66 &c., second edition), that an old copy of the original ballad is preserved in the Roxburgh collection (Museum Library). I have also seen black-letter copies. The ballad is very old, and perfectly genuine; to suppose it a modern antique," is an absurdity. As I am about to publish at Bristol a work to be entitled The Redclyffe Book of Ballads, I shall say little more on this subject. Let it suffice for the present to remark that I have a Swiss-German ballad, "Das Güggibader Lied," and an Italian ballad, "La bela Monfrejna," on a similar theme. Both ballads are very old, and written in patois-the first-named in the patois of Argovie, the second in that of Piemont. Full particulars will be given in the Redclyffe Book of Ballads. When I sent the altered ballad to Hone, the remarks quoted were perfectly true, and so they are now. The gentleman from whom I obtained my copy of the original was a Mr. Richardson, of Berwick, a stock-broker, who died in London many years ago—I think at his residence near Deptford in Kent. My visit to Mr. Pitt's led to an intimacy between us. He was at that time quite blind. I was somewhat surprised to find in the balladprinter of Seven Dials a gentlemanly well-educated man, with a wonderful stock of information on ballad and chap-book literature. Florence. J. H. DIXON. I have a broadsheet of this ballad with the imprint, "Mason, Printer, Belper," which I know was issued from that somewhat prolific press for "" patters,' paddy-watches," " and ballads half a century ago. The version, I need not say, is totally different to, and far better in every way than the "cooked" and altered one which MR. R. W. DIXON alludes to as occurring in Hone's Table-Book. It is a version which requires no expunging process, and is identical with what I have seen in older copies. I may add that this— the old ballad-is still occasionally sung among the labouring population of the Midland Counties, by whom many of our finest old ballads are still retained in all their purity. A copy of the version of the "Outlandish Knight," from that broadsheet, is quite at MR. DIXON'S service, if he desire it. LLEWELLYNN JEWITT, F.S.A. nating from natural causes, as the reverberations of thunder, for instance, would not come within the class treated of. On turning back the pages of a sort of diary, I find an entry under date Sunday, August 8, 1858 (nearly ten years ago), which is exactly applicable to the subject. Having recorded that I had been at church at Sidmouth, Devonshire, in the morning, I go on as follows: "Afterwards in the Fort Field. A noise like thunder or great guns was more or less audible for several hours, and continually attracted my attention. The sky was without a cloud, so I could scarcely make it out to be thunder; and there being no fleet in Tor Bay, and the day being Sunday, I could not make it out to be guns. Others had heard it, and declared it to come from Cherbourg. The Queen paid her visit there on the 4th and following days, and has safely returned; and according to the programme in the papers, the Emperor was to leave to-day in the line-of-battle ship Bretagne for Brest. If it be possible that the sound of guns could come so far, they may have been winding up the fêtes by saluting the Emperor on his quitting the port. I have some difficulty in believing it. The distance to the nearest part of the English coast is about eighty miles; but from Cherbourg to Sidmouth is about one hundred. The wind was favourable-a gentle breeze from the south-east." If I recollect correctly, the papers confirmed the programme previously arranged, leaving no doubt on my mind that it was the guns at Cherbourg which I had heard. P. HUTCHINSON. I have read, but cannot remember where, of a controversy, about the end of the seventeenth century, on the nature of light. A lapidary at Amsterdam, on removing some wax which had been eighteen years on a diamond, observed that it sparkled. The room was dark. Some philosophers held that light could not be shut up, others that it could, and others that it could not for so long a time. Had it occurred to any of them to seal up a diamond in the sunshine, and uncover it immediately in a dark room, much scientific discussion might have been lost. The traditions as to the artillery of great battles are numerous, and the direct testimony good. I do not cast any doubt on these; but we have the means at hand for knowing the distance traversed by sound. The Armstrong and Whitworth guns are much larger, and require a much heavier charge than those which were used in any battle. How far have they been heard from Shoeburyness, and the other places where they are tested, with gradually increasing charges till they burst? FITZHOPKINS. "O God, Thy arm was here, And not to us, but to Thy arm alone, Ascribe we all."