Fw: Re: The Learned English Dog

[Albert Rolls]

>A century of Birmingham life: or, A chronicle of local events ..., Volume 1 edited by John Alfred Langford
>
>From a giant to a learned dog is perhaps not a very great descent; however, the Birmingham people had the opportunity of making it in 1752. In September we read the following curious description of the capabilities of the "Learned English Dog," then exhibiting in the town:—
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>We hear that of all the extraordinary Curiosities that have been exhibited in this Town, none have met with such general Approbation and Esteem as the learned English Dog, from the great number of Gentlemen and Ladies that daily resort to see him, who actually reads, writes, and easts Accompts, by means of Typographical Cards, in the same manner that a Printer composes; and by the same Method, answers various Questions in Ovid's Metamorphoses; Geography; the Roman, English, and Sacred History; knows the Greek Alphabet; reckons the number of Persons present, if not above thirty; sets down any Sir-name, or Capital Name, which is not too difficult to spell; solves small Questions in the four Rules of Arithmetick; tells, by looking on any common Watch of the Company, what is the Hour and Minute; knows the foreign as well as English Coins. He likewise shows the impenetrable Secret, or tells any Person's Thoughts in Company; and distinguishes all sorts of Colours. As the Proprietor intends to stay here but a very short Time, he has reduced his Price to Sixpence each, less than which will never be taken, and he assures the Publick that this is the first Time of so low a Price being submitted to.
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>Note.—He waits on Gentlemen or Ladies, at their Houses, if required. The Original impenetrable Secret to be sold.
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>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>>From: Dave Monroe <against.the.dave at gmail.com>
>>Sent: May 26, 2011 11:47 PM
>>To: pynchon -l <pynchon-l at waste.org>
>>Subject: The Learned English Dog
>>
>>Could use any/all "scholarly" or whatever works on/references to The
>>Learned English Dog.  Have @ hand, e.g., ...
>>
>>Hinds, Elizabeth Jane Wall. "Animal, Vegetable, Mineral:
>>   The Play of Species in Pynchon's Mason & Dixon."
>>   Humans and Other Animals in Eighteenth-Century British Culture:
>>   Representation, Hybridity, Ethics.   Ed. Frank Palmieri.
>>   Burlington, VT: Ashgate, 2006. 179-99
>>
>>Help!  Thanks!