Various

“ TOM, MYTHIC AND MATERIAL.
"All Toms are alike," quoth the elegant Pelham; and if we were asked to define the leading idea of him, we should describe a downright honest John Bull, essentially manly, but withal a bit—perhaps a large bit—of a dullard. His masculinity is unquestionable. A male cat, as every body knows, is a Tom-cat; a romping boy-like girl is a Tom-boy, or a Tom-rig; a large nob-headed pin is a Tom-pin; and in many provincial dialects the great toe is, par excellence, the Tom-toe. ”

“ It may be well to add, that Freher's writings (in sequence to those of Law above named) are all but essential for the proper understanding of Behmen, especially of his descriptions of the generation of Nature, as to its seven properties, two co-eternal principles, and three constituent parts: which is the deepest and most difficult point of all others to apprehend rightly (that is, with intellectual clearness, as well as sensitively in our own spiritual regeneration) , and indeed the key to every mystery of truth and life. ”

“ It was, I believe, from Freher, that Francis Lee (see "N. & Q." Vol. ii., p. 355.) became so deeply versed in the scope and design of high supersensual and mystical truth. From the year 1740, Freher, by his writings, demonstrations and diagrams, may be considered the closet-tutor of William Law at his philosophical retreat at King's Cliffe, in respect to the great mysteries of Truth and Nature, the origin and constitution of things, glanced at in what are popularly called Law's later or mystical writings. ”

“ Collodion thus prepared is most rapid in its action, giving a deep negative (with Ross's sixteen guinea lens, and the developing agent I shall hereafter describe) in ten seconds in clear weather, and instantaneous positive pictures, which may be afterwards darkened with the solution of terchloride of gold, in chloride of ammonium. It does not easily solarize, and, what is best of all, gives the most pleasing half-tones.
I find it preferable, in taking landscapes, to rather increase the quantity of the iodide of ammonium, in order to give complete opacity to the sky ”

“ Swinney was the devoted servant of all men in power—of all who had been or were likely to be in power—except, perhaps, the peace-makers, who, curiously enough, did not please this minister of peace—of all, perhaps, who subscribed to his publications, or had the means to subscribe; and who, if they did not, might hereafter. Swinney's volume of Fugitive Pieces was dedicated to the Duke of Grafton. A third edition contains additions which show how Swinney's great zeal outran his little discretion. ”

“ The Symbols, or Emblems, which are stated in the title-page of this edition to have been "left by Mr. Law," were not his production, but merely copies of the originals themselves. These were all designed by the above Dionysius Andreas Freher, a learned German, who had resided in this country from about the year 1695 till his death in 1728, in illustration of his own systematic elucidations of the ground and principles of the central philosophy of Deity and Nature, opened as a new original, and final revelation from God, in "his chosen instrument, Behmen." ”

“ An open truth-loving fellow is a Tom Tell-truth; but, on the other hand, all tinkers—a sadly libelled race of men—are invariably Tom-tinkers, as all tars have been Jack-tars from time immemorial. In some of the old-fashioned country games at cards the knave is called Tom ”

“ A new translator of Jacob Behmen is not to have it in intention to make his author more intelligible by softening or refining his language. His style is what it is, strange and uncommon; not because he wanted learning and skill in words, but because what he saw and conceived was quite new and strange, never seen or spoken of before ”

“ These, when mixed, form so powerful a developing agent, that the picture is brought out in its full intensity, almost instantly, while at the same time all the deep shades are quite unaffected, and the half-tones come out with a brilliancy I have never seen before. ”

“ These were, in brief, the explanations given by Sackville's friends as the cause of his disgrace—Granby the favoured, a gallant soldier indeed, but a mere soldier, being comparatively indifferent about such commissarial matters, and much more easily deceived by the cunning of the selfish Germans and English. This intention is made still more clear in another note, wherein Swinney states:
"We may be enabled to account for a certain disgraceful event, in some future observation of ours, equally to the honour of the person disgraced, and to the innocent cause of that disgrace." ”

