it as

66

=

wanting reasonableness, propriety, issue; (3) Elizabeth, married Francis, fifth solidity." It is probable that the word Baron Willoughby of Parham (she died in should properly be simply sleeve, without 1661, leaving surviving three daughters, viz., the terminal less, which would seem to have Diana, Frances, and Elizabeth, all of grown out of the negative meaning of a word, whom married, but the eldest died s.p.; the radical sense of which had become the line of Frances became early extinct; obsolete. Thus O.N. sliofr, Dan. slör while Elizabeth, who married Richard Jones, dull, inactive, blunt; Sw. sló dull, Earl of Ranelagh, is now represented by deadened, inert, barren. Lord De Ros); (4) Frances, married second As for the interchange of the sleeve and the Viscount Saye and Sele, and is now repreglove between Diomed and Cressida, Shake-sented by her heir general the Lord Saye and speare there introduces a custom. Sele. Gloves and sleeves were both frequently worn in war as the token of esteem from a lady love. Hall, the chronicler, in a notice of a tournament of the time of Henry VIII. says:— "One part had their plumes at whyt, another hadde them at redde, and the thyrde had them of several colours. One ware in his headpiece his ladies sleeve, and another bare on hys healm the glove of his dearlynge."

TOM JONES.

"TELLING' NUMBERS (11 S. v. 390).-A long and interesting series of examples of telling numbers in various parts of the world was published in The Daily News a year or two ago. J. LANDFEAR LUCAS.

The senior coheirship, of course, fell to the descendants of Albinia, the second daughter, and Sir Christopher Wray. They had a large family of six sons and six daughters. The male line is extinct, but the heirship eventually vested in the descendants of the granddaughters of Lady Albinia through her eldest son, Sir William, who died in 1669. There were five of these coheiresses of their brothers, viz.: (1) Olympia, who died unmarried; (2) Margaret, the senior next of kin to her brother Sir William Wray, who died in 1686. She married Rev. James Jeffreys, D.D., Prebendary of Canterbury, younger brother of Judge Jeffreys. He was buried in Canterbury Cathedral, 6 Sept., 1689, aged 40. His wife survived BITE AGAIN, AND BITE BIGGER' (11 S. him many years, being buried as Margaret v. 369). There used to be a saying, "Bite Jeffreys, widow," 21 Sept., 1723. There bigger, Billy," used as sarcastic comment were two children of the marriage, both when any tall" tale was told. Bite baptized in the Cathedral, viz., Tufton (a bigger, Billy," occurs in a dialect recitation, daughter), bapt. 29 March, 1688, buried I believe; probably the one which MR. 31 Dec., 1689, and John, bapt. 22 Aug., JAMES W. WALKER asks about. In one of 1689. What became of the latter I have the children's monthly papers-The Children's Friend, I think-many years ago there was an illustration of two children, the girl holding an apple to the boy, entitled Bite Bigger, Billy,' and having, I think, a few verses with it. THOS. RATCLIFFE. Worksop.

6

66

failed to discover, but he was probably
the father of Dr. Jeffreys, residentiary of
St. Paul's in 1799, who is said by Burke
(Extinct Peerage,' sub Jeffreys of Wem')
to have been grandson of the Prebendary of
Canterbury and Margaret Wray. If this be
so, then in his issue (if any) now vests the
senior co-representation of Lord Wimbledon.
Failing this, we have the three younger
sisters of Margaret. These were: (3) Al-
binia, said to have married after 1680
Lewis. (4) Tufton, wife of Sir James
Montagu, Chief Baron of the Exchequer
(d. 1712), who left an only daughter Eliza-
beth, married to Sir Clement Wearg,
Solicitor-General, who died in 1726. His
widow survived till 1746, but died s.p. (5)
Drury, the youngest sister, married to Sir
William Sanderson, Bart. His male line
failed in 1760, but he had a daughter Tufton
who was twice married-first, to a Capt.
Barrie; secondly, to Alexander Horton
of the Grove, Buckingham.

W. D. PINK.

SIR WILLIAM COURTENAY (11 S. v. 428).- and Anton Unternährer, who lived in MR. SOLOMONS will find in Mr. Baring- Switzerland 1759-1823; and there are Gould's 'Cornish Characters and Strange others, I believe, recorded by the late J. A. Events (an amusing book, even if not rising Symonds in one of his books, and by Southey above journalism) an interesting account in the second volume of his History of of this man-John Nichols Tom, born at Brazil.' St. Columb Major, Cornwall, 10 Nov., 1799. Mr. Gould gives a graphic description of the access and growth of his insanity up to 1832, when, in the excitement of a successful stroke of business, he left home to visit Lady Hester Stanhope, the Queen of Lebanon," and was snubbed by her in a most amusing

manner.

