THE "PERCY ANECDOTES."

Footnote 1:(return)The first number of the still existingSincere Haarlem Courant(I give you a literal translation of the title) must have appeared before May 19, 1665, on which day itsnineteenthnumber was printed. See theNavorscher, vol. ii. pp. 29. 96. 126.—J. H. v. L.Footnote 2:(return)See Ampzing,Kronyk von Haarlem, p. 398.; and A. van den Willigen's monograph in Witsen Geysbeek'sApollineum, vol. iii. p. 59.—Constanter.

The first number of the still existingSincere Haarlem Courant(I give you a literal translation of the title) must have appeared before May 19, 1665, on which day itsnineteenthnumber was printed. See theNavorscher, vol. ii. pp. 29. 96. 126.—J. H. v. L.

See Ampzing,Kronyk von Haarlem, p. 398.; and A. van den Willigen's monograph in Witsen Geysbeek'sApollineum, vol. iii. p. 59.—Constanter.

This reply was written before the publication of your last notices ("N. & Q.," Vol. vii., pp. 46. and 97.). The verses you mentioned in the last-named part are, in English, "Here one must guess To wash glasses And to p—s in them Would not be fit." I entirely agree with the poet.

Could you not acquaint me with the length, breadth, and height of the picture, and with the painter's name?

(Vol. vii., p. 134.)

I have much pleasure in replying to the inquiries ofUneda. ThePercy Anecdotes, published in forty-four parts, in as many months, commencing in 1820, were compiled by "Sholto and Reuben Percy, Brothers of the Benedictine Monastery of Mont Benger." So said the title-pages, but the names and the locality weresupposé. Reuben Percy was Mr. Thomas Byerley, who died in 1824: he was the brother of Sir John Byerley, and the first editor of theMirror, commenced by John Limbird in 1822. Sholto Percy was Mr. Joseph Clinton Robertson, who died in 1852: he was the projector of theMechanics' Magazine, which he edited from its commencement to his death. The name of the collection of Anecdotes was not taken from the popularity of thePercy Reliques, but from the Percy Coffee-house in Rathbone Place, where Byerley and Robertson were accustomed to meet to talk over their joint work. The idea was, however, claimed by my clever master and friend, Sir Richard Phillips, who stoutly maintained that it originated in a suggestion made by him to Dr. Tilloch and Mr. Mayne, to cut the anecdotes from the many years' files of theStarnewspaper, of which Dr. Tilloch was then editor, and Mr. Byerley assistant editor; and to the latter overhearing the suggestion, Sir Richard contested, might thePercy Anecdotesbe traced. I have not the means of ascertaining whether Sir Richard's claim is correct; and I should be equally sorry to reflect upon his statement as upon that of Mr. Byerley, my predecessor in the editorship of theMirror. ThePercy Anecdoteswere among the best compilations of their day: their publisher, Mr. Thomas Boys, of Ludgate Hill, realised a large sum by the work; and no inconsiderable portion of their success must be referred to Mr. Boys's excellent taste in their production: the portrait illustrations, mostly engraved by Fry, were admirable.

John Timbs.

(Vol. vii., p. 59.)

The index toLady Nevill's Music-book, printed by your correspondent L. B. L., was made known to the public in 1789, in the third volume of Dr. Burney'sHistory of Music. In addition to the information given in "N. & Q.," the doctor adds:

"Besides the great number of Bird's compositions for keyed instruments, which are preserved in theVirginal bookof Queen Elizabeth (now in the Fitzwilliam Museum), another manuscript collection of his pieces still subsists, under the title ofLady Nevil's Music-book. It is a thick quarto, very splendidly bound and gilt, with the family arms beautifully emblazoned and illuminated on the first page, and the initials H. N. at the lowest left-hand corner."—P. 91.

The MS. in question was the property of Dr. Burney, at whose sale, in 1814, it was purchased for 10l.10s.by Mr. Thomas Jones, of Nottingham Place. At the sale of the latter, about ten years afterwards, it was bought by Triphook, the bookseller, and by him sold to Lord Abergavenny. I remember seeing the book when in Triphook's possession, since which time I had lost sight of it, until the notice by L. B. L. in your pages.

Mr. Thomas Jones was a well-known musical antiquary, and possessed many rare treasures in this department. One of the most important was theoriginalMS. ofLady Nevill's Music-book, in the handwriting of William Byrd the composer. This valuable relic is now in my library.

