- Ballast Heavers
- Balloon-Ball.—XIV. Century
The balloon-ball, was a large ball made of double leather, which being filled with wind by means of a ventil, says Commenius, was driven to and fro by the strength of men's arms; and for this purpose every one of the players had a round hollow bracer of wood to cover the hand and lower part of the arm, with which he struck the ball. This pastime was usually practised in the open fields, and is much commended for the healthiness of the exercise it afforded. The balloon-ball seems certainly to have originated from the hand-ball, and was, I apprehend, first played in England without the assistance of the bracer; this supposition will be perfectly established if it be granted, and I see no reason why it should not, that the four figures represented below are engaged in the balloon-ball play: the original delineation occurs in a manuscript of the fourteenth century in the Royal Library. - Bambusa aurea
A very hardy and graceful Chinese species, differing but slightly from B. viridi-glaucescens in size and habit, and forming elegant tufts with its slender much-branched stems, which attain a height of from 6½ ft. to 10 ft., and are of a light-green colour when young, changing into a yellowish hue, and finally becoming of a straw-yellow when fully grown. The leaves are lance-shaped acute, light green, and are distinguished from those of B. viridi-glaucescens by having their under surface less glaucescent, and the sheath always devoid of the long silky hairs. The preliminary remarks on culture, etc., will apply to all the species here described. - Bambusa falcata (Arundinaria falcata)
A very ornamental species from Nepaul and the Himalayas, and at present the only kind of bamboo much planted with us. It grows from 7 ft. to 20 ft. high, and has woody, twisted, smooth stems of a yellowish-green or straw-colour, knotty, bearing on one side of each of the knots a bundle of small branches equally knotty and twisted. The whole plant has a pale yellowish hue, except in the young spikelets and sheaths, which are occasionally purplish. The leaves are of a fine delicate green, from 4 ins. to 6 ins. long, ribbon-like, linear-acute, sickle-shaped, in two rows, short-stalked, and sheathing. It is hardy over the greater part of England and Ireland, but only attains full development in the south and west. I have seen it attain great luxuriance in Devon, and nearly 20 ft. high near Cork, though in many districts it is stunted. It loves a deep, sandy, and rich soil, and plenty of moisture when growing fast. - Bandy-Ball.—XIV. Century
Here are two figures engaged at bandy-ball, and the form of the bandy, as it was used early in the fourteenth century, from a MS. book of prayers beautifully illuminated and written about that time, in the possession of Francis Douce Esq. - Bank of England
Bank of England, Royal Exchange, Mansion House (Cornhill, Lombard, Threadneedle Streets.) - Banquet to the Queen in the Guildhall
- Bargaining with Hussar Officers
Order ordered by the King William IV "The four regiments of Hussars to be dressed exactly alike. Their officers to have one dress only, and that of a less costly pattern, which will forthwith be prepared." Of course, this, like the former ukase, could not escape the satirist, and we have the accompanying illustration by R. S. entitled, "Raising the Wind by Royal Authority. His Majesty intends diminishing the extravagant expense of the Military Officer's dress. See the papers." Here we see the Jew old clothesmen chaffering against each other and bargaining with Hussar Officers for their compulsorily left-off finery. - Barge-Builders
Barge-Builders - Baron Stockmar
- Basalt rocks near Haraldsund
- Basque Cart
The Basques, especially those living in the mountains, are proud, happy, and independent. They are easily angered and quick to fight. They love their old life and customs and dislike changes. They still use many old-fashioned things such as the clumsy ox-cart, with great, solid wooden wheels and heavy wooden axle. The old dress has disappeared in many places, but is picturesque. Men wear rather loose and baggy trousers, a close-fitting vest, a sort of blouse or jacket that reaches only to the waist, a wide, white collar turned down over the neck of the blouse, and a loose necktie with streaming ends. They wear a loose cap jauntily on the head. Men and women both delight in bright colors. - Bastion of the City Wall
- Bear and Monkey
A tutored bear and monkey performing - Bear-baiting
(From the Luttrell Psalter.) - Beasts at the zoo
Beasts at the zoo - Beaumaris Castle, Bird's Eye View
