lying beneath its sombre shade, is described became an ornament for hedges of gardens, by Tennyson in In Memoriam ' :— Old Yew, which graspest at the stones That name the underlying dead, Thy fibres net the dreamless head, Thy roots are wrapt about the bones. In the Herbal' of 1578 Lyte tells us that the yew is altogether venomous, and against man's nature. Such as do but sleep under the shadow thereof become sick and sometimes die. Of the deleterious and poisonous nature of the foliage and bark of the tender shoots of the yew, both to human beings and to certain animals, there can scarcely be a doubt. In regard to animals, it is only when the yew is taken in large quantity or unmixed with other food that the effects prove fatal. Loudon mentions that in the mountains of Hanover and Hesse the peasants feed their cattle in part with the branches of the yew during the winter ; but, knowing the poisonous nature of the tree, they begin by giving very little, and mixed with other forage; afterwards they gradually augment the quantity. The red berries or their coloured fleshy cups are not harmful when eaten, but the seeds, containing the poisonous principle of the leaves, should be rejected. The yew is remarkable for its slow growth, five-year-old plants after having been transplanted a year not averaging more than a foot in height; and at the age of ten years, when reared in nurseries upon the plan usually followed, they are seldom more than a yard high. Therefore to suppose that the yew was specially cultivated to furnish that formidable weapon the long bow is not reasonable. The trees were already plentiful, and, as they were held in high and deserved esteem, no doubt every care was taken to ensure their preservation. In the fifth year of Edward IV. every Englishman, and every Irishman dwelling with Englishmen, was directed, by statute, to have a bow of his own height, made of yew, wychhazel, ash, or awlune (laburnum). Thus a great quantity of the wood of the yew was consumed at one period by the bow-makers or fletchers of England. On the subject of archery I will quote only 'Richard II.,' III. ii. 116 : Thy very beadsmen learn to bend their bows Of double-fatal yew against thy state. It was "double-fatal" because the leaves and fruit seeds are poisonous, and the bows made from its branches were instruments of death. After the introduction of firearms, and particularly in the time of Evelyn, the yew and was fashioned into the forms of birds, animals, cones, pyramids, and other fantastic devices. In the reign of William III. it ceased to be employed as a hedge plant in the manner described, and since that time its cultivation has been greatly neglected. Almost banished from the precincts of our residences and pleasure grounds, it is only associated with scenes of melancholy and the grave. TOM JONES. EDWARD VII. IN PUNCH' AS BABY AND AS BOY.-The earliest picture of the late King appears to be that drawn by Kenny Meadows, 11 February, 1843, when he was about fifteen months old. Queen Victoria is pointing to his first tooth, while a lady of the Court handles a puppet for his amusement, and Archbishop Howley (just 77 years old) plays to him on a penny trumpet. In the Almanack for August of the same year Leech draws oyster-grottoes (who now sees them?) and the Queen, with the prince in her arms, and the princess at her left side. In the preface to vol. xiii. Punch and his family are seated at a table, on which stands a towering Christmas tree. This very beautiful piece is by Doyle. On the tree are Pope Gregory XVI., Louis Philippe, Wellington, Peel, Lord John, Brougham, Disraeli, and others. The Royal Family occupies the topmost branch-the Queen, Prince Albert, and five children-the date being July, 1847. About three years later the future Edward VII., "Every inch a sailor," is on tiptoe, handing a glass of grog to Jack Tar: signature, the familiar leech in a bottle. In the Preface to vol. xxvi., July, 1854, we have the Royal Family in the Crystal Palace Gardens at Sydenham: a rather early example of Tenniel. tive. This note does not pretend to be exhaus- it LONGINUS AND ST. PAUL.