ALBUMS.-The fashion of keeping albums, according to Nichols, "appears to have originated in Germany towards the close of the sixteenth century." Humphrey Wanley, describing one still preserved among the Harl. MSS. says, "they are much used by the young travellers of that nation, who commonly ask a new acquaintance (even at the first meeting) to write some sentence therein, with a compliment to the owner's learning, good sense, &c. Which done, the names gotten are laid before the next new face, and the young man, upon all occasions, especially at his return, by these hands demonstrates what good company he has kept." From the autographs of distinguished persons, which they often contain, these Alba Amicorum' become exceedingly interesting. Amongst those in the British Museum is one dated 1579. It was the property of Marie de Marnix, a French lady, and is filled with autographs, mottoes, chansons, and sonnets. "It commences with the signature of the Duc d'Alençon, the suitor of our Virgin Queen. He has attempted to sketch something like a fire, under which is written, Fovet et disqutit. FRANCOYS." Una sola aurora, ha de vencer mi noche,' is the motto of CHARLOTTE DE BOURBON, PRINCESSE D'ORANGE, with the date 1580. HENRY DE BOURBON PRINCE DE CONDE has contributed Pro Christo et patria dulce periculum.' Another scribbler has inserted these

verses

6

Qui du tout son cœur mect en Dieu,
Il a son cœur, et si a Dieu;

Et qui le mect en autre lieu
Il perd son cœur, et si perd Dieu.

A despairing lover has written:

Belle! que voy j'en ta face,
Pense tu rendre mon cœur
Plus agréable ta grace
L'accompagnant de rigeur.
Ne me soys cruelle !
Et je te seray

Tant que vivray fidelle.
Belle! tu ne dois pas craindre
Du manque en ma loyauté,
Mais aussi tu devrois joindre
Plus de doux à ta beauté.

Ne me soys cruelle, &c.
Belle! si jamais abuse
D'aucune tienne faveur
Pren les yeux d'une Meduse

Et change en roche mon cœur.
Ne me soys cruelle, &c.

The following sparkling effusion was the composition
of some Béranger of the sixteenth century.
A la seson nouvelle du printemps gracieux,
Un amoureux fidelle, de ses champestre lieux,
Vient chantant dans un bocage, J'aymeray toujours
Vive l'amour du Village! Vive mes amours!
J'ayme bien ma metresse de celle qu'a mon cœur,
Car elle me caresse, brulant de mesme ardeur :
Mes amours ne sont volage, j'aymeray toujours :
Vive l'amour du Village! Vive mes amours !

Sa naturelle grace, sa divine beauté

Qui tout autre surpasse, en tout honnesteté Me faict croitre le courage de J'aymer toujours Vive l'amour du Village! Vive mes amours! Les Dames visagoige ayment perfaictement, Mais l'amour de bourgoige ce n'est que changement; Ce n'est que fard tout leur langage et tout leur discours, Vive l'amour du village! Vive mes amours! Mes Dames, Damoiselles, Princesses de la Cour! Et vous mes gentishommes qui coures alentour! Entreprennent leur querrelle, le defendes tous Vive l'amour de la Belle! Vive mes amours ! The splendid Album of Sir Philibert Vernatti is preserved among the Sloane MSS. No. 2035. It bears the date 1615, and is of vellum, bound in crimson velvet, and contains several royal autographs, and arms beautifully emblazoned. It afterwards fell into the hands of Mr. George Willingham, a correspondent of Oliver Cromwell, Prynne and Bastwick, he has enriched it with their letters to him, and numerous signatures cut from original documents. Among them will be recognised the autographs of Laud, Wentworth, Bacon, Queen Elizabeth, and Henrietta Maria, queen of Charles I. John Bastwick has written a significant allusion to his own fate, Patientia omnia vincit, May 21, 1650.' There is also a very characteristic letter from Oliver Cromwell to Mr. Storie, dated 1635. It has been printed in Carlyle's Letters and Speeches of Cromwell; though that author is incorrect in stating that the original" is not now to be found in the British Museum, a search of three hours through all the catalogues assisted by one of the clerks reports itself to me as fruitless." He would have found it on reference to the present volume.

