Driveling Worms

An Experiment In Following A Worm

William Davis | The Collation | 5th August 2021

Archive photographer explains how tracking the path of a worm through a 17C letter helped to reveal the folding habits of 17C writers. This missive was sent to the Laird of Craighall, Scotland, in 1647 when it was customary to fold up letters into small packages to keep "grime and gossips" away from the words. Software was used to avoid handling the letter during the investigation (1,991 words)

What Driveling Times Are These!

Penelope J. Corfield | Lapham's Quarterly | 8th February 2022

The Georgians loved to give names to the period of time through which they were living. These terms invented to characterise this 18C period were mostly pessimistic. A selection: the Age of Lead, a Cheating Age, the Age of Mad-Folks, a Depraved Age, Driveling Times, this Irreligious Age and the present Age of Vice. There was even a newspaper called the Spirit of the Age (1,984 words)

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