A. T. M.

PEG WOFFINGTON'S RECANTATION.—One picturesque episode in the life of Mrs. Woffington has not, I think, been treated by any of her various biographers, from the anonymous hack who wrote the scurrilous 'Memoirs,' published by Swan during the actress's lifetime, down to Mr. Fitzgerald Molloy and Dr. Augustin Daly.

Burke, in writing to his old schoolfellow Matthew Smith, shortly afrer his arrival in London, in 1750, says :

"I expect in a day or two to be introduced to Miss Woffington, our countrywoman. She is rapidly rising into theatrical fame; I could wish to publish a few anecdotes of her. She is of low origin, it is true, but talents and nature often avenge themselves on fortune in this respect. The roses of Florida spring out of the finest soil: they are the fairest in the universe, but they emit no fragance. I recollect that she read her recanta tion in a little country church somewhere in the county of Cavan, Mr. Fleming, of Stahalmuck, wrote some verses on that occasion. I wish you could procure a copy of them for me as soon as possible."

To this portion of Burke's letter his friend replied as follows:

"As to Miss Woffington, I can recollect very little of her. She was born in Dublin, read her recantation in the parish church of Lurgan, near Virginy, in the county of Cavan, before the Rev. Mr. Sterling, who was a great musician. Mr. Fleming did write some verses on that occasion, but it is not easy to procure them; for you know he's great man-a Justice of the Peace, and one of the Grand Jury. They began thus, I think :

And now the sun, revolving to the west,
Bequeath'd the weary'd hemisphere to rest;
And now the moon, in milder glories dight,
Resum'd the peaceful empire of the night.

I can recollect no more, and I don't know that these are correct,"

In all probability the Woffington renounced her allegiance to the Church of Rome during the period of her visit to Dublin with Garrick in 1742. But what induced her to stray from the faith of her fathers and to visit this out-of-the-way church to declare her apostasy are points not readily determinable. Under the hope that some information would be unearthed throwing light on the mystery, I set about making careful and patient inquiry when in the neighbourhood of Virginia, some few months ago. Unfortunately, I only succeeded in discovering that the parish church in question (which, from all accounts, remained to the last a favourite place for the reading of recantations) was destroyed by fire early in the present century, and with it whatever scanty registers may have been preserved there.

Perhaps it is somewhat in keeping with the eternal fitness of things that the most popular representative of Peg Woffington, as seen through

BUNYAN: STERNE.—In chapter iv. of vol. i. of Tristram Shandy,' the author says "As my life and opinions,......if I conjecture right, will......be no less read than the 'Pilgrim's Progress' itself." In a French translation, "par M. Frénais (Londres, 1784)," to the rendering “Mon Livre sera au moins aussi couru que les 'Progrès du Pélerin,'" the following note is appended: "Mauvais Livre Anglois dont un Ministre Presbytérien est auteur. C'est une de nos capucinades." R. R. DEES.

Wallsend.

GHOST MINERS.—Sinistrarius, in his quaint book on demoniality and incubi and succubi, of which a French translation, "publié d'après le manuscrit original découvert à Londres en 1872," appeared in 1876 under the title

"De la Démonialite et des animaux incubes et succubes

"de

où l'on prouve qu'il existe sur terre des créatures raisonables autres que l'homme, ayant comme lui un corps et une âme, naissant et mourant comme lui, rachetés par N. 8. Jésus-Christ et capables de salut ou de damnation," and who wrote in the seventeenth century l'Ordre des Mineurs Réformés de l'étroite Observance de Saint-François," quotes with approval from Georgius Agricola as to mysterious figures in pits, whom he supposes to be incubi. He says:

"L'apparition de petits hommes de cette sort est fréquente dans les mines métalliques, comme l'enseigne Gregorius [sic] Agricola, dans son livre De Animal, subterran.' Ils se font voir aux mineurs vêtus des mêmes habits qu'eux; ils jouent et badinent ensemble, rient, plaisantent, jettent aux mineurs de petites pierres en manière de jeu; et c'est alors bon signe, dit l'auteur prémême un tronc d'arbre minéral" traduit du Latin, par cité: on est sûr de découvrir quelque riche rameau ou Isidore Liseux. Seconde édition. Paris, Isidore Liseux, 1876.

