JACKLIN-SHAVER AND POET-CAMBRIDGE. CAMBRIDGE BARBERS. [For the Year Book.] JOHN JACKLIN was "well liking," and well known to Alma Mater as a shaver, a poet, and an "odd fellow." Good humor hung pendant on the very tip of his tongue, and a thousand funny sentences poured from his lips; were your 48. mind as gloomy as Spenser's Cave of Despair, his look had the power to banish all. He presided, for many years previbridge, called "The Sixteen," by which ous to his death, over a society in Camwhole length portrait of him, of which he was dubbed "The Major"-below a the preceding is a copy, he is familiarly called "The Major-part of Sixteen." [Copy.] "TO HIM to whom these presents shall come Greeting. KNOW YE that JOHN JACKLIN, alias THE MAJOR, though no pugilist, had every day a brush and set-to, and was frequently in the suds; for he entered great men's houses, and sans ceremonie took them by the nose, and cut off more of their hairs than any disease, or entail. Bees never harmed him, though he handled the comb. staunch Tory, and brought many a Wig to the block though a Sexaquarian, he was always daily at sweet "Sixteen," and although he sometimes met with great men, he was always acknowledged as "THE MAJOR. He was a "Uncle thought to do a favor, Fix'd at Cambridge 'mongst my betters, When I entered "four times four." A better creature never was, I'll bet a wager (Although I say it) than was Camb. 1824." THE MAJOR." Another Barber-ROBERT FORSTER, the "Cambridge Flying Barber," died at the end of the year 1799. During many years he was hair-dresser to Clare Hall, and an eccentric but honest fellow. He was allowed to be so dexterous in his profession, and trimmed his friends so well, that some years before his death, the gentlemen of the University, by subscription, bought him a silver bason; and he was so famous, that it was no light honor which enabled a stranger to say, he had been shaved out of " Forster's bason." A striking likeness was etched of him in full trim without his hat; for, having lost the only one he possessed, many years before he died, he never wore one afterwards. The etchings are become scarce, or one would have accompanied the likeness of "The Major.” Sir, PUFF! PUFF!! PUFF!!! [To Mr. Hone.] 66 NEMO. Going the other evening into a hairdresser's shop to have my cranium operated upon," or in plain speaking to have my hair cropped, I espied the enclosed printed bill, or whatever else you may call it, which I herewith send for the amusement and edification of those "cognoscenti who will give their time to peruse such a curious specimen of Bombastic Rodomontade.-I have seen a great variety of puffs, literary puffs, lottery puffs, and quack's puffs; but this puff is of a very different description.It is the puff sublime. "From the sublime to the ridiculous there is but one step." [Copy.] "THE GRAND STIMULI to the performance of heroic achievements in the art of war are the distinguished honors conferred by a grateful country, and the hopes of immortality. Thus the Romans of old decreed the glory of a triumph while living to their illustrious warriors, and post mortem a place among the gods. The AMOR PATRIE is the noblest impulse of our nature, and, in this happy land of OLD ENGLAND, the highest honors a beloved monarch can bestow are accessible to the lowest of her citizens, and the man of science who, in his particular profession, astonishes the world by the splendor of his genius, is stamped by an admiring people as a star of the first magnitude. The preliminaries apply to that singular professor of his art, GILLINGWATER, introduced a new era in the science of Hair-cutting; he proves to demonstration that the same modus operandi does not assimilate to every head, but, by a union of skill and anatomical knowledge of each particular countenance, he blends, with a strict regard to fashion, the commanding aspect of personal figure. "When this COLOSSUS OF HAIR-CUTTING established his head-quarters in Long-lane, like the mighty CESAR, conscious of his conquering powers, he exclaimed "VENI VIDI, VICI," and he soon illustrated the memorable expression, and such is his influence, that the MINOR STARS, with which his neighbourhood is infested, are hiding their diminished heads. Like the admirable CRIGHTON, GILLING WATER stands pre-eminently great. The CoGNOSCENTI Who have examined the principles upon which the Perruques are fabricated, pronounce them a CHEF D' EUVRE of workmanship-indeed, they form Elegantia ista; and the liberal method he pursues is so different from what is practised by petty shopkeepers, that it must necessarily distinguish him. Although his assortment is extensive, consisting of all the shades of nature, he offers the only safe mode that of measuring the head. Upon this principle the result is certain, and free of that mixture of color which is found in perruques kept in shops where a large stock is boasted of. - His CHEVALIERS are artists of high distinction, and exhibit that polite attention, inseparable from a professional intercourse with polished society, and form a GALAXY of commanding talent. "Charge for cutting only sixpence." N. B. For the information of those of your readers who are not yet initiated into the exquisite language of this "inimitable hair cutter," by his chevaliers," those "artists of such high distinction," I believe he means his, his, his, - Assistants - Apprentice being now nearly obsolete. MEMORANDA. EDWIN J. An indiscreet good action is little better than a discreet mischief.