-(Act IV. Sc. 8.) It was most natural that he should recur to the "Non nobis Domine" (Ps. cxv.), a hymn then and now dedicated to thanksgiving after victory, and especially after great and unexpected victory in peril; and having recurred to it, it might well have been expected that he would continue, "not unto us, but to Thy name be the praise." Yet he does not. His next words 66 are, but to Thy arm alone," his imagery being taken from the previous line, and from several allied phrases in Scripture, and especially perhaps from Psalm xcviii., used at evening service : "With His own right hand, and with His holy arm, Hath He gotten himself the victory." Nor is this all, for he then adopts a word used only four times in his plays, and which though found only four times in our English version of the Bible, and not in any of the passages alluded to above, has here an undeniably Scriptural sound. This word is "ascribe." Thrice when used by Shakespeare there is a reference to heaven, and one of the three is a perfectly parallel passage to this (see No. 11), while in the fourth he speaks of the pre-eminent "attributes" ascribed by consent to the hero Achilles. The reason also why the word, though only four times used in the Authorised Version, has here a scriptural sound is, that it is thrice used in our version with reference to God, and twice out of the thrice in songs of thanksgiving for protection and victory. In Deut. xxxii. 3, Moses in his song says:— "Because I will publish the name of the Lord"; and the people send back the words: "Ascribe ye greatness unto our God." And in Ps. lxviii. 34 we have "Ascribe ye the power to God over Israel, His worship and strength is in the clouds." We find therefore that Shakespeare here turned aside from employing the direct words of Scripture, while, as in the former instance, his new combinations prove his more intimate acquaintance with the whole word. The use of "thy arm "is peculiarly appropriate where a decisive victory was gained, and the French chivalry slain by hundreds and thousands, with the loss of but nine-and-twenty Englishmen, and but four of them men of note. The We have also to take into consideration the probability that Shakespeare was less accustomed than we now are to one set form of words. times were times of religious excitement and controversy. Shakespeare was of an active and inquainted with the Scriptures. It is most likely quiring mind, and was, as we know, well actherefore that, whether in his settled or strolling life, he would have read for himself, or have heard read or quoted, various versions then in circulation. In English there were Tyndal's, Coverdale's, two called Cranmer's, the Genevan, the Bishops', and that of Rheims, none differing greatly from the others, yet all with dif ferences which would cause imitations or allusions to be less verbally exact. In the Latin he might have seen the New Testaments of Erasmus and Beza, and he must have been acquainted with the Vulgate, since its authority from custom and the common use of the Latin language was such that it was constantly quoted by all preachers. Lastly, he had the extemporised renderings of these Vulgate quotations, including in all probability his own. Premising these things, I now take Shakespeare's references to the New Testament, having by me the Vulgate and Bagster's English Hexapla containing Wiclif's, Tyndal's, Cranmer's (1539), and the Genevan and Rheims versions. (1.) The only direct quotation of any length from either New or Old Testament is that in Henry V. (Act III. Sc. 7), where the Dauphin quotes from 2 St. Peter, ii. 22: "Le chien est retourné à son propre vomissement, et la truie lavée au bourbier." "6 This," says Bishop Wordsworth (Shaks. Knowl. of the Bible, p. 332), "" is almost exactly from the Genevan Bible of 1588" [1560]. I presume he says so because the Genevan, which is here followed word for word by our present version, was the only one which gave, "to his own (fotov, propre) vomit," - the rest having "to his," and the Vulgate "ad suum (à son) vomitum." But, "est retourné,"-"truie lavée," and " au bourbier" (to the mire), are hardly translations by an Englishman of,-turned.. again, the sow that was washed, and, to her wallowing in the mire. Indeed, but for the fatal want of an equivalent for "propre," the Rheims version would be a more likely original,-"The dog [is omitted] returned to his vomit: and the Sow washed, into her wallowing in the mire." For my own part, the terseness and proverb-like form of the French leads me to believe that Shakespeare took his words directly from a French version, Olivetan's or another's. (2.) Mote and beam, Love's Labour's Lost, Act IV. Sc. 2, are found in all the versions. (3.) The line in Richard III. (Act I. Sc. 3) – "To pray for them that have done scathe to us," affords no clue. In St. Matt. v. 44, T. gives 66 'harm,” and C. and G. “hurt to you," and these are the nearest. The Vulgate has, 66 persequentibus et calumniantibus"; the Rheims, "persecute and abuse." (4.) Nor is anything more definite to be obtained from the Third Part of Henry VI., Act II. Sc. 2: "We set the axe to thy usurping root, G. and R., and "cods" that of W., T., and C. In the First Part of Henry IV., Act IV. Sc. 2, Falstaff likens his recruits to prodigals lately come from swine-keeping, from eating draff and husks." In this Shakespeare has added draff. T. and C. have "keep," W., G., and R. "feed swine," and the Vulgate "pasceret porcos." (7.) In Hamlet a thought is borrowed from the Scriptures when he says (Act III. Sc. 4): is found "And either..... the devil or throw him out." But in all our versions, in each passage where mention is made of casting demons or devils out of a person, the word is "cast out," and never "throw out." Nor, when speaking of devils, is 'throw and R. versions of St. Luke, iv. 35, and once out ever used, except once in the T., C., G., of thrice in the Rheims version of Rev. xii. 9, and again in ver. 13. Nor on examining the large number of passages in which cast does it appear to be replaced by "throw" in any version unless in two or three very exceptional instances. Indeed, "throw" seems to have been rather eschewed by