Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 4.djvu/525

 n s. iv. DEC. 23, i9ii.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

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cousinship. Christopher Lowther of Wressle, so far from dying s.p., left sons John, Sturmy, and Robert, and a daughter Anne. I believe John died in Durham in 1785 s.p. It would appear that, if any heirs male of the others survive, they repre- sent the direct line and baronetcy (but no other title) of Lowther of Lowther. The present Lonsdale descent is from a younger brother of Sir John, and the title a revival of two similar titles which died out from want of issue. H. FANSHAWE.

on

Pins and Pincushions. By B. D. Longman and

S. Loch. (Longmans & Co.)

THIS book has been written " with the view of pointing out the great importance of the ' Pin,' both in ancient and modern times," and'it con- tains a good deal of matter, both learned and entertaining, concerning one of the smallest of everyday conveniences. We must, however, remark that a little more trouble and time spent by the two authors would have sensibly improved their gatherings. Their volume is decidedly scrappy ; in some places it lacks arrangement ; and, strangely enough, they have forgotten to supply an Index. They talk of adding dignity to the subject, but introduce reflections in a conver- sational style, and quote from The Daily Mail and Tit-Bits. The illustrations are numerous and very attractive, especially in the earlier portion of the volume, where prehistoric pins are figured and described. Dickens, we are told, used to wear two pins connected by a chain in his cravat, and thus followed the type of those used in the Bronze Age. From early days up to recent times pins have figured largely in magic, and the accounts here of various usages of the kind are of great interest. The sticking of pins into a manikin representing the person one wishes to suffer is a well-known feature of witchcraft. We note that a popular embodiment of such a practice appears in ' The Leech of Folkestone ' of ' The Ingoldsby Legends.' The doll in this case had great ugly pins in it, " those extended pieces of black pointed wires, with which, in the days of toupees and pompoons, our foremothers were wont to secure their fly-caps and head-gear from the impertinent assaults of ' Zephyrus and the Little Breezes.' "

When the writers (p. 27) ask their readers to consider for a moment what one day in their lives would be without a pin of any kind, they give an indication of their sex. The pin, except for ornamental purposes, is hardly an incessant concern to the modern man, and the reservation is added later (p. 145) that pins are " now more essentially of feminine use." Scarf pins and tie- pins are not, we think, so popular as they were, though the- well-dressed young man uses a safety- pin to keep his tie in place when he wears a soft collar.

Pins in drinking-vessels have been discussed in our columns, as also a " policy of pin-pricks." We do not know what is the earliest use of pin- dropping to indicate silence. Pin -pricked

pictures are well illustrated, one of the plates pre- senting the work of a lady now in her 101st year.

' Pins in Poetry and Prose ' gives a good collec- tion of quotations from the former, but why are not the authors cited arranged in alphabetical or chronological order ? It seems odd to jump from Swift to Milton, followed by Mrs. Browning and Shakespeare. The prose selections could easily be increased. Thus Swift writes in his ' Journal to Stella ' (Letter XV., February, 1710/11) :

" Well, you shall have your pins, but for candles ends, I cannot promise, because I burn them to the stumps."

In ' Adam Bede,' chap, xv., Hetty " could see the head of every pin in her red-cloth pin- cushion." Pincushions were in earlier days both beautiful and elaborate, as is shown here, and some fine examples are pictured which testify to the Jacobite faith.

In a new edition the authors might revise their derivation of the word " pin." The last two figures in the date of Daudet's death (p. 125) should be reversed ; and our correspondent Mr. Thomas Ratcliffe is called " Radcliffe " in the. Preface.

BOOKSELLERS' CATALOGUES. DECEMBER.

MB. P. M. BARNARD'S Tunbridge Wells Cata- logue 49, ' Tracts, Broadsides, Sermons, etc.," contains 591 entries, chiefly belonging to the seventeenth century. The most interesting por- tion deals with the years 1640-65 (250 items), and includes some important tracts on the Civil War and Restoration. Among the more notable items are the first edition (the "mourning edition"), of Sylvester's ' Lachrimae Lachrimarum ' (1612) on the death of Prince Henry, SI. Ss. ; a Par- liamentary declaration on horses and arms, with a woodcut of the mark used on them, II. 12s. ;. an account of the naval successes of Sir Richard Stayner (1656) and Blake (1657) against the Spaniards ; a number of tracts by Prynne, besides others relating to Ireland ; and several broadsides.

Mr. J. G. Commin of Exeter includes in his Catalogue 280 The Art Journal, complete to 1910, 62 vols., 9Z. 10s. ; Magazine of Art, com- plete set, 27 vols., 51. ' Records of New Amster- dam,' 7 vols., 31. 10s. ; Anglo-Saxon Review, 10 vols., 31. 15s. ; Archaeological Journal, 36 vols., 4Z. 18s. ; and several English Chronicles bound by Bedford. Audsley and Bowes's ' Keramic Art of Japan,' 2 vols., is 61. 15s. ; Bida's etchings to the Four Gospels, 2 vols., 3Z. 15s. ; Britton's ' Cathe- dral Antiquities,' 5 vols., 21. 18s. 6d., and ' Archi- tectural Antiquities,' 5 vols., 31. 3s. ; and Chalmers's ' Caledonia,' 7 vols., 31. There are a large number of books under Devon and Corn- wall. Shaw's ' Dresses and Decorations of the Middle Ages,' 2 vols., is 21. 18s. ; Gillray's ' Caricatures ' 4 vols., 7Z.|10s. ; Guillim's ' Heraldry,' best edition, Ql. 10s. ; and Punch, 100 vols., 11. 10s. There are several entries under Numis- matic, and a number of antiquarian works from the library of the late Hardinge F. Giffard.

Messrs. W. & G. Foyle, who issue a large number of classified lists, have sent us their Catalogue of Literature and Reference Books, which includes a general summary of all their catalogues ; Selected List of Educational Books ;-.