-Bp. Hall. I had rather confess my ignorance than falsely profess knowledge. It is no shame not to know all things, but it is a just shame to over-reach in any thing.-Bp. Hall. was CHRISTMAS WOLVES. Olaus Magnus, who was of pre-eminence, termed archbishop of Upsal, and metropolitan of "the Goth," and Sweden, relates in his History, that, at the festival of Christmas, in the cold northern parts, there is a strange mutation of men into animals. He says that, at a certain place previously resolved amongst themselves, there is a gathering upon of a huge multitude of wolves that are changed from men, who, during that night, rage with such fierceness against mankind, and other creatures not fierce by nature, that the inhabitants of that country suffer more hurt from them than ever they do from true natural wolves, for these human wolves attack houses, labor to break down the doors that they may destroy the inmates, and descend into the cellars, where they drink out whole tuns of beer or mead, leaving the empty barrels heaped one upon another. And, if any man afterwards come to the place where they have met, and his cart overturn, or he fall down in the snow, it is believed he will die that year. And there is standing a wall of a certain castle that was destroyed, which, at a set time, these unnatural wolves come to, and exercise their agility in trying to leap wall, as commonly the fat ones cannot, over; and they that cannot leap over this are whipped by their captains: and, moreover, it is believed that among them are the great men and chief nobility of the land. And one skilled in the manner of this great change of a natural man into a brute, says, that it is effected by a man mumbling certain words, and drinking a cup of ale to a man wolf, which, if admitted as worthy of the society of these he accept the same, the man natural is men wolves, and may change himself into the form of a wolf by going into a secret cellar or private wood; and also he may put off his wolf's form, and resume his own, at his pleasure. And, for example, it is further related by the archbishop Olaus, that a certain nobleman, while on a journey through the woods, was benighted and hungry; and it so fell out that among his servants were some who had this faculty of becoming wolves; one of these proposed that drew, and that they should not be surthe rest should be quiet, while he withprised to tumult by any thing they saw in his absence; and, so saying, he went into a thick wood, and there privily he transformed himself, and came out as 2 wolf, and fell fiercely on a flock of sheep, and caught one of them, and brought it to his companions, who, knowing the bringer thereof for their comrade, received it gratefully; and he returned into the wood, as a wolf would, and came back again in his own shape as the nobleman's servant; and so, of his skill, this lord and the rest had a supper, for they roasted the sheep. Also, saith the archbishop, not many years since, it fell out in Livonia that a nobleman's wife disputed with one of her servants, whether men could turn themselves into wolves, and the lady said they could not; but the servant said, with her permission, he would presently show her an example of that business: and forthwith he went alone into the cellar, and presently after came forth in the form of a wolf; and the dogs hunted him through the fields into a wood, where he defended himself stoutly, but they bit out one of his eyes, and the next day he came with only one eye to his lady. Lastly, the archbishop saith, it is yet fresh in memory how the duke of Prussia, giving little heed to such stories, yet required one who was reputed cunning in this sorcery, to give proof of his art, and the man changed himself into a wolf accordingly; and the duke was then satisfied, and caused the man to be burnt for his idolatry." December 26. ST. STEPHEN's Day. The day after Christmas day is always observed as "boxing day," in places where still lingers the decaying custom of soliciting gifts under the denomination CHRISTMAS BOXES. Gladly, the boy, with Christmas box in hand, Throughout the town, his devious rout pursues; And of his master's customers implores sists, Whose dulcet jingle fills his little soul [For the Year Book.] In the hall of the Inner Temple, on St. Stephen's day, after