Various

“ The acknowledgments of benefits conferred by us, which your eminence so frequently expresses, causes us also to return similar thanks to your eminence and to the whole of your sacred Order, for all those offices of humanity and courtesy with which you assisted our above-mentioned admiral and other our ships stationed in that sea, of which we shall always preserve the memory indelibly engraved in our hearts. It is equally a source of pleasure to us that our arms have been of help to your eminence and to your Order ”

“ We therefore beg your highness, by the good and long friendship existing between us, to grant to us the same privilege in regard to this kind of commerce within the territories of your highness, as is enjoyed by both our said neighbours and allies, which although it ought to be conceded to us simply on account of our mutual friendship and our affection towards your highness and the illustrious Order of Malta, still we shall receive so gratefully, that if at any time we can do anything to please your highness, we shall be always ready to do it, with all attention, and most willingly. ”

“ I do make and constitute my dear kinsman Anthony Rous, Esq., of Wootton, in the county of Cornwall, commonly called or known by the name of Colonel Rous, to be my whole and sole executor. And I give and bequeath to him all my lands, tenements, my interest in the parsonage of Great Brookham in Surrey, all my leases, chattels, plate, money, and other goodly whatsoever, as also my copyholds, which shall, according to custom, be made over to him in Acton or Branford, hoping that he will faithfully dispose them according to my will and intention made known to him ”

“ My countrymen are too much inclined, like the French, to attribute their disasters to treachery, or to any cause but the equal numbers and courage, and superior discipline, of their adversaries: but they have never done so to less purpose than when they ascribe the loss of that battle to a man who was in all probability not born in 1691, and must in any case have been a mere boy at the time. ”

“ NEW PIANO MUSIC.—"The celebrated Composer, Theodore Oesten.—It is always with particular pleasure we direct our attention to those subjects which are interesting to our fairer readers—such, for instance, as the musical topics of the day. Every fair pianiste is acquainted with the name of Theodore Oesten; every piano is loaded with his gay and beautiful productions. ”

“ I give power to my executor to choose them during his life, and desire him, with the advice of my dear kinsman, Mr. Ambrose Upton, Prebend of Xt Church in Oxford, to settle and order all things for the sure and usefull continuance of their allowances to schollars so qualified as before and of good conversation, and that they study divinity, and some time before they be Batchelors of Arts, they make good proof of their studying divinity, and that they continued in their several places but seven years, and then others to be chosen in their rooms. What shall be above 40l. ”

“ A view comprising foliage would require a much longer time for its full development. In working on the sea-coast, I find that the dark slate rocks of north Cornwall require an exposure in the camera half as long again as the blue mountain limestone cliffs of South Wales, which abound in actinic power. ”

“ The mind has great influence upon the body, and the doctor knows it, or he would not give his nervous lady patients so many boxes of bread pills, and sleeping draughts in the shape of vials filled with savoury rum-punch. ”

“ Be it, however, as it may, your eminence may be persuaded that it is our fixed and established intention to do and perform everything both ourselves and by our officers amply to show how much we esteem the sacred person of your eminence and the Order of Malta. ”

“ Mr. Greet was one of the best friends Queenborough ever had. After his death it plunged deeply into debt, had its paraphernalia and books seized and sold by the sheriff, and now all its property is in the hands of trustees to pay its debts, whilst its poor-rates are, a witness, a late mayor said, nine shillings in the pound. The debt was originally 12,700l.; but as no interest has been paid thereon, it is now 17,000l. The trustees have received about 4,000l., but this sum has been melted in subsequent litigation; for Queenborough men are mightily fond of supporting the law courts. ”

“ Bees.—There is not one peasant I believe in this village, man or woman, who would sell you a swarm of bees. To be guilty of selling bees is a grievous omen indeed, than which nothing can be more dreadful. To barter bees is quite a different matter. ”

“ I give 40l. per annum out of the Parsonage or Tythe of Great Brookeham in Surrey, to maintain two schollars in Pembroke College in Oxford. I also give 20l. per annum unto one schollar more in the same college, out of a tenement in the Manor of Wootton in Cornwall, during two lives of two Bigfords, and after their decease out of a tenement of mine in Cowkberry, in Devon, for ever. The scholars to be chosen are to be poor, {442}not having 10l. ”

