7th S. VI, SEPT. 22, '88.] NOTES AND QUERIES. to Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Thomas Vernon, of To this sad shrine, whoe'er thou art draw near; In the south-east corner of the chapel is the recumbent effigy of Dr. Edward Harcourt, Archbishop of York, who died in 1847, and was buried in the vault underneath. It is an exact copy or replica of his monument in York Minster. Just on the outside of the chapel is the colossal statue of Field Marshal Earl Harcourt, who died in 1830, the last earl of the line, and which was brought here from the Colosseum in London. JOHN PICKFORD, M.A. Newbourne Rectory, Woodbridge. BIRTH HOUR Recorded (7th S. v. 108, 194, 312). -There is a curious belief in some parts of Lincolnshire that a child born at midnight will never know fear. This has, of course, no connexion with the subject dealt with at the above references; but it C. C. B. deserves to be recorded. BAY BERRIES (7th S. vi. 188).—"The vertues" of bay berries, as recorded in Parkinson's 'Theater A few of Plants' (1640), p. 1489, are numerous. of them are as follows: "Galen saith that the Bay leaves or barke doe dry and heale very much, and the berries more than the leaves; ...the berryes are very effectuall against all venome and poyson of venemous creatures, and the stings of Waspes and Bees, as also against the pestilence, or other infectious diseases, and therefore is put into sundry Treakles for that purpose." They are to be used carefully in the special treatment of women, and "being made into an electuary with honey, they helpe the consumption, old coughes, shortnesse of breath, and thin rheumes......the oyle which is made of the berries, Liverpool. The berries (that is to say, the bays) of the bay The ancients made much use in medicine of the [The curious remedial qualities ascribed by Pliny to SINGULAR SOLECISMS (7th S. iii. 434; vi. 95).—It SCOTCH HALL (7th S. vi. 189).-I have searched carefully through the Catalogue of the British Museum, but can find no such book as 'Cassell's MUS URBANUS. Old London.' Your contributor must be jesting when he names it. "THE SURGEON'S COMMENT' (6th S. x. 226, 297, 393; 7th S. vi. 166).-The following version, which I copied some twenty years ago into my omnium gatherum book, seems to have the force of an Eng-tainly for the last dozen years "empty bottles" has lish original: PRACTICAL JOKES IN COMEDY (7th S. v. 125, 215, 372; vi. 129).-I think that there is not much difference between the opinion of MR. JONATHAN BOUCHIER and my own on this subject; and perhaps after the last remarks you may be inclined to consider the subject closed. If not, you may possibly admit one other note of mine. There is no actual practical joke in Corneille's 'Menteur,' though, indeed, the lies of Dorante and the exchange of characters effected by the ladies border upon it. But there is a practical joke in Foote's adaptation of this play, The Liar,' since the personation of the fictitious wife may certainly be so called. I myself think that Foote has turned the comedy into a farce; but I can well see that others may have a different opinion, and may not draw the line as I do. Perhaps I expressed myself too strongly concerning Gil Blas, but surely some of his tricks were very knavish. He began life by robbing the uncle who had educated him and fitted him out for his travels; afterwards, in his master's clothes, he passed himself off as his master in order to have an intrigue with a lady of quality; he disguised himself as a police officer, and, in order to revenge himself on a woman who had defrauded him, he extorted from her when she was lying sick all that she had. This, although cruel and unmanly, might be thought to some extent justifiable if he had not taken more from her than she took from him. His robbery of the Jew has been mentioned by MR. BOUCHIER. But it may be added that Don Raphael, the companion of Gil Blas in this business, was afterwards executed. E. YARDLEY. DEAD MEN EMPTY BOTTLES (7th S. v. 448; vi. 38, 131). The statement as to the story at p. 38, as given by MR. E. H. MARSHALL at the last reference is correct. It is as follows: “Graceful Excuse.-William IV. seemed in a momentary dilemma one day when, at table with several officers, he ordered one of the waiters to 'take away that marine there,' pointing to an empty bottle. "Your Majesty! inquired a colonel of marines, do you compare an empty bottle to a member of our branch of the service?' Yes,' replied the monarch, as if a sudden thought had struck him; I mean to say, it has done its duty once, and is ready to do it again."-Mark Lemon, 'The Jest Book,' London, 1864, No. DCCC., p. 161. ED. MARSHALL. It may be worth while to note another use which the term "empty bottles" has acquired. I do not know how much longer it has been in use, but cer been the received slang among English visitors at all the towns along the Riviera for those who go to Monte Carlo for a day's "play" and are supposed to have their pockets empty when they come back at night. "Here come the 'empty bottles '"; or, "That is not the express, it is only one of the 'empty bottles" trains," are expressions one often R. H. BUSK. hears at Nice, Mentone, &c. This term occurs in the old and well-known convivial song, written probably in the days of Queen Anne, and to be found in the 'Book of English Song' in the "National Illustrated Library." The first verse, to the best of my remembrance, is : Here's a health to the Queen, and a lasting peace, dead men, EPITAPH (7th S. vi. 25, 117).