Page:Notes and Queries - Series 10 - Volume 8.djvu/493

 10 s. vm. NOV. 23, loo:.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

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discounted by the appearance of the hall and the tables. The latter were of plain stained deal, innocent of covering. They were laid out severely, but in a manner which was, to say the least, striking and quaint. Multitudes of candles in old brass candelabra took the place of present-day illuminants. Pewter tankards and tappit hens lined the boards ; punch, nut-brown ale, London stout, and other beverages were there in plenty ; and, lastly, the food was described in old Scots, and served in unostentatious manner by a staff of quaintly attired young women. The atmosphere of the gathering was quite as old-fashioned as the surroundings. Through the reek sent up by churchwarden pipes snatches of history, more or less connected, were flung across the table, and formed the basis of many of the speeches. Scottish

flickering lights of the old four-hours' candles. Two stalwart waiters in knee-breeches, coloured coats, and white wigs paraded the floor to assist in the waiting, and the custodian of Provand's Lordship, stationed on the platform, announced the toast in truly dignified and impressive style."

J. A.

Edinburgh.

LAND OK AND MENAGE. I do not know whether attention has been drawn to the fact that the beginning of W. S. Lander's epitaph on George IV.,

Heic. jacet

Qui. ubique. et. semper. jacebat (' Poemata et Inscriptiones,' ed. 1847, p. 259) bears a close resemblance to Epigram clxiii.,
 * Hermogenis, hominis nihili, Epitaphium '

Qui semper jacuit, hie jacet Hermogenes, in Menage's ' Poemata ' (p. 158, 8th ed., 1687).

Landor's opinion, by the way, of the Frenchman's ' Poemata ' is recorded in his ' Quaestio quamobrem poetse Latini recentiores minus legantur,' about one- twelfth through, p. 271, at the end of the ' Poemata et Inscriptiones,' ed. cit., where he has written : " Menagius, omni (praeter poeticam) laude cumulatus."

EDWARD BENSLY. University College, Aberystwith.

JOHN PRICE. To the list of his works in 'D.N.B.,' xlvi. 330, should be added " Commentarii in Varios Novi Testament! Libros ; his accesserunt Adnotationes in Psalmorum Librum Londinii, 1660," fol. JOHN B. WAINEWRIGHT.

LlTTLECOTE HOUSE, WILTSHIRE. The

tragic story connected with this mansion was retold in the Daily Mail of 17 Sep- tember. It was tacked on to the recent announcement that the late proprietor,

Mr. Francis William Leybourne-Popham, had left estate valued at 100,0002. The story duly appears in ' The Haunted Homes and Family Traditions of Great Britain,' by John H. Ingram (3rd ed., 1886, pp. 134-8). An article on Littlecote, re- printed from The St. James's Gazette, was published in The Genealogical Magazine for December, 1897. See also 7 S. xi. 449, 517 ; 8 S. x. 234, 306, 342, 446.

JOHN T. PAGE. Long Itchington, Warwickshire.

(gmma.

WE must request correspondents desiring in- formation on family matters of only private interest to affix their names and addresses to their queries, in order that answers may be sent to them direct.

CHARLES II. AND CATHERINE OF BRA- GANZA : AN OIL PAINTING. In my posses- sion is an oil painting which represents unmistakably the " Merry Monarch " seated on the left side of a table, upon which rests his crown, with that of his queen behind. On the right side, equally unmistakable, to judge from her portraits in the National Portrait Gallery, is Catherine of Braganza, whose right hand rests in her lap, supported by her left fore-arm. The King's left arm rests gracefully upon the table, and the beautifully tapering fingers of both remind one of Lely, as do also the graceful and easy attitudes of both. The canvas has been cut down for some reason, and framed in a later style. It belonged to a relative, from whom, however, before his death, I heard nothing concerning its history. Mr. Cust, to whom I showed a photograph of it which I had had taken, could give me no information ; neither could Mr. Donoghue, of the Print Department, British Museum, recall any engraving after it. It appears to be a con- temporary painting of the King and Queen, and, to my inexpert judgment, possibly a Lely. Can any of your readers throw some light upon it, as to who is the artist, &c. ? Is it unique ?

J. HOLDEN MACMlCHAEL. Deene, Streatham.

SUFFOLK BISHOPRIC. I notice that some critics (notably in The Church Times) raise the objection of tradition to a new bishopric taking its name from a county, asserting that the city of the " bishop's stool " has always given the name to a diocese. J. Thorpe's ' Registrum Roffense ' (1769 : at p. 441)