Notes and Queries, Number 207, October 15, 1853

Scrymzeour.

Edinburgh.

Sneezing.—Concerning sneezing, it is a curious circumstance that if any one should sneeze in company in North Germany, those present will say, "Your good health;" in Vienna, gentlemen in a café will take off their hats, and say, "God be with you" and in Ireland Paddy will say, "God bless your honour," or "Long life to your honour." I understand that in Italy and Spain similar expressions are used and I think I remember hearing, that in Bengal the natives make a "salam" on these occasions.

There is also, I believe, a popular idea among some of sneezing having some connexion with Satanic agency; and I lately met with a case where a peculiar odour was invariably distinguishable by two sisters, on a certain individual violently sneezing.

I shall be very much obliged if any of your readers can furnish me with any facts, theories, or popular ideas upon this subject.

Medicus.

Spenser's "Fairy Queen."—Allow me to employ an interval of leisure, after a visit to the remains of Kilcolman Castle, in inquiring whether any of your Irish readers can afford information respecting the existence of the long missing books of the Fairy Queen? Mrs. Hall, in her work on Ireland (vol. i. pp. 93, 94.), says that—

"More than mere rumour exists for believing that the lost books have been preserved, and that the MS. was in the possession of a Captain Garrett Nagle within the last forty years."

W. L. N.

Buttevant, co. Cork.

Poema del Cid.—Is there any edition of the Poema del Cid besides the one published by Sanchez (Poesias Castellanas anteriores al siglo XV.), and reprinted by Ochoa, and appended likewise to an edition of Ochoa's Tesoro de los Romanceros, &c., published at Barcelona in 1840? I shall feel obliged by being referred to an edition in a detached form, with glossary and notes, if such there be.

J. M. B.

The Brazen Head.—As upon two former occasions, through the useful and interesting pages of "N. & Q.," have been enabled to obtain information which I could procure in no other way, I am glad to have an opportunity of recording the obligations I myself, like many more, am under to "N. & Q.," and to some of your talented and kindly correspondents. Being anxious still farther to trespass upon your space, I take this opportunity of alike thanking you and them.—Could any reader of "N. & Q." inform me whether more than two numbers of The Brazen Head were ever published? Through the great courtesy of talented correspondent of "N. & Q." from Worcester, I have the first two; but I am anxious, for a literary purpose, to ascertain whether the publication was continued after.

A. F. A. W.

Minor Queries with Answers

"The Basilics."—What is the manuscript called the "Basilics" in the following passage, which occurs in a cotemporary MS., "Memoirs of the Life of the Right Hon. John Lord Scudamore, Viscount Sligo in Ireland," in the library of P. Howard, Esq., at Corby Castle? Is it known where it is now preserved?

Have these memoirs been printed? Lord S. was born in 1600, and was ambassador to France when this circumstance occurred.

"There having been intelligence given to his Excellence by that renowned person, and his then great acquaintance, Mons. Grotius, lieger in Paris for the crown of Sweden, of a very valuable manuscript of many volumes, being the body of the civil law in Greek, commonly called the 'Basilics,' in the hands of the heirs of the famous lawyer lately deceased, Petrus Faber,—desirous to enrich his country with this treasure, he transacted and agreed with the possessors for the price of it, which was no less than 500l. But when it should have been delivered, and the money was ready to be paid down, Cardinal Richelieu (the great French minister of state at that time) having notice of the transaction interposed, and forbad the going on upon the contract, as thinking it would have been a diminution to their nation to permit such a prize to come into the hands of strangers, and by their charge and labour be communicated to the world."

W. C. Trevelyan.

Wallington.

[Basilica is a name given to a digest of laws commenced by the Emperor Basilius in the year 867, and completed by his son Leo the philosopher in the year 880, the former having carried the work as far as forty books, and the latter having added twenty more, in which state it was published. The complete edition of Charles Annibal Fabrot, which appeared at Paris in 1647, proved of great service to the study of ancient jurisprudence. It is contained in seven volumes folio, and accompanied with Latin version of the text, as well as of the Greek scholia subjoined. See a valuable article on the Greek texts of the Roman law, in the Foreign Quarterly Review, vol. vii. p. 461.—The MS. "Memoirs of the Hon. John Lord Scudamore" seem to have been used by Matthew Gibson in his View of the Ancient and Present State of the Churches of Door, Horne-Lacy, and Hempsted, with Memoirs of the Scudamore Family, 4to., 1727, as the substance of the passage quoted by our correspondent is given at p. 95. of that work.]