Grimm ('Deutsche Mythologie,' iii. 129) quotes from the most famous of Agricola's books, De re metallica,' briefly to the same effect,

"Daemon subterraneus truculentus bergteufel, mitis bergmenlein, kobel, guttel, oder daemon metallicus bergmenlein, wegen dessen man eine 'fundige zech' liegen lässt."-Georg. Agricola de re metallica,' libri xii. Basileæ, 1657, 8. 704.*

Wirt Sykes says the Welsh coblynau keep up exactly the same practices to the present day:

"The coblynau are described as being about half a yard in height and very ugly to look upon, but extremely dress is a grotesque imitation of the miner's garb, and good natured, and warm friends of the miner. Their they carry tiny hammers, picks, and lamps. They work busily, loading ore in buckets, flitting about the shafts,

is from Agricola's' De Animantibus subterraneis liber,' * Prof. Ferguson informs me that Grimm's quotation first printed by Froben at Basel in 1854, in small 8vo signature f 5 recto.

turning tiny windlasses, and pounding away like madmen, but really accomplishing nothing whatever. They have been known to throw stones at the miners when enraged at being lightly spoken of; but the stones are harmless. Nevertheless all miners of a proper spirit refrain from provoking them, because their presence brings good luck."—"British Goblins' (1880), p. 24; see also p. 29.

Glasgow.

WILLIAM GEORGE BLACK.

punctuation and spelling, and in one case the word cones is altered to "peaks," which proves to me that R. H. S. in writing his statement had not carefully collated the text. The variations I now point out are, so far as I am aware, entirely unknown. G. J. GRAY. Cambridge.

"THE ALLEGED DECLINE OF SCIENCE.'— A pamphlet was published in 1831 entitled "On the Alleged Decline of Science in England. By a Foreigner," with an introduction by Faraday. It is written in answer to Babbage. Halkett and Laing give no help to the author's name, but I think it may confidently be ascribed to Prof. Gerard Moll, of Utrecht. In Vincent's Catalogue of the Library of the Royal Institution it is said to be by Prof. Moll (index and p. 310); and a copy in my possession, bought in the year of publication by a purchaser of great precision, a member of the Royal Institution, is endorsed "Prof. Mohl of Utrecht." Now, in Bence Jones's 'Life and Letters of Faraday,' vol. ii. p. 52, is a letter to Faraday, purporting to be from Prof. Mohl, and dated Utrecht, Nov. 15, 1833. I can see no other mention of him in the book; but on turning to 'Series Professorum qui......publice docuerunt aut etiamnum docent,' Traject. ad Rhenum, 1861, 8vo. (Brit. Mus. Catal., s.V. "Academies, Utrecht "), I find Gerard Moll, Professor of Mathematics and Astronomy at Utrecht, Sept. 11, 1812, and he was entered in the "order of Teachers of Mathematics and Natural Philosophy" on the rearrangement of the University in 1815. He was born at Amsterdam, Jan. 18, 1785, and died Jan. 17, 1838. No other Moll or Mohl appears in the list of professors, at any rate at all near this period.

J. POWER HICKS.

UNSTAMPED NEWSPAPERS, 1744."Wednesday [March 14, 1744], Maybella Smith and Frances Bowles were committed to Clerkenwell Bridewell by Sir Thomas De Veil, for selling and exposing to sale unstamp'd News Papers contrary to the Form of the Statute in that case made and provided."-Penny London Morning Advertiser, No. 138, March 14-16, 1744.