-It is well known that the ascription to Longinus of the authorship of the treatise On the Sublime' is nowadays much disputed: is also well known that the treatise in question contains a remarkable reference to Moses. An extremely similar reference to St. Paul (not to be found in the treatise On the Sublime') is said to have been made by Longinus. This fact would seem to support 6 the view that Longinus wrote the treatise. But it appears to have been overlooked. My authority for the fact is as follows. In No. 633 of The Spectator (15 December, 1714), written by Zachary Pearce, we read :"This advantage Christians have; and it was with no small pleasure I lately met with a fragment of Longinus, which is preserved, as a testimony of that critic's judgment, at the beginning of a manuscript of the New Testament in the Vatican library. After that author has numbered up the most celebrated orators among the Grecians, he says, 'add to these Paul of Tarsus, the patron of an opinion not yet fully proved.' As a heathen he condemns the Christian religion; and, as an impartial critic, he judges in favour of the promoter and preacher of it." Is anything further known about this fragment ? Aulus Gellius in the preface to his 'Noctes Attica' ($19) refers to the vetus adagium": Nil cum fidibus graculost, nihil cum amaracino sui. It has occurred to me as possible that Coleridge might have coined for the occasion the two Latin lines that he employs. EDWARD BENSLY. The chief reason for disputing Longinus's authorship of the treatise On the Sublime ' is that the best manuscript authority attriPATIENCE AS A MAN'S NAME.-" Patience" butes the work to "Dionysius or Longinus." as the name of a man is exceedingly rare. I do not personally take the word or I know of only two instances, viz. (1) that as meaning that Dionysius and Longinus of Sir Patience Ward, mentioned at 11 S. iii. were alternative authors: I think the meaning is Dionysius, otherwise called 497, and (2) that of my grandfather Patience Thomas Adams, Filazer of the Court of Longinus." Compare (in Keil's Scriptores King's Bench 1760 to 1793, who was born de Orthographia, p. 165) the title Adamantii sive Martyrii de b Muta et v Vocali,' 1736, at St. Martin's-in-the-Fields, and who 17 August, and baptized 19 September, where Adamantius and Martyrius are one and the same person. was so named after his godmother, presumably a Miss Roberts. G. E. C. R. JOHNSON WALKER. Little Holland House, Kensington, W. "VIR BONUS ES DOCTUS PRUDENS AST HAUD TIBI SPIRO. (See 10 S. vii. 228; x. 173.)-With regard to this line, which is found in Coleridge's 'Biographia Literaria,' and for which no source is indicated in Mr. Shawcross's recent edition, it was pointed out at the latter reference that "Non tibi spiro" is placed above the picture of the pig and marjoram in Joachim Camerarius's 'Symbola et Emblemata (i. 93), and that the words "Haud tibi spiro," which in Coleridge's text are distinguished from the rest of the line by being in italics, are shown by the context ("To such a mind I would as courteously as possible convey the hint that for him the chapter was not written ") to bear the same sense as the motto in Camerarius. Since then I have noted in Coleridge's preface to his 'Aids to Reflexion,' vol. i. p. xiii., ed. 1843, the following passage: "It belongs to the class of didactic works. Consequently, those who neither wish instruction for themselves, nor assistance in instructing others, have no interest in its contents. Sis sus: sis Divus, sum caltha, et non tibi spiro." EARLIEST ENGLISH RAILROAD WITH PASSENGERS. The The following from Globe of 30 June, extracted from the same journal of 30 June, 1812, is of special interest to the historians of our railway system : "Curious Machine.