John Baldwine, the person who made the splendid copy for the use of Lady Nevill, was a singular character. I have some materials for his biography which may one day see the light. He was a poet in his own time, and wrote a metricalaccount of famous musicians. The latter part, which I extract from the MS. now before me, relates to the composer ofLady Nevill's Music-book:

"An Englishe man, by nameWilliam Birde, for his skill,Which I shoulde have sett first, for so it was my will,Whose greate skill and knowledge dothe excell all at this tyme,And far to strange countries abroade his skill doth shyne.Famous men be abroade, and skilful in the arte,I do confesse the same, and will not from it starte,But in Europp is none like to our English man,Which doth so farre exceede, as trulie I it scan,As ye cannot finde out his equale in all thinges,Threwghe out the worlde so wide, and so his fame now ringes.With fingers and with penne he hathe not now his peere;For in this worlde so wide is none can him come neere:The rarest man he is in Musick's worthy arteThat now on earthe doth live, I speak it from my harte,Or heere to fore hath been, or after him shall come,None such I feare shall rise that may be calde his sonne.O famous man! of skill and judgemente great profounde,Let heaven and earthe ringe out thy worthye praise to sounde;Nay, lett thy skill it selfe thy worthye fame recordeTo all posteritie thy due desert afforde;And let them all which heere of thy greate skill then saie,Fare well, fare well, thou prince of musicke, now and aye;Fare well, I say, fare well, fare well, and here I ende,Fare well, melodiousbirde; fare well, sweet musick's frende.All these things do I speak not for rewarde or bribe,Nor yet to flatter him, or sett him upp in pride;Not for affection, or ought might move there too,But even the truth reporte, and that make known to you.So heere I end: fare well, committinge all to God,Who kepe us in his grace, and shilde us from his rodd."

"An Englishe man, by nameWilliam Birde, for his skill,

Which I shoulde have sett first, for so it was my will,

Whose greate skill and knowledge dothe excell all at this tyme,

And far to strange countries abroade his skill doth shyne.

Famous men be abroade, and skilful in the arte,

I do confesse the same, and will not from it starte,

But in Europp is none like to our English man,

Which doth so farre exceede, as trulie I it scan,

As ye cannot finde out his equale in all thinges,

Threwghe out the worlde so wide, and so his fame now ringes.

With fingers and with penne he hathe not now his peere;

For in this worlde so wide is none can him come neere:

The rarest man he is in Musick's worthy arte

That now on earthe doth live, I speak it from my harte,

Or heere to fore hath been, or after him shall come,

None such I feare shall rise that may be calde his sonne.

O famous man! of skill and judgemente great profounde,

Let heaven and earthe ringe out thy worthye praise to sounde;

Nay, lett thy skill it selfe thy worthye fame recorde

To all posteritie thy due desert afforde;

And let them all which heere of thy greate skill then saie,

Fare well, fare well, thou prince of musicke, now and aye;

Fare well, I say, fare well, fare well, and here I ende,

Fare well, melodiousbirde; fare well, sweet musick's frende.

All these things do I speak not for rewarde or bribe,

Nor yet to flatter him, or sett him upp in pride;

Not for affection, or ought might move there too,

But even the truth reporte, and that make known to you.

So heere I end: fare well, committinge all to God,

Who kepe us in his grace, and shilde us from his rodd."

As regards the ancient notation ofLady Nevill's Music-book, I will now say a few words.

In the most ancient music for keyed instruments, such as the organ, virginals, harpsichord, spinet, &c., a staff consisting ofelevenlines was used, that is, five lines for the treble, and five lines for the bass, and acentreline, being the note C. This was improved upon by dividing the staff into two sixes, and repeating the C line twice over, viz. in thelowerpart of the treble staff, and inupperpart of the bass staff. As music progressed, and performers required more scope for the movement of the hands, the staff of twelve lines was rent asunder, and the middle C line excluded altogether. It then became the custom to print the five upper lines and the five lower lines much more widely apart, as is now done in modern music. But it ought not to be forgotten that there is only one line really between them; that is to say, there are only three notes between the two sets of five lines, viz. the notebelowthe upper five, the noteabovethe lower five, and the note on that middle line, and that note is middle C, or, more properly,tenorC. A knowledge of this important fact would much facilitate the student in learning to read in the tenor cleff.

In decyphering the oldvirginalmusic, all we have to do is to leave out thelowerline of the upper staff, and thehigherone of the lower staff. It then reads like our modern music.

Edward F. Rimbault.

(Vol. vii., p. 143.)