H. H. S. "TENNYSONIANA.'-In 'Tennysoniana' (second edition, 1879), p. 172, referring to Tennyson's 'Timbuctoo,' is this statement: "Reprinted several times in the successive collections of Cambridge Prize Poems.' ." This statement is wrong. Timbuctoo' has only been reprinted once, in a collection of Cambridge Prize Poems' issued in 1859. No other collection of these prize poems has been issued, neither has the 1859 volume been reprinted. In addition to the misprint which is mentioned in 'Tennysoniana,' there are various alterations in

A VICAR OF BRAY.-The famous song which certain Vicar of Bray renders interesting the allusions in the following letter, dated in 1715, to an apparently real individual, who was then, or had lately been, Vicar of Bray. The generally accepted theory is, I believe, that the hero of the song was Vicar of Bray from 1540 to 1588. that the conduct of a much later Vicar of Bray The letter which I now print certainly suggests was in 1715 being talked about. For the consideration of those who know more about the true writer of this note, here is the letter:— history and incidents of the song than does the

London, Octobr ye — 1715,

so correspondent to y° ease & security of yo prt Governm My Lord,-The late prudent & necessary purgations & lovers of our happy settlement inspires me to offer my feeble but well meant aids for rooting out y reliques by acquainting yor Lordship of there was a scrutiny made into the demeanour & conduct of ye Vicar of Bray, & his progeny doubtless his lofty & peevish strain merits extraordinary cognizance ye vein by proximity of blood descends to his eldest & second son they being deeply tainted with yt Poison his eldest enjoying a post without acting tho' I presume he must of late have taken y Oaths yet it is plainly evident his behaviour savours of undecency being diametrically opposite to ye Supporters of ye now best Constitution y second being unduly shuffled into a good place over other peoples heads by ye awfull sway of his good Dada could not, notwithstanding his irregular promotion contain himself within ye limits of modesty but belch'd out contumelious lanbouring Justice told me of it) and yet these to be nourguage in derogation of y honor of our Supream (a neighished & kept as darlings under ye patronage of a non Pareil for I am bold to say he has been ye Instrument of bringing more whimsical & chimerical notions into acts; than all bis predecessors on yt Station could ever pretend to nay ye wretch is elevated and proud of ym to generally assuming others projects as his own and then misses them for wch he is hated & not without cause, & when it was more in his power an Observation worth notice to be sure he preferred ye high pinnacle men of wch some lately have been justly dismiss'd & if he had been in yo Number he had been unlamented unless perhaps one Gentman who some years ago for some grand matter yt he had obliged him ove his Office made him a Noble prt of ye bost of wines & y quantity being too large to sneek into his own house he was put to his neck verse where to stow it; the Cellar under y Parliam stairs was y storehouse pitch'd upon and yo being come to make ye usual search for Gunpowder the merry Brittons to their wonderful amzemt found Bacchus in lieu thereof they began to carouse freely & haveing great plenty before ym like good natured fellows called in their Comrades y posse to their assistance who quaff'd & then conveyed away wt was possible but unhappily in ye interim y son in law ye Wyer Drawer (who also enjoys a good post) seasonably interposing laid claim to yo residue

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H.

GEORGE KIRBYE AND " THE TRIUMPHS OF ORIANA.'-In my edition of George Kirbye's 'Madrigals' (1597) I drew attention to the fact that there were two editions of the Triumphs of Oriana' (1601). In some copies (e. g., that belonging to the Music School, Oxford) Kirbye's contribution is a six-part madrigal," With Angel's face and brightness"; in others this is replaced by Bright Phoebus greets most clearly." I had not noticed that the music to these two sets of words is precisely the same. Consequently in my notice of Kirbye in the Dict. Nat. Biog.' I spoke of them as two separate compositions. This is a mistake. It may be conjectured that Kirbye wrote his music to the words "With Angel's face and brightness," to which it is better suited; but as these were also set by Daniel Norcome, the editor of the 'Triumphs' apparently thought it advisable to supply new words to Kirbye's composition. G. E. P. ARKWRIGHT.

Adbury House, Newbury.

Queries.

