Page:Notes and Queries - Series 10 - Volume 8.djvu/79

 10 s. vm. JULY 27, 1907.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

61

LONDON, SATURDAY, JULY 27, 1907.

CONTENTS. No. 187.

JfOTES : Nell Gwynn's Looking-Glass, 61 Inscriptions at Naples, 62 Dollars: "Bits": "Picayune," 63 "Yep": "Nope " Beddoes Surname " Non olet (Pecunia)," 64 " Retable" " Diabolo," French Children's Game Robert Owen, of New Lanark : his Family, 65 Barrels for Church Organs "Politician" v. " Statesman " The Quadrant Colonnade, 66 Ell Family, 67.

QUERIES: "Practice," a Rule of Arithmetic Croppen- bergh or Coppenburgh Browning Portrait by Leignton, 67 " Edward" in Slavonic Basse Family Gray's Letters Rossetti's Poem on the Boer War, 1881 Highlanders "barbadosed" after the 1715 and '45 Rebellions Kentish Newspapers Bingleys of Notts, 68 Bacon and Bungay Latin Lines on Buxton "The Doleful Even-song "- Matthew Diamondbuld Demont Historians of the Irish Rebellion, 1798" Mite," a Coin, 69 Robin Hood Plays- William Robert Spencer Horace, Virgil & Cicero, Pub- lishers Burns's " Mensuration School," 70.

KEPLIES : Sir John Harington : Baron Frechvile, 70 Crosby Hall, 71 "Bumble-puppy" and " Doves " Tavern Southy's Authentic Memoirs of George III. Barnaby Blackwell, Banker, 72 Sturmy or Esturmy Family Churchwardens' Accounts "Drowse" "Funeral": "Burial, "-73 Sir Thomas Lucy Rutledge Family of Charlestown, South Carolina " Wound," its Pronuncia- tion Thirkell or Threlkeld Family, 74 "Taping shoos" : Treleigh Church Charm for Burglars Sir Anthony Cooke s Wife The Earliest Cricket Report " Bellamy's," 75 ' Lorna Doone ' Poll-Books, 76 Iver, Bucks : Gaily - hill H in Shropshire and Worcestershire Voltaire and Rousseau "Breese" in ' Hudibras,' 77 Bacon's Apoph- thegms " Piscon-led," 78.

INOTES ON BOOKS : ' The Itinerary of John Leland in or about the Years 1535-1543 ' ' A Historical Geography of the British Colonies. '

NELL GWYNNE'S LOOKING- GLASS.

IN a corner of the room containing the collection of historical pottery formed by the late Mr. Henry Willett, in the Brighton Corporation Museum, is a small mirror of bevelled plate glass, probably Venetian, with an elaborate frame. The frame con- tains full-length figures of Charles II. and Nell Gwynne, modelled in wax, and also the supporters Nell assumed, namely, the lion and the leopard. The design is curiously worked in coloured glass beads, and the figures with their dresses are made to project in high relief ; indeed, they are merely attached to the groundwork of the frame. In the upper compartment Charles is represented in his State dress, and in the lower Nell Gwynne in her Court dress. On the right is Charles in a hunting dress, and on the left Nell in a neglige dress. The Tseads have retained their colour, and the whole composition is well preserved.

The mirror was formerly the property of the late Sir Charles Dick, Bt., of Port Hall, Brighton, whose ancestor Sir William Dick of Braid, Provost of Edinburgh, the

first baronet, ruined himself, as did many more Scotsmen, by his devotion to the cause of Charles I. David Deans in ' The Heart of Midlothian ' says :

" My father saw them toom the sacks of doHars out o' Provost Dick's window intill the carts that carried them to the army at Dunse Law ; and if ye winna believe his testimony, there is the window itself still standing in the Luckeribooths I think it's a claith-merchant's booth the day at the airn stanchells, five doors abune Gossford's Close."

Scott in a note says :

"This gentleman formed a striking example of the instability of human prosperity. He was once the wealthiest man of his time in Scotland, a mer- chant in an extensive line of commerce and a farmer of the public revenue ; insomuch that, about 1640, he estimated his fortune at two hundred thousand' pounds sterling. Sir William Dick was a zealous Covenanter ; and in the memorable year 1641, he lent the Scottish Convention of Estates one hundred thousand merks at once, and thereby enabled them to support and pay their army, which must other- wise Tiave broken to pieces. He afterwards ad- vanced 20,000/. for the service of King Charles, during the usurpation ; and having, by owning the royal cause, provoked the displeasure of the ruling party, he was fleeced of more money, amounting in all to 65,000/. sterling. Being in this manner re- duced to indigence, he went to London to try to recover some part of the sums which had been lent on Government security. Instead of receiving any satisfaction, the Scottish Croesus was thrown into prison, in which he died 19th December, 1655. It is said his death was hastened by the want of common necessaries. But this statement is some- what exaggerated, if it be true, as is commonly said, that though he was not supplied with bread, he had plenty of pie -crust, thence called 'Sir William Dick's necessity.' The changes of fortune are commemorated in a folio pamphlet entitled ' The Lamentable State of the deceased Sir William Dick.' It contains several copperplates, one repre- senting Sir William on horseback, and attended with guards as Lord Provost of Edinburgh, super- intending the unloading of one of his rich argosies. A second exhibiting him as arrested, and in the hands of the bailiffs. A third presents him dead in prison. The tract is esteemed highly valuable by collectors of prints. The only copy I ever saw upon sale was rated at 30Z."

Sir William Dick was not thrown into prison by Cromwell, as Scott assumes. It is true that while residing in London he was imprisoned more than once for small debts. He did not end his days in prison, however, but died in his lodgings in Westminster, though in extreme indigence.

His house in Edinburgh, which was sub- sequently occupied by the Earl of Kintore, was on the north side of the High Street, between Byre's Close and Advocates' Close. See also 3 S. vi. 457 for Dick.

There is a charming little poem by S. Laman Blanchard, addressed to ' Nell