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NOTES AND QUERIES. TUB. V.MAB. 10,1012.

It is also printed by Dr. von Ruville in his Appendix. In all these reprints the .authorship is attributed to William Pitt, Earl of Chatham.

The attribution has always seemed doubt- ful. I have now been fortunate enough, through the kindness of Lord Egmont in .allowing. me to see his family MSS., to find .almost certain proof that the attribution is wrong.

In the diary of Lord Egmont, father of the better-known eighteenth-century poli- tician, under date 16 Sept., 1733, occurs this passage :

"... .now Dr. Tyncl.il is dead, the head of the Unbelievers is Dr. Pellet .... One Pit, who writes The London Journal, is another of thorn. He has an office in the Customs."

This " Pit " was probably " James Pitt, .appointed viewer and examiner of tobacco " in 1731 (' Calendar of Treasury Books and Papers, 1731-4,' p. 68).

It can hardly be doubted that the ' Letter in The London Journal, subsequently attri- buted to William Pitt, was written by this James Pitt. BASIL, WILLIAMS.

Savile Club.

POOR STUDENTS, 1569. The poverty of students at the two Universities in Eliza- beth's reign is matter of common knowledge ; .and several expedients for their relief, as by licences to beg during the vacations, are .also on record. The Minute-Books of the Court of the Archdeacon of Essex supply .a hitherto unsuspected source of assistance, in a share of the penalties levied in the Courts Ecclesiastical.

In the Archdeacon's Court held in Romford Chapel on 13 Dec., 1569, a parishioner of Ley ton pleaded guilty to a charge of im- morality. The judge (William Rust, M.A., Official of Thomas Cole, D.D., Archdeacon of Essex) ordered him to undergo public penance, in form following : He shall stand next market-day, all market-time, in Rom- ford Market, as a penitent, in a white sheet and with a white wand in his hand ; and on the next Sunday he shall stand, in like -guise, in Leyton Parish Church, and shall there penitently acknowledge his offence.

Afterwards, on earnest entreaty of the culprit and his neighbours, the penance was commuted ; and he was ordered to give 30s. to three scholars of Cambridge ; to con- tribute 10s. towards the repairs of Leyton Church ; and to confess publicly his fault in Leyton Church in service-time on Christ- anas Day. This public apology was, of

course, without the humiliating adjuncts of the white sheet and peeled wand.

In the Archdeacon's Court held in High Ongar Church, 15 Dec., 1569, inquiry was made as to whether a parishioner of Wood- ford, previously convicted of immorality, had made the public confession enjoined him, and had paid 40s. to poor scholars of Cambridge, as iie had been ordered.

ANDREW CLARK.

Great Leighs, Essex.

A DANGEROUS STOVE Extract from State Papers, Dom., Charles I. (vol. 67, p. 26):

To the right honorb lee the Lords of his Majesties

most honorable Privy Counsell. xvi die Jany 1627

May yt please yo r Lo ps according to yo r order of the 13 th of June 162 7, wee have Viewed & Con- sidered of the Stove & Furnace lately erected by a frenchman in a howse in S' Martins lane. And wee doe finde that the saide Stove hath lately sett on fier y e tymberworke, wc h was in repairinge at our cominge thither, & that yt is a most unfltt place for a Stove, & very dangerous in reguard the roome is all of tymber. Also for the furnace yt is placed in an upper roome 3 stories high & uppon a tymber floore, & beinge large requireth a great fyer to heat yt, wch we houlcl to be of more danger than the former.

Wee shewinge to the said frenchman y e great danger likely to ensue, yf the same should be Continued, & treating w th him for -the present demollishinge thereof, he hath promised that on Mondaye next he will take doune the said furnace, & that ther shalbe no more Stove or hotthouse sett ther againe, wc h yf he shall not performe, wee will further enforme yo r Loi )s thereof.

INIGO JONES

THO. BALDWIN

WILLIAM MAN FR : ARSEN.

HENRY WICKS

E. H. FAIRBROTHER.

ORGANISTS AND LONGEVITY. About 1711 (according to the ' Diary of John Thom- linson,' Surtees Society's Proceedings; vol. cxviii., 1910-11, p. 123) James Hesletine, aged 19, was appointed organist of Durham Abbey. He died 20 June, 1763, and was succeeded by John Ebden. Ebden died 23 Sept., 1811, aged 73. These two, there- fore, just covered a century !

Ebden was succeeded by Dr. Henshaw,

who resigned in 1861, after nearly 50 years'

service. Dr. Armes was then appointed,

and he held the office till within the last

j five or six years. The four therefore occu-

] pied the position for very nearly two cen-

j turies ! If this has not already been put

I on record, it may be as well to make a note


 * of it, H. G. P,