Fire at Honiton.—I am solicitous to learn the particulars of a fire which occurred at Honiton, in Devonshire, in the year 1765, when the chapel and school-house were burned down, and the former thereupon rebuilt by collections under a brief.

In a review of Mr. Digby Wyatt's "Industrial Arts of the Nineteenth Century" (in the Athenæum for June 18th of the current year), reference is made by Mrs. Treadwin of Exeter to "a book mentioning two great fires which occurred in 1756 and 1767 in Honiton," but it is not stated who was the author of that book.

Can you or any of your readers furnish me with the title of the book intended, or direct me to any other sources of information on the subject of the Honiton fires?

S. T.

[Notices of fires at Honiton occur in the following works:—The Wisdom and Righteousness of Divine Providence. A sermon preached at Honiton on occasion of a dreadful fire, 21st August, 1765, which consumed 140 houses, a chapel, and a meeting-house. By R. Harrison, 4to. 1765.—Shaw, in his Tour to the West of England, p. 444., mentions a dreadful fire, 19th July, 1747, which reduced three parts of the town to ashes.—Lysons' Devonshire, p. 281., states that Honiton has been visited by the destructive calamity of fire in 1672, 1747, 1754, and 1765. The last-mentioned happened on the 21st August, and was the most calamitous; 115 houses were burnt down, and the steeple of Allhallows Chapel, with the school, were destroyed. The damage was estimated at above 10,500l.]

Michaelmas Goose.—The following little inconsistency in a commonly-received tradition has led me, at the request of a large party of well-read and literary friends, to request your solution of the difficulty in an early Number of your paper.

It is currently reported, and nine men in ten will tell you, if you ask them the reason why goose is always eaten on the 29th Sept., Michaelmas Day, that Queen Elizabeth was eating goose when the news of the destruction of the Invincible Armada was brought, and she immediately put down her knife and fork, and said, "From this day forth let all British-born subjects eat goose on this day."

Now in Creasy's Battles it is stated that the Spanish fleet was destroyed in the month of July. How could it then be the 29th of Sept. when the news of its defeat reached her majesty? If any of your readers can solve this seeming improbability be will greatly oblige

Michaelmas Day.

[Although it may be difficult to show how it is that the custom of eating goose has in this country been transferred to Michaelmas Day, while on the Continent it is observed at Martinmas, from which practice the goose is often called St. Martin's bird, it is very easy to prove that there is no foundation for the tradition referred to by our correspondent. For the following extract from Stow's Annales (ed. Howes), p. 749., will show that, so far from the news of the defeat of the Armada not reaching Elizabeth until the 29th of September, public thanksgivings for the victory had been offered on the 20th of the preceding month:

"On the 20th of August, M. Nowell, Deane of Paules, preached at Paules Crosse, in presence of the lord Maior and Aldermen, and the companies in their best liveries, moving them to give laud and praise unto Almightie God, for the great victorie by him given to our English nation, by the overthrowe of the Spanish fleete."]

Replies

PORTRAITS OF HOBBES AND LETTERS OF HOLLAR

(Vol. viii., p. 221.)

Although I cannot answer the question of Sir Walter Trevelyan, the following notices respecting the portraits of the Philosopher of Malmesbury may not be unacceptable to him and to those who hold this distinguished man's memory in high respect.

That admirable gossip, John Aubrey, who lived in habits of intimacy with Hobbes, has left us such a lively picture of the man, his person, and his manners, as to leave nothing to desire. In reading it we cannot but regret that Aubrey had not been a cotemporary of our great poet, about whom he has been only able to furnish us with some hearsay anecdotes.

Aubrey tells us that—

"Sir Charles Scarborough, M.D., Physician to his Royal Highness the Duke of York, much loved the conversation of Hobbes, and hath a picture of him (drawne about 1655), under which is this distich:

'Si quæris de me, mores inquire, sed illeQui quærit de me, forsitan alter erit.'"

"In their meeting (i. e. the Royal Society) at Gresham College is his picture drawne by the life, 1663, by a good hand, which they much esteeme, and several copies have been taken of it."

