Page:Notes and Queries - Series 10 - Volume 4.djvu/259

 10" s. 1v. sm. 9. 1905.1 NOTES AND QUERIES. 213 Downes.” The regort is dated “ Edinburgh, Royal Academy uildings, Lothian Road, J une 14, 1832.” Downes had been originally appointed a teacher, and was for a time su rxntendent, and the directors complain of tli; difhculties with which they had to struggle for five years in their intercourse with him. A Col. Ryves had previously been selected as super- intendent, ut he could not accept the post on the small salary oH`ered by the young institution. It apgears that, previous to 1825, a Capt. George cott had founded a rivate military academy in Edinburgh, which he conducted with great success; and shortly after his death a public movement took place for the founding of a national institution as its suc- cessor. Capt. Scott’s “ premises on the north side of James’ Square” accommodated the new academy for a few months, and at the end of the year (1825) a move was made to a house in George Street. Uniform, it is stated, was not compulsory on the students; strong objections were made against it by some parents and guardians. In an appendix to the pamphlet is a table of the ‘ Branches of Study,” with their hours and fees. If your querist at the first reference is pursuing inquiries as to the early history of the academy and has not seen this amphlet (which I am told is “scarce ”), I should be happy to lend him my copy for a short time. O iver & Boyd’s Edinburgh Almanacs sup- ply the names of ofiice-bearers and teachers or many successive years. W. S. PUBLIC MEETING (10'~” S. iv. 148). -In Haydn’s ‘Dictionary of Dates’ it is stated that public meetings for political purposes were occasionally held in England in the latter part of the seventeenth century, but became very important in the reign of George III. The same work gives other in- teresting details. R. VAUGHAN GOWEB. The earliest use of this term in a public sense which I have yet found is in a pam- phlet of 1649, containin the summary of a §>eech delivered by WilBam Prynne in the ouse of Commons on 4 December, 1648. That was two days before “Pride’s Purge,” of which Prynne was one of the victims; and with t-he speech he published ‘A Letter to the Borough of Newport, in Cornwall, for which he serves in Parliament,’ appealing from “ these usurggrs ...... unto you alone who elected me, and are st able to know and jud e of your owne trust ...... from whom I shall humbly request so much right and justice, upon the Iperusall of the enclosed S eech and Papers (which desire may be read openl)y before all my Electors at the next publique meeting), as to certifie to the world under your hands and seals (which you set to the returne of my Election) your own judgments and opinions whether I have betraid or broken the Trust you reposed in me or not.” This is dated “From the Kings Head in the Strand, Jan. 26, 1648 ” (1649 N.S.), or four days before the execution of Charles I. in Whitehall. ALFRED F. ROBBINS. “NADGAIRS" (10°*‘ S. iv. 49).-This word, no doubt, means the late or formerly. In the Privy Council proceedings, 1 April, 4 Hen. IV. (1403), with regard to the Parliament that met at Westminster 30 September, 1402, occur, amongst other names. “Les Executors du testament de Maistre Thomas Southam nad- gairs chanon de Sar.” HERBERT SOUTIIAM. FORESTS SET ON FIRE BY LIGHTNING (10“' S. iv. 28, 95, 153).-I can recall three instances of forests being set on fire in this way in Vir inia in the years 1887 and 1890. In one of tgiese instances, which I made a note of at the time, there was simply one vivid flash, followed by a terrific report. and a few minutes afterwards I noticed flames coming from a very tall dead tree which had been standing in this condition for a number of years. In all three cases it was a dead tree which was struck, and which communicated the fire to the rest of the forest. FREDERICK T. HIBGAME. “THE PILGRIM OF ETERNITY ” (10°*‘ S. iv. 68, 158).-The phrase is attributed to Shelley (without a reference) on the walls of the newly built Byron House. This remarkable memorial is 85. Fleet Street, and consists in a series of medallions and tablets upon which are quotations from and commendations of the poet. STANLEY B. ATKINSON. [See ante, p. 147.] WILLIAM WAYNELETE (10"‘ S. iii. 461; iv. 36, 154).-I regretted, when I saw  21 in print, that I had committed mysel to the statement that the Magdalen founder was probably a full Wikehamist by education; and fully agree wit H. C.’s statement at the last reference, that “upon the evidence, as it at present stands, the probability seems to me to lean all the other way.” A. R. BAYLEY. “NEWLANDS,” CHALFONT ST. PETER (1O*‘> S. iv. 148).-Abraham Newland, the cele- brated chief cashier of the Bank of England, resigned on 18 September, 1807, after fifty years’ service. He died at his residence,