Page:Notes and Queries - Series 10 - Volume 11.djvu/345

 s. XL APRIL 10, 1909.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

281

LONDON, SATURDAY, APRIL 10, 1909.

CONTENTS. No. 276.

ISTOTES : Johnsonian Anecdotes and Relies, 281 Biblio- graphy o.f Easter Charles Townshend, M.P., 282 '"Englands Parnassus.' 283 Launceston Castle Earl Ligonier, 285 Edward Clarke, 1730-86 Robert Burton and Jacques Ferrand Gayfere Street, Westminster, 286 William Blake Funeral Refreshments at Giggleswick Speed on Railways" Blazers," 287.

QUERIES : St. Mary the Egyptian Robert Noyes Books on Place-NamesThomas Weatherall -The Carter of York" Beat on, proud billows," 288 Author Wanted Robert Kitchen Richard Steward, 1651 Cambridge Heath : Bernales Buildings Denner Family Briefs for Greek Christians Dickens's " Automaton Dancers " Turton, 289 Badges of Roman Legions Horncastle Family Carstares or Carstairs Trial for Witchcraft in 1701 John Sewell Dumas and Shakespeare Recusants' Marriages Aspirine St. Sidwell " Scroyles " Eton College Names " Earife," co. Kent, 290.

BBPLIES : " Marylebone " : Prepositions in Place-Names, 291" Purfly "Cheese for Ladies Heraldry in Froissart, 292 Belfour Family Macaulay and W. ,T. Thorns "Seraskier": its Pronunciation, 293 " Artahshashte " Rntland: Origin of the Name Beechey Head: "To Hull," 294 Lamb's Capt. Starkey Episcopal Scarf or Tippet Bell-Horses, 295 Roast Pigs crying " Who'll eat me?" Arms of Married Women: Insignia of Orders "Quid est fides?" 296 Addleshaw Bells Rung Back- wards F. Christopher Pack Village Names Feminine Memorials to Sportsmen Talavera Byron's Birthplace- Richmond Webb " Beeswaxers," 297.

NOTKS ON BOOKS : Johnson on Folk-Memory Reviews and Magazines,

Booksellers' Catalogues.

Notices to Correspondents.

JOHNSONIAN ANECDOTES AND RELICS.

I DO not find these anecdotes in my Boswell.

On Good Friday in March, 1825, Bishop Jebb being in Lichfield, a dignitary of the Cathedral told him that he had looked forward with nervous apprehension to his first meeting with his great townsman :

" I was then a youth, fresh from the Univer- sity, and I had heard so much of Dr. Johnson's awful manner that I felt quite afraid of meeting him. But his first address at once relieved me : J Sir, I knew your father he was a classman of mine at Dr. Hunter's ; I knew your grandfather, and I knew your great-grandfather ; and ' (reaching out his hand as he spoke) ' I am glad to know you.' From that moment I was at my ease with him. and we conversed with the greatest freedom. He was a man of the truest simplicity of character, and tender-hearted as a child.

" Asking the Bishop whether he had taken -notice of the Prebendary who accompanied him to the altar, he proceeded : ' That person could do what he pleased with Johnson, and would make him talk when nobody else durst address mm. He used to say : " Do you wish to hear Dr. Johnson to-night ? You shall, presently. He is a clock ; I will wind him up, and make

him go." He would go up at once to the oracle, and begin : " Come, sir, let us have your opinion on such, or such, a subject," &c., when Johnson would immediately open out, to the instruction and delight of the company.' " Forster, ' Life of Bishop Jebb,' 1851, pp. 218-19.

Frederick Reynolds mentions this anecdote of Dr. Johnson (.' Life and Times of Frederick Reynolds, written by Himself,' 1826, 2 vols, 8vo):

" One morning, shortly after our return, he called on my father concerning some law business, and was ushered into the drawing-room, where I and my three brothers, eager to see, and still more eager to say we had seen, the Leviathan of Literature, soon followed. All were, or affected to appear, struck with awe, except my brother Jack, who, having just published his ' Indian Scalp,' was most anxious to elicit the Doctor's opinion. Accordingly, he seated himself close to him, and began :

" ' Any news in the literary world, sir ? ' ' ' Sir ! ' cried the Doctor.

" ' Anything new, Doctor, I say, in the literary world ? ' continued the unhesitating poet.

" ' Young man, talk to me of Ranelagh and Vauxhall ; of what you may understand ; but not a word on literature.'

" We all smiled aside ; but the author was omnipotent in Jack's mind, and, scarcely ruffled, he returned to the charge.

" ' Have you heard of a new poem, sir ? ' (No answer.) ' A new poem, sir ? A new poem, sir, called ' (with rising confusion) ' called " The Indian Scalp," rather, I believe ' (confusion in- creasing), ' I believe it is tolerably well spoken of. You don't know who wrote it, Doctor ? '

" ' No, but I do,' cried I, eagerly seizing the opportunity of making myself conspicuous in my turn ; ' don't I, Jack ? Indeed, sir, he awakened me so many nights, and taught me so many verses, that, if you like, I can repeat you almost the whole poem, sir, with the same rapidity and facility with which he wrote it.'

" ' Facilis descensus Averni,' muttered the Doctor, and then added, in an authoritative tone, ' Ring the bell, one of you, ring the bell,' and the servant was ordered to summon my father, on whose appearance the Doctor formally arose, and said :

" ' When next I call here, sir, show me where there is civilization, not into your menagerie.' " I Campbell, New Monthly Magazine, 1827, vol. xvii. part ii. No. Ixvii., July, p. 74.

The new Johnson Museum at Lichfield and Boswell's statue remind me of the relics Bishop Jebb saw on his Good Friday visit already mentioned.

A Cathedral dignitary showed the Bishop " his watch, his Bible, his inkstand, and several other Johnsonian -4?elics." Most of them

" had been obtained from Francis Barber, John- son's black servant, who reduced himself to great misery, and parted with them in his distress. The watch its present possessor has had re- mounted in a gold case ; but the dial-plate, work, cap, &c., remain as Johnson left them. On the original dial-plate were engraved the