-On Wednesday last a highly-interesting experiment was made with a machine at Leeds, under the directions of Mr. John Blenkinsop, the patentee, for the purpose horses in the conveyance of coals on the iron railof substituting the agency of steam for the use of way, from the mines of J. C. Brandling, Esq., at Middleton, to Leeds. This machine is, in fact, a steam engine of four horses' power, which, with iron cogs placed at one side of the rail-way, is the assistance of cranks turning a cog-wheel, and capable of moving, when lightly loaded, at the speed of ten miles an hour. At four o'clock in the afternoon, the machine ran from the coalstaith to the top of Hunslet Moor, where six, and afterwards eight waggons of coals, each weighing 3 tons, were hooked to the back part. With this immense weight, to which, as it approached town, was super-added about 50 of the spectators mounted upon the waggons, it set off on its return to the coal-staith, and performed the journey, a distance of about a mile and a half, principally on a dead level, in 23 minutes, without the slightest accident. The experiment, which was witnessed by thousands of spectators, was crowned with complete success; and when it is considered that this invention is applicable to all rail-roads, and that upon the works of Mr. Brandling alone the use of 50 horses will be dispensed with, and the corn necessary for the consumption of at least 200 men saved, we cannot forbear to hail the invention as of vast public utility, and to rank the inventor among the benefactors of his country. The eight waggons of coal brought to Leeds at the launching of the machine was, by order of Mr. Blenkinsop, presented to the General Infirmary." A. F. R. ELECTRIC LIGHT IN 1853. The electric light is common enough now, and fairly familiar to all readers of N. & Q.,' many of whom can remember its introduction; but the following seems to be an early notice of its practical use, and worth recording : "On Friday last [i.e. 18 May, 1853] one of the Citizen steamers started from Chelsea for Gravesend at 9 P.M., carrying an electric lamp, with a parabolic reflector on each paddle-box, returning to town at 3 A.M. The lamps brilliantly illuminated both banks of the river, shedding a flood of light on the objects and edifices in the way, including Chelsea College, the Houses of Parliament, St. Paul's, and Greenwich Hospital. The effect, as seen from the bridges, is said to have been remarkably striking and beautiful. The shipping in the Pool, below London Bridge, was as conspicuously seen as in the light of day-a most important fact in relation to the subject of safety to life at sea, and the national question of a perfect system of lighthouses on the British coasts." Journal of the Society of Arts, i. 323. I am not a practical man, but I presume that the brilliancy described was one of the causes of failure, and I know of no other use or notice of the electric light at that period. According to Haydn's Dictionary of Dates,' the "most perfect lamp was shown at the Paris Exhibition of 1855; Prof. Tyndall first used it at the Royal Institution in 1856; it was introduced for sea vessels at Sheerness in 1871, at the Lizard lighthouse in 1878, and at the Gaiety Theatre, London, the same year. I have consulted P. Higgs's translation of Hippolyte Fontaine's Practical Treatise on Electric Lighting,' especially chap. viii.; but the notice I have quoted seems the earliest. A. RHODES. robe or linen cupboard with those lilac, delicately scented sprigs. Business would not appear to be particularly brisk with these peaceful invaders. It is to be feared that the opinions expressed last season as to a declining cultivation of the fragrant shrub were warranted. CECIL CLARKE. Junior Athenæum Club. MURDERED WAITER CHARGED IN THE BILL. More than two years ago a correspondent inquired (10 S. xi. 410) where this story could be found, but no reply has appeared. The following passage is from the portion devoted to Anecdotes et Bons Mots' of the Euvres Choisies de Nicolas Chamfort' (édition Jouaust), i. 71 : "Milord Hamilton, personnage très-singulier, étant ivre dans une hôtellerie d'Angleterre, avoit tué un garçon d'auberge et étoit rentré sans savoir ce qu'il avoit fait. L'aubergiste arrive tout effrayé et lui dit: Milord, savez-vous que vous avez tué ce garçon?' Le lord lui répondit en balbutiant: Mettez-le sur la carte.' It appears to me quite possible that the story is of Chamfort's own composition, for he excelled in writing brief dialogues, maxims, and historiettes. It would be interesting to know the date of the earliest appearance of the story in English. Chamfort, it may be added, died in 1794. R. L. MORETON. 66 CASTLES IN SPAIN": "CASTLE IN Peter the Cruel and Don Enrique the latter THE AIR."