The statement made in theQuarterly Reviewfor June, 1851, p. 222., referred to in "N. & Q.," is very inadequate. The scarf now worn by many clergymen represents two ornaments very different, though now generally confounded, viz. the broad and the narrow scarf. I can well remember, in my boyhood, hearing mention made of the distinction between thebroadandnarrowscarf, then customarily observed by many; and this at a time when theres vestiaria, and matters connected with the ritual, had not become objects of public attention. The broad scarf was the distinction (of what standing I cannot pretend to say) used by chaplains of the king, and of privileged persons, by doctors in divinity, and by the capitular members of collegiate churches. It was worn with the surplice and gown; and, by doctors in divinity only, with the scarlet academical robe. The narrow scarf has been immemorially used by clergymen, whether priests or deacons, in many large towns, and by the clergy in some cathedrals, and not unfrequently by country clergymen. By custom, those who serve, or have served, the office of junior dean in Trinity College, Dublin, wear a scarf. In fact, it represents the stole, or that ornament (under whatever various names it was known) which, all through Christendom, had been a badge of the three orders of bishop, priest, and deacon. In the Church of England, however, none of those variations in its mode of arrangement, which elsewhere discriminates these three orders, have been retained. Is there any proof that it has not been used ever since the Reformation? And may not its very frequent disuse within memorybe attributable to that well-known slovenliness in ritual matters which was but too characteristic of the last century?

John Jebb.

Peterstow Rectory, Ross.

Domestic anxieties having unavoidably detained me in this place during the last three or four months, I am necessarily without nearly all my books. My corrected folio, 1632, is one of the very few exceptions; and as I have not the No. of "N. & Q." to which A. E. B. refers, I am unable to reply to his question, simply because I do not remember it.

To whomsoever these initials belong, he is a man of so much acuteness and learning, that, although I may deem his conjectures rather subtle and ingenious than solid and expedient, I consider him entitled to all the information in my power. I do not, of course, feel bound to notice all anonymous speculators (literary or pecuniary); but if A. E. B. will be good enough to take the trouble to repeat his interrogatory, I promise him to answer it at once.

My recent volume was put together with some rapidity, and under many disadvantages: not a few of the later sheets were corrected, and several of them written, two hundred miles from home. Such was the case with the note on the suggestion I hastily attributed toMr. Cornish, on the faith of his letter in "N. & Q." I did not advert to the circumstance that Warburton had proposed the same emendation; and it may turn out that a few other notes by me are in the same predicament. The authority I usually consulted as to the conjectures of previous editors was theVariorum Shakspeare, in twenty-one volumes 8vo.

I need hardly add that I was acquainted with the fact thatMr. Singerhad published an edition of Shakspeare; but, like some others, it was not before me when I wrote my recent volume, nor when I printed the eight volumes to which that is a supplement. Even the British Museum does not contain all the impressions of the works of our great dramatist; but I resorted, more or less, to twenty or thirty of them in the progress of my undertaking.

Mr. Singer'sedition, no doubt, deserves more than the praise he has given to it: on the other hand, I am thoroughly sensible of the imperfectness of my own labours, however anxious I was to avoid mistakes; and when I prepare a new impression, I will not fail duly to acknowledge the obligations of Shakspeare toMr. Singer. One of my notes on a celebrated passage inTimon of Athenswill have shown that there was no reluctance on my part to giveMr. Singerfull credit for a very happy emendation.

I hope and believe that he does not participate in the anger some have expressed, because I have been merely the medium of making known other emendations at least equally felicitous.

J. Payne Collier.

Torquay.

(Vol. vi., p. 311.)

The passage quoted byMr. Forbesfrom Richard Ligon'sHistory of Barbadoes, in illustration of a scene in the 2nd Part ofKing Henry IV., was pointed out by Sir John Hawkins in hisHistory of Music(Vol. iii. p. 383., note).

For "passame sares galiard," as it stands in Ligon, we should read "passamezzo galliard." Sir John Hawkins derivespassamezzofrompasser, to walk, andmezzo, the middle or half. The term is variously corrupted by the English poets and dramatists,—passy-measure,passa-measure,passing-measure, &c. Douce, in his valuableIllustrations of Shakspeare(edit. 1839, p. 72.), has the following passage on the subject:

"Florio, in hisItalian Dictionary, 1598, haspassamezzo, apassameasurein dancing, a cinque pace; and although the English word is corrupt, the other contributes a part, at least, of the figure of this dance, which is said to have consisted in making several steps round the ball-room, and thencrossing it in the middle. Brantôme calls it 'lepazzamenod'Italie,' and it appears to have been more particularly used by the Venetians. It was much in vogue with us during Shakspeare's time, as well as thepavan; and both were imported either from France, Spain, or Italy. In a book of instructions for the lute, translated from the French by J. Alford, 1568, 4to., there are twopassamezetunes printed in letters according to the lute notation."