66

He did not remain long content with being merely Sir William Courtenay. When he presented himself to the electors of Canterbury in 1832, he was Sir William Percy Honeywood Courtenay, Knight of Malta and King of Jerusalem; but he ultimately became Viscount Courtenay of Powderham Castle, Prince of Arabia, and King of the Gipsies. The supposition of his being the Messiah led to some very tragic events. In the volume referred to are a portrait of him as he appeared at the election of 1832, and an illustration commemorating his shooting Lieut. Bennet and a police constable near Canterbury, 31 May, 1838.

As a study in insanity his life is of particular interest, and the strange power he had over the ignorant people of Blean is one of the most extraordinary chapters in the history of popular delusions with which I am acquainted. Much information is given concerning him in The Times of June, 1838. YGREC.

A very good account of this crazy Cornishman will be found in Chambers's Journal for October, 1888. His real name was John Nicholl Thom, but he assumed that of Sir William Courtenay, claiming to be a Knight of Malta. He was shot in the 'battle of Bosenden in Kent, 31 May, 1838, and was buried in the churchyard at Hernhill, about two miles distant from the scene of conflict. It is among the curiosities of Parliamentary elections that this man ventured to contest the city of Canterbury at the election immediately following the Reform Bill, and that he actually polled 375 W. D. PINK.

votes.

Among those who have falsely claimed to be Elias may be mentioned Ralph Durden (Cooper, Athenæ Cantabrigienses,' ii. 22) and Elizeus Hall (State Papers, Domestic, Elizabeth,' xxiii. 39), as well as John Dowie in our own times. JOHN B. WAINEWRIGHT.

"John Nicholls Thom, better known by his assumed name, Sir Wm. Courtenay, took up his residence at Dunkirk, about 44 miles from Canterbury, but in consequence of certain lawless acts by him and his followers a warrant was issued for his apprehension; he, however, shot the constable sent to arrest him 31 May, 1838, whereupon a detachment of the 45th Regiment, under the command of Major Armstrong and Lieut. Bennett, was dispatched from Canterbury to put down the rioters and vindicate the law: Lieut. Bennett, with his forces, met Courtenay with 100 of his followers at Bosenden Wood; the Riot Act was read, and on Bennett approaching to discuss with Courtenay, the latter immediately shot him dead: a soldier then promptly fired upon and killed the ringleader, and a general affray ensued, in which ten rioters were slain : Courtenay's

body and those of six of the rioters were buried in the churchyard of the adjoining parish of Hernin Canterbury Cathedral."-Kelly's Post Office Directory,' 1895.

hill. There is a mural tablet to Lieut. Bennett

66

An Essay on the Character of Sir W. Courtenay, Knight of Malta, and the Causes of his Influence over the Public Mind, with the recent Trial July 25, 1833. 8vo, pp. 24, with a Portrait. Canterof that remarkable Individual at Maidstone, bury.

"The Eccentric and Singular Productions of Sir W. Courtenay, K.M., alias Mr. Tom, Spirit Merchant and Malster of Truro, in Cornwall, late Candidate for the Representation of the City the Lunatic Asylum, Barming Heath, near Maidof Canterbury in Parliament, now an Inmate of stone, with his Trial at Maidstone for Perjury. Svo. Canterbury. Pp. 40, with a frontispiece and facsimiles of his autographs.'

R. J. FYNMORE.

[MR. FRED. C. FROST thanked for reply.]

Notes on Books.

MESSRS. JACK'S

on

19

synonyms

with telling them, very truly, that
are words that express different shades of a
common meaning. No two words in the English
language express identically. the same meaning.'
Then, in the body of the work, he offers them
articles like this, taken at random :-

"Care, O.E. cearu; O. Sax. kara sorrow.
66 1. Bitterness, want, need, burden, load, fret,
hardship, misgiving, mistrust, fear, dread, watch,
heed, heedfulness, forethought,
watchfulness,
thrift, husbandry, keep, yearning, longing.

