Page:Notes and Queries - Series 10 - Volume 4.djvu/251

 10* 8. IV. SEPT. 9,1985.] NOTES AND QUERIES. 205 but why this earlier ringing of the changes from Francis to Bland and vice versa ? Boaden, whose account of the great actress's novitiate is woefully inaccurate, offers some explanation of the mystery, but this is utterly lacking in plausibility, and cannot be accepted as final. W. J. LAWRENCE. TBUDGEON - STROKE IN SWIMMING. — In describing the recent practice for swimming the Channel two or three daily papers men- tioned the trudgeon-stroke of Miss Kellerman. Being away from a reference library, I cannot say if the word is found in the dictionaries ; but it may be of interest to note that it appears to date from 1868, when it was popularized by a Mr. Trudgen, an English- man, who, as a boy in South America, had learnt from the Indians their hand-over-hand leaping style. This is not to say that the word is always correctly used. H. P. L. DANTE : UNKNOWN PORTRAIT.—Mr. Jacques Mesnil, in an article published in the Zeit- tekrift fur Bildende Kunst (August, 1900), entitled ' An Unknown Fourteenth-Century Dante Portrait,' writes that hitherto but one portrait of the poet which belongs without doubt to the fourteenth century has been known—viz., that in the Palazzo del Podesta, Florence. The most competent judges ascribe the portrait in question to Giotto. In it Dante is represented as a comparatively young man. The picture portrays rather the Dante of the 'Vita Nuova1 than the author of the ' Divine Comedy.' In the portraits of the poet which date before the fifteenth century the type of the old Dante has not yet been found. But during the fifteenth century and in the beginning of the sixteenth century the older type begins to predominate more and more, until finally it becomes the recognized type for Dante. The portraits by Michelino (Florence Cathedral) and by Signorelli (Orvieto Cathedral), that of the Codex Riccardianus 1040, and probably also the busts in the Naples Museum and the so-called Dante mask all date from that period. Mr. Jacques Mesnil then goes on to say:— "There is, however, another picture which portrays Dante as an old man, and which dates from the fourteenth century. Curiously enough, this eeems to have completely escaped the eyes of seekers of Dante portraits, although it is to be found in a church at Florence which every one visits, in the midst of one of the most important frescoes of the 'Trecento'—viz., in Santa Maria Novella, in the frescoes of the Cappella Strozzi, painted by Orcagna. There we notice in the ' Last Judgment,' in the group of the Elect (to the left of the window), in the topmost row, a figure engaged in prayer, with folded hands, the features of whose face, which is turned heavenward, perfectly agree- with the known Dante type " It is not known with any degree of exactitude when the frescoes of the Cappella Strozzi in the Santa Maria Novella were painted. The altar- piece is signed, and bears the date 1337. It is known that the execution of this work was con- fided to Andrea Orcagna in 1354, and it is presumed that the frescoes date from that period " Although it is improbable that Orcagna knew Dante personally, still the poet's memory was at that time so green in Florence that a vivid recollec- tion of his features must have been then preserved; and Giotto himself, who doubtless saw the banished one again on more than one occasion, must have been in a position to have furnished his pupils with a true picture of how Dante looked during the last years of his life." JOHN HEBB. COPENHAGEN HOUSE. — Francis Place, in his ' Diary,' records :— "1824, Sunday, Sept. 5. Copenhagen House. Went to this place between 5 and 6 o'clock in the afternoon, weather very fine. The place has a forlorn appearance, a fifth part so many persons as used to attend thirty years ago, very few smoak- ing, formerly all the men and most of the adult boys smoaked. Opposite the window of the Tea Boom and within 10ft. of the house is a ditch-like dirty pond, its shape is irregular. On one of its sides and on part of another side are some stunted thorn bushes and brambles. Two-thirds of its surface is covered with duck weed. There was a dead dog rotting in it. These are sufficient proofs of how greatly this once celebrated place of resort has fallen into disrepute, evidence of the change of manners of the people." This rather modifies Hone's enthusiastic description of its rural beauty and respecta- bility. Evidently it had not recovered from the disreputable management of Tooth, who in 1816 lost his licence for allowing bull- baiting and much disorderly company to assemble at the " bad eminence." ALECK ABRAHAMS. TRANSLATED SURNAMES. — The following note, extracted from the letter of an American correspondent, may interest you:— "The changes which befell a resident of New Orleans were that when he moved from an American quarter to a German neighbourhood his name of 'Flint' became ' Feuer-stein,' which for convenience was shortened to ' Stein' ; and upon his removal to a French district he was rechristened speaking street he was translated into ' Peters,' and his first neighbours were surprised and puzzled to find ' Flint' turned ' Peters.'" W. J. L. Savile Club, W. THE GREYFRIARS BURIAL-GROUND. — The discovery of human remains on the site of Christ Church School has probably escaped notice, as it was commentea upon by only one newspaper, the Daily Express, 5 August.
 * M. Pierre.' Hence upon his return to an English-