our translators. Shakespeare, on the other hand, uses "6 throw "rather more in this passage is "throne" ("N. & Q." ante), frequently than "cast." If, then, the lost word. "throw out" may have been chosen as alliterative, or it may have been Shakespeare's own translation of "ejicere," the invariable Vulgate term. BRINSLEY NICHOLSON. West Australia. (To be concluded in our next.) POKER-DRAWINGS. (3rd S. xii. 524; 4th S. i. 135, 211, 278.) As this subject appears to be exciting interest in some quarters, I communicate the following recollections of my father, sent to me in a letter dated March 6th, 1868: "The first poker-drawing I ever saw was at Hull, about sixty years ago. It was the head of a Rabbi, and had a striking effect, of bright lights and deep shadows. I do not know the artist. My father took me to see Smith's process, in Oxford, in 1812, when I saw him at work. He had previously done an altar-piece in Oxford, as I understood, and certainly the two subjects of the Blacksmith's Shop,' and Christ bearing the Cross,' to which you refer.t The former was executed for a late Sir Henry Nelthorpe, price two or three guineas, and the latter by my father's special desire, on lime-tree. The price would of course (5.) Nor is the First Part of Henry IV., Act II. be higher than that of the former. His tools were not Sc. 4 ordinary pokers, but were more like plumbers' solderingirons in form, except that the ends were not round, but had two edges or angles, and were pointed, so that by * William Fowler, the antiquary, of Winterton. These are two pictures still in the possession of of a blacksmith's shop, with a great draught horse in the members of the family. The former is a spirited drawing fore-ground, &c.; the latter is a copy of the picture in Magdalen Chapel. One or both have Smith's name in the corner. altering the position of the iron he could get a dot, line, or shadow. He had several of these of different sizes, and, I believe, of different shapes, i. e. in a greater or less degree sharp on the edges, &c. He applied the irons very readily and dexterously, and soon produced a striking effect, but of course dull compared with varnished specimens. He had more irons than one in the fire, and took out such as he wanted for different purposes. I be lieve his stove was a moveable one, but do not remember whether he used coal or charcoal. When T. and I were at Skipton in 1861, we saw his work in the church, and my note is as follows: In the western arch, above and beyond the gallery, is the Nativity, burnt in wood by Smith the pyrographic artist, who was a native of this place.' "I thought it rather faded, but cannot remember how the subject was treated in composition." The College, Hurstpierpoint. J. T. F. I must beg space for a word to my three commentators. I am well acquainted with the French language, though MR. SHARPE takes my ignorance for granted, because I object to the sense of a French word being fixed upon its English derivative when the latter has acquired a different meaning. Had The Times been translating from a French paper, the "blunder" would have been apparent; but the word which I criticised appeared in a leading article: and, with all deference to MR. SHARPE and MR. IRVING, I do not see that the French, German, or even poetical English use of a word, can be held to determine its meaning in plain English conventional The prose. really original sense of the word loi-al has surely been changed in French as well as in English. But, above all, I am anxious that T. Q. C. should not be left for another week to indulge the delu the signification of the disputed word, or in the very disloyal term which he has applied to him for "the guilt of whose sacred and innocent blood" England has not been ashamed publicly to declare that she asks no further mercy. I remember seeing, a good many years ago;sion that he "joins me," either in his estimate of about 1830, in a picture-dealer's shop in Regent Street, between Oxford Street and Langham Place, a beautifully-executed head in that process, of Oliver Cromwell, after Cowper's celebrated portrait of the protector, which I imagine must have been done by Smith, the skilful poker artist; also one of these burnt heads at Dr. Penrose's Writtle Priory, near Chelmsford, Essex. P. A. L. SOME OF THE ERRORS OF LITERAL (4th S. i. 168, 299.) HERMENTRUDE. ARRESTING THE KING. I am sure your correspondent D. will pardon me Why do our newspaper writers always inform us, when speaking of a public dinner, that "covers were laid " for so many? Why "covers"? Unless our literary men have been so ignorant as to imagine that the French word couvert meant a dish cover. Couvert, I need scarcely inform your readers, means knife, fork, spoon, &c.; and thus the word in the French language is perfectly in-will, deep sagacity, and striot integrity were telligible as designating the number of guests for united with sincere piety and rare Christian libewhom preparations have been made; but the rality. His portrait, as enlarged, is a faithful literal translation of "covers is simply nonsense. index of the qualities which secured his remarkAgain, during the Crimean war and American able worldly success, and his worthy use of it. war, our newspapers constantly told us the "morale" of the army was excellent: meaning, that the men were in good condition and spirits. The error here is in using the word "morale instead of moral. "Morale" means their morals, which is not what is intended: whilst moral exactly