Page:Notes and Queries - Series 10 - Volume 12.djvu/620

 512

NOTES AND QUERIES. [io s. XIL DEC. 25, 1009.

I understand this statement by Mr. Edmond to mean that he had not any printed work by Mr. Blades before him, but only a MS. communication furnished at his request. At all events, it is clear that either Mr. Blades or Mr. Edmond had Watson's book and the French original both in hand at once for purposes of comparison :

" The Scottish translator follows him [J. de la Caille) very closely, except that he condenses considerably those chapters devoted to the account of the introduction of the art into the different towns of Europe." ' Annals of Scottish Printing,' p. 3.

Of course, the assertion of Mr. Blades may also be found in some of his printed works possibly in * The Pentateuch of Printing, * published after his death but of this I cannot speak with certainty.

May I be allowed to carry this inquiry a little further, and ask if it is certain that Watson had anything to do with the writing of the book that bears his name ? As is known, it is in two parts, a Preface and a History of Printing the Preface being much the more valuable. The History is generally regarded as a mere translation, but the Preface purports to be written by Watson himself. Is this the case ? W. J. C. appears to have no doubt on the matter. Yet in Bohn's edition of Lowndes, sub- sequently copied by Allibone, it is dis- tinctly asserted that John Spotswood (or Spottiswood) wrote the Preface. I would not venture for a moment to put the autho- rity of Bohn or Allibone, in a question affect- ing early Scottish literature, on a level with that of W. J. C., whose admirable ' Edin- burgh Periodical Press,* recently published, has earned for him the gratitude of all students of bibliography. At the same time, Mr. J. P. Edmond corroborates Bohn and Allibone ; and he is an authority not lightly to be set aside. Watson's ' History, 2 he says, " contains a lengthy preface written by Mr. John Spotswood, Advocate and Professor of the Law " (' Annals of Scottish Printing, 2 p. 2).

Moreover, I am myself tormented with an uneasy recollection of having read many years ago an article by Dr. David Laing or some other high authority in which it was established, on the strength of a memo- randum in Spotswood's handwriting, un- expectedly discovered among old family papers, that he, and not Watson, wrote the Preface to the ' History of Printing. 2 Can W J. C., or any other correspondent of N. & Q.'- help me to unravel this tangled memory ? WALTER SCOTT.

Stirling.

COTTON'S WATERLOO MUSEUM (10 S. xii. 141, 210). It will complete my reply to record that this over-praised collection is still unsold. ALECK ABRAHAMS.

Probably the last exhibition of Waterloo relics (as a collection) was that held in con- nexion with the Panorama of the Battle of Waterloo, which occupied the then vacant space in Ashley Gardens, Victoria Street, S.W., where the Westminster Cathedral now stands, and which ran for some months in the early part of 1890. This was exten- sively patronized, and was called " The Waterloo Exhibition. 12 I had the honour of contributing some family relics, which, however, were not of an ossiferous cha- racter.

About this period there was also held a Waterloo Memorial Service at St. George 2 s Chapel in Albemarle Street, Piccadilly, now pulled down, shops and offices occupying the site. This service, organized by the " minister n of the chapel, the late Rev. Dr. E. Ker Gray, was of a very ornate character, and was supplemented by extra vocal and instrumental talent. I remember Miss Clara Butt singing " Let the bright seraphim " on one occasion. The reverend doctor used always to beat the bass drum.

E. E. NEWTON.

7, Achilles Road, West End, Hampstead, N.W.

BEESWING CLUB (10 S. xii. 449). If it be permissible to ascertain his identity, more about the Beeswing Club could no doubt be furnished by the writer of an extremely interesting contribution to the literary history of London in general, and of " The British Coffee-House " in par- ticular, which appeared in The Daily Tele- graph for 19 Sept., 1899. Among his observations is the following :

" At a later date John, Lord Campbell, was a member of a Scotch club The Beeswing meeting here [i.e., at the British] to uphold the time- tionoured institutions of eating and drinking. The latter, says Campbell, was ' tremendous,' but the conversation was as good as any he had ever joined in."

J. HOLDEN MACMlCHAEL.

ELIZABETH, QUEEN or BOHEMIA (10 S. xii. 189, 292, 395). It was Christian IV., the brother, and not the uncle, of Anne of Denmark, queen consort of our King James I., who was the cause of the fashion of hair ocks in the seventeenth century ; con- sequently he was uncle of Elizabeth, Queen of Bohemia.

In 1860 John Murray published a work entitled ' A Residence in Jutland; the