—I almost think that by "Bora" we must understand "Boreas." The following, almost identical with the epitaph given by MR. PIERPOINT, was copied by myself in 1850 from a tomb in the churchyard of Runton, Norfolk, erected to the memory of John Webb, mariner :By Boreas' blasts and Neptune's waves Toss'd often to and fro, By God's degree, in spite of both, P. J. F. GANTILLON. WILLIAM LESLIE HAMILTON (7th S. vi. 168). I cannot answer the query as to the father of this gentleman; but as it is stated that he belonged to the family of Hamilton of Monkland I may point out that there are at least two families which may be so designated. One is generally known as Hamilton of Evandale, or Gilkerscleugh, the fifth of which line, James Hamilton, acquired Monkland, where he died Jan. 4, 1773; and Monkland is put down as one of the "chief seats" of that family (see Burke's Landed Gentry,' third edition, p. 506). The second family of Hamilton of Monkland was founded by Robert Hamilton, said to be second son of James Hamilton of Dalzell (see Douglas, 'Baronage,' 464). This, however, seems doubtful, for on March 26, 1668, Robertus Hamilton was served "hæres masculus Jacobi Hamilton de Dalzell, Patris"; while Alexander, who appears as eldest son and succeeded to the estate, was on the same date served "hæres provisionis" to his father. If the books are correct, Jean Henderson, wife of the above-mentioned Jacobus Hamilton de Dalzell, was granddaughter of her husband's brother, Sir John Hamilton of Orbiestoun. The Scots Magazine, vol. lxxxiv., contains the following obituary notice," At Barachny, Nov. 13, 1822, William Hamilton, Esq. He was the last representative of the ancient family of Monkland." SIGMA. Miscellaneous. NOTES ON BOOKS, &o. A New Variorum Edition of Shakespeare. Edited by Horace Howard Furness, Ph. D., LL.D., L.H.D.-Vol, VII. The Merchant of Venice. (Philadelphia, J. B. Lippincott Company.) THE successive volumes of the American Variorum Shakespeare appear with what, under the conditions, must be called exemplary punctuality. Regarded as the work practically of one man, a portion of whose time is necessarily occupied with professorial duties, these volumes strike us with amazement. None of the six plays for which Dr. Furness is responsible involves so much labour as the 'Hamlet,' which extended over two volumes. The present work, however, includes close upon five hundred pages, and contains everything connected with 'The Merchant of Venice' that the student or the actor can seek to know. For the text the First Folio, which Dr. Furness is at some pains to show is practically the same as the second quarto, has been selected as the basis. The various readings of the other three folios, the four quartos, and the subsequent editors are given beneath the text, and lower still, in footnotes, appear the suggestions and emendations of various commentators, from Rowe to Dr. Furness. Equally shrewd, sensible, and scholarly are the notes of the latest editor, and much interesting information, derived from various sources, is supplied. Let a reader who wishes to test this see the comments of a class of young women upon the speech of Portia to Bassanio before he opens the casket (Act III. sc. ii.). In the appendix, which constitutes little less than half the volume, a mass of invaluable information is given. Those who bave followed the American Variorum Shakespeare know how exhaustive such information is, and are also aware how largely N. & Q.' has contributed to it. It can scarcely be given to one man to finish a task such as that on which Dr. Furness is occupied, and juvenile indeed must be the reader of 'N. & Q.' who hopes to see the perfected work. It is, however, to be hoped that many more volumes will receive Dr. Furness's scholarly and intelligent supervision. Scholarship is necessarily the chief characteristic in these works. With so much that is graceful, genial, and human is it accompanied, that the notes signed by the editor can in a moment be distinguished. That this is the edition of Shakspeare is confessed. It is pleasant to see the row of goodly volumes extending upon the shelves, and to know that one more play is in the hands of the student in the best obtainable shape. There is something to be said in favour of a Shakspeare without note or comment of any kind. If notes are, however, necessary-and most find the need of them-they are here in excelsis. Positions. By Richard Mulcaster. With some Account of his Life and Writings by Robert Herbert Quick. (Longmans & Co.) IN the very interesting account of this forgotten worthy, interest in whom he has sought to revive, Mr. Quick gives Mulcaster strong claims upon our appreciation. Mulcaster was the first head master of Merchant Taylors' School. He was in favour with Elizabeth, who accepted the dedication of his volume. He was the master of Spenser, and was in "relations" with Sir Philip Sydney and Shakspeare. It has even been suggested, though Mr. Quick does not quite accept the view, that Shakspeare had Mulcaster in view when he depicted Holofernes. When Armado says ('Love's