expresses what is meant. Again, "locale" is constantly used to designate a particular spot. The word really is local. These are not words adopted into the English language with an Anglicised spelling, but are always used as French words, so designated by being written in italics. P. LE NEVE FOSTER. The two mentioned above have been varnished as long as I can remember them. The "Arrest of the King" is a good story, but Cowen, the artist, was a most improbable one; yet the father of Mr. Walkers at an early period, and such a story. in the employ of the might emanate in the countless workshops of Walkers' men, who at that period would consider their masters all but the greatest men on the face of the globe, and quite equal to arresting king or kaisar. But a great share of the wealth of the of cannon supplied by them during the long war, Walkers was derived from the immense quantities after Samuel Walker's death; and it is not likely they would have had the chance if royalty had been arrested as stated. There was no 66 early friendship "between Samuel Walker and Tom Paine. Samuel Walker died in 1782, and it was not until several years after that Tom Paine was for some time at Masbro' constructing, at Walkers' works, the model of an iron bridge. I have letters of his to Thomas Walker, Esq., youngest of Samuel Walker's four sons, dated London, 1789, where he was then employed exhibiting his ironbridge model: but the bridge was never made; the model was broken up; a room at Masbro' still exists which he occupied as an office, and where, it is said, he wrote part of The Age of Reason. One other correction remains. Samuel Walker was not the "caster of the iron bridge over the Thames at Southwark." It was not until the year 1814 or 1815, and up to 1818, that the Southwark Bridge was in progress; and it is said that the last visit of Joshua Walker (the head of the firm of Joshua Walker & Co.) to the far-famed Holmes Works was to see the first casting of the bridge. There is a fine life-size portrait of the first Samuel Walker, by Zoffany, in the possession of Arthur Walker, Esq., of Edinburgh, the grandson of Joshua Walker, Esq., and of course greatgrandson of Samuel Walker, which ought to be at Leeds Exhibition, but which, I have reason to fear, will not be there. Rotherham. G. HYMN, "SUN OF MY SOUL": PETER RITTER (4th S. i. 220.) This tune is given to "Peter Ritter, 1792," in the first number of a musical magazine called Exeter Hall, upon my authority; and I have much pleasure in giving my reasons for assigning it to this author. The tune is ascribed variously to Haydn and Mozart, but I did not know, until I read your correspondent's query, that it had ever been attributed to Beethoven. In the Bristol Collection, recently published, it is called a "Huguenot Melody." But all this is wrong. I have a curious and interesting collection of German chorales in MS., gathered from various authentic sources, in which this tune appears with the name and date as above given, and I have every reason to think correctly. The original is set to a metrical version of the Te Deum, in Iambic measure, sevens. I should add that it appears in several printed German collections under his name. Peter Ritter was born at Mannheim in 1760, and studied music under the distinguished Abbé Vogler. He filled the office of Kapellmeister in several German courts, wrote much music, sacred and secular, and was living at his native place, upon a pension, in 1813. The date of his death I have not been able to ascertain. EDWARD F. RIMBAULT. STEEPLE CLIMBERS (4th S. i. 311.)-Since my previous communication I am enabled, by the kindness of a friend, to give some additional particulars of the hazardous restoration of the weathercock on the elegant spire of Tetbury church. DOUGLAS RINGS (4th S. i. 314.)-I think it probable that these rings were made by order of the eccentric Duchess of Douglas, and given away with others to persons whom she thought she could enlist in favour of the side she so strongly espoused in the great Douglas cause. At consultations of her lawyers she placed a plate of guineas on the table, and allowed every man to help himGEORGE VERE IRVING. self. ALPHABET BELLS (3rd S. x. 353, 486; xi. 184.) Dr. Neale (Hierologus, 290) considers that alphabets were placed on bells simply for the sake of displaying the caster's art, just as in Aldine and other early editions you see, immediately after the colophon, an alphabet of both great and small letters, to a JOHN PIGGOT, JUN. CHRISTIAN AMBASSADORS TO THE SUBLIME PORTE (4th S. i. 245.)-Though I cannot answer with certainty J. C. H.'s question as to who was first received at the Sublime Porte as an ambassador from the king of England, I can refer him in Dyer's History of Modern Europe, passage vol. ii. pp. 382-3, where it appears that William Harebone, or Harburn, obtained a treaty from the sultan in 1580; and that Edward Burton is there called "an able successor of Harburn as English ambassador to the Porte," and that he lived till 1598. In Sharon Turner's valuable History of the Reigns of Edward VI., Queen Mary, and Queen Elizabeth, vol. iv. pp. 608-9, it is noted that Sultan Amurath III. wrote to Queen Elizabeth in 1579, desiring to be on friendly terms with her, and that she recognised Burton, or Barton, by approving of his proceedings in 1590 to avert a war between Turkey and Poland. Presents were interchanged between our queen and the sultana-mother, who communicates to Elizabeth the delivery of these |