Page:Notes and Queries - Series 10 - Volume 12.djvu/585

 10 s. XIL DEC. is, 1909.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

481

LONDON, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1909.

OONTENTS.-No. 312.

NOTES : 'The Cornhill Magazine,' 1860-1910, 481 Orkney Folk-lore, 483 Cyrus Jay, 485 Voltaire and Carlyle Count d'Orsay's Death Hogarth's House, Chiswick, 486 The Opium Den, Fact and Fiction " Hopping John " Isaac Vossius's Library Bentley Priory, Stanmore, 487.

QUERIES: -Samuel Hearne : William Wales Chevron between Three Roses Crowgay Family "Huel" Authors Wanted River Legends, 488 Dr. James Bradley, Astronomer Royal Lacy Family Levels of Northampton John William Newbourg, Count Palatine Mary, Queen of Scots : Ladies-in- Waiting March Malen : Andrasta, 489 -Mrs. Browning and Sappho Michael Livingston Parliamentary Division Lists Beaconstield on Radicals and Conservatives F. C. Lewis's 'The Nautch' "Old Sir Simon" Sir P. Blun- dell Sir T. W. Brotherton F. H. Maberley Devonshire Regiment Printers' Proofs Bhang : Cuca, 490 Crake, Artist, 491.

REPLIES : Strawberry Hill Catalogue, 491 Dr. Laurence Womack H Aspirate in English Writers Words and Phrases in Old American Newspapers, 492 Sacred PJace- Names in Foreign Lands, 493" Mors sceptra ligonibus aequat" Holly as Browse for Cattle Clim of the Clough Burney's 'History of Music,' 494 Prebendary Barne- well Authors Wanted Lynch Law, 495 English Navy during the Civil War J. Rodman Drake, 496 -Swift on Windows in the Breast Historical MSS. Discovered- Miss Anne Manning " All right," 497 John Dyer Abp. Neile-Louis XIV. Tablecloth Vicomte Vilain XIIIL A Musical Family Mary, Queen of Scots- Mrs. Vanneck Bakers' Servants " Spurrings " or Banns, 498.

NOTES ON BOOKS : Jusserand's ' Literary History of the English People' 'The Burlington '' The National Review.'

Booksellers' Catalogues.

"THE CORNHILL MAGAZINE, 4 1860-1910.

ON the 1st of January, 1860, The Cornhill came as a literary boon to all English- speaking people. The closing days of the old year had been days of great sadness to lovers of literature. News came from America that Washington Irving, who had become a household friend among us, had died on the 28th of November at his beautiful seat in Irvington ; on the 8th of December De Quincey died in the land of his adoption, Scotland ; and on the 28th of December Macaulay died at the early age of fifty-nine.

Apart from these heavy losses the new year opened brightly in the literary world, for although England, as will be seen from articles in the early numbers of the magazine, was busy with armament, owing to distrust of Napoleon III., and there was soon to be a contest between Lords and Commons, on account of the Lords throwing out the Bill for the repeal of the paper duties, these were not causes sufficient for political excitement,

to impede the sale of books, and 1860 was a prosperous year both for publishers and booksellers. We find Mudie starting a new branch at Birmingham, and opening his new hall in Oxford Street in order to provide room for his rapidly increasing business. Mudie's Library had up to that period issued to its subscribers five millions of volumes, and it is good to know that two-thirds of these appertained to the higher class of literature. It was also during this year that Messrs. W H. Smith & Son started their subscrip- tion library. Thus all round the world of letters the times were propitious for the new venture of Messrs. Smith, Elder & Co.

It was early in 1859, George Smith relates in The Cornhill for the 1st of January, 1901, that he conceived the idea of founding a new magazine : " The* plan flashed upon me suddenly, as did most of the ideas which have in the course of my life led to success- ful opera tions. n His idea was that, " in addition to other first-class literary matter, a serial novel by Thackeray must command a large sale " ; and in addition there would be "a good deal else well worth reading, for the price that they had been accustomed to pay for the monthly numbers of his novels alone.' 1 Smith had then no idea of securing Thackeray as editor, but only proposed that he should write either one or two novels of the ordinary size for the magazine, to extend over twelve months. Thackeray agreed to this, and the success of this part of Smith's plans was assured. The next step was to secure an editor, and the offer was made to Tom Hughes ; but be had thrown in his lot, he explained, with Macmillans, and with characteristic loyalty did not feel free to take other literary work. Several names came under consideration ; all plans were " hung up " pending the engagement of an editor, when Smith's
 * < good genius," which had so often helped

lim, whispered in his ear, "Why should lot Mr. Thackeray edit the magazine, you yourself doing what is necessary to supple- ment any want of business qualifications on his part ? " So Thackeray became first editor at a salary of 1,0002. a year. At the

ne of the foundation of the magazine Messrs. Smith, Elder & Co.'s premises were at 65, Cornhill, and as Thackeray explained, in an advertisement in the form of a letter ' Our storehouse being in Cornhill, we date and name our magazine from its place of publication."
 * from the editor to a friend and contributor,'*

The cover was designed by Mr. Godfrey Sykes, a young student at South Kensington.