Thepassamezzowas sometimes sung as well as danced. Morley, in hisIntroduction to Practicall Musicke, 1597, has an interesting passage bearing on the point, which has been overlooked by modern writers:

"There is likewise a kind of songs (which I had almost forgotten) calledJustinianas, and are all written in theBergamascalanguage. A wanton and rude kinde of musicke it is, and like enough to carrie the name of some notable curtisan of the citie ofBergama; for no man will deny thatJustinianais the name of a woman. There be also manie other kinds of songs which the Italians make; aspastorellasandpassamesos, with a dittie, and such like, which it would be both tedious and superfluous to dilate unto you in words; therefore I will leave to speak any more of them, and begin to declare unto you those kinds which they make without ditties."

Mr. Forbesasks, "Is the tune of thegalliardknown?" I know at least a hundred different galliard tunes. They are distinguished by appellations which seem to indicate their being thefavourites of particular persons, as in these instances:—"The King of Denmark's Galliard," "The Earl of Essex's Galliard," "Sir John Souch his Galliard," "Sir Henry Noell his Galliard," &c.—See Douland'sLachrymæ, or Seaven Tears, 1603.

Thegalliardis a lively air in triple time: Brossard intimates that it is the same with theRomanesca, a favourite dance with the Italians. It is graphically described in Burton'sAnatomy of Melancholy:

"Let them take their pleasures, young men and maides flourishing in their age, fair and lovely to behold, well attired, and of comely carriage, dauncing aGreek galliarde, and, as their dance required, kept their time, now turning, now tracing, now apart, now altogether, now a curtesie, then a caper, &c., that it was a pleasant sight."

Christopher Sympson, in hisCompendium of Practical Musick(ed. 1678, p. 116.), says:

"Apavandoth commonly consist of three strains, each strain to be play'd twice over.... Next in course after apavanfollows agalliard, consisting sometimes of two, and sometimes of three strains."

Specimens of thepassamezzo pavanandgalliardmay be found in Queen Elizabeth'sVirginal Book, in the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge. One is dated 1592. Others may be found in the Public Library, Cambridge (MS. marked "D. d. 3, 18.") Also in two rare printed books,—Robinson'sSchool of Musick, fol. 1603; andNeder-landtsche Gedenck-clanck, Haerlem, 1626. The latter work contains the "Passamezzo d'Anvers."

Edward F. Rimbault.

The Albumen Process.—In answer toMr. Lawrence'sQueries regarding the albumen process (in Vol. vii., p. 116.), I think I can supply him with the information he requires.

The albumen should be placed in a cup, or some wide-mouthed vessel, and, after carefully removing from its surface every trace of air-bubbles, it is to be poured carefully on the plate, and after being flooded over the surface of it, the plate being tilted on one side, the greater portion of the albumen may be run off into the cup again. The plate must not be held sideways, however, for more than an instant; and it must be brought as soon as possible into thehorizontalposition,face downwards, between the points of the wire support, as used by Messrs. Ross and Thompson; and being held by the cord attached to the wire support, it must be given a slow rotary motion. The rate at which to cause it to rotate must be a matter of experience, but must be such as to keep the surface of albumen even, and neither to let it settle in the centre, nor to leave that and pass completely to the edges; neither must too much of it be allowed to flow off, as then the coating will not be thick enough. The best plan is to fix on the wire support at the corner of the plate, and then pour on the albumen, and then no time need be lost between pouring off and giving the rotary motion. The albumen will keep some time in a bottle; but as soon as it begins to get curdy and opalescent, it begins to lose in sensitiveness. The plate, if well prepared, will remain sensitive and in good order for two days at least, and being kept in a dry and cool place is a great assistance to its preservation. The addition of about five drops of saturated solution of bromide of potassium to every ounce of previously-iodized albumen causes great depth and brilliancy in the negative. The same sensitive bath answers over and over again, as with collodion. The time of exposure cannot be specified, as that varies almost indefinitely from ten minutes to an hour and a half.

In regard to obtaining a greater sensitiveness, the addition of starch size in the place of the water to the albumen appears to increase it, and certainly gives great improvement in depth of the blacks. A very good way of beating up the albumen is as follows:—Take a round stick, and having cut several slits in it, from the bottom half-way up it, insert into these several pieces of quill, so that they may project on each side of the stick to the length of about half an inch or a little more, and tie up the bottom of the stick with some string wound round it to keep the quills in place. Take then the albumen, iodized as directed by Thornthwaite or any other successful manipulator, and place it in a tall cylindrical glass vessel; and taking the whisk as above prepared between the palms of the hands, roll it backwards and forwards, keeping the part armed with the quills immersed in the albumen. This is the most effective method I know, and much less tiring than the old method with the common whisk.

