralds’ College. — The Shamrock. — Irish Titles of Honour. — The Scotch Thistle. — King and Queen. — Title of Majesty, and the Royal “We.” — “Dieu et Mon Droit.” — Plume and Motto of the Prince of Wales. — Victoria. — English Crowns. — The Imperial State Crown. — Queen’s Messengers. — Presents and Letters to the Queen. — The Prince of Waterloo. — The See of London. — Expense of Baronetcy and Knighthood. — The Aristocracy. — Precedence in Parliament. — Sale of Seats in Parliament. — Placemen in Parliament. — New Peers. — The Russells. — Political Cunning. — The Union-Jack. — Field-Marshal. — Change of Surname.
9. 9.Changes in Laws. — The Statute Law and the Common Law. — Curiosities of the Statute Law. [6] — Secret of Success at the Bar. — Queen’s Serjeants, Queen’s Counsel, and Serjeants-at-Law. — Do not make your Son an Attorney. — Appellate Jurisdiction of the House of Lords. — Payment of an Advocate. — Utter-Barristers. — What was Special Pleading? — What is Evidence? — What is Trial? — Trial by Jury. — Attendance of Jurors. — The Law of Libel. — Induction of a Rector. — Benefit of Clergy. — The King’s Book. — Compulsory Attendance at Church. — The Mark of the Cross. — Marriage-Law of England. — Marriage Fines. — Irregular Marriages. — Solemnization of Marriage. — The Law of Copyright. — Holding over after Lease. — Abolition of the Hop Duty. — Customs of Gavelkind. — Treasure Trove. — Principal and Agent. — Legal Hints. — Vitiating a Sale. — Law of Gardens. — Giving a Servant a Character. — Deodands. — Arrest of the Body after Death. — The Duty of making a Will. — Don’t make your own Will: — Bridewell. — Cockfighting. — Ignorance and Irresponsibility. — Ticket-of-Leave Men. — Cupar and Jedburgh Justice. — What is to be done with our Convicts. — The Game Laws. — The Pillory. — Death-Warrants.—Pardons. — Origin of the Judge’s Black Cap. — The last English Gibbet. — Public Executions.
10. 10.Measure and Value. — Numbers descriptive of Distance. — Precocious Mental Calculation. — The Roman Foot. — The Peruvian Quipus. — Distances measured. — Uniformity of Weights and Measures. — Trinity High-water Mark. — Origin of Rent. — Curiosities of the Exchequer. — What becomes of the Public Revenue. — Queen Anne’s Bounty. — Ecclesiastical Fees. — Burying Gold and Silver. — Results of Gold-seeking. — What becomes of the Precious Metals? — Tribute-money. — The First Lottery. — Coinage of a Sovereign. — Wear and Tear of the Coinage. — Counterfeit Coin. — Standard Gold. — Interest of Money. — Interest of Money in India. — Origin of Insurance. — Stockbrokers. — Tampering with Public Credit. — Over-speculation. — Value of Horses. — Friendly Societies. — Wages heightened by Improvement in Machinery. — Giving Employment.—Indirect Taxation. — Never sign an Accommodation Bill. — A Year’s Wills.
11. 11.Progress of Science. — What human Science has accomplished. — Changes in Social Science. — Discoverers not Inventors. — Science of Roger Bacon. — The One Science. — Sun-force. — “The Seeds of Invention.” — The Object of Patents. — Theory and Practice.—Watt and Telford. — Practical Science.—Mechanical Arts. — Force of Running Water. — Correlation of Physical Forces. — The Effect of Oil in stilling Waves. — Spontaneous Generation. — Guano. — What is Perspective? — The Stereoscope. — Burning Lenses. — How to wear Spectacles. — Vicissitudes of Mining. — Uses of Mineralogy. — Our Coal Resources.—The Deepest Mine. — Iron as a Building Material. — Concrete, not new. — Sheathing Ships with Copper. — Copper-smelting. — Antiquity of Brass. — Brilliancy of the Diamond. — Philosophy of Gunpowder. — New Pear-flavouring. — Methylated Spirit. — What is Phosphate of Lime? — What is Wood? — How long will Wood last? — The Safety Match. — Pottery.—Wedgwood. — Imposing Mechanical Effects. — Horse-power. — The First Practical Steam-boat. — Effect of Heavy Seas upon Large Vessels. — The Railway. — Accidents on Railways. — Railways and Invasions. — What the English owe to naturalized Foreigners. — Geological Growth. — “Implements in the Drift.” — The Earth and Man compared. — Why the Earth is presumed to be solid. — The Centre of the Earth. — The Cooling of the Earth. — Identity of Heat and Motion. — Universal Source of Heat. — Inequalities of the Earth’s Surface. — Chemistry of the Sea. — The Sea: its Perils. — Limitations of Astronomy. — Distance of the Earth from the Sun. — Blue Colour of the Sky. — Beauty of the Sky. — Influence of High Temperatures in Balloon Ascents. — Value of Meteorological Observations, Telegraphy, and Forecasts. — Weather Signs. — Barometer for Farmers. — Icebergs and the Weather. — St. Swithun: his true History. — Rainfall in London. — The Force of Lightning. — Effect of Moonlight on Vegetation. — Contemporary Inventions and Discoveries. — The Bayonet. — Derivation of the word Loot. — Telegram. — Archæology and Manufactures. — Good Art should be cheap. — Imitative Jewellery. — French Enamel.
12. 12.Life and Health. — Periods and Conditions of Life. — Age of the People. — The Human Heart. — The Sense of Hearing. — Care of the Teeth. — On Blindness. — Sleeping and Dreaming. — Position in Sleeping. — The Hair suddenly changing Colour. — Consumption not hopeless. — Change of Climate. — Perfumes. — Cure for Yellow Fever. — Nature’s Ventilation. — Artificial Ventilation. — Worth of Fresh Air. — Town and Country. — Recreations of the People. — The Druids and their Healing Art. — Remedies for Cancer. — Improved Surgery. — Restoration of a Fractured Leg. — The original “Dr. Sangrado.” — False Arts advancing true. — Brief History of Medicine. — What has Science done for Medicine? — The Element of Physic in Medical Practice. — Physicians’ Fees. — Prevention of Pitting in Small-pox. — Underneath the Skin. — Relations of Mind and Organization. — Deville, the Phrenologist. — “Seeing is believing.” — Causes of Insanity. — Brain-Disease. — The Half-mad. — Motives for Suicide. — Remedy for Poisoning. — New Remedy for Wounds. — Compensation for Wounds. — The Best Physician. — The Uncertainty of Human Life.
13. 13.Religious Thought. — Moveable Feasts. — Christmas. — Doubt about Religion. — Our Age of Doubt. — A Hint to Sceptics. — What is Egyptology? — Jerusalem and Nimroud. — What is Rationalism? — What is Theology? — Religious Forebodings. — Folly of Atheism. — The first Congregational Church in England. — Innate Ideas, and Pre-existence of Souls. — The Sabbath for Professional Men. — “In the Beginning.” — The last Religious Martyrs in England. — Liberty of Conscience. — Awful Judgments. — Christian Education. — The Book of Psalms. — The Book of Job.
14. 14.APPENDIX. — Great Precedence Question. — FOOTNOTES:
15. 15.INDEX.
16. 16.Transcriber’s Notes:

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