“ Plain paper is floated on a bath of acetonitrate of silver, prepared of 25 grs. of nitrate of silver, 1 fluid oz. of water, 60 minims of strong acetic acid. When well moistened on one side, the paper is removed, and lightly dried with blotting-paper; it is then placed with the prepared side downwards on the surface of a bath of hydriodate of iron (8 grs. of the iodide in 1 oz. of silver) . It is not allowed to remain on this solution, for if this were the case it would become almost insensitive. ”

“ If I were as well up in the drama as I should like to be, I might perhaps find a modern plot which turns upon a minor coming of age, in which the first day of majority is what is commonly called the birthday, instead of, as it ought to be, the day before. Writers of fiction have in all times had fictitious law. ”

“ Would our Correspondent oblige us by forwarding a copy of the 1st No. of the Curiosities of Bristol and its Neighbourhood?
C. will find that his Query respecting Grinning like a Cheshire Cat has been anticipated, "N. & Q.," Vol. ii., pp. 377. 412. Vol. v., p. 402.
J. E.'s Query has been long since put and answered, as he will see by an article in the present Number.
T. D. S. (Ruthin) . In all probability there is a deficiency of acetic acid in your developing solution, or the acetic acid is impure and is adulterated with sulphuric acid. A few drops of nitrate of baryta would test the purity. ”

“ From one of these interesting letters, shortly to be published, I have been kindly permitted to make the following extract:—"Whatever you may have been told of my opinions, I can assure you with truth, that I consider religion as the best guide of youth, and the best support of old age; that I firmly believe there is less real happiness in the business and pleasures of the world, than in the life which you have chosen of devotion and retirement."
Footnote 4: (return)
William Law, in the Appendix to the second edition of his Appeal to all that Doubt or Disbelieve the Truths of the Gospel, p. ”

“ Some farther particulars respecting the writings of that remarkable character, who, according to your correspondent, "led astray William Law, and through him tinctured the religious philosophy of Coleridge, and from whom Schelling stole the corner-stones of his Philosophy of Nature," may perhaps interest the readers of "N. & Q."
Who Böhme, or Behmen, was, may be seen by a reference to Francis Okely's Memoir of him, and to the article in the Penny Cyclopædia (vol. v. p. 61.) written by Dr. Bialloblotzky; which, with the exception of a few trifling errors, is carefully compiled. ”

“ Next to Behmen's Works, and coupled with those of Law, Freher's writings and illustrations must, in regard to theosophical science, be considered the most valuable and important in existence. Freher also was personally acquainted with Gichtel, who was deeply imbued with the philosophy of Jacob Behmen, viz. "the fundamental opening of all the powers that work both in Nature and Grace;" ”

“ Swinney then gives in a note what he calls the genuine queries proposed by Prince Ferdinand, with Sackville's answer: which answer is nearly as void of distinct meaning as the poetry, but in favour I think of risking a battle. The general purport, however, foreshadows what Swinney's conclusion would have been—that Sackville, the friend of the British soldier, protested against the frauds by which they were robbed and starved; protested against their being called on to do all the work, and run all the risks of the campaign ”

“ It surely can have no connexion with the phrase of old Norman law—"clameurs de haro:" for "haro" is an exclamation of dissent and opposition. "Crier haro sur quelqu'un," is to excite mischief and scandal against him—the very reverse of hurrah!
C.
Derivation of "Wellesley" (Vol. viii., p. 173.) .—In reply to J. M., I think the following particulars I may not be uninteresting to him. There is good reason to believe that the name of Wellesley was derived from an ancient manor about one mile south of Wells, called Wellesleigh, which once, belonged to the Bishops of Bath and Wells. ”

“ Thomas Lord Clifford died on 4th of October, 1392, leaving his son and heir John (seventh Lord Clifford) an infant of about three years old. This lord married the Lady Elizabeth de Percy circa 1413, and his eldest son was born on 20th of August, 1414: he died on 13th March, 1422.
The wife of Sir Philip Wentworth, were she a daughter of Roger, fifth Lord Clifford, must have been born between 1363 and 1389; if a daughter of John, seventh Lord Clifford, she must have been born between 1414 and 1422. ”