We must request correspondents desiring information on family matters of only privato interest to affix their names and addresses to their queries, in order that the answers may be addressed to them direct.

'THE PLEASANT HISTORY OF THE KING AND LORD BIGOD OF BUNGAY.'-This ballad has been several times printed. I cannot trace it further back than to Ford's 'Suffolk Garland,' which was published in 1818. Can any reader tell me who was the author? Several writers have asserted that the three lines which occur, with slight alteration, at the end of every verse are to be found in Holinshed's 'Chronicles.' I have searched several editions in vain. These lines are printed in Camden's 'Britannia,' edition of 1607, but not in that of 1600. I quote them from the edition of 1607 :

Were I in my Castle of Bungey
Vpon the riuer of Waueney,

I would ne care for the king of Cockney.-P. 340. Some writers say that this boast was made

during Stephen's reign, and that the events recorded in the ballad took place in the days of Henry II. Others tell us that both belong to the same period-the reign of Henry II. The ballad, I suspect, first saw the light during the eighteenth century; the lines which I have quoted are certainly nearly 300 years old. I want to know the earliest mention (1) of these three lines, (2) of the whole ballad. If the former are to be found in Holinshed's 'Chronicles,' I shall be obliged if some reader will refer me to the edition and page. It is, perhaps, hardly necessary to say that Bungay is in Suffolk. The ballad appears in Ford's 'Suffolk Garland,' in Suckling's History of Suffolk,' and in Glyde's' New Suffolk Garland.' CHARLES S. PARTRIDGE.

'FROM OXFORD TO ROME.'-This book, which excited a good deal of attention and interest, was published anonymously in 1847, at the time of the famous Oxford tracts. The author was a young lady, and a first cousin of mine. I am told by her brother, who is still living, in his eighty-fifth year, that she was so worked upon by the Roman Catholic party that she made a recantation, and confessed to having committed a great sin in writing this book, which told against the Roman Church, and that this was published in the newspapers of the day. Can you verify or contradict this? GEO. REDFord.

WALTER LONG.-Can any of your correspondents inform me whether the Walter Long, Esq., of South Wraxhall, near Bath, who died in 1807, left any issue; also whether his four sisters were ever married? G. DEEKS.

OLDEST TREE IN THE WORLD.-The Rev. W. Tuckwell, in Tongues in Trees and Sermons in Stones' (George Allen, 1891), says, p. 85: "The oldest living tree in the world is said to be the Soma cypress of Lombardy. It was a tree forty years before the birth of Christ." But Alphonse Karr, in his 'Voyage autour de mon Jardin' (Warne & Co., translation edited by Rev. J. G. Wood), says, p. 39, of the baobab (Adansonia "It is asserted that some exist in digitata), Senegal that are five thousand years old." I shall be glad of any information as to the extreme longevity of trees, and as to which is the longest

lived

genus.

M. J. T.

CHURCH DESIGNED BY LINDSEY.-What church, in the parish of Marylebone, was designed by the late Mr. W. H. Lindsey? It must have been between 1830 and 1840, when there were not many churches in the parish. FRANK R. CANA. 40, St. Lawrence Road, Notting Hill, W.

THEATRICAL ENGRAVING BY KENT.-In the Print Room of the British Museum there is preserved a small engraving, without title, ascribed to

William Kent, Hogarth's contemporary, depicting a dungeon keep with a flight of steps in the background. A curiously theatrical smack is given to the whole by the presence of a male prisoner, chained to a post and listening to the appeals of a lady standing by. Can any reader of N. & Q.' say what contemporary play (c. 1730) this scene was taken from? SCARAMUCCIO.