In a note Aubrey says:

"He did me the honour to sit for his picture to Jo. Baptist Caspars, an excellent painter, and 'tis a good piece. I presented it to the Society twelve years since."

In other places he tells us:

"Amongst other of his acquaintance I must not forget Mr. Samuel Cowper (Cooper), the prince of limners of this last age, who drew his picture as like as art could afford, and one of the best pieces that ever he did which his Majesty, at his returne, bought of him, and conserves as one of his greatest rarities in his closet at Whitehall."

In a note he adds:

"This picture I intend to be borrowed of his Majesty for Mr. Loggan to engrave an accurate piece by, which will sell well both at home and abroad."

Again he says:

"Mr. S. Cowper (at whose house Hobbes and Sir William Petty often met) drew his picture twice: the first the King has; the other is yet in the custody of his (Cooper's) widowe; but he (Cowper) gave it indeed to me (and I promised I would give it to the archives at Oxon), but I, like a fool, did not take possession of it, for something of the garment was not quite finished, and he died, I being then in the country."

This picture is, I believe, now in my possession. It is a small half-length oil painting, measuring about twelve inches by nine. Hobbes is represented at an open arch or window, with his book, the Leviathan, open before him; the dress is, as Aubrey states, unfinished, and beneath is the remarkable inscription,—

"AUT EGO INSANIO SOLUS: AUT EGO SOLUS NON INSANIO."

It represents the philosopher at an advanced age, and is conformable in every respect to the following description of his person:

"In his old age he was very bald, yet within dore he used to study and sit bareheaded, and said he never tooke cold in his head, but that the greatest trouble was to keepe off the flies from pitching on the baldness. His head was of a mallet forme, approved by the physiologers. His face not very great, ample forehead, yellowish-red whiskers, which naturally turned up; belowe he was shaved close, except a little tip under his lip; not but that nature would have afforded him a venerable beard, but being mostly of a cheerful and pleasant humour, he affected not at all austerity and gravity, and to look severe. He considered gravity and heavinesse of countenance not so good marks of assurance of God's favour, as a cheerful charitable, and upright behaviour, which are better signes of religions than the zealous maintaining of controverted doctrines. He had a good eie, and that of a hazel colour, which was full of life and spirit, even to his last; when he was in discourse, there shone (as it were) a bright live coale within it. He had two kinds of looks; when he laught, was witty, and in a merry humour, one could scarce see his eies; by and by, when he was serious and earnest, he opened his eies round his eie-lids: he had middling eies, not very big nor very little. He was six foote high and something better, and went indifferently erect, or rather, considering his great age, very erect."

Aubrey was one of the patrons of Hollar, of whom he has also given us some brief but interesting particulars. The two following letters, which were transcribed by Malone when he contemplated a publication of the Aubrey papers, deserve preservation; indeed, one of them relates immediately to the subject of this notice:

"Sir,

"I have now done the picture of Mr. Hobbes, and have showed it to some of his acquaintance, who say it to be very like; but Stent has deceived me, and maketh demurr to have it of me; as that at this present my labour seemeth to be lost, for it lyeth dead by me. However, I returne you many thankes for lending mee the Principall, and I have halve a dozen copies for you, and the painting I have delivered to your Messenger who brought it to mee before.

"Your humble servant,"W. HOLLAR.

"The 1st of August, 1661."

"[For Mr. Aubrey.]

"Sir,

"I have beene told this morning that you are in Town, and that you desire to speak with mee, so I did presently repaire to your Lodging, but they told mee that you went out at 6 o'clock that morning, and it was past 7 then. If I could know certaine time when to finde you I would waite on you. My selve doe lodge without St. Clement's Inne back doore; as soon as you come up the steps and out of that doore is the first house and doore on the left hand, two paire of staires into a little passage right before you; but I am much abroad, and yet enough at home too.

"Your most humble servant,W. Hollar.

"If you had occasion to aske for mee of the people of the house, then you must say the Frenchman Limmner, for they know not my name perfectly, for reasons sake, otherwise you may goe up directly."

This minute localising of one of the humble workshops of this admirable artist may not be unacceptable to Mr. Peter Cunningham for some future edition of his very interesting Handbook of London. It may not be amiss to add that Hollar died on the 25th of March 1677, in the seventieth year of his age and that he was buried in St. Margaret's churchyard, Westminster, near the north-west corner of the tower, but without stone to mark the spot.

