m of "his _great-coat_, leaving only his
doublet" (ch. 8), but in the next chapter (9) we find "the victuals
had not been touched," though the rascals "searched diligently for
booty." Now, if the food was in the great-coat, and the great-coat was
stolen, how is it that the victuals remained in Sancho's possession
untouched?
_Sancho's Wallet_. We are told that Sancho left his wallet by mistake
at the tavern where he was blanket-tossed (ch. 5), but in ch. 9, when
he found the portmanteau, "he crammed the gold and linen into his
wallet."--Pt. I. iii.
To make these oversights more striking, the author says, when Sancho
found the portmanteau, "he entirely forgot the loss of his _wallet_,
his _great-coat_, and of his faithful companion and servant Dapple"
(_the ass_).
_Supper_. Cervantes makes the party at the Crescent tavern eat two
suppers in one evening. In ch. 5 the curate orders in supper, and
"after supper" they read the story of _Fatal Curiosity_. In ch. 12 we
are told "the cloth was laid [_again_] for supper," and the company
sat down to it, quite forgetting that they had already supped.--Pt. I.
iv.
CHAMBERS'S ENCYCLOPAEDIA states that "the fame of Beaumarchais rests
on his two operas, _Le Barbier de Seville_ (1755) and _Le Mariage de
Figaro_." Every one knows that Mozart composed the opera of _Figaro_
(1786), and that Casti wrote the libretto. The opera of _Le Barbier
de Seville_, or rather _Il Barbiere di Siviglia_, was composed by
Rossini, in 1816. What Beaumarchais wrote was two comedies, one in
four acts and the other in five acts.--Art. "Beaumarchais."
CHAMBERS'S JOURNAL. We are told, in a paper entitled "Coincidences,"
that Thursday has proved a fatal day with the Tudors, for on that day
died Henry VIII., Edward VI., Queen Mary, and Queen Elizabeth. If this
had been the case it would, indeed, have been startling; but what
are the facts? Henry VIII. died on _Friday_, January 28, 1547, and
Elizabeth died on _Monday_, March 24, 1603.--Rymer, _Foedera_, xv.
In the same paper we are told with equal inaccuracy that _Saturday_
has been fatal to the present dynasty, "for William IV. and every
one of the Georges died on a Saturday." What, however, says history
proper? William IV. died on _Tuesday_, June 20, 1837; George I. died
_Wednesday_, June 11, 1727; George III. died _Monday_, January 29,
1820; George IV. died _Sunday_, June 26, 1830; and only George II.
died on a _Saturday_, "the day [_so_] fatal to
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