"It

The Sloane MS. 2597, has this title in a clever pen and ink drawing, 'Hortus Fautorum et Amicorum Caspari Sibelii a Goor Daventria Trans Isalano.' is an album of humble pretensions," remarks Nichols, "with a few drawings but no illuminations." It however contains the autographs of several learned men between 1668 and 1671, amongst whom we find Frederic Spanheim, Francis Burmann, John George Grævius, the celebrated Latin scholar, and John Frederic Gronovius, the eminent naturalist.

No. 679 of the Egerton Collection, is the Album of John Breijsgen. The signatures dating from 1572-77 are of no particular interest, but the arms of the writers GUILLAUME. are neatly emblazoned on each page.

GENTLEMAN JONES.-A neat tablet has been erected in St. Peter's, Pimlico, to the memory of Richard ("Gentleman") Jones; a memoir of whom appeared in the Current Notes for Sept., Oct. and Nov. 1851. A copy of the Tablet is given in the "Dramatic Register" for 1852, and it will doubtless prove an exceedingly welcome memento.

HERALDRY.--Who was the author of "The Booke of Honor and Armes, wherein is discovered the causes of Quarrel, and the nature of Injuries, with their Repulses, at London, printed by Richard Jhones, dwelling at the signe of the Rose and Crowne neere Holburne Conduit, 1590. 4to." It is a very singular work, and gives an entertaining account of "certaine combats for Triumph, Honor, and Love of Ladies, brought before the Kings of England." Shakspere in As You Like It,' has ridiculed all the punctilios' of a gay courtier,' and we might imagine has made an allusion to this code of honor' where Touchstone says to Jaques, "O Sir, we quarrel in print by the book; as you have books for good manners." HERALDICUS.

AVOURIES.-This word may be occasionally met with in our old English writers.

"We er pouer freres, that haf nought on to lyve,
In stede of messengeres, save-condite us gyve,
Thorgh thi lond to go in thin avowrie,

That non us robbe, ne slo, for thi curteysie." Langtoft's Chronicle. "Therefore away with these avouries; let God alone be our avourie. What have we to doe to runne hether or thether, but onely to the Father of Heaven?"-Latimer's Sermons.

"Why name ye more the patron of your order in your Confiteor when ye begin masse then other saints, apostles, or martyrs, that holy Church hold more glorious than 'hem, and clepe,' hem your patrons and your avowries ?"" Jacke Upland.

"Wee wol tabernacles be graven and filled with ymages of our avouries."-Will of Henry VII.

"Our lexicographers," observes Brayley, "do not appear to have understood its proper signification. In the Glossary to Urry's Chaucer, it is explained as, religious professions. In Nares' Glossary avoury is declared to be an old Law Term, nearly equivalent to justification. Boucher, voce avoure, says this is conjectured to have been a banner borne in funeral processions."

From the passages we have quoted it is evident that an Avourie was a Patron Saint, and in this sense is used in Henry's Will. "It is derived from the French Avoué, namely, a champion, "celui qui se bat," says Carpentier, "pour un autre." The saint depicted on the banner was the avoure, not the banner itself. Though the word has grown obsolete, its derivative, advowson, is still current with us; the owner of an advowson is in legal proceedings, held to be the patron and guardian of its Church." In the quotation from Langtoft, "in thin avowrie," evidently signifies under thy patronage or protection.

BRIBERY AT ELECTIONS.. -The earliest instance I can find on record is in the palmy days of our Virgin Queen,' when the house "finding that a simple fellow, one Thomas Long, had been returned for the borough of Westbury, they inquired of him how the electors came to choose him; and he being very candid, informed them very readily, that he had given the Mayor of Westbury, Mr. Anthony Garland, and a Mr. Watts, four pounds for his place in Parliament. The House were highly indignant at the Mayor's baseness, and summoned him to the Bar of the House, and fined the Corporation twenty pounds."

For this curious piece of Parliamentary intelligence, I am indebted to the author of the Life of Coke; it proves that Beresfords were not unknown in the days of Shakspere and Sir Philip Sidney's Arcadia, and that the modern family of Coppocks flourished in the reign of slashed doublets, rapiers, and trunk hose. But though the Corporation were fined, was Mr. Long unseated? Mr. Harrington who sat in the Long Parliament, 1640, has left an equally singular diary of his personal canvass among the electors of Bath.