-During the long struggle between was crowned at Burgos for the second time in 1366. He scattered honours among his supporters with so lavish a hand that or a popular saying took its birth from this hour of easy generosity-Mercedes Enriquenas Enrique's favours signify gifts obtained before they are earned. The more universal expression of Castles in Spain' is also by some authorities Cruel: attributed to this episode."-Storer's 'Peter the a Life of the notorious Don Pedro of Castile,' &c., p. 280. I observe, however, that Le Roux de Lincy refers the saying to the thirteenth century, and cites from the Roman de la Rose' :— Telle fois te sera advis Que tu tiendras celle au clair vis, Du tout t'amie et ta compagne Lors feras chasteaux en Espagne. It is probable, therefore, that the Enrique incident only gave an impulse to the currency of the phrase. Our native "castle in the air is more impalpable and of greater charm than the château en Espagne. I do not know who first spoke of the visionary edifice_in_nubibus. 5 ST. SWITHIN. Queries. WE must request correspondents desiring information on family matters of only private interest to affix their names and addresses to their queries, in order that answers may be sent to them direct. PRINCESS VICTORIA'S VISIT TO THE MARQUIS OF ANGLESEY.-Can any one tell me whether it is the fact that the late Queen Victoria as a child, and her mother the Duchess of Kent, visited the Marquis of Anglesey, and had to put up at an inn or hotel for some reason (drains ?) ? If so, when, and where, was this? L. V. Edinburgh. DUCHESS OF York, 1820.-The other day for literary purposes I wanted to read the will of the Duchess of York who died in July, 1820; but I could not find it in the Somerset House Registers under Y. The Registers were not kept then in the splendid way they are kept now; for instance, the unfortunate Queen Caroline is registered under "Q." I tried "D" without success. Can any of your readers tell me where the will is to be found? I know that the will of the sovereign is not proved in the ordinary way, but this does not apply to royal princes or princesses. WILLIAM BULL. House of Commons. MAJOR-GENERAL ALEXANDER STEWART: BRIGADIER-GENERAL ALEXANDER LESLIE.I should greatly appreciate any information about these two generals-their parentage, affiliation, marriage, and children, if any. The information I give below is taken from Appleton's Dictionary of American Biography. Neither general is to be found in the D.N.B.' Maj.-General Stewart was born in England about 1740; died Dec., 1794. In 1761 was Captain in 37th Foot; Colonel in 1780; commander of British forces in South Carolina, May, 1781, succeeding to Lord Rawdon; defeated the American General Greene at Eutaw Springs, 8 Sept., 1781; General in 179(?). Major JANE AUSTEN AT SOUTHAMPTON.-I should be grateful if any one could inform me whether any local directories for Southampton exist for the years 1806 and 1807, or what local newspaper existed at that time. Though, according to her biographers, Jane Austen is said to have lived at Castle Square, Southampton, from the end of 1805 to early in 1809, it is tolerably certain from her letter to her sister dated 1 July, 1808, that the Austens did not leave Bath till the summer of 1806, and consequently did not go to Southampton till the autumn of that year; and further, it would seem most likely from the letters written at the beginning of 1807 that the family, although then living in Southampton, did not move into Castle Square till March, 1807. It would be interesting to find out where the Austens lodged at first in Southampton. R. A. A. L. foot-note to his preface to 'Letters of David Hume to William Strahan' the late Dr. Birkbeck Hill mentions the existence of written to William and Andrew Strahan "a large and curious collection of letters by men of letters and publishers, chiefly Scottish." They then belonged to Mr. F. Barker, of 43, Rowan Road, Brook Green, but were threatened with dispersion. Can any one tell me what has happened to them? R. A. A. L. WILLIAM AND ANDREW STRAHAN.