Page:Notes and Queries - Series 10 - Volume 11.djvu/98

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NOTES AND QUERIES. [io s. XL J A *. 23, im

At p. 6 (3rd ed., 1872) will be found a full description of " robbing."

I am unable to explain what is meant by livings in the quotation. It possibly might be something analogous to charity or lives, familiar in some round games ; or, more probably, when the game score was reached in the middle of a deal (9 S. vii. 6), it was the right of the opponents to demand that the deal be played out, if they had acquired a certain score.

A helpe (help) is evidently a partner's card which aids in making up a combination. Like many other old games such as piquet, gleek, &o. certain combinations held in a hand at maw were betted upon and scored before the cards were played in tricks. If H. P. L. would kindly inform me where I could readily get the full correct extract relating to the game of maw which he quotes, I might, with other material which I have, be able to reconstruct it, as I did with gleek, &c. See Gentleman's Magazine, October, 1899, vol. cclxxxvii. p. 358.

J. S. McTEAR. 6; Arthur Chambers, Belfast.

Has H. P. L. consulted the ' New English Dictionary,' svv. help, living, and maw 4 ? His instance of help will be a useful addition to the last-named article. Q. V.

EDWARD YOUNG, AUTHOR OF ' NIGHT THOUGHTS' (10 S. x. 490; xi. 34). The Rev. C. P. Eden, vicar of Aberford, Leeds, wrote in 1880 :

"Dr. Bliss told me the University of Oxford had not given degrees in Canon Law for centuries. ' LL.' means ' Legum ' Civil and Canon."

Young was therefore D.C.L. (Burgon's ' Twelve Good Men,' vol. ii. p. 325).

G. W. E. K.

GENEALOGICAL CIRCULATING LIBRARY (10 S. xi. 5). I cannot imagine private persons being willing to lend expensive genealogical works from their collections. Who, for instance, would care to risk lending a county history, or chance the loss of a volume from a complete set of valuable genealogical or antiquarian publications ? It is, however, becoming an impossible burden to keep pace with the literature con- nected with genealogy and heraldry : the expense is too great. In subscriptions, purchases, indexing, and binding my col- lection costs about 1501. a year. A Genea- logical Circulating Library is becoming a real necessity for the ever-increasing number of amateur genealogists, and I have an idea that such a thing is possible by making use

of the London Library, which has already a fine nucleus of genealogical and kindred works. It has occurred to me that if a hundred or more persons interested in genea- logy would combine and make an arrange- ment to offer themselves as individual subscribers upon certain conditions, the- prospect of such a number of new subscribers would cause the London Library to give special attention to genealogical works. If a sufficient number of persons interested in the movement can be got together, I would suggest the formation of a Committee, so that the undertaking might be studied by those who are considered best able to advise as to the proposals for the acquisition of genealogical works, and the subscription to societies publishing matter of a genealogical character. Definite proposals could then be submitted to the London Library ; and if a satisfactory working arrangement could be arrived at, the result would be a great boon to genealogists, and the London Lib- rary already so famed for its historical, literary, and philosophical collections, and for its excellent Catalogue would become of exceptional importance as a genealogical library. LEO C.

PHILLIS WHEATLEY AND HER POEMS ( 10 S. x. 385 ; xi. 30). I am pleased to have elicited such an interesting paper from MR. ALBERT MATTHEWS ; glad also to be cor- rected as to the priority of early editions, I found the Philadelphia edition in the library of the late Mr. Sayre at South Beth- lehem in Pennsylvania.

I wish to add that I am not the first to question the genuineness of the poems. " Phocion " wrote thus to The Gazette of the United States, 15 Oct., 1796 :

"Religion indeed has produced aPhillis Wheatley, but it could not produce a poet [of the negro race]. The compositions published under her name are below the dignity or criticism."

This " Phocion " was evidently a person of social consequence and of scholarly attain- ments ; and it may be that MR. MATTHEWS can identify him. In saying that the com- positions were " published under her name," he expresses his belief, which I fully share, that they are a literary fraud. On a question like this, positive knowledge cannot be attained ; the expressions used by Governor Hutchinson and others are matter of opinion only ; and internal evidence is the best guide. That evidence is strongly against negro authorship.

RICHARD H. THORNTON. 36, Upper Bedford Place, W.C.