The great hall, 70 feet by 23 feet 6 inches, occupies most of the first floor of the northern gatehouse, and is lighted from the court by five windows, of two lights each, with a transom, as at Stokesley and Ludlow, contemporary halls. The fireplace was on the opposite side. The roof was of timber, but with one stone rib, as at Charing. The southern gatehouse probably also contained a large chamber, now destroyed. The state-rooms and lodgings were in the gatehouses. The portals were of unusual length, and each was guarded by three grates. - Beaumaris Castle, Entrance
Its inner ward is a quadrangle about 50 yards square, contained within four curtain-walls about 16 feet thick and 40 to 50 feet high. At the angles are four drum-towers, three-quarters engaged, of the height of the curtains. On the east and west sides are intermediate towers, half-round, with prolonged sides, of which that to the east, as at Kidwelly, contains the chapel. In the centre of the north and south sides are the gatehouses, of large size and something higher than the other towers. In each a quadrangular part projects into the court, capped at the two angles by round turrets containing staircases. Outside, half-round towers with prolonged sides flank the entrance. - Beaumaris Castle, Ground Plan
BEAUMARIS Castle is built upon a marshy flat, close to the sea-shore, and but little above the level of the sea, from which its ditch was supplied. It is an example of a purely concentric fortress, in which the engineer was left free to design his works without being governed, as in most other cases, by the irregularities of the ground. - Beckoned silently to the rest to follow him
For some time this secret practising continued without arousing suspicion on the part of the other inmates of the house. One night, however, when the child had resorted to his favourite spot, he was suddenly missed by those below, and, as it was known that he had been sent to bed, some fears were felt as to what could have become of him. The servants were summoned, but could give no account of him; the father was fetched from his study, whither he had retired, and a search began. The alarm increased when it was ascertained that the child was in none of the living-rooms of the house, and it was decided that the garrets and lofts must be searched. Calling for a lantern, the surgeon ascended the stairs leading to the lumber-room; it was possible that the boy might have found his way thither on some childish expedition, and there fallen asleep. Great was the father's surprise, on reaching the top-most landing, to hear faint musical sounds proceeding from behind the closed door. Noiselessly retracing his steps, he summoned the rest of the household, and then, ascending the stairs in a body, they paused outside to listen. Sure enough the old garret was full of melodic sounds! Now near, now far off, they seemed to the listeners to be wafted from another world; there was something uncanny about it, and the maids gazed into each other's faces with a scared expression, as the master softly lifted the latch, and, having peeped [41]into the room, beckoned silently to the rest to follow him. - Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven - Benitier, Siena Cathedral
- Benjamin D’Israeli
Benjamin D’Israeli - Berberis nepalensis
The noble habit of this plant makes it peculiarly valuable, possessing, as it does, the grace of a luxuriant fern with the rigidity of texture and port of a Cycas. The leaves are occasionally 2 ft. in length and of a pale green colour, sometimes with eight pairs of leaflets and an odd one: some of the leaflets 6 ins. long and nearly 2 ins. broad, with coarse spiny teeth on the margin. The inflorescence is very striking and beautiful. The Nepaul Barberry is one of those subjects that are too hardy to perish in our climate, yet which do not usually attain perfect development in it. It exists about London in the open air, and flowers in early spring; but the leaves seldom attain one-fourth of their full development, and the plant scarcely ever displays its vigorous grace. In mild parts, principally in the south and south-west, it grows more freely, and when judiciously placed in sheltered positions, in deep and rather sandy soil, it becomes a beautiful object. Where it thrives in the open air, it may be most tastefully used in the more open spots near the hardy fernery, here and there among “American plants,” or other choice s - Berkeley Castle, Keep
