Sixteenth Meeting January 30th 1871

"Cant is German philosophy."

Transcript.

24L

Meeting Mr Muspratt’s house, Jan 30th 1871

Present - Messrs. Muspratt, Carey, Watts, Brunner

Raven, Jekyll.

Words. Cant, Slang, Wit, Humour, Satire.

Cant is the affectation of being that which

you are not. Nescio quid

Cant is the affectation of dogma.

(recorded in absentia) I bide my time

Cant is a needless use of technical terms.

Palmam qui meruit ferat

Cant is German philosophy.

Gradatim

Cant is the use of language which tends to

make persons seem what they are not.

Erin go bragh.

Cant is the employment in ordinary conversa-

-tion or writing of terms peculiar to a particular

profession. Nemo

Definition proposed.

Cant is a needless use of technical terms.

Agreed to by: Paulatim

Palmam qui meruit ferat

Nemo

Jan 30th 1871

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Transcript.

24R

Cant is the use of language which tends to make

persons seem what they are not.

Agreed to by: I bide my time, Gradatim

Erin go bragh

Cant is unnecessary technicality.

Paulatim

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Slang.

Slang is a vulgar use of words in other than

their natural meanings.

Palmam qui meruit ferat

Slang is a vulgar [term] used in the place of

the one commonly & properly employed.

Gradatim

Slang is vulgar technical terms.

Erin go bragh

Slang is a popular method of conveying slight

shades of meaning. Nescio quid.

Slang is the cant of low life, i.e. the

needless use of terms usually employed by those

who move in [fast?] or low society. Nemo.

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Transcript.

25L

Definition proposed.

Slang is a vulgar use of words in other than

their ordinary [acceptation?].

Agreed to by: Palmam qui meruit ferat, Nemo

Erin go brag, Nescio quid, Gradatim

Minority

Slang is low cant. Paulatim

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Wit is language which is amusing by its im-

-plicit rather than by its literal meaning.

Paulatim

Wit is the suggestion of an amusing [surveillance??].

or contrast. Nescio quid

Wit is a faculty of the imagination which enables

its possessor to give ideas a pleasing form.

Nemo

Wit is a rapid detection of the similarity of

ideas. Gradatim

Wit is that language which causes laughter in

educated minds. Erin go bragh

Paulatim seconded his definition by substituting

“an expression” for language.

Wit is an unexpected association of ideas not -

Jan 30th 1871

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Transcript.

25R

naturally connected, so as to satisfy the
appreciation of the human mind for the
ludicrous. Palmam qui meruit ferat
No definition was arrived at but the con-
-sideration of this word was postponed until
the next meeting.

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Jan 30th 1871

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Fifteenth Meeting January 16 1871

With the Franco-Prussian War entering its final days it's likely that our cosmopolitan group would be discussing the Siege of Paris. On the day they they met, the Liverpool Mercury reported extensively on the siege, and, then as now, reflected disgust at the suffering of the civilian population. Perhaps it was no coincidence that "Civilisation" and "Barbarism" were selected for discussion that night.

Liverpool Mercury 16th January 1871.

French Protest Against the Bombardment Paris.

“Prussian shells appear to have been wantonly launched against hospitals, ambulances, churches, schools and prisons, making numerous innocent females and children their victims. No means had been afforded them to provide for this unexpected aggravation of suffering”.
“The exigencies of war can never be an excuse for the shelling of private buildings, the massacre of peaceful citizens, and the destruction of refuges and hospitals. Suffering and weakness always find mercy at the hands of force; if force is not disarmed by them it is dishonoured”.

Transcript.

22R
Meeting at Mr Raven’s house
Jan 16th 1871
Present. Messrs. Raven, H.Brunner, (JL)Muspratt, Mond
and Watts
Words. Cant, [Slang], Civilisation, Barbarism
Resolved - that in Mr Carey’s absence the words
Cant & [Slang] be postponed.
Word taken - Civilisation.
Civilisation is the development of the intellect
and moral qualities of nations.
Unversagt
Civilisation is that state of society in which
men to some extent recognise the rights of others.
Nemo
Civilisation is the refinement generated by the
intercourse of citizens. Gradatim
Civilisation is the progress of a nation or
community in knowledge.
Palmam qui meruit ferat
Erin go bragh amends his definition by
striking out the word “physical”.
Definition proposed
Civilisation is the development of the -
Jan 16th 1871