S. W. Singer.

Mickleham.

PAROCHIAL LIBRARIES

(Vol. viii., p. 62.)

In the vestry of the fine old priory church at Cartmel, in Lancashire, there is a good library, chiefly of divinity, consisting of about three hundred volumes, placed in a commodious room, and kept in nice order. This small but valuable collection was left to the parish by Thomas Preston, of Holker, Esq.

There is another in the vestry of the church at Castleton, in Derbyshire; or rather in a room built expressly to contain then, adjoining the vestry. They were left to the parish by the Rev. James Farrer, M.A., who had been vicar of Castleton for about forty-five years, and consist of about two thousand volumes in good condition, partly theological and partly miscellaneous, about equally divided, which are lent to the parishioners at the discretion of the vicar. Mr. Farrer left behind him a maiden sister, and a brother-in-law Mr. Hamilton, who resided in Bath; the former of whom erected the room containing the books, and a vestry at the same time and both considerably augmented the number of volumes, and made the library what it now is.

Under the chancel of the spacious and venerable parish church of Halifax, in Yorkshire, are some large rooms upon a level with the lower part of the churchyard, in one of which is contained a good library of books. Robert Clay, D.D., vicar of Halifax, who died April 9, 1628, was buried in this library, which he is said to have built.

In the Rectory House at Whitchurch, in Shropshire, built by Richard Newcome, D.D., rector of that place, and afterwards Bishop of St. Asaph, there is a valuable library left as an heirloom by the bequest of Jane, Countess Dowager of Bridgewater; who, in the year 1707, having purchased from his executors the library of the Reverend Clement Sankey, D.D., rector of Whitchurch, for 305l., left it for ever for the use of the rectors for the time being. The number of the volumes was 2250: amongst which are a fine copy of Walton's Polyglott Bible, some of the ancient Fathers, and other valuable theological works. This collection has been subsequently increased by a bequest from the late Rev. Francis Henry, Earl of Bridgewater (of eccentric memory), rector of Whitchurch, who by his will, dated in 1825, gave the whole of his own books in the Rectory House at Whitchurch, to be added to the others, and left also the sum of 150l. to the rector to be invested in his name, and the dividends thereof expended by him, together with the money arising from the sale of his lordship's wines and liquors in his cellars at Whitchurch, in the purchase of printed books for the use of the rectors of that parish for the time being.

The same noble earl presented to the rector of Middle, in the county of Salop, a small collection of books towards founding a library there: and bequeathed by his will the sum of 800l., to be applied, under the direction of the rector of Middle for the time being, for augmenting this library. He also left a farther sum of 150l. to be invested in the name of the rector; and the dividends thereof expended by him in the purchase of books for the continual augmentation of the library, in the same manner as he had done at Whitchurch.

It is to this Earl of Bridgewater that we are indebted not only for those valuable works the Bridgewater Treatises, but also for large bequests of money and landed property to the trustees of the British Museum, for the purchase of manuscripts, in addition to those from his own collection, which he had already bequeathed to the same institution.

Thos. Corser.

Stand Rectory.

BATTLE OF VILLERS EN COUCHÉ

(Vol. viii., pp. 8. 127.)

I am in a position to furnish a more complete account of this skirmish, and of the action of April 26, in which my grandfather, General Mansel, fell, from a copy of the Evening Mail of May 14, 1794, now in the possession of J. C. Mansel, Esq., of Cosgrove Hall, Northamptonshire. Your correspondent Mr. T. C. Smith appears to have been misinformed as to the immediate suppression of the Poetical Sketches by an officer of the Guards, as I have seen the third edition of that work, printed in 1796.

"Particulars of the Glorious Victory obtained by the English Cavalry over the French under the Command of General Chapuis, at Troisoille, on the 26th of April, 1794.