-In a Brigadier-General Leslie was born in "SWALE," ITS AMERICAN MEANING.England about 1740; died 27 Dec., 1794. I'll push to north'ard through forest and swale, He commanded the light infantry at the The whole Manasquam district inviting! battle of Long Island, Aug., 1776; served These lines occur in a poem by Dr. Henry at the capture of Charleston, May, 1780: N. Dodge, entitled John Murray's Landinvaded Virginia 16 Oct., 1780, with 3,000 fall' (ed. Putnam, 1911, p. 159). Dr. Dodge men ; joined Lord Cornwallis in North is an American, living at Morristown, New Carolina, Dec., 1780; led the British right Jersey. 66 What is the meaning of the word "swale"? flagship the Salisbury at sea, 11 November, 1819; and was buried in the ground of Portsmouth Garrison Chapel, aged 67. Can any correspondent of 'N. & Q. tell me aught of his parentage? I find in E.D.D.' two East Anglian words thus spelt: swale, sb.', shade, a shady place"; and, swale, sb.2, a slight dip or depression in the surface of the ground.' 66 I should be much obliged if one of the American correspondents of N. & Q.' would kindly inform me whether the New Jersey "swale" is used in either of the East Anglian senses, or whether it has a meaning unknown to E.D.D.' A. L. MAYHEW. Oxford. WILLIAM BADGER was Mayor of Winchester 1597, and M.P. for that city in the same year. Is anything known of his parentage? Was he connected with the family of Bagehott alias Badger of Prestbury, Gloucestershire? A William Badger was admitted a scholar of Winchester school in 1561, aged 10, and was transferred in 1569 to New College, Oxford, where he graduated B.A. 15 December, 1572. If, as stated by Joseph Foster, he became Canon of Sarum in 1579, he could not have been the later Mayor. W. D. PINK. 66 ELECTOR PALATINE C. 1685.-A rare volume in my possession has the following inscription on the binding, A son altesse Mons Le Prince Electoral Palatin &c The book was published in 1685, and I am desirous of ascertaining who the Prince was. Could it have been Ernest Augustus, who subsequently in 1692 was created Elector of Hanover, and whose son was George I. of England? W. H. C. 66 BONNY EARL O' MORAY."-I should be glad of any particulars about "the bonny Earl o' Moray" of the old ballad-his appearance, whether fair or dark, and his history. ZEPHYR. WILLIAM WEBB, COMEDIAN.-In Echoes of the Week' in The Illustrated London News of 25 October, 1884, it was stated that an article on a comedian of this name, written by Lord William Lennox, appeared in vol. ii. of The Sporting Magazine for 1839. I have searched the Magazine of that year, but cannot find the article. I shall be grateful to any of your readers who can supply me with the correct reference, which they might send to 80, St. George's Square, S. W. WILLOUGHBY MAYCOCK. ADMIRAL DONALD CAMPBELL.-This officer was a Rear-Admiral of the White and Commander-in-Chief of the Ships at the Leeward Islands Station. He died on board his I might add that there was another Donald Campbell in the R.N. at the same time, who attained only captain's rank, but with whom I am not concerned. I should be glad if any information were sent directly to me. W. C. BOLLAND. 5, Essex Court, Temple, E.C. "THINK IT POSSIBLE THAT YOU MAY BE WRONG": CROMWELL.-In The Times of 3 July, p. 5, col. 5, at the end of his letter, "Another Flag Officer" writes : "To paraphrase Cromwell, I should like to say to my old comrades of the Senior Service who are being so wofully misled :- My brethren. I beseach you in the name of common sense to think it possible you may be mistaken!' If I remember rightly, the original saying is "I pray you in the bowels of Christ to think it possible that you may be wrong." Is any such saying rightly attributed to Cromwell? My impression is that I have seen it quoted somewhere, perhaps in one of Charles or Henry Kingsley's novels, as a saying of an "old divine." Who was its author? ROBERT PIERPOINT. "HAPPY THE COUNTRY WHOSE ANNALS ARE DULL."-Could you let me know who is the author of the phrase Happy the country whose annals are dull," quoted by Carlyle in his History of the French Revolution'? HENRY SAMUEL BRANDRETH. [The phrase is often quoted in the form "Happy is the country that has no history."] SIR ANDREW HACKET.-When did he become a Master in Chancery, and how be glad to know the dates and particulars long did he hold that office? I should of his first and second marriage. 19 March, 1709. He died G. F. R. B. |