Berkeley Castle, Keep Entering the outer gate, the visitor finds himself upon a triangular platform, of which the outer gate-house is the apex, and the inner gate-house and part of the keep the base; on the left a modern wall, which replaces the curtain, crests the scarp of the ditch, and forms the north side of the platform 66 yards long. On the right a low parapet, 54 yards long, forms the south side, and caps a revetment wall of about 10 feet in height, at the foot of which the ancient scarp has been laid out in good taste in a terrace garden. This triangular platform is scarcely an outer ward: it is rather a barbican covering the main entrance and the keep. Its area is 7,750 square yards. There is no trace of a second ditch in advance of this side of the keep and the inner gate, but it is very probable that there was one, though, if so, it must have been filled up when the courts were added to the keep, as otherwise it would have completely occupied them. - Berkeley Castle, Plan
Upon the line of the Severn, in the rear of all these, there were but eight of any importance, Bristol, Berkeley, Gloucester, Hanley, Worcester, Hartlebury, Bridgenorth and Shrewsbury, and of these Berkeley was in many respects the most remarkable, and has endured the longest. A Keep. B Inner Ward. C Outer Ward. D Outer Gate. E Inner Gate. F Fore Building. G Ed. II. Dungeon. H Ed. II. Tower. I Domestic Apartments. J Chapel. K Room above Cellar. L Hall. M Buttery. N Kitchen. O Offices. P Well. Q Oratory and Well. - Besnier's flying apparatus
Reproduction by heliogravure of the figure from the Journal des sçavans (1678). Extract from a letter written to Mr. Toynard on a Machine of a new invention to fly in the air. A, right front aisle. — B, left rear aisle. — C, left front aisle. — D, right rear aisle. — E, fissure of the left foot which lowers the D aisle, when the left hand lowers the Aisle C. — F, fissure of the right foot which lowers the D-pin when the left hand lowers the C-pin. - Between Times, Leicester Square
Between Times, Leicester Square - Bicyclists ( Carrefour d'Ermenonville )
While at the Potinière we admire the velocemen and velocewomen in possession of all the secrets of art, we only meet here the laggards studying under the eye of professionals. It is assured that the ordinarily gifted people are, after ten lessons, in a condition to direct themselves properly. But just as some students take a long time to do their law far beyond the statutory years, so we find certain temperaments refractory to equilibrium which persist in capsizing at every turn of the wheel beyond all expectations. - Billingsgate
- Birthplace of Lamarck
Birthplace of Lamarck - Bismarck
Prussian affairs were then very much in the hands of a minister of the seventeenth-century type, Von Bismarck (count in 1865, prince in 1871), and he saw brilliant opportunities in this trouble. He became the champion of the German nationality in these duchies—it must be remembered that the King of Prussia had refused to undertake this rôle for democratic Germany in 1848—and he persuaded Austria to side with Prussia in a military intervention. Denmark had no chance against these Great Powers; she was easily beaten and obliged to relinquish the duchies. Then Bismarck picked a quarrel with Austria for the possession of these two small states. So he brought about a needless and fratricidal war of Germans for the greater glory of Prussia and the ascendancy of the Hohenzollern dynasty in Germany. German writers of a romantic turn of mind represent Bismarck as a great statesman planning the unity of Germany; but indeed he was doing nothing of the kind. - Black Forest Cow Team
Black Forest Cow Team - Blanche of Castile
- Blechnum brasiliense
Dwarf tender Tree Fern: in sheltered shady dells during the summer months. - Blundell’s Impellor
A more general interest in the subject was revived in England by the work of James Blundell, lecturer on physiology and midwifery at St. Thomas’s and Guy’s Hospitals. He published in 1818 his earliest paper on experimental transfusion with a special form of syringe invented by himself. His first apparatus consisted of a funnel-shaped receptacle for the blood, connected by a two-way tap with a syringe from which the blood was injected through a tube and cannula into the recipient. His experiments were[11] performed upon dogs, and he began by drawing blood from the femoral artery and re-injecting it into the same animal through the femoral vein. He then conducted a long series of investigations into the properties of blood, the effects of its withdrawal, and the resuscitation of an exsanguinated animal. Soon he had opportunities of transfusing patients with human blood, and the results are recorded in his paper of 1824. His apparatus had by then been elaborated, and an engraving of his Impellor, as he termed it, is reproduced here. It consisted as before of a funnel-shaped receptacle for the blood, but the syringe was now incorporated in one side of the funnel, and contained a complicated system of spring valves, which caused the blood to travel along the delivery tube when the piston was pushed down. The Impellor was fixed to the back of a chair in order to give it stability. - Boat Tilting