In answer to another Querist, I have only to reply that the black tints in the French positives are due to the presence of starch, used as a size for the paper. I have lately succeeded in producing several very beautiful and brilliant effects of this kind by passing the paper—French or English, it does not much matter which—first over a size of starch, and next (after being dried) over a combination of albumen and thin starch size, composed of equal parts of each, to which, according to the process of M. Le Gray, may be added one-fifth of a saturated solution of chloride of ammonium. This is only an improvement in the process as described by M. Le Gray, and the rest of the process will be found in his own book, or in Thornthwaite's Guide.

F. M. L.

Torquay.

Queries on Mr. Weld Taylor's Process.—I hopeMr. Weld Taylorwill not withhold (from thosewho would most thankfully acknowledge the favour) an amended description of his paper process, embracing replies to the following Queries:

1. How strong should the cyanide solution be that is to be added "drop by drop;" and how much of it is likely to redissolve the precipitate formed by the first mixture?

2. Should the paper be brushed with, floated on, or immersed in the solution? If either of the latter, for how long a time; and what then?

3. How is the bath of nitrate of silver prepared, and the mode of applying it to the paper?

4. How much sulphuric acid is added to a given quantity of water, in which the paper is placed after removal from the exciting bath; and is it immersed or floated?

5. Is the paper, when removed from the water, to be partially dried with blotting-paper, and used in its damp state? or will it keep, and how long?

6. What is the probable time of exposure in the camera?

7. How is the picture developed? and, finally, how fixed?

John James.

Difficulties in the Wax-paper Process.—Can any of your photographic correspondents give me some hints regarding the following difficulties, which I (in common with many other amateurs) have met with in working according to Le Gray's wax-paper process?

The proportions I used were exactly those published by Le Gray, and the paper and other materials were of the description he recommends; but nearly every picture, on being placed in the gallic acid, was spoiled, by the appearance of numerous small black spots, all well defined on one and the same side, but comparatively undefined on the other. These may possibly have been owing to iron in the paper, and may therefore, perhaps, be obviated by following the method ofMr. Crookes. But I am anxious to learn if others have experienced these spots in their pictures, and to what they attribute them, as well as how they can best be prevented.

My second difficulty was in the want of intensity in the pictures, which completely prevented my obtaining even a tolerable impression from them. I tried many different times of exposure, and even after working long with Le Gray's slightly-different proportions, but always without success. The margin of the pictures, however, which had been exposed to the daylight, always became of themost intense black, after the picture had been developed.

But my third difficulty was the most annoying of all, because the constant source of failure, though in itself apparently the most easily obviated. It was the difficulty of keeping the dishes which contained the solutionclean; the effect of this want of cleanliness being themarblingof the pictures whenever placed in the gallic acid and aceto-nitrate of silver. This is a difficulty I never before encountered, during half a dozen years' practice of photography (during which I used to be as successful as most of my brother amateurs); and though I tried every plan I could think of to insure cleanliness, such as washing the dishes with warm water, nitric and muriatic acids, &c., and afterwards wiping them thoroughly with clean cloths, still the mixture of gallic acid and aceto-nitrate of silver, for developing the picture, brought out some marblings or blotches on the dish, which were invariably communicated to the picture, even though it was only floated on the surface of the solution, and prevented, with the greatest care, from touching the bottom of the dish. Should the dishes be kept in the dark constantly?

Have any of your correspondents tried Le Gray's plan of filtering the nitrate of silver through animal charcoal; or do they find any occasion to filter at all? With me, the animal charcoal seemed to increase the sensibility greatly.

G. H.

Mr. Archer's Services to Photography.—In Vol. vii., p. 163.,Mr. Horneseems very indignant at the idea thatMr. Archertaught him to take pictures, and saysMr. Archer'spublished account will not succeed. Now I know thatMr. Archerand myself did take pictures by his process as published. I also assert that neitherMr. Hornenor Mr. Fry made any collodion pictures beforeMr. Archerpublished his account inThe Chemist, and, with the ordinary camera, that process must be the one now to give any chance of success, for without washing the plate the collodion will not keep five or six hours without staining. But as that process was not sufficiently quick,Mr. Archerproposed to take the pictures in the bath itself; and I have one which I took in that way on the 16th of May, 1851.