Labour's Lost,' V. ii.) "I protest the schoolmaster is exceeding fantastical; too, too vain; too, too vain," he uses a common expression of Mulcaster. Our worthy is, indeed, as he confesses, not always very easy of comprehension. He speaks of his own 80 careful, I will not say so curious, writing," and he adds, with a frankness of confession that is well justified, and must have been good for the soul," Even some of reasonable study can hardly understand the couching of my sentence and the depth of my conceit." Mr. Quick treats him as the equal of Ascham, points to the new features he introduced into education and the general breadth of his views, and likens him to Montaigne. He should go further back. Rabelais alone among Renaissance thinkers excogitated a great scheme of education for the mind and the body, and there are few subsequent teachers, from Montaigne to Mulcaster, and from him to Rousseau and Locke, who have not owed much to the famous author of 'Pantagruel,' Mr. Quick has done good service in reprinting this curious and, in a sense, important work, the first edition of which appeared in 1581. The work does not appeal to a large section of readers, but those to whom it does appeal will give it a warm welcome. The Catharines of History. By Henry J. Swallow. (Stock.) JOHN CAPGRAVE, the chronicler, wrote a book, which was issued several years ago in the Rolls Series, called Liber de Illustribus Henricis.' The thread which connects his biographies together is the fact that every one of the people concerning whom he discourses was called Henry. Mr. Swallow has perhaps heard of this, and so determined to do for women called Catharine what Capgrave did for his Henries. He has produced a book almost the opposite of that which we have suggested may have been his model. The chronicler has preserved for us many facts which, but for his zeal, would have been forgotten. Mr. Swallow has recorded nothing which was not to be found told much better elsewhere. Of what service it can be to jumble together in one book ill-considered lives of St. Catherine of Sienna, Catherine von Bora, the wife of Martin Luther, Catherine of Russia, and Catherine Howard, we cannot imagine. To criticize such a book seriously would be a waste of time, space, and temper. As a specimen of Mr. Swallow's qualifications to give instruction, we may mention that he tells us that the letter K "only came from Germany with the printing press." If our readers will consult the index to Domesday, or, for the matter of that, any mediæval book of a later date than the Norman Conquest that has been properly printed, they will know what to think of this statement. Mr. Morris's 'Specimens of Early English' is not an uncommon or a costly volume. It would have been well for Mr. Swallow to have looked at the glossary appended thereto ere he made history after this fashion out of his own inner consciousness. It seems even still necessary to tell some people that knowledge of the older forms of English does not come by the light of nature, and that if people who are quite ignorant of it will force themselves into the position of instructors, they must be content with being told that they render themselves ridiculous. Another of Mr. Swallow's blunders has a personal interest to us, as it brings back to our memory one of the most comical mistakes ever made in our hearing. In the jottings about poor Catherine Howard Henry VIII. is quoted as speaking of the "many strange accidents that have befallen my marriages," and Mr. Swallow prints "accidents" in italics, conceiving, as we surmise, that the king used the term in its modern sense as we meet with it in the newspapers. Had he done so, considering the circumstances connected with his previous marriages, the effect would certainly have been irresistibly comic. Henry was, however, a man who knew the meaning of words, and gave those about him credit for an equal amount of penetration. mischances, but properties or attributes not of the He meant by accidents not essence of the thing in itself. No one at the time could possibly mistake his meaning, for the air was heavy with theological strife regarding the nature of the holy Eucharist, and the words "accident" and "substance" were bandied to and fro as "boycott" and "plan of campaign" are now. We really should not have thought it worth while to mention this had it not given us an opportunity of relating how the misunderstanding of a well-known term may lead to strange mistakes. Our readers must go back more than five-and-thirty years. They must picture for themselves a woodside on a raw December morning. Hounds are drawing the covert with little hope of finding a fox, and men of all ranks and conditions are chatting "de omnibus rebus." the days when the dispute between Mr. Gorham and the It was in Bishop of Exeter filled the popular mind, and when minute points of theology were not only discussed by the religious newspapers, but overflowed into the secular press, and when discussions on the most sacred matters of religion came in odd juxtaposition with the price of horned cattle, accounts of prize-fights, and the last new thing in swindling. A young man of great intellectual attainments and no little vanity had been for some time talking to a friend on some of the deepest questions included