Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 5.djvu/374

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NOTES AND QUERIES. fll s. v. APRIL 20, 1912.

GEORGIANA, DUCHESS OF BEDFORD. "The gossip of her time has credited the famou

Duchess of Gordon with trying to hool
 * several suitors for her youngest daughter

Lady Georgians, including Beckford am

Eugene Beauharnais. But there was mor

definite reason to believe that she cast an eye on the sixth Earl of Sandwich, for Th

Times of 4 Nov., 1802, says :

" The marriage of Lord Viscount Hinclrinbrok

to Lady Georgiana Gordon will, it is said, tak

place in Vienna about Christmas.'*

As a matter of fact, Lady Georgiana marriec the ninth Duke of Bedford on 23 June, 1803 while Hinchinbroke (1773-1818) married Lady Mary Corry on 9 July, 1804.

J. M. BULLOCH. 123, Pall Mall.

CARLYLE'S ' FRENCH REVOLUTION ' IN A FRENCH VERSION. (See US. ii. 206.) A recent number of the Parisian Mercure ~de France refers to the French translation ~>of Carlyle's "Iliad of the Terror" thus " La traduction etait bonne, et il ne serait pas necessaire qu'on en fit line nouvelle.' The author of this statement, M. Henr. Mazel, has since frankly admitted that he never compared the texts carefully, and he .adds this: "Je n'ecrirais plus que la tra- duction etait bonne."

A literary Frenchman residing in New York calls the French version " un sabotage." This expressive phrase, descriptive of work done "comme a coups de sabots," clearly describes my opinion of the volumes trans- lated by Regnault and Roche. What can be said of such travesties as " presque nus " for " unwearied," " beuglant " for " cower- ing," " derviches filants " for "spinning -dervishes " ?

When one finds " commencait a devenir plus enrage"," and " Jourdan mit un frein a sa fe>ocite"," for Carlyle's statement that Jourdan began dealing in madder, and sub- sequently shut his madder-shop (' Avignon '), he is not surprised to read " On y voit des larmes au pied de la balustrade," and

Voici les huissiers, precurseurs des pleurs 'et des tourments," for "tear down the rail- ing ' and " ushers tear and tug " (' Con- stitution burst in Pieces ').

Carlyle wrote "Dust shall not stick to the hoofs of Fersen," and Regnault and Roche render it "La poussiere ne s'at- tachera pas aux doigts de Fe-sen " ; while Masson ('Pages choisies de Carlyle') gives the true picture : "La poussiere ne collera ]pas aux sabots des chevaux de Fersen."

M. Masson would appear to be admirably suited to give the French people a true version of Carlyle's great epic.

THOMAS FLINT,

Brooklyn, N.Y.

' THE COMMONWEALTH MERCURY,' FROM THURSDAY, 2 SEPT., TO THURSDAY, 9 SEPT., 1658. This most interesting old paper has recently been lent to me by a friend. It consists of eight pages ; rather more than six and a half of these give details of the death of Oliver Cromwell and the proclamation of his son Richard as Lord Protector, the remaining portion being filled with quaint advertisements.

There is, for example, a tea advertisement worded as follows :

" THat excellent,. .. .by all Physitians ap- proved, China Drink, called by the Chineans, Tcha, by other Nations, Tay or Tee, is sold at the Sultaness-head, a Cophee-house in Sweetings Bents by the Royal Exchange, London."

The first reference to tea by a native of Britain is in a letter, dated 27 June, 1615, written by a Mr. Wickham, which is among the records of the East India Company. From that time onwards it became gradually known to the wealthy inhabitants of London, n the form of small quantities obtained from 3hina, sent from India as presents, or by small ots in the markets from time to time. [t was always exorbitantly dear, fetching sometimes as much as Wl. the pound, and never less than 51. A large consignment arrived in 1657, which was bought by a thriving London merchant, Mr. Thomas ^arraway, who established a house for the iale of the prepared beverage ; and that louse, under the name of " Garraway's Coffee-house," is still a famous establish- nent in the city.

The paper gives the exact time of Oliver Cromwell's death, and mentions the embalm - ng of his body :

" Whitehall. Sept. 3.

" His most Serene and Renowned Highness )liver Lord Protector, being after a sickness of bout fourteen days (which appeared an Ague in he beginning) reduced to a very low condition of Jody, began early this morning to draw near the ate of death ; and it pleased God about three a lock afternoon, to put a period to his life."

"Sept. 4th.

" This Afternoon the Physitians and Chir- rgians appointed by Order of the Council to mbowel and embalme the Body of his late Highness, and fill the same with "sweet Odours, erformed their duty."

L. H. CHAMBERS. Amersham.