Saturday, Dec. 26. Went to Bath, and dined with the mayor and citizens, conferred about my election to serve in Parliament, as my father was helpless and ill able to go any more. Went to the George Inn at night, met the bailiffs and desired to be dismissed from serving; drank strong beer and metheglin; expended about three shillings, went home late, but could not get excused.

"Thursday 31. Dined at the George Inn with the mayor and four citizens; spent at dinner six shillings in wine. Laid out in victuals at the George Inn, 118 4d, laid out in drinking 78, laid out in tobacco and drinking vessels, 38 4d.

January 1. My father gave me £4 to bear my expences to Bath. Laid out in all 8s for victuals, drink, and horse hire, together with divers gifts."

In these primitive days, honourable members were paid by their constituents; and besides the usual present of a horse to ride to Parliament, were entitled by a statute of Edward II., to four shillings a day if they represented a shire, and half that sum for a borough. The famous Andrew Marvell, member for Hull in 1661, is said to have been the last to receive Parliamentary wages. Occasionally the electors were able to strike an economical bargain. As an instance, we are told that "John Strange, the member for Dunwich in 1463, agreed with the prudent burgesses of that town to take his wages in red herrings." We are further informed, that "in the same reign the citizens of York being anxious that the dignity of that ancient Corporation should be properly represented, unanimously agreed that their members should be allowed four shillings a day if they kept a house in London during the session, but only two shillings if they went to C. W. J.

board.'"

JOHN WARD OF HACKNEY, M.P., was convicted of forgery, expelled from the House, and suffered in the pillory, 1727. Where can I find a biographical sketch of this worthy? Among his papers is said to have been found the well known Miser's prayer. J. P.

Leicester.

CHRISTENING PRESENTS.-Can any of your Correspondents point out the origin of this custom? In a MS. of Sir R. Lestrange, who quotes the authority of Dr. Donne, is an amusing anecdote of Shakspere being godfather to one of Ben Jonson's children. "After the christening being in a deepe study, Jonson came to cheere him up, and askt him why he was so melancholy.—No, faith, Ben (says he), not I; but I have been considering what should be the fittest gift for me to bestow upon my god-child, and I have resolv'd at last.'-' I pr'ythee what? says he. 'I'faith, Ben, I'll e'en give him a douzen of Latten spoons, and thou shalt translate them." In Stowe's Annals, continued by E. Howes, 1631, we are told (speaking apparently of Elizabeth's reign), that "At this time, and for many years before, it was not the use and custom (as now it is), for Godfathers and Godmothers generally to give plate at the baptism of children (as spoons, cups and such like), but only to give christening shirts, with little bands and cuffs wrought, either with silk or blue thread; the best of them for chief persons wear edged with a small lace of black silk and gold; the highest price of which, for great men's children, were seldom above a noble, and the common sort two, three, or four and five shillings a piece."

Burton on Trent.

D.

THE SHADOOF.-Referring to the remarks made by N. Y. ES-pecial Reporter in vol. ii. p. 12, about the your correspondents W. G., in vol. i. p. 96, and your Shadoof; I beg to inform you that I have seen machines, answering exactly to the description given, in general use in the neighbourhood of St. Petersburg, and in other parts of Russia. I believe they are also used in other places on the Continent, though I do not remember to have noticed any out of Russia. It is curious to obthe Russians, many of them extending even to the far serve how Eastern manners and customs abound amongst

North.

Old Broad Street.

J. S. A.

EGYPTIAN ROYAL CARTOUCHE.-If Mr. E. S. Taylor had not appealed to me by name, it is very probable that I should have left the interpretation of his valuable signet to some hieroglyphist more celebrated than myself, and have avoided the unpleasantness of differing from his interpretation, as far as it goes, and probably from by far the greater number of the learned in Egyptian hieroglyphs. Gliddon, however, in his "Ancient Egypt," p. 29, "Sun offered to the world," has made an attempt in the right path. I pronounce the characters in this signet to be symbolical, excepting two,

which are phonetic.

The horn serpent is the type of the Agathodæmon, the Messiah. The two phonetic characters at the top

of the shield are the same as in the famous Rosetta

stone, and read, af, fuit, denoting that the Messiah hath appeared. The others, according to Gliddon, will read, A Sh DDD; according to some others, A M TTT. They are not put here as phonetics, but express the creed, if I may so call it, of the possessor of the signet, viz. A, the all-seeing eye of God.-Sh, the heaven.-D, or more properly T, God: therefore the three T's are put for the Trinity of the Godhead. The whole of the signet may be thus read, "The Messiah hath appeared-He is the all-seeing God from heaven, the Trinity."

N. B. The Scarabaeus was worshipped by the Egyptians as the emblem of the Creator of the world, "étoit un Dieu adoré par les Egiptiens." Furetiere. The Coptic skhalouks, seems to be a compound Sanscrit word, signifying, the ox-insect that collects dirt into a round T. R. BROWN.

mass.

Southwick Vicarage, near Oundle. RICHARD BAXTER AND DANIEL DE FOE.-Where can K. P. D. E. find complete lists of their works? GENEALOGY OF MARY QUEEN OF SCors.- A paragraph in the "Times," Feb. 15, 1828, states: "There is a curious document drawn up in 1823 by the late Lord Ashburton, in existence. It is an abstract of a genealogical tree of the descendants of the ill-fated Mary Queen of Scots, from which it appears that at that period every crowned head in Europe was included in the number, except the King of Portugal (but his Queen however is there) and the King of Bavaria and Bernadotte the King of Sweden. The entire number of her descendants then living was 316, and they are all including the Duke of Reichstadt (young Napoleon) within the line of succession to the British throne." Where is this singular document to be found? W. B-1.

Dorset Square.

"AULD ROBIN GRAY."-A Correspondent in the "Times," 1828, asserted that the Rev. W. Leeves, Rector of Wrington, Somersetshire, who died in 1828, at the advanced age of eighty, declared to him he was the composer of the music and words of this popular song. Others have ascribed it to Lady Lindsay. Who is the rightful claimant ? A LOVER OF OLD BALLADS.

TEMPORA MUTANTUR, &c.-Sibthorpe, p. 24, will find this hacknied piece of modern Latinity introduced into Beaumont and Fletcher's play of Wit at several Weapons.' The original line (substituting the word Omnia for Tempora) is cited in the Delicia Poetarum Germanorum,' 1612, under the Poems of Matt. Borbonii Collin. vol. 1. p. 685. The question has been already answered in the Notes and Queries, vol. 1. p. 234, and Sharpe's Magazine, vol. 5. p. 208.

66

morely deeply rooted in the human mind than a belief POPULAR DREAM BOOKS. - Few superstitions are in dreams, and some singular interpretations have been written of these recondite vagaries of the brain. In Wit and Mirth Improved, or a New Academy of Compliments, 1715," we are gravely informed that to dream you hear music signifies mirth and jollity,' but the cackling of geese betokens troublesome visions; to dream you see a man or woman go to be hanged denotes you will be importuned by some friend for your assistance. To dream of finding small pieces of silver is ominous of disappointment in trade or business. One's teeth or eyes falling out signifies the loss of some dear friend; fire betokes anger; and to dream of flying portends hasty news of strange things. Can any lovers of folk lore point out any early written works of WILLIAM HUTCHISON. a similar character?

Richmond.

LOTTERIES.--In that very useful and amusing volume, the Etymological Compendium,' S. N. will find that the first Lottery is said to have been drawn in 1569, and the authority of Stowe is given as cited in Maitland's History of London. The Retrospective Review, N. S. vol 1. p. 431, gives an extract from Lord Burghley's Diary, as follows. "1567, March. A Lottery in London granted to Geo. Gilpyn and Peter Grimaldy," and the Loseley MSS. p. 185, gives some notices and copies of various papers relating to the same Lottery. Hone, in the Every Day Book,' vol. 2. p. 1403, has an amusing account of Lotteries, and the tricks, frauds, and impositions connected with them; in illustration of which he has introduced many woodcuts, ballads, puffs, and anecdotes. The last of these mischievous projects, as a source of revenue, was in October, 1826. Some account of them, I believe, is furnished in the recent Chronicles of the Exchange." F. R. A.