HEREFORD CATHEDRAL. - Will some reader kindly inform me in what year the tower of this cathedral was lifted, and supported on each of its four sides on heavy baulks of timber, tied with iron bolts, and ground pinned? The money was found by the House of Commons, and repaid by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners. A gentleman who saw it, thinks it was either in 1843 or 1848. Any information on this subject will be much appreciated. H. HUMPHRIES.

whence) and laid by his side. Formerly the monument was crowned by a shield, on which these arms were painted, Quarterly of four, 1 and 4, Sable, a fess arg., in chief three battleaxes palewise of the second, with a label; 2 and 3, Arg., a lion ramp. and semée of crosslets fitchy gules. Crest, a dog sejant arg., spotted with blood, hoofed or. For these arms see Gent. Mag., vol. lxiii., under the head of "Honiton." Now, who was this Sir James Sheppard; and was his wife's name Fowler? R. A. F.

Reading.

GOSTLING FAMILY.-Can any of your readers give me some information about the family of the Rev. William Gostling, author of A Walk in and about the City of Canterbury,' who died in 1777? Was he in any way connected with the Le Grand family, which resided in Canterbury and must have been contemporary with him? I have an idea that the Gostlings and Le Grands were related to each

I wrote:

"I believe this (the north porch) used to be called "The Bachelors' Porch'; certainly the men-servants and other poor men, previous to the reseating of the church, used to sit in a long pew or stall on the north side of the church, and the maid-servants in one on the south side." I now see that at Kidlington, Oxfordshire, the north door was, c. 1825, 66 usually called the Batchelors' Door" (Three Oxfordshire Parishes,' Oxf. Hist. Soc., 1893, p. 361). Other instances would be interesting, as showing a survival of division of the sexes in church existing long after married people "sat" together. J. T. F.

Bp. Hatfield's Hall, Durham,

SIR JAMES SHEPPARD, KNT., SERJEANT-AT-LAW. -At the east end of the south chancel aisle of St. Michael's, Honiton, Devonshire, is a marble monument to Jas. Sheppard, eques auratus and serjeant-at-law, of Lawell, Chudleigh, Devon, who died 1730, aged forty-nine. At this time he was M.P. for Honiton. The treasurers of Lincoln's and Gray's Inns and the Inner Temple tell me they can find no trace of him in their registers. I therefore assign him to the Middle Temple. He had a residence in Honiton, and first contested the borough in 1710. The Rector of Chudleigh writes me there is no trace of him in his parish registers, and Mr. Sheppard, of Irongates, Frome, whose pedigree has been published, says Sir James is not of his family. Sheppard was created serjeant in 1725; when he was knighted I know not, but a deed dated 1729, to which he was a party, calls him "esquire." His will gives no clue to his parentage, but he directs that he should be buried in the family vault, Honiton, and that his wife's body should be brought (he does not say

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family was an officer in the Royal Artillery about that period. What relation was he to Rev. William Gostling? In the notice of the latter in 'Dict. Nat. Biog.' it says his family were all commemorated on an oval marble tablet on the west side of the cloisters at Canterbury." Will any one kindly furnish me with a copy of the inscription on it? Can the Walk in and about Canterbury be got now? E. JACOB.

5, Courtenay Place, Teignmouth, 8, Devon.

QUEEN'S PLAYERS.-I should be glad if any one would tell me who were the "Queen's Players" before 1576. (I am generally referred to F. G. Fleay's 'Shakespeare Manual,' but this does not touch my question.) C. C. STOPES.

"SHALL" OR "WILL. '-In that stirring poem, 'The Armada, a Fragment,' by Macaulay, occur the lines:

Night sank upon the dusky beach, and on the purple sea, Such night in England ne'er had been, nor e'er again shall be.

Ought not Macaulay to have used will? Will would denote a prediction on his part, and we all may predict; but shall indicates a promise with regard to England's future, which neither Macaulay nor any one of us is able to make.

F. C. BIRKBECK TERRY.

THE CATALOGUE OF BOOKSELLERS' Catalogues. longest list of those valuable historical and biblio-What library possesses on its catalogue the graphical documents, booksellers' catalogues? PALAMEDES.

Paris.

HOBBY-HORSE.-Will some one who is acquainted with the early history and the pedigrees of our ancient folk-customs give me information concern

Hill Brow, Warlingham,

[See 1 8. i. 245; 6th S. ii. 363, 397, 418.]

ROUSSEAU AND THEODORE PARKER.-I have been told that the great American, in one of his lectures or sermons, denounced the great Swiss as the most unmitigated blackguard that ever made a name in literature. I do not know that I am verbally correct, but the above is the sense as it was reported to me. Parker was a man given to righteous anger and strong language, so the above is by no means impossible; but before accepting it I must have an exact reference. Can any of your readers help me thereto ?

ANON.

JOHN JAMES HALLS, OF COLCHESTER, PORTRAIT PAINTER.-Can any information be obtained of the descendants of this eminent artist, who was born at Colchester 1791, and died 1834? He is said to have been named after Jean Jacques Rousseau. His mother, who died in 1813, was Amelia, younger sister of John Garnett, Dean of Exeter, who died March 12, 1813, and was buried at Farleigh Wallop, Hants. The dean's portrait was painted by J. J. Halls, and engraved by C. Turner. Is it known what has become of the original picture ? Thomas Halls, a son of J. J. Halls, is stated to have become a police magistrate in London. The elder sister of the dean was married to General Humphry Evans Lloyd, whose son, Hannibal Evans Lloyd, held some appointment in the Post-Office, until his death in 1847.

F. BROOKSBANK GARNETT.

JOHN HUGHES, OF STRETTON-ON-THE-FOSS, CO. WARWICK.-This eccentric antiquary, of whom there is a long account in the Gentleman's Magazine for 1797, vol. ii. p. 827, left various genealogical manuscripts. The pedigree of his family, written on vellum, he bequeathed (Will P.C.C., 1796) to Edward Oakeley Gray, Esq., of Buckingham, and he seems also to have left a MS. family register. Some notes from the latter relating to the Freemans (his mother's family) were communicated to the Genealogist, vol. iii., by Mr. F. Scarlett Potter in 1879. I should be glad to ascertain where these documents now are, and whether the family register referred to contains also notes of the Rutter family,

"LOOKING FROM UNDER BRENT HILL."-Is this saying common now? It used to be very It popular in Devonshire fifty or sixty years ago. is said of a sullen, frowning person in an ill humour, Brent Hill indicating the eyebrows. S. J. A. F.

MISTAKE IN READING PRAYERS.-From Wiltshire I hear that a notion exists that if a clergyman makes a mistake in reading prayers there will be a death during the week. Is this a local belief, or not? PAUL BURLEY.

FEAST OF ST. MICHAEL.-Did this feast in the old calendar fall at the same time of year as our present Michaelmas? I am desirous of ascertaining the day of the week and of the month Can any reader of on which it fell in 1396. A. M. S. N. & Q.' help me ?

"HOSPITALE CONVERSORUM ET PUERORUM.". These words are spoken by Dugdale on the foundation of St. Thomas's Hospital. The word "Conversorum " rather puzzled me, but I arrived at the conclusion that it must mean converts, and I find Mr. Walford so interprets it. But converts from what? Evidently it was, I suppose, a home for those who had adopted the Christian faith, and were cast out by their own community. But who were they? Jews, or who? I should be glad of any information or suggestion on this point, and as soon as possible. CHARLOTTE G. Boger.

St. Saviour's, Southwark.

OLD COIN OR TOKEN. I should be glad of information concerning a bit of metal, which looks outside like copper, but where worn like brass. It is an inch and one-fifth in diameter, and weighs more than a halfpenny. On the lower half it has inscribed round it "13 Conduit St. London," while round the top-in the same circle, but in larger letters, which are placed so as to be read without turning the coin-is an inscription, the first portion effaced, the rest reading .....min & Sons.' Nothing can be distinguished in the centre. On the reverse is the side figure of a bird with an inscription over it. Both are much worn, but seem to be somebody's crest and motto. From the inscription I take it to be some kind of token; but of the probable date and use of the same I am anxious to be enlightened. J. L. B.

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