“ The Inclosure Commissioners, as the defendants, had been prayed by the Leeze-holders [6] of {449}Queenborough to inclose sundry lands called Queenborough Common; such inclosure was opposed by the trustees, who claimed under the act of parliament which constituted their existence to be in the position of the mayor [7] , &c., and thus, if they were the lords of the manor, to have a veto upon the inclosure of the waste. ”

“ When a hive swarms, it is customary to take the shovel from the grate, and the key from the door, and to produce therewith a species of music which is supposed to captivate and soothe the winged tribe. If the bees do not settle on any neighbouring tree where they may have the full benefit of the inharmonious music, they are generally assailed with stones. ”

“ Becom's the cattle in the legs, generally in the klawes, washed the sores with cold water, that you mixed 1 once white vitriol, and 1 once burned allumn of a pint of water, 3—4 times to day, and keepet the cattle everry time day's and night's in the open air of meadows or lots. Everry cattle become's in the first time that it is driven out the stables to the green feeding of meadow's, &c. ”

“ THE MOST CURIOUS BOOK IN THE WORLD.
The following account of this truly wonderful specimen of human patience and skill is from a rough copy that I took some years ago. I regret that I cannot give any reference, as I made no note of my authority, which has now escaped my {447}recollection. But that is of little consequence, as the book is well known to bibliographists.
Perhaps the most singular bibliographic curiosity is that which belonged to the family of the Prince de Ligne, and is now in France. ”

“ Besides, whenever he found a word untranslateable, he transferred it as it was. Nor do I admit that nehiloth, in Psalm v., is translated by the term "church." And this leads me to remark, what seems to have been overlooked by most writers, viz. that the Syriac version omits uniformly the titles of the Psalms as they are found in Hebrew [9] . The inscriptions contained in the common editions of these Psalms form no part of the translation. One of them refers to the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus! They are not always the same. ”

“ It appears to us impossible to produce instruments of the same size possessing a richer and finer tone, more elastic touch, or more equal temperament, while the elegance of their construction renders them a handsome ornament for the library, boudoir, or drawing-room. ”

“ There may seem little difference in the eyes of enlightened persons between selling, and bartering, but the superstitious beekeeper sees a grand distinction, and it is not his fault if you don't see it too. ”

“ Doubtless this good woman cured her patients by acting on their imaginations. If the agency of imagination is an incorrect supposition, I see but one way of accounting for the curative powers of whispering, namely, by means of animal magnetism. ”

“ I laughed heartily at the continuation in 'Blackwood,' which I have been told is by Maginn. It is in appearance, and in appearance only, a good imitation. I do not doubt but that it gave more pleasure, and to a greater number, than a continuation by myself in the spirit of the two first (sic) cantos (qu. would give) ."—Letters, &c., Moxon, 1836, vol. i. pp. 94-5.
C. Mansfield Ingleby.
Birmingham.
GENERAL WHITELOCKE. (Vol. ix., p. 201.) ”

“ I will begin by sending a copy of the will of Francis Rous.
This my last Will and Testament, I, Francis Rous, Provost of Eaton College, wrote and made March 18th, 1657.
Forasmuch as to put houses in order before our departure is pleasing to the God of order, I do dispose of my affairs and estates in manner following:
There is a youth in Scotland concerning whom (because they call him my grandson) it is perchance expected that I should do some great matters for him ”

“ Collier, when he wrote the article in the Shakspeare Papers: 'Where the bee sucks,' 'Full fathom five,' 'Lawn as white as driven snow,' and 'From the fair Lavinian shore.' They are all printed in the author's Cheerfull Ayres or Ballads, Oxford, 1660. We have now evidence from this work, that Wilson was the original composer of the music to one of Shakspeare's plays. ”

“ I give 5l. per annum for ever to be disposed of in buying Bibles, catechisms, or for encouraging poor children to learn to read and answer in catechising in the parish of Dittisham, in the county of Devon, the place of my nativity and baptism, which sum shall be bestowed according to the direction of the minister there for the time being ”