“ A photographer of several years' standing informs me that my developing solution produces excellent negatives upon glass, and that he has been trying it as a bath with success. He writes me:—"I use your developing solution for negatives only; and by using a very small opening, say about 3/10ths of an inch diameter, single achromatic lens, I have produced negatives in one minute, which print most beautiful bright positives. The views I have taken and developed with your solution were without sunshine, the sky very cloudy, three o'clock p.m. The collodion was prepared by Messrs. ”

“ This last is most of all necessary, and yet would be entirely needless, if the reader would but observe Jacob Behmen's own directions. For there is not an error, defect, or wrong turn, which the reader can fall into, in the use of these books, but is most plainly set before him by Jacob Behmen.
"Many persons of learning in the last century read Jacob Behmen with great earnestness; but it was only, as it were, to steal from him certain mysteries of Nature, and to run away with the philosopher's stone ”

“ Had the misrepresentation been set right in the first instance, your readers would have been spared the infliction of this lengthy confutation, Miss Strickland herself protected from the humiliation of a defeat, "in daring to dispute a pedigree with King Henry VIII.;" and some of the numerous living descendants of the Protector Somerset been saved from much concern at finding a pedigree demolished, through which they had been wont to cherish the harmless vanity of being allied to the honour of a royal lineage. ”

“ Now the yew is certainly the most deadly of indigenous productions, and therefore would be chosen as the representative of a spirit of destruction, the opposite to one that giveth life by its teachings, of which the building itself is the sensible sign. ”

“ This is particularly remarkable in his Homer, where he has numerous Irish rhymes like "peace" and "race:" besides "war" and "car;" "far," "dare;" with many other still more barbarous metres. But all those were by regular design for, if ever poet "lisped in numbers," it was he; and "the numbers came" at his command. He introduced those uncouth rhymes to somewhat roughen his too long continued melody, just as certain discords are allowed in great musical compositions. It showed good judgment, for they are an agreeable change by variation. Other English poets too have false rhymes ”

“ If we took decisions from the novelists of our own day, we should learn, among other things, that married women can in all circumstances make valid wills, and that the destruction of the parchment and ink which compose the material of a deed is also the destruction of all power to claim under it. ”

“ We know that in all mediæval edifices there is an apparent and discernible endeavour to place in juxta-position the spirits of good and evil, to materialise the idea of an adversative spirit, antagonistic to the church's teachings, and hurtful to her efforts of advancement. ”

“ Crookes, &c., not so much on account of its superior properties, as the easier manipulation, and the greater certainty of obtaining a completely soluble substance. Having obtained a clear and tolerably thick collodion, take
Iodide of silver, freshly precipitated from the ammoniated nitrate, as much as the solution thus produced will take up—a small excess, which will settle at the bottom, will not signify. Nearly the same compound, one which is equally good, is produced as follows. Take
Whichever of these two sensitizers is used, take 11⁄2 drachms, and add to every ounce of the collodion. ”

“ Leaving Swift out of the question, Irish poets are much more careful about their rhymes than the English; because they know that what would be excused or overlooked in them, would be deemed ignorance on their own parts. ”

“ Swinney foreshadowed what his opinion would be in the First Book, where he enumerates Sackville amongst his "choice leaders"—
"Good Marlbro', Sackville, Granby, Waldgrave bold,
Brudenell and Kingsley."
This was published early in 1769.
In the Second Book Lord George is brought prominently forward. The "bewilder'd Ferdinand," "doubtful himself," summons a council of war, and calls first on Sackville for advice.
"Sackville, disclose the secret of thy breast:
Say, shall we linger in ignoble rest?
Shall we retreat? advance, or perish here? ”

“ The literary productions which have commanded the admiration and approbation of such deep thinkers as Sir Isaac Newton [4] , William Law, Schelling, Hegel, and Coleridge, may perhaps, before long, be thought worthy of republication. What is required is a well-edited and correct translation of Behmen's entire Works, coupled with{248} those of Freher, his great illustrator, (including also the Emblems, &c. of Gichtel's German edition) , and preceded by those of Law, which treat upon the same subject, namely:—1. Answer to Hoadley on the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper. 2. ”