Mr. Horne, I think ungenerously, wishes to detract fromMr. Archer'smerit, and to exalt himself and Mr. Fry atMr. Archer'sexpense. I have a letter of Mr. Fry's, dated March 23, 1852, in which he says, "I with much pleasure accord toMr. Archerthe credit he is fairly entitled to, of being the sole inventor of the collodion process." And another letter, wherein he says he "never sanctioned the insertion in any work of any article connected with the collodion process." I also know thatMr. Archerprepared collodion for Messrs. Horne; that Messrs. Horne advertised it as prepared byMr. Archer; and that they were glad, when the thing was new, to avail themselves ofMr. Archer'sassistance.

W. Brown.

Ewell.

Mr. Weld Taylor's Iodizing Process.—The process I generally adopt in iodizing paper by theammonio-nitrate of silver, I have found to be the most certain of all, and I here give a formula for the benefit of your readers. They will find it admirably adapted for any objects in the shade, or any not lit by the sun's rays; it also has an excellent quality, of not darkening by exposure in the camera, as most other papers do. I have taken negatives with it all the winter, even at Christmas. It is rather slow, but certain; and as your readers try it and improve it, I hope they will communicate the results.

It rests alone on the superior sensitive property the nitrate of silver possesses after being redissolved in ammonia, which every photographer must have experienced. And it has, I believe, in prospect, the dispensing with the crystals of nitrate of silver, and simply at last employing silver leaves, which will save a great expense to the operator. The first solution is, to the proportion of a wine-bottleful of water add three grains of pure tannin, well dissolved in filtered water. Upon this float every sheet of paper, taking care of bubbles when they are to be hung up to dry. Do a great number; they will be ready for the ultimate process. Make now a solution of nitrate of silver, twenty-six grains to the ounce: if three ounces are to be made, dissolve the nitrate in half an ounce of distilled water, and add liq. ammo. fortissimus till the precipitate is redissolved. Then fill up with two and a half ounces of distilled water. This is the formula of Mr. Alfred Taylor. With this solution pass over every sheet with a brush: it cannot be floated, as exposure to the air precipitates the silver. The iodizing solution is,—

to a full half-pint of distilled water.

The success of the operation depends upon this point, that the latter solution must be laid over the first,before the first has entirely dried, or at that point when all appearance of wet is absorbed. Three sheets of paper may be washed over at a time; and as the corner where the solution runs to is apt to remain wet longer than the rest of the paper, the drip may be assisted off with a bit of blotting-paper. Also,beforethe second solution is dry, it is to be floated on water; but the same conditions must be strictly observed. When it has floated a short time, "it does not require so long a time as the acid process." It is, while wet, floated again upon a weak solution of free iodine for about half a minute; it may then be dried, and is ready for the sensitive solution. This last must be acid, and any of the approved formulæ will suit it; but the solution, whatever it is, must be allowed to dry before placing between the white glasses, nor on any account ought it to be touched with blotting-paper. The image is to be brought out with gallic acid and acetic acid, laid over with a brush, and requires no heat. It is of a very red colour generally, but that does not impair its effectiveness in taking the positive impression.

Weld Taylor.

7. Conduit Street West, Bayswater.

Sir W. Newton's Process.—WillSir W. Newtonbe kind enough, through the mediums of "N. & Q.," to give therationaleof theactionof thecommon sodaandpowdered allummentioned in his process published in Vol. vii., p. 140. and why thesodais used fornegativesand theallumforpositives, both being produced oniodized paper?

Should these chemicalsdestroythe power of thehyposulphite of soda, I imagine the fading ofpositiveswill no longer be a matter of uneasiness; and I am sure all amateurs will be greatly indebted to him.

W. Adrian Delferier.

40. Sloane Square.

A Race for Canterbury(Vol. vii., p. 158.).—In a copy of the tract before me (4to., 1747) is a plate prefixed to the title, containing a view of Lambeth Palace with four bishops, each in a wherry, striving hard to reach the coveted God: Sherlock, Herring, Mawson, and Gibson, designated in the poem asCodex. The contention for the see of Canterbury, on the death of Archbishop Potter, was the subject of several squibs and satirical prints.

I have two other plates, each representing three bishops in wherries; one with three stanzas under it, commencing:

"Pope Gregory's table was spread with a net,Till he the fish into his power could get;Pope E—nd to L—eth rows in a wherry,For the A—B—p's P—ce of C——."

"Pope Gregory's table was spread with a net,

Till he the fish into his power could get;

Pope E—nd to L—eth rows in a wherry,

For the A—B—p's P—ce of C——."

In which Gibson and the two Sherlocks are alluded to. The other, a broadside, headed by a woodcut withthreewherries, entitled "First Oars to L—m—th, or who strives for Preferment?" with fourteen stanzas below the cut; the first runs thus:

"At L—m—th dwells, as fame reports,A P—i—st of spotless fame;Some annual thousands swell his worth,And spread abroad his name."