"On the 25th, according to orders received from the Committee of Public Safety, and subsequently from General Pichegru, General Chapuis, who commanded the Camp of Cæsar, marched from thence with his whole force, consisting of 25,000 infantry, 3000 cavalry, and seventy-five pieces of cannon. At Cambray he divided them into three columns; the one marched by Ligny, and attacked the redoubt at Troisoille, which was most gallantly defended by Col. Congreve against this column of 10,000 men. The second column was then united, consisting of 12,000 men, which marched on the high road as far as Beausois, and from that village turned off to join the first column; and the attack recommenced against Col. Congreve's redoubt, who kept the whole at bay. The enemy's flank was supported by the village of Caudry, to defend which they had six pieces of cannon, 2000 infantry, and 500 cavalry. During this period Gen. Otto conceived it practicable to fall on their flank with the cavalry; in consequence of which, Gen. Mansel, with about 1450 men—consisting of the Blues, 1st and 3rd Dragoon Guards, 5th Dragoon Guards, and 1st Dragoons, 15th and 16th Dragoons, with Gen. Dundas, and a division of Austrian cuirassiers, and another of Archduke Ferdinand's hussars under Prince Swartzenburg—after several manœuvres, came up with the enemy in the village of Caudry, through which they charged, putting the cavalry to flight, and putting a number of infantry to the sword, and taking the cannon. Gen. Chapuis, perceiving the attack on the village of Caudry, sent down the regiment of carabineers to support those troops; but the succour came too late, and this regiment was charged by the English light dragoons and the hussars, and immediately gave way with some little loss. The charge was then continued against a battery of eight pieces of cannon behind a small ravine, which was soon carried; and, with equal rapidity, the heavy cavalry rushed on to attack a battery of fourteen pieces of cannon, placed on an eminence behind a very steep ravine, into which many of the front ranks fell; and the cannon, being loaded with grape, did some execution: however, a considerable body, with Gen. Mansel at their head, passed the ravine, and charged the cannon with inconceivable intrepidity, and their efforts were crowned with the utmost success. This event decided the day, and the remaining time was passed in cutting down battalions, till every man and horse was obliged to give up the pursuit from fatigue. It was at the mouth of this battery that the brave and worthy Gen. Mansel was shot: one grape-shot entering his chin, fracturing the spine, and coming out between the shoulders; and the other breaking his arm to splinters; his horse was also killed under him, his Brigade-Major Payne's horse shot, and his son and aide-de-camp, Capt. Mansel, wounded and taken prisoner; and it is since known that he was taken into Arras. The French lost between 14,000 and 15,000 men killed; we took 580 prisoners. The loss in tumbrils and ammunition was immense, and in all fifty pieces of cannon, of which thirty-five fell to the English; twenty-seven to the heavy, and eight to the light cavalry. Thus ended a day which will redound with immortal honour to the bravery of the British cavalry, who, assisted by a small body of Austrians, the whole not amounting to 1500, gained so complete a victory over 22,000 men in sight of their corps de reserve, consisting of 6000 men and twenty pieces of cannon. Had the cavalry been more numerous, or the infantry able to come up, it is probable few of the French would have escaped. History does not furnish such an example of courage.

"The whole army lamented the loss of the brave General, who thus gloriously terminated a long military career, during which he had been ever honoured, esteemed, and respected by all who knew him. It should be some consolation to those he has left behind him, that his reputation was as unsullied as his soul was honest; and that he died as he lived, an example of true courage, honour, and humility. On the 24th General Mansel narrowly escaped being surrounded at Villers de Couché by the enemy, owing to a mistake of General Otto's aide-de-camp, who was sent to bring up the heavy cavalry: in doing which he mistook the way, and led them to the front of the enemy's cannon, by which the 3rd Dragoon Guards suffered considerably."—Extract from the Evening Mail, May 14, 1794.

From the above extract, compared with the communication of Mr. Smith (Vol. viii., p. 127.), it appears that the 15th Light Dragoons were engaged in both actions, that of Villers en Couché on April 24, and that of Troisoille (or Cateau) on the 26th. In the statement communicated by Mr. Simpson (Ibid. p. 8.), there appears to be some confusion between the particulars of the two engagements.

H. L. Mansel, B.D.

St. John's College, Oxford

As the action at Villers en Couché has lately been brought before your readers, allow me to direct your correspondent to the Journals and Correspondence of Sir Harry Calvert, edited by Sir Harry Verney, and just published by Messrs. Hurst and Co.,—a book which contains a good deal of valuable information respecting a memorable campaign. Sir Harry Calvert, under the date of the 25th of April, 1794, thus describes the action at Villers en Couché: