Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 5.djvu/110

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NOTES AND QUERIES.

(11 8. V. FEB. 3, 1912.

a continual defender and maintainer of Keipier School at Houghton ....

"Moreover, I give to the poor of Houghton twenty pounds, and nine of my oxen ; the other nine I bequeath to my three executors. Like- wise, I give Richard, Lord Bishop of Durham, for a simple token of remembrance, three silver spoons with acorns, the history of Paulus Jovius, and the works of Calvin ; also I give to John Heath, Esq., for like remembrance, other two silver spoons, of the same weight, and also the history of John Sleden in Latin ; to Mrs. Heath I give my English Chronicle of Fabian ; and to Richard Bellasis, Esq., two spoons, &c., and my history called ' Novus Orbis.' And I most humbly beseech these three men of honour

and worship above all things, to take into

their tuition and governance all lands and re- venues belonging to Keipier School, and all deeds, evidences, gifts, and other writings, which are to show for the same : all the right and title to these lands I give up wholly into their power, for the good maintenance of the said school. And for as much as these lands are not so surely estab- lished as I should wish, I give unto Keipier School twenty pounds, which I desire the Bishop of Durham to take into his hands, and bestow as he shall see fit upon men learned in the laws. All the rest of my goods and chattels, I will that they be divided into two equal parts, and the one of them to be given to the poor of Hough- ton, the other to scholars and students at Oxford." [Here follow a list of names, with instructions, about the same.]

The text of this will is bad to copy, owing to the leaf being much mildewed. Does the school at Houghton still exist ?

J. W. S.

[Yes. It is now known as the Royal Kepier Grammar School, Houghton-le-Spring.]

THE NAVAL SALUTE. Although the origin and history of the Naval Salute are no doubt familiar to students of naval affairs, the subject seems to be little known to the public in general. That such a thing existed is occasionally learnt from stray references in the works of writers like Marryat, while many will no doubt recollect that Kingsley, in ' Westward Ho ! ' made good use of it when telling the story of John Hawkins and the Spanish admiral who had ventured to sail into Plymouth Sound without veiling topsails, or striking his flag. Hawkins, who was Port Admiral, at once sent a shot between his masts, and, when no attention was paid to this hint, with his next shot

lackt the Admiral through and through," whereupon down came the offending flag and due apologies were tendered. Few, however, realize that for centuries ships of all other nations were not only expected, but compelled, to lower their topsails and strike their flag when they met a ship of the English navy on the seas over which the Kings of England claimed sovereignty. The

matter is treated at length in an interesting article in a recent number of The Edinburgh Review on ' The Sovereignty of the Sea.' This gives the actual text of the Admiralty instruction on the point, which I think is worth preserving in the columns of ' N. & Q.' It was issued in 1691, and remained in force till 1806, as follows :

" Upon your meeting with any ship or ships within his Majesty's seas (which for your better guidance herein you are to take notice that they extend to Cape Finisterre), belonging to any foreign Prince or State, you are to expect them to strike their topsail and take in their flag, in acknowledgement of His Majesty's Sovereignty in these seas ; and if any shall refuse, or offer to resist, you are to use your utmost endeavour to compel them thereto, and in nowise to suffer any dishonour to be done to His Majesty. . . .You are further to notice that in his Majesty's seas his Majesty's ships are in nowise to. strike to any; and that in other parts no ship of his Majesty's is to strike his flag or topsail to any foreigner, unless such foreign ship shall have first struck, or at the same time strike, her flag or topsail to his Majesty's ship."

In the year after Trafalgar it was found necessary to issue a new edition of the ' Admiralty Instructions,' the preparation of which for the press was left to Admiral (afterwards Lord) Gambier, and at his sug- gestion the article of 1691, quoted above, was for the first time omitted. It does not appear that Gambier meant that the right was to be given up, but as a matter of fact this was the result of the omission, and the Naval Salute, after having been claimed, and enforced, for several centuries, fell into desuetude. T. F. D.

DICKENS : UNPUBLISHED LETTERS. Dickensians may be interested to learn that at the other end of the earth there is a collection of letters from the famous novelist that have not yet been put into print. Dr. Leeper, the Principal of Trinity College, Melbourne University (whose name is fami- liar to readers of ' N. & Q.'), has been deliver- ing an address on the treasures of the library of the institution over which he has so ably presided for many years. In addi- tion to the Second Folio Shakespeare, the library contains " a quantity of corre- spondence between Charles Dickens and the late G. W. Rusden, which, though interesting, is of too personal and intimate a character to be available for publication for some years." The library also possesses a com- plete set of the novels presented by Dickens to Mr. Rusden, who was for a long time the highest Parliamentary official in Mel- bourne, and who published histories of Australia and New Zealand, and various