"At L—m—th dwells, as fame reports,

A P—i—st of spotless fame;

Some annual thousands swell his worth,

And spread abroad his name."

In the twelfth, the initials H—d—y appear:

"H—d—y, with headstrong zeal inspired,Vows he'll complete the work,Whilst G—b—n tugs and boils in vain,T' o'ertake the furious Y—r—k."

"H—d—y, with headstrong zeal inspired,

Vows he'll complete the work,

Whilst G—b—n tugs and boils in vain,

T' o'ertake the furious Y—r—k."

Which would lead one to infer that Hoadley was a competitor with Herring and Gibson.

J. F.

Kennington.

"The Birch: a Poem" (Vol. vii., p. 158.).—The poem entitled "The Birch," which you have printed at length in a recent Number, has long been familiar to me, though I believe it has never before been printed; and was written by the lateRev. Thomas Wilson, B.D., head master of the Free Grammar School of Clitheroe, Lancashire. He was author ofAn Archæological Dictionary, or Classical Antiquities of the Jews, Greeks, and Romans, dedicated to Dr. Johnson; which was highly esteemed, and passed through two editions: the first in 1782, the second, "with considerable additions," in 1793.

Mr. Wilson was a most amiable man, of great learning, taste, and humour; and universally respected and beloved by all his scholars, by all his townsmen, and by all the first families throughout the north of Lancashire. During his time, the school of Clitheroe was in the highest repute; and the annual return of the speech-day was the great local festival of the year—the occasion of general conviviality and good neighbourhood among the gentry of the district. On these occasions Mr. Wilson generally wrote a copy of verses, to be recited by some of the scholars: and I have no doubt that the statement in your correspondent's copy ought to be "recitedby a boy of thirteen," for it was certainlywrittenby Mr. Wilson, the head master.

J. T. A.

Curtseys and Bows(Vol. vii., p. 156.).—E. S. will find his Query partly, if not altogether answered in a former note on salutations and salutes (Vol. v., p. 157.). As to the date of the wordcurtsey(a contraction forcourtesy), it is at least as early as Shakspeare. Rosalind concludes the epilogue toAs You Like Itby making hercurt'sy. It occurs also in a dozen other places.

Deodorising Peat(Vol. vi., p. 509.).—A. A. D. inquires if this is found to be a failure: to this I can answer safely, that it isnot. As to the second part of his Query, I would say,ifhe means (as I am sure he does) the "Peat Charcoal," he should apply to Jasper W. Rogers, Esq., C. E., Seville Place, Dublin, who is the patentee, and who will, I am sure, give him every information. Before doing so, I would, however, suggest an application to Professor Davy, Royal Dublin Society, who has strongly maintained thatfinelypulverised peat is fully equal to the peat charcoal as a deodorising agent. He has published a small pamphlet on the subject: to the best of my recollection it may be had through Messrs. Hodges and Smith, Dublin.

Enivri.

Jacobite Toasts(Vol. vii., p. 105.).—What is here called "Lord Duff's toast" formed some of the toasts current among the Jacobites about the period of the Rebellion of 1745. Lord Mahon alludes to the deep bumpers which were drunk by the country gentlemen to the health of the young prince, and probably by the country ladies also, "who were proud to sing ditties to his praise." Lord Mar died in 1732, consequently the fourth toast, "Keep Lord Mar," could not be drunk in 1745. The following list, given to me by a Lancashire gentleman some years ago, varies a little from your correspondent's, and may be acceptable both to him and to others of your readers. As Lord Mar and the Duke of Ormond, who died in 1745, are both omitted in this list of toasts, it may have been used subsequently to the other.

Your correspondents, myself among the number, in the case of Shenstone (Vol. vi., pp. 414. 465.), ought well to consider the narrow limits which can be afforded weekly in your pages, and not desire to insert in them what may be easily found elsewhere. Bishop Pursglove's epitaph, which fills an entire column at p. 135., has been given, 1. in theGentleman's Magazinefor December 1794, p. 1101.; 2. in Lysons'sDerbyshire; and 3. in the beautiful volume of monumental brasses published by the Cambridge Camden Society, where it is accompanied by a most interesting memoir. When some of your correspondents look with anxiety for the appearance of a Note and Query of three lines, and do not find it, this occupation of space is rather unreasonable, as well as needless.