the first course was served in, the constable marshal was wont to enter the hall bravely arrayed with a "fair, rich, compleat harneys, white, and bright, and gilt, with a nest of fethers of all colours upon his crest or helm, and a gilt pole ax in his hand," accompanied by the Lieutenant of the tower, "armed with a fair white armour," wearing like fethers "with a like pole ax in his hand,” and with them sixteen trumpeters, four drums and fifes going in rank before them, and attended by four men in white "harneys" from the middle upwards, and halberds in their hands, bearing on their shoulders a model of the tower: which persons with the drums and music went three times round the fire. Then the constable marshal knelt down before the lord chancellor, and behind him the lieutenant, and in this humble guise, the former personage edified the revellers with an oration of a quarter of an hour's length, declaring that the purpose of his coming was to be admitted into his lordship's service, to which the chancellor answered that he would "take farther advice therein." Then the constable marshal standing up, in submissive manner, delivered his naked sword to the steward, who presented it to the chancellor, who thereupon "willed" the marshal to place the constable marshal in his seat, with the lieutenant also in his seat. During this ceremony "the tower was placed "be neath the fire." Next entered the master of the game apparelled in green velvet, and the ranger of the forest in a green suit of satten, bearing in his hand a green bow and "divers," arrows" with either of them a hunting horn about their necks, blowing together three blasts of venery. These having strided round the fire thrice, the master of the game having made three "courtesies" knelt down before the lord chancellor, and put up the same petition as the constable marshal, the ranger of the forest standing demurely behind him. At the conclusion of this ceremony, a huntsman came into the hall bearing a fox, a pursenet, and a cat, both bound at the end of a staff, attended by nine or ten couples of hounds with the blowing of hunting horns. Then were the fox and cat set upon and killed by the dogs beneath the fire, to the no small pleasure of the spectators." What this "merry disport" signified The hunter is Christ that hunts in haist 66 Then proceeded the second course, which done, and served out, the common sergeant made a plausible speech" to the lord chancellor and his friends at the highest table, showing forth the necessity of having a marshal and master of the game, for the better reputation" of the commonwealth, and wished them to be received. This oration was seconded by the king's sergeant at law, which heard, -the "ancientest of the masters of the revels" sang merrily with the assistance of others there present. Only fancy the "ancientest of the masters of the revels" chanting such stanzas as the following,— "Bring hither the bowle And quaff the rich juice right merrilie ; Till the solid ground Shall quake at the noise of our revelrie. Let wassail and wine Their pleasures combine, While we quaff the rich juice right merrilie ; Will mingle their songs with our revelrie." After supper, which was served with like solemnity as on Christmas day, the constable marshal again presented himself with drums before him, mounted on a scaffold, horne by four men, and going thrice round the hearth, he shouted " lord! a lord !" then descending from his elevation, and having danced awhile, he called his court severally by name in this manner : a "Sir Francis Flatterer, of Fowleshurst, in the county of Buckingham." "Sir Randle Backabite, of Rascall Hall, in the county of Rabchell." "Sir Morgan Mumchance, of Much Monkery, in the county of Mad Popery," (and others.) This done, the lord of misrule" addressed" himself to the banquet, which, when ended with some 66 minstralsye,' "mirth and dancing, every man departed to rest. "At every mess, a pot of wine allowed: every repast was vid." On St. John's day (upon the morrow) the lord of misrule was abroad by 7 o' clock in the morning, and repairing to the chambers he compelled any of his officers who were missing to attend him to breakfast with brawn, &c.; " after breakfast ended, his lordship's power was in suspense, until his personal presence at night, and then his power was most potent." At dinner and supper was observed the “diet and service" performed on St. Stephens day after the second course was served, the king's sergeant "oratour like" declared the disorder of the constable marshal, and common sergeant; the latter of whom "defended" himself and his companion "with words of great efficacy." Hereto the king's servant replied, they rejoined, and whoso was found faulty was sent to the tower. On the Thursday following, the chancellor and company partook of dinner of roast beef and venison pasties, and at supper of "mutton and hens roasted." |