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-intellectual & moral qualities of communities.
Agreed to by - Erin go bragh, Unversagt,
Palmam qui meruit ferat.
Civilisation is that state of society in which
men to some extent recognise the equal rights
of others.         Nemo
Civilisation is the refinement generated by
the intercourse of citizens. Gradatim
Civilisation is the mental & physical devel-
-opment of the human race.
Erin go bragh
Civilisation is the progress of a community
towards the attainment of its highest
collective & individual development.
Paulatim
Recorded in Paulatim’s absence.
———
Word taken - Barbarism.
Barbarism is a state of society in which the
rights of the stronger is the greater right.
Nemo
Barbarism is the absence of civilisation
Palmam qui meruit ferat
Jan 16th 1871



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Transcript.

23R
Barbarism is a state of [un?]civilisation.
Gradatim
Barbarism is the absence of development in
nations. Erin go bragh
Definition proposed.
Barbarism is the uncivilised state of communities.
Agreed to by        Unversagt
Erin go bragh
Gradatim
Palma qui meruit ferat
Minority.
Barbarism is the state of society in which the
right of the stronger is the greater right.
Nemo
Barbarism in the uncivilised absence
civilisation.
Recorded in Paulatim’s absence.
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Next meeting: January 30th 1871

Fourteenth Meeting

Fourteenth Meeting January 3rd 1871

Some new faces at this first meeting of 1871 at Carey's house, namely W.R.Jekyll, a chemist in Gaskell, Deacon’s and Sydney Muspratt, the brother of James Liebig Muspratt). It seems that Sydney Muspratt employed two pseudonyms, "Sans changer" and "I bide my time". Jekyll was "Nescio quid".

Page 21L

Transcript.

21

Meeting at Mr Carey’s house.

January 3rd 1871

Present. Messrs. Carey (Paulatim), (H.)Brunner (Nemo), Mond (Unversagt), Watts (Palmam qui meruit ferat), (J.L.)Muspratt (Erin go bragh), Jekyll (Nescio quid), S. Muspratt (Sans changer).



Words. Honour, Vulgarity, [Cant?], [xx].

Honour is the standard by which men measure
their actions toward one another. Nemo
Honour is a tacitly accepted code of laws, adopted
by the majority, and assumed to be based on
morality, which regulate the conduct of individuals
towards one another. Palmam qui
Honour is a sentiment which takes the force of
law among a community.
Erin go Bragh
Honour is a sense of duty arising from [every day??]
social conventions.
Honour among thieves. (Nescio quid)
Honour is the individual’s standard of self respect.
Unversagt
Honour is the expression of virtue
I bide my time
Honour is the [reputation] of the virtuous.
Paulatim
Jan 3rd 1871

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Transcript.

                                                                     21
Vote taken that Honour is a real attribute & not
[a] [reputation] [xxxxx]
Ayes. Erin go Bragh
Honour among thieves (changed to Nescio quid)
Palmam qui meruit ferat
Unversagt
Nemo
No. I bide my time
Paulatim
Definition proposed.
Honour is the source of what self-respect demands
based upon largely social conventions.
Agreed unanimously.

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Vulgarity
Vulgarity is that which in action or language
is repulsive to the educated mind.
Erin go Bragh
Vulgarity is the striving to seem rather than to
be. Paulatim
Vulgarity is the illustration of [vulgarity?]
I bide my time
Vulgarity is failing to conform to the [standards]-

Jan 3rd 1871

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Transcript.

22
-of the majority. Palmam qui meruit ferat
Vulgarity is [non]conformity with the habits &
manners of society to the inconvenience & dis-
-comfort of others. Honour among thieves
Vulgarity is what is abhorrent to the taste of
educated men Unversagt
Vulgarity is that in manners or language
which offends against good taste(s).
Nemo

Definitions proposed.
Vulgarity is that which is offensive to good
taste. Agreed to by Palmam qui meruit ferat
Nemo
I bide my time
Unversagt
Vulgarity is that which in action or language
is repulsive to the educated mind.
Erin go Bragh
Honour among thieves (Nescio quid)
Vulgarity is the striving to [second rate? xx to be]
Paulatim

Mr Raven was proposed as a member of the
“Qu’est-ce que c’est” & accepted unanimously.


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Jan 3rd 1871