J. H. M.

Consecrators of English Bishops(Vol. vii., p. 132.).—I believe that the following is, as far as it goes, a correct answer to the Query of A. S. A. The bishops assisting the Primate were:

Feb. 27, 1842, Lincoln and Llandaff; April 28, 1844, London, Bangor, Worcester; May 4, 1845, London, Lincoln, Lichfield, Rochester, Hereford, and Bishop Coleridge late of Barbadoes; July 5, 1846, London, Lichfield, Calcutta.

The consecration of December 3, 1843, like all those before mentioned, took place in the archbishop's private chapel in Lambeth Palace.

S. R. Maitland.

Chatham's Language(Vol. vii., p. 127.).—I suppose you will receive many answers to H. G. D.'s question, as to the authorship of the lines quoted by Lord Lansdowne; but "what is everybody's business is nobody's;" and, therefore, I venture to say that, with a slight difference, they are from Cowper'sTask, b. ii. 235. I thinkthe whole passage ought to be embalmed in your pages amongst the other memorials of Wolfe:

"Time was when it was praise and boast enoughIn every clime, and travel where we might,That we were born her children:praise enoughTo fill the ambition of a private man,That Chatham's language was his mother tongue,And Wolfe's great name compatriot with his own.Farewell those honours, and, farewell with themThe hope of such hereafter. They have fallenEach in his field of glory: one in arms,And one in council. Wolfe upon the lapOf smiling victory, that moment won,And Chatham, heart-sick of his country's shame.They made us many soldiers. Chatham stillConsulting England's happiness at home,Secured it by an unforgiving frown,If any wrong'd her. Wolfe, where'er he fought,Put so much of his heart into his act,That his example had a magnet's force,And all were swift to follow whom all lov'd."

"Time was when it was praise and boast enough

In every clime, and travel where we might,

That we were born her children:praise enough

To fill the ambition of a private man,

That Chatham's language was his mother tongue,

And Wolfe's great name compatriot with his own.

Farewell those honours, and, farewell with them

The hope of such hereafter. They have fallen

Each in his field of glory: one in arms,

And one in council. Wolfe upon the lap

Of smiling victory, that moment won,

And Chatham, heart-sick of his country's shame.

They made us many soldiers. Chatham still

Consulting England's happiness at home,

Secured it by an unforgiving frown,

If any wrong'd her. Wolfe, where'er he fought,

Put so much of his heart into his act,

That his example had a magnet's force,

And all were swift to follow whom all lov'd."

Southey adds, in note:

"Cowper wrote from his own recollection here. In one of his letters, he says: 'Nothing could express my rapture when Wolfe made the conquest of Quebec.'"

C. W. B.

Shakspeare Readings: "Love's Labour's Lost," Act V. Sc. 2.(Vol. vi., pp. 268. 296.).—

"That sport best pleases which the least knows how:Where zeal strives to content, and the contentsDiesin thezealof that which it presents."

"That sport best pleases which the least knows how:

Where zeal strives to content, and the contents

Diesin thezealof that which it presents."

The difficulty, asMr. Knightlysays, is in the worddies, which is unintelligible; for the meaning is obviously the reverse ofdies, namely, that thecontents, that is, "the satisfaction of the audience, arises from accepting the well-meant zeal of the poor performers." This sense will be produced by the smallest possible typographical correction—LforD.

"The contentsLies(i.e. exists) in the zeal," &c.

"The contents

Lies(i.e. exists) in the zeal," &c.

This at least is intelligible, which no other reading seems to be; and I need not point out that there are no two letters so easily confounded, either in MS. or type, asLandD. Most editions now readdie, to agree with the pluralcontents; that question however, does not affect my emendation, which seems to me very like some of the best inMr. Collier'sfolio.

Inscriptions in Books(Vol. vii., p. 127.).—The following lines are often written in Bibles, and other works of a devotional nature:

"This is Giles Wilkinson his book.God give him grace therein to look:Nor yet to look, but understand,That learning's better than house and land:For when both house and land are spent,Then learning is most excellent."

"This is Giles Wilkinson his book.

God give him grace therein to look:

Nor yet to look, but understand,

That learning's better than house and land:

For when both house and land are spent,

Then learning is most excellent."

I find that the following formula is much used among the poor in country villages:

"John Stiles is my name,England is my nation,—— is my dwelling-place,But Christ is my salvation.And when I'm dead and in the grave,And all my bones are rotten;This when you see, remember me,Though I am long forgotten."

"John Stiles is my name,

England is my nation,

—— is my dwelling-place,

But Christ is my salvation.

And when I'm dead and in the grave,

And all my bones are rotten;

This when you see, remember me,

Though I am long forgotten."

Another I am acquainted with is of as menacing a description as some of the last quoted byBalliolensis. It is, however, so common as hardly to be worth the notice of "N. & Q.":

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