Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 1.djvu/313

 ii s. i. APR. 16, mo.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

305

HENRY BARKER, PREBENDARY OF

WESTMINSTER : W. HUDDESFORD. J. P. MALCOLM, the ingenious compiler of some little-read books, obtained from W. Richardson the printseller permission to edit and publish a collection of letters then in his possession, which had been addressed to the Rev. James Granger. The conse- quent volume, published by Longmans in 1805, is interesting ; but on comparing its pages with some of the original letters, it is evident that the editing has been too severe and unwise. Of the following humorous communication by W. Huddesford of Trinity College more than half has been omitted. The references are too significant to be lost :

Dec. 21, 1769.

DEAR SIR, I received your letter by the coach, and am glad to hear yoij are safe returned to your country quarters. Much obliged to you for your kind offices with her Grace of P[ortland].

I have no thought of accepting her obliging favour till march, and perhaps shall not be able then, except my journeymen the printers keep them- selves sober which is by no means certain. But of that hereafter. Not to come empty-handed, take this account of Dr. Barker :

Ego Henricus Barker films Josephi Barker de Sherborn in Com. Dorset admissus sum Commensalis in Coll. Trin. sub intamine Majestri Campion. A.D. 1673, M.A. 1679, B.D. 1689, D.D. 1713.

He was a good scholar see if in the ' Musae Anglicanoo ' there are not some performances of his. After what I sent before, I have only to add what you will not disgrace your page with. He kept a seraglio and a colony of cats. It happened that at the coronation the chair of state fell to his share of the spoil as Prebendary of Westminster which he sold to some foreigner. When they packed it up, one of his favourite cats was enclosed along with it ; but the Dr. pursued his treasure in a boat to Gravesende, and recovered

I 1 or safe. When the Dr. was disgusted by the Ministry, he gave his female cats the names of the chief ladies about the Court, and the male ones those of the men in power, adorning them with the blue, red, or green insignia of ribbons which the persons they represented wore. Thus lie vented his spleen as well as in several smart squibs, epigrams, and lampoons, to which he did not put his name. He was tutor to Spencer Oompton, Ld. Wilmington. He invented a kind of palsy drops which were in great esteem, and .sold, but not in his name.

I thank you for your intended application to Mi. Gregory, but not hearing from you, I have '"' 'ii bold enough to write to that gentleman myself ; however, I shall be obliged to you to l>ack my request.

I can give you a few hints relative to Dr. Lister, viz., the Duchess of Maryborough, viz. Sal. Jen- nings, is his niece. Mr. Gregory's ancestor in.-irried her sister.

You do not mention the rect. of two prints and a letter of mine. The prints were sent to you

from Mr. Ashby of St. John's, Cambridge. I hope they are now safe arrived. Pray let me hear from you without regard to post or carriage. You alway give me great pleasure, and amply reward the small services of Yours, W.H.

Trin. Coll.

It is hardly necessary to add that Granger did not make use of these facts.

According to Bromley, there is a mezzo- tint by G. White of Barker. He describes it at p. 274 :

" Harricus [sic] Barker, S.T.P. Prebendary of Westminster. Ob. 1740, set. 85. Oval frame. Arms."

ALECK ABRAHAMS.

E ASTER TWICE IN ONE YEAR, O.S. In

'Whitaker's Almanack' for 1910 (p. 69) is a table giving the dates on which Easter Day has fallen since the year 1500. A note states that the computation, previous to 1752, is that of the " Old Style " ; but on examination of the table I find that in fact all the years in the upper three lines of the first two columns, i.e., all those in which Easter fell before 25 March, are set down a year in advance of their " Old Style " title.

Another portion of the note reminds the reader that, according to the Old Style, the legal year began on 25 March, and goes on to say, " but that, as it did not affect the date of Easter, is not noticed in this table." A realization of the importance of the relation between these two dates might have prevented the above-noticed blunder, for, anomalous as it may seem, in the Old Style calendar a single year might boast two Easter Sundays, while the next was devoid of such a feast !

In 1572 O.S., for example, the first Easter was 6 April, and the second was 22 March ; ' Whitaker ' assigns the latter to 1573, which, as it professes to follow the " Old Style," is erroneous, for the Old Style 1573 did not commence before 25 March, and as the next Easter was 11 April, 1574, the year 1573 O.S. should not properly find a place in the table at all.

ETHEL LEGA-WEEKES.

CHILD TELLING ITS OWN FATE. J. Theo- dore Bent in his ' Cyclades ; or, Life among the Insular Greeks,' 1885, p. 186, speaks as follows :

" At Sikinos this ceremony takes place on the child's first birthday, when all the relatives are gathered together. A tray is brought out and on it are put various objects a pen, money, tools, an egg, &c. and whichever the infant first touches with its hands is held to be the indication of the Moipa, or Pate, as to the most suitable