Here we may also add the boat justs, or tilting upon the water. The representation of a pastime of this kind is given, from a manuscript of the fourteenth century in the Royal Library. The conqueror at these justs was the champion who could dexterously turn aside the blow of his antagonist with his shield, and at the same time strike him with his lance in such a manner as to overthrow him into the river, himself remaining unmoved from his station; and perhaps not a little depended upon the skill of the rowers. When queen Elizabeth visited Sandwich in 1573, she was entertained with a tilting upon the water, "where certain wallounds that could well swym had prepared two boates, and in the middle of each boate was placed a borde, upon which borde there stood a man, and so they met together, with either of them a staff and a shield of wood; and one of them did overthrowe another, at which the queene had good sport." - Boating
Boating - Boats made from Shoes, Holland
A crowd of boys running in such shoes [wooden] over the hard paved roads makes a great clattering. On Sunday the wooden shoes of men and boys are usually fresh whitened; if their owners enter a house, they leave the shoes outside the door. I am sure you cannot guess what little Dutch boys do with old wooden shoes. They make capital little fishing boats out of them, which they sail on the canal. The real big fishing boats are really shaped very much like shoes too. - Boccaccio
- Bocconia cordata
This is a fine plant in free soil, but comparatively poor in that which is bad or very stiff. It forms handsome erect tufts from 5 ft. to over 8 ft. high, and is admirably suited for embellishing the irregular or sloping parts of pleasure-grounds. The stems grow rather closely together, and are thickly set with large, reflexed, deeply-veined, oval-cordate leaves, the margins of which are somewhat lobed or sinuated. The flowers, which are rosy-white and very numerous, are borne in very large terminal panicles. The flowers are not in themselves pretty, but the inflorescence, when the plant is well grown, has a distinct and pleasing appearance. - Bodice types. 1700-1725
- Bodice types. Period 1690-1720
- Bonaparte and the grenadier
Bonaparte and the grenadier - bonnets worn in 1830
bonnets worn in England in 1830 - bonnets, a turban, a cap, and various modes of dressing the hair. 1833
bonnets, a turban, a cap, and various modes of dressing the hair. 1833 - Boot shapes. Charles I to 1700
- Boxing
Boxing - Boxmeer, North Brabant
Boxmeer, North Brabant - Boys Tilting in Pastime
All persons below the `rank` of an esquire were excluded from the justs and the tournaments; but the celebration of these pastimes attracted the common mind in a very powerful manner, and led to the institution of sports, that bore at least some resemblance to them: tilting at the quintain was generally practised at a very early period, and justing upon the ice by the young Londoners. The early inclination to join in such kind of pastimes is strongly indicated by the two boys represented here: the place of the horse is supplied by a long switch, and that of a lance by another. The original delineation occurs in a beautiful MS. book of prayers, written in the fourteenth century. - Bradlaugh
- Brass to Sir John D’Abernon
For the happily increasing class of tourists who are interested in archæology, let it be noted here that the chancel of this church contains the earliest monumental brass in the kingdom, the mail-clad effigy of Sir John D’Abernon, dated 1277. Many of his race, before and after his time, lie here. The life-sized engraved figure of this Sir John, besides being the earliest, is also one of the most beautiful. Clad from head to foot in a complete suit of chain mail,his hands clasped in prayer, heraldic shield on one arm, his pennoned lance under the other, and his great two-handed sword hanging from a broad belt outside the surcoat, this is a majestic figure. His feet rest on a writhing lion, playfully represented by the engraver of the brass as biting the lance-shaft. - Breda, North Brabant
Breda, North Brabant - Breda, North Brabant
Breda, North Brabant - brewhouse
- Bridge and Cattle, Newport, Mon
- Bridge of the Rialto, Venice
- Britons with Coracles
Britons with Coracles - Bronze Well in the Ducal Palace, Venice
- Brother Brushes
First R.A. (who hates to be interrupted in his hobby but is doing his best to be polite).—“Done any work to-day?” Second R.A.—“No, confound it. That stupid ass Brown came to the studio and talked all the afternoon,—couldn’t do a stroke of work. What do you do when some idiot comes and interrupts your work?” First R.A.—“Oh, I go on weeding.”