"People's Books" go Mr. Nevinaccumulating, as we are glad to see. son's Growth of Freedom is a fine book, touched with the writer's idealism, and mindful of the that other many-sidedness of human life, so aspects of freedom than the merely political one are duly recognized. The only unsatisfactory "2. Anxiety, trouble, distress, affliction, irritathing is, we think, the slightness, after the first chapter, of his treatment of authority, a prin- tion, apprehension, solicitude, scruple, devotion, ciple related to psychological facts as real and alarm, vigilance, attention, circumspection, pruprofound as those concerned with freedom.dence, precaution, minuteness, frugality, economy, Mr. Hilary Hardinge's Julius Cæsar is a clever, duly, concern, charge, custody, ward, pressure, for popular purposes, adequate diffidence." Many of these words are, of course, not in any lively, and, care at all, while to presentment of the most fascinating career of The point being to render true sense synonyms of " the Western world. something of the personality of Cæsar and fling them all in a heap before the presumably to define his achievement, the slurring over of unlearned reader to whom the Preface is directed difficulties and the reduction of technicalities is actually to promote that depraving of words to a minimum were perfectly legitimate, even by the obliteration of their finer distinctions which every lover of a language deplores and resists. though they will strike the classical scholar as amateurish. Seeing how much has hinged on imperium and imperator, the exact meaning of these words to a Roman of Cæsar's day should surely have been brought out more carefully, The omission is typical.-The Foundations of Science, by Mr. Whetham, is a masterly piece of work-one of the best we have seen in the whole He gives us a history of the progress, series. and states the present situation, of the physical, biological, and psychological sciences with a singularly happy judgment in his selection from the vast mass of material at his hand. desire that the book should be widely read, we regret the frequent use of unexplained technical terms and long words," which to the very readers for whom this elementary survey of science would be the greatest boon may prove a little too puzzling.

In England in the Middle Ages Mrs. E. O'Neill gives in brief but interesting form the history of the period from the Norman settlement to the break up of the Middle Ages.

64 In our

Prof. Baly's Inorganic Chemistry possesses all the advantages which flow from a knack of easy, lucid writing, almost as good as speech; its method of presentation betrays at once the Those who, lacking opporpractised teacher. tunities for mastering the elements of chemistry in the ideal way, i.e., by means of direct instruction and experiment, nevertheless feel the need of some knowledge of the subject, could hardly do better than master the contents of this book, which is sufficiently detailed to constitute a body of real information, yet does not offer a task beyond the powers of any one who properly knows how to read.

A considerably stiffer exercise in imaginative thought is provided by Dr. Phillips's Radiation, a subject in which, so far as science goes, the possibility of acquiring real knowledge by mere reading is perhaps reduced to its very minimum. Yet the reader who, coming more or less ignorant to the subject, refuses to "bolt" these pages and waits to read a following chapter till he has digested the one before it, will not go unrewarded for his pains.

We confess ourselves unable to discover the purpose which the Dictionary of Synonyms, by The Mr. Austin K. Gray, was intended to serve. essay at the beginning can only be of use to persons whose realization of what constitutes a language is extremely imperfect; and the writer starts out

Francis Bacon, by Prof. Skemp, records The Days of AdBacon's Days of Preparation,' Days of Struggle,' Days of Prosperity,' and versity,' and tells how his life ended in "humble Two chapters treat of his. New Atlantis' and and faithful service." Philosophy, and of the Essays. In reference to style Prof. Skemp says: as an orator lies the In Bacon's greatness secret of his characteristic greatness as a writer.. All his work directly addresses an audience. Read aloud any passage from the English philo-sophical works, and you hear the splendid and sonorous harmonies of great speech; read aloud the essays, and you hear the rattle and crack of quick debate.'

In his account of Lord Kelvin's Life and Work Dr. A. Russell states that he has attempted to describe the scientific work in simple language, but, owing to the very advanced and abstruse nature of much of Kelvin's work, he is conscious that some of it will remain obscure to the general He will be happy, however, if anything reader. he has written induces the reader to make a We feel further study of the subject in Kelvin's original many of Dr. memoirs." Russell's readers will do as he suggests, for the memoir is a most attractive one, in which we failed to find obscurity.

64

sure that

Hurley, by Gerald Leighton, forms the subject Prof. Leighton has of another delightful memoir. indicated in a general way the main directions the pathetic of Huxley's activity," and he advises those who The want more complete details to read biography of him written by his wife." chapters How Others Saw Him and The Place of Huxley' are all that can be desired.

One never tires of reading about The Brontës, and Miss Flora Masson has written an attractive sketch, which should please and instruct many At the close reference is made to the readers. changes in Haworth since the Brontë days, we remember, the nearest railway when, as station was Keighley, and one had to take a steep stony walk of four miles to reach Haworth.