“ His Complaint of Verity is of extraordinary rarity. The only copy I am aware of is possessed {450}by the Rev. T. Corser, of Stand, Manchester; and was purchased (I believe) at Mr. Bright's sale for 17l.
I should be obliged to any one who would supply me with any information about early editions of Bradford's writings.
Every one is familiar with the story that Bradford, on seeing a criminal pass to execution, said, "There goes John Bradford but for the grace of God." ”

“ Shakspeare's 'Rime' at the 'Mitre,' in Fleet Street, seriously referred to as a genuine composition. It is a mere clumsy adaptation, from Ben's interesting epigram 'Inviting a Friend to Supper.'"
It is really too bad to be charged with ignorance unjustly. I have on my shelves the works of glorious Ben, three times over: in folio 1616-31; in folio, 1692; and in nine volumes octave (Gifford's edition) , 1816; all of which I will freely give to the "reviewer," if he can prove that one line of "Shakspeare's Rime at the Mytre" is taken from the aforesaid epigram. ”

“ Sandford, speaking of the coronation of James II., says, "The Archbishop of Canterbury standing near the king, on the east side of the theatre, his majesty, attended as before, rose out of his chair, and stood before it, whilst the archbishop, having his face to the east, said as follows: 'Sirs. I here present unto you King James, the rightful inheritor of the crown of this realm ”

“ Queenborough was one of the victims included in Schedule A of the act of parliament known as "The Reform Bill."
Footnote 5: (return)
In our own day Cove has been called Queenstown in honour of Queen Victoria.
Footnote 6: (return)
Leeze-holders, a right of turning on the coming or Leeze (Celtic, Leswes) twenty-four sheep, which of late years, by a bye-law, has been arranged to substitute either two horses or three bullocks. A Leeze is supposed to contain about seven acres of land of herbage. The common consists of about 240 acres, including roads. ”

“ General Whitelocke being on a visit to Aboyne Castle, in this county, the seat of the late Marquis of Huntley, then Earl of Aboyne, and a public market being held in the neighbourhood, the Earl, the General, and some other visitors, were seen sauntering amongst the cattle and the tents of the fair. ”

“ Sir James Graham {457}is stated by The Times of the following day to have said on that occasion:
"The Charts alluded to by the hon. gentleman were most valuable, and had been made use of; but subsequent observations, and farther surveys, had in a great measure superseded them at the present time."
Ellum.
Aristotle on living Law (Vol. ix., p. 373) .—Your correspondent H. P. asks where Aristotle says that a judge is a living law, as the law itself is a dumb judge. The first part of this antithesis is in Eth. Nic., v. 4. § 7.:
"Ὁ γὰρ δικαστὴς βούλεται εἶναι οἷον δίκαιον ἔμψυχον." ”

“ Turkish Language (Vol. ix., p. 352.) .—Your correspondent Hassan, who would much gratify our friends the Turks if he would spell his signature with one s only, will find the object of his inquiry in a little book just published by Clowes, Military Publisher, Charing Cross, Turkish and English Words and Phrases, for the Use of the British Army and Navy in the East, price 1s. ”

“ Many negatives on Turner's paper, especially if weak, exhibit a structural appearance like linen, the unequal density gives almost exactly the same gravelly character as wax, as the positive I inclose, taken from such a negative, shows. ”

“ Given from our palace of Whitehall the 2nd day of November, in the year of our Lord 1678.
Your Eminence's good Cousin and Friend,
Charles Rex.
William Winthrop.
La Valetta, Malta.
DISEASE AMONG CATTLE.
For some years past, a great many cattle have died from a disease of the lungs, for which I believe no effectual antidote has been discovered. This fact having been mentioned to a German in London, who had formerly been a Rossarzt or veterinary surgeon in the Prussian army, he stated that he had known a similar disease to prevail in Germany ”

“ Holland do intend to prevail with the parliament to try his project of discharging the seamen all at present by ticket, and so promise interest to all men that will lend money upon them at eight per cent. ”