The penny magazine of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge, issue…
"The penny magazine of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge, issue…" is a general-interest illustrated periodical written in the early 19th century. It presents short, accessible pieces on natural history, language, education, history, and notable lives, designed to inform and uplift a broad readership with practical knowledge and moral reflection. This issue ranges widely: it opens with a graceful natural history essay on the olive tree—its form, cultivation, oil-making, and
symbolic place in ancient myth and the Bible. It follows with guidance on maternal education that stresses leading by example, and a lively language lesson explaining English noun endings such as -er, -or, -ess, -ship, -dom, -ness, and -y. A correspondent recounts observing a giraffe in Malta and recalling a cherished one in Constantinople; a reflective poem sketches a shepherd boy and contrasts rustic ignorance with urban complacency. There are practical and historical pieces, including a richly detailed history and description of Holyrood House, an anecdote about a “firemen’s dog” that attends blazes across London, and an essay on Chaucer’s House of Fame highlighting medieval ideas about sound and early hints of gunpowder, with a nod to Pope’s adaptation. The weekly feature profiles Admiral Blake as a model naval hero, and brief notes advocate general education for workers and quantify the trade in imported bristles. Throughout, the tone blends instruction, curiosity, and moral purpose, supported by illustrative engravings. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
