BYRON USED THEM

Taranaki Daily News, 11 September 1935, Page 13

BYRON USED THEM

STRANGEST SCALES IN ENGLAND. WEIGHT OF BEAU BRUMMEL. The strangest pair of -scales in England is in the old wine shop of Messrs. Berry, the King’s wine merchants, in London, says the News Chronicle. They are more than seven feet high, and they have been used for the last 200 years to weigh not only the choicest wines,

but begt-krioiyn PWPI? ft feritifli' jiistpry. . ’ Eight ,thick ledgers are kept » the shop’s safe; Each is filled with the of Berry’s customer? and their weightsBeau Bruritmel’S weight, than 130 yeai’S ago, was 9st 111 b. /Varren Hastings’ weight was recorded in February, 1815, as 9st 91b. '‘ Mr -.-. p £"ft? n Prime Minister of England-weighed 10st. Much heavier records are those oi Queen Victoria’s father, the puke of Kent, who was 16st 811 b in June, 1814 Viscount Dudley turned the scale at 20st 111 b in 1771- A hundred and sixty years later—in December, 1930—Viscount. Castleross® cam® ft w | th a neat 18st 35fe ’

One of the most fascinating eptri.es m the book is the record of ByrOn s weight.. Her?, almost year I?? is the story bf the poet’s frantic efforts at slirnntmg. In 1806, wncn he was only sixteen, he turned the sea te at 13st. Here are the entries:— ■ 1806- 4, 13st 121 b. Boots, uo M 1807- July 8, lOst 131 b. Shoes. fl July 23, list 01b. Shoes. fl August 13, lOst 1141 b. Shoes, fl 1808- 27, list 11b. Shoes. fl 1809- 10, list 531 b. .Shoes. ■ 1811—June 15, 9st 11Mb. Shoes. . fl The gap between 1809 and 1811 vfl when Byron was living on tire Conti® ent. He swam the Hellespont in 1810. J