DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.70267#0147
A MAN NOT BORN TO BE HANGED.
125
are indebted to Lieutenant Dundas, of the Royal Engi-
neers, and Lieutenant Desude, of the Queen’s German Re-
giment, aid-de-camp to Lord Cavan, who accomplished it
with much perseverance and difficulty. The letters were
so much defaced by time, that it was only during the hours
when the sun cast a shadow from them that any observation
could be made. In some parts a few characters are totally
incapable of being traced. These characters have been
filled up by Mr. Hales, an English clergyman, at Naples,
employed in decyphering the ancient manuscripts found
at Herculaneum. These filled up characters are of course
open to criticism. The most material part, however, the
name of the person to whom the pillar is dedicated, is quite
legible. The following is a translation of the inscription :
To Diocletianus Augustus, most adorable Emperor, the
tutelar deity of Alexandria, Pontius, Prefect of Egypt
consecrated this.
A Man evidently not born to be Hanged or Drowned.
T
-1 HE following catalogue of calamities are inserted, as
having actually occurred to one man ; and are asserted in
a letter from Uttoxeter in Staffordshire, dated as under,
and of which the following is an extract.
“ I cannot but imagine that the following narrative of
accidents, which have fallen to the lot of one man, now
perfectly sound and hearty, and in his 45th year, will find a
place in your valuable Miscellany; they are so numerous,
and many of them so generally fatal, that it is almost
necessary for me, (in order to gain the credit I am entitled
to), to premise that the subject (or hero if you please)
of this letter, is very much engaged in horse-breaking,
from which dangerous employment most of these misfortunes
have arisen.— 1. Right shoulder broken to pieces ; 2. Scull
fractured and trepanned ; 3. Left arm broken in two places;
4. Three ribs on the left side broken—a cut in the fore-
Vol. I. s head-
125
are indebted to Lieutenant Dundas, of the Royal Engi-
neers, and Lieutenant Desude, of the Queen’s German Re-
giment, aid-de-camp to Lord Cavan, who accomplished it
with much perseverance and difficulty. The letters were
so much defaced by time, that it was only during the hours
when the sun cast a shadow from them that any observation
could be made. In some parts a few characters are totally
incapable of being traced. These characters have been
filled up by Mr. Hales, an English clergyman, at Naples,
employed in decyphering the ancient manuscripts found
at Herculaneum. These filled up characters are of course
open to criticism. The most material part, however, the
name of the person to whom the pillar is dedicated, is quite
legible. The following is a translation of the inscription :
To Diocletianus Augustus, most adorable Emperor, the
tutelar deity of Alexandria, Pontius, Prefect of Egypt
consecrated this.
A Man evidently not born to be Hanged or Drowned.
T
-1 HE following catalogue of calamities are inserted, as
having actually occurred to one man ; and are asserted in
a letter from Uttoxeter in Staffordshire, dated as under,
and of which the following is an extract.
“ I cannot but imagine that the following narrative of
accidents, which have fallen to the lot of one man, now
perfectly sound and hearty, and in his 45th year, will find a
place in your valuable Miscellany; they are so numerous,
and many of them so generally fatal, that it is almost
necessary for me, (in order to gain the credit I am entitled
to), to premise that the subject (or hero if you please)
of this letter, is very much engaged in horse-breaking,
from which dangerous employment most of these misfortunes
have arisen.— 1. Right shoulder broken to pieces ; 2. Scull
fractured and trepanned ; 3. Left arm broken in two places;
4. Three ribs on the left side broken—a cut in the fore-
Vol. I. s head-