Page:Notes and Queries - Series 10 - Volume 7.djvu/408

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NOTES AND QUERIES. [io s. VIL APRIL 27, 1907.

a body appeared covered with a waxed cloth ; on carefully stripping the head and face, the counte- nance of the unfortunate martyr Charles the First immediately appeared, in features apparently as perfect as when lie lived. Sir Henry Halford, who was present, then endeavoiired to raise the body from the coffin, in attempting which the head fell from it and discovered the irregular fissure made by the axe, which appeared to have been united by a cement.

The stone coffin was next opened, which from its inscription was found to contain the remains of Henry the Eighth, which consisted of nothing more than the skull and the principal limb bones, which appeared in a perfect state.

EDWARD S. DODGSON.

Apropos of the discussion in ' N. & Q.' regarding Charles I.'s appearance, I may say that I have an engraving prefixed to a copy of 'The Large Declaration' (1640) which gives his portrait ; and the interesting thing about it is that it is the only portrait I have seen of him which brings out his likeness to his father, whose plainness of countenance was so definite. Yet one always thinks of Charles I. as a handsome man. I may add that I have seen another copy of the same work containing a different portrait of Charles from that in my copy. J. WILLCOCK.

Lerwick, N.B.

As this controversy concerning Charles I. originated apparently with a reference to a review of my book ' The Headsman of White- hall,' it may not be amiss if I now add a few words to the discussion.

In my book I have not contended that Charles I. resembled James I. in personal appearance ; all I claim is that Van Dyck's portraits of King Charles are idealized, and are not faithful likenesses. But even Van Dyck's portraits, when carefully examined reveal the King to have been of small and mean stature. That Charles was rude and awkward in his demeanour we have ample contemporary evidence to prove. There was nothing graceful in his bearing, or gracious in his manners and address. As Hallam mentions : " The King's manners were not good. He spoke and behaved to ladies with indelicacy in public." He was, moreover, afflicted with a serious impediment in his speech, and it was a matter of general surprise and comment at the time how he managed to talk so clearly and so firmly both at his trial and on the scaffold at Whitehall.

PHILIP SIDNEY.

The best evidence of the features of Charles I. was that obtained when his coffin at Windsor was opened in 1813. There

was an illustration, I think, in the original! account ; see 6 S. xi. 317. W. C. B.

SIMPSON'S RESTAURANT : GUESSING THE CHEESE (10 S. vii. 245). I have a very clear recollection of having, in my younger days (I am now over seventy-five), witnessed the same proceedings twice once at " Simp- son's " in the Poultry (so called, no doubt in imitation), and once at Billingsgate, in some tavern or inn either adjacent to, or forming part of, the market buildings.

I have no recollection of soup ; but the fish was excellent in quality, and ample in quantity, as was also the " punch " which followed. To all these the City fathers who attended obviously well-seasoned veterans did full justice.

EDWARD P. WOLFERSTAN.

PAL^OLOGUS IN THE WEST INDIES (10 S. vii. 209, 254). MR. WAINEWRIGHT is hardly correct in saying that the apostate Andrew was the last Palaeologus certainly known to history. There was an Italian branch of the family descending from Theodore, son of Andronicus II., who inherited the Mar- quessate of Montferrat from his mother, and whose last male descendant was John George, Bishop of Casale and Marquess of Montferrat, who died in 1533. The apostate is said to have lived into the reign of Solomon the Magnificent, who became Sultan in 1520 ; but is there any evidence that he was alive in 1533 ? Moreover, as his mother was a slave, I presume he was illegitimate and therefore not to be reckoned as a Palaeologus.. There were no doubt many illegitimate branches of the family, and this may account for the occurrence of the name in other places. If the pedigree in Landulph Church is correct, the John thera mentioned must have been illegitimate for the despot Thomas had only two legitimate sons, Andrew and Manuel. E. W. B.

" BELL-COMB " FOR RINGWORM (10 S. vii. 206). Our churchwarden, who is writing a history of this parish, informs me that the son of a former sexton told him that his father frequently sent him when a boy, into the belfry to obtain the grease from the- bells for numerous applicants, who required it for use as an ointment in cases of ringworm,. &c. J. T.

Beckenham.

It is not at all unlikely that " bell-comb ?r

would be really beneficial in cases of ring-

j worm, by reason of the fatty salts of copper

! and tin that it contains, resulting from the

I detritus of the bronze " brasses " on which