in the cause then before the Privy Council, when a man whose tastes were merely for sport came up to him, and poured out a string of observations concerning hounds, horses, foxes, and the prospective state of the weather. The vain young man gave only half attention, and at last irritated his companion so much that he said in a pet, "I see, Tom, you don't care a d- for the hunting now. "Yes I do, Jack," was the reply. "Hunting would be all very well if it were not for its accidents -the "accidents" meant in this case being intrusive folk of the mental calibre of Jack. Jack did not see this. He was a dull person, whose intellectual horizon was bounded by his family, his game, and his hunters. He went his way, and told the field that Tom had on a sudden turned a coward, and was afraid of breaking his neck. As a matter of course, he was covered with ridicule, for Tom had the well-earned reputation of being the most reckless rider after hounds ever seen in the two hunting countries which he favoured by his presence. given us in full. They would have borne more annotation than Sir John Maclean has felt justified in giving them. The banner cloths of "Satten Abridges" at Begworth were made of satin from Bruges. The supplementary documents in the appendix are all of value. We have a list of the plundered chantries in Gloucester, and of the lead taken from several of the religious houses. For these we are grateful. Every collection of facts of this kind is an additional stone to the pyramid. Until we get together all these details it will be impossible for us to see the great changes of the sixteenth long period of revolution. century as they affected the men who lived through that IN the Universal Review Mr. Ford Madox Brown writes on Historic Art,' and complains of the persistent Notices to Correspondents. We must call special attention to the following notices : address of the sender, not necessarily for publication, but ON all communications must be written the name and as a guarantee of good faith. WE cannot undertake to answer queries privately. must observe the following rule. Let each note, query, To secure insertion of communications correspondents signature of the writer and such address as he wishes to or reply be written on a separate slip of paper, with the to head the second communication "Duplicate." appear. Correspondents who repeat queries are requested CAMPBELL is anxious to direct attention to his unanswered Land enclosed with a Hedge, which in some Parts of other words of French origin (e. g., piquet), valet has been Very many similar replies were received. CORRIGENDUM.-P. 190, col. i. 1. 36, for "os" read as. LONDON, SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 1888. CONTENT 8.-N° 144. NOTES:-Mrs. Siddons as Mary Stuart, 241-English Grammars, 243-Cromwell and Carlisle, 244-Portraits of Penn, 245" Rusticus expectat," &c.— -Holy-bread-Privately Printed Works-Watch Mending, 248. QUERIES:-Chedreux Discovery at Chelsea-Noy-Abp. III. Notes. is brought to an effective close by her condemna- Bear witness all, tell it throughout the world, On which scene the curtain falls. It must have her début at Drury Lane Theatre on Friday, Dec. 29, 1775, in 'The Merchant of Venice,' when the character of Portia was "performed by a Young Lady-her first appearance." She failed to please the critics, and had to appear in minor characters, in such pieces as 'The Blackamoor Washed White.' Then she practised her art in the provinces, and reappeared in London-this time with complete success-on Oct. 10, 1782. It must have been with some revulsion of feel MRS. SIDDONS AS MARY, QUEEN OF SCOTS. I have a copy of "Mary, Queen of Scots, a Tragedy as Performed at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. By the Honourable John St. John. London: Printed for J. Debrett, opposite Burlington House, Piccadilly. M,DCC,LXXXIX." (8vo., ing, although in accordance with the taste of a pp. 76). The tragedy is dedicated "To the Honour-century ago, that after Mary, Queen of Scots, had able Mrs. Bouverie," and is dated "Curzon Street, April 30, 1789." It has a prologue, written by Wm. Fawkener, Esq., and spoken by Mr. Wroughton, and an epilogue, written by the author and spoken by Mrs. Siddons. The dramatis persona are: "Men: Duke of Norfolk, Mr. Kemble. Sir William Cecil, Mr. Aickin. Lord Herries, Mr. Barrymore. Davison, Mr. Packer. Earl of Shrewsbury, Mr. Benson. Earl of Huntingdon, Mr. Phillimore. Sir Amias Paulet, Mr. Fawcett. Beton, Mr. Williames. Nawe, Mr. Alfred. Lieutenant of the Tower, Mr. Lyons. Sheriff, Mr. Chaplin.-Women: Queen Mary, Mrs. Siddons. Queen Elizabeth, Mrs. Ward. Lady Douglas, Mrs, Farmer. Lady Scrope, Miss Tidswell." The tragedy is in five acts. The first, in two In the scenes, shows Mary at Bolton Castle. second act, of three scenes, which is laid at Whitehall, Elizabeth is the chief character. In the third act, of three scenes, laid at Tutbury Castle, Mary The fourth act, of four scenes, goes reappears. back to Whitehall and Elizabeth, whose character made her impressive exit, Mrs. Siddons had to immediately step before the curtain to speak the epilogue written by the author. It commenced thus: Were you not told, before the play began, To bring the men of fashion to the play! At the date of this address Humphries, "the |