SIR WILLIAM COURTENAY (11 S. v. 428).— and Anton Unternährer, who lived in MR. SOLOMONS will find in Mr. Baring- Switzerland 1759-1823; and there are Gould's Cornish Characters and Strange others, I believe, recorded by the late J. A. Events' (an amusing book, even if not rising Symonds in one of his books, and by Southey above journalism) an interesting account in the second volume of his History of of this man-John Nichols Tom, born at Brazil.' St. Columb Major, Cornwall, 10 Nov., 1799. Mr. Gould gives a graphic description of the access and growth of his insanity up to 1832, when, in the excitement of a successful stroke of business, he left home to visit Lady Hester Stanhope, the " Queen of Lebanon," and was snubbed by her in a most amusing

manner.

He did not remain long content with being merely Sir William Courtenay. When he presented himself to the electors of Canterbury in 1832, he was Sir William Percy Honeywood Courtenay, Knight of Malta and King of Jerusalem; but he ultimately became Viscount Courtenay of Powderham Castle, Prince of Arabia, and King of the Gipsies. The supposition of his being the Messiah led to some very tragic events. In the volume referred to are a portrait of him as he appeared at the election of 1832, and an illustration commemorating his shooting Lieut. Bennet and a police constable near Canterbury, 31 May, 1838.

Among those who have falsely claimed to be Elias may be mentioned Ralph Durden (Cooper, Athenæ Cantabrigienses,' ii. 22) and Elizeus Hall (‘State Papers, Domestic, Elizabeth,' xxiii. 39), as well as John Dowie in our own times. JOHN B. WAINEWRIGHT.

"John Nicholls Thom, better known by his assumed name, Sir Wm. Courtenay, took up his residence at Dunkirk, about 4 miles from Canterbury, but in consequence of certain lawless acts by him and his followers a warrant was issued for his apprehension; he, however, shot the constable sent to arrest him 31 May, 1838, whereupon a detachment of the 45th Regiment, under the command of Major Armstrong and Lieut. Bennett, was dispatched from Canterbury to put down the rioters and vindicate the law: Lieut. Bennett, with his forces, met Courtenay with 100 of his followers at Bosenden Wood; the Riot Act was read, and on Bennett approaching to discuss dead: with Courtenay, the latter immediately shot him a soldier then promptly fired upon and killed the ringleader, and a general affray ensued. in which ten rioters were slain : Courtenay's As a study in insanity his life is of par-body and those of six of the rioters were buried in ticular interest, and the strange power he had over the ignorant people of Blean is one of the most extraordinary chapters in the history of popular delusions with which I am acquainted. Much information is given concerning him in The Times of June, 1838. YGREC.

A very good account of this crazy Cornish man will be found in Chambers's Journal for October, 1888. His real name was John Nicholl Thom, but he assumed that of Sir William Courtenay, claiming to be a Knight of Malta. He was shot in the "battle of Bosenden in Kent, 31 May, 1838, and was buried in the churchyard at Hernhill, about two miles distant from the scene of conflict. It is among the curiosities of Parliamentary elections that this man ventured to contest the city of Canterbury at the election immediately following the Reform Bill, and that he actually polled 375 W. D. PINK.

votes.

hill. There is a mural tablet to Lieut. Bennett the churchyard of the adjoining parish of Hernin Canterbury Cathedral."-Kelly's Post Office Directory,' 1895.

In an article in The Kentish Express some years ago it is stated that

at the time that Lady Hester Stanhope had taken up her residence in Palestine to await the man determined to travel there to convince the second coming of the Messiah, the young Cornishlady that he was the identical person whom she expected. Unfortunately for him, he had made certain prophecies which were never fulfilled, and in the end the lady rated him as an impostor."

See 'Bibliotheca Cantiana,' by John Russell Smith, p. 120:

An Essay on the Character of Sir W. Courtenay, Knight of Malta, and the Causes of his Influence over the Public Mind, with the recent Trial July 25, 1833. 8vo, pp. 24, with a Portrait. Canterof that remarkable Individual at Maidstone, bury."

The Eccentric and Singular Productions of Sir W. Courtenay, K.M., alias Mr. Tom, Spirit Merchant and Malster of Truro, in Cornwall, late Candidate for the Representation of the City the Lunatic Asylum, Barming Heath, near Maidof Canterbury in Parliament, now an Inmate of stone, with his Trial at Maidstone for Perjury, Svo. Canterbury. Pp. 40, with a frontispiece and facsimiles of his autographs."

R. J. FYNMORE.

[MR. FRED. C. FROST thanked for reply.]