Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 5.djvu/81

 11 S. V. JAX. 27, 191i\]

NOTES AND QUERIES.

61

LONDON, SATURDAY, JANUARY 37, 1912.

CONTENTS. No. 109.

NOTES : Joseph Knight: Another Reminiscence, 61 Statues and Memorials in the British Isles, 62 The Piper in the Plague of London Arms of the See of Winchester, 64 The First Person in Wordsworth and Shakespeare, 65 Sir Henry Vane the Younger Lamb or Lambe Richards of Bramley House Dickensiana, 66 The Saurians in English Poetry Clifton Campville Church St. Pancras, 1817 The Glamia Mystery : a Parallel "Clear Case"" The Same Yet," Inn Sign, 67.

QUERIES : New Zealand : Governors' Descendants Wanted Mrs. Mary Young, Eton Dame" Christiana Regina Bohemia" Giggleswick School Seal Cadell & Davies : their Successors Authors of Quotations Wanted, 68 Henry Downes Miles The Piano in Considerant's 4 Destinee Sociale ' Spanish Titles granted to Irishmen Feliziano, Portuguese Artist Queen Anne and her Children Anne Went worth, 69 Gundrada de Warenne Duchesse de Bouillon Foreigners accompanying William III. Royal Artillery, Ninth Battalion, 1809-14 Alexandro Arnidei Burial Customs N. Le Vasseur : Richelieu Biographical Information Wanted, 70 The Revolution Society, Bill of Rights Society, &c. Beazant Family Crowned by a Pope Brodribb of Somerset St Laluwy, 71.

REPLIES : Rev. Samuel Greatheed, 71 Municipal Records Printed, 73 Latter Lammas Jane Austen's ' Persuasion ' Whittington and his Cat : Eastern Variants Corporation of London and the Medical Profession, 75 Nelson : " Mnsle" Dean Swiftand the Rev. J. Geree Miniature of Mary, Queen of Scots Bishops addressed as " My Lord," 76 Signs of Old London Half acree Sur- namePrime Serjeant Sir W. Davenant's 'Entertain- ment at Rutland House,' 77 Sheffield Cutlery in 1820 Col. Gordon Authors of Quotations Wanted Miner Family Court Leet : Manor Court Highgate Archway Bishop Griffith of St Asaph, 79 Henry Card, 80.

NOTES ON BOOKS : ' Cambridge under Queen Anne ' 1 The Quarterly Review.'

Booksellers' Catalogues. Notices to Correspondents.

Jiofcs.

JOSEPH KNIGHT: ANOTHER REMINISCENCE.

I HAVE recently received a letter from Joseph Knight's brother which contains a characteristic anecdote of our late Editor. It seems to me worth preserving in 'N. & Q.,' and I have Mr. John Knight's leave to reproduce it.

The Urban Club was one in which Joseph Knight disported himself, and he is in- cluded in the picture of the members, which was recently, I believe, lost. It is of this club that Mr. John Knight writes, as follows :

P-" So far away as 1868 (I think) Robert Lowe exploited his famous 'Match Tax Budget,' and in it angered the whole literary world by excising

almost every dole that previous Governments had niggardly thrown at the feet of literature. At this time my brother was President of the Urban Club. I happened at the time to be up in town, staying with him. He told me that the Club was holding its annual dinner, and that he, as President, had to preside, and suggested that I should accompany him, to which I cheer- fully assented. I need not tell you how inter- ested and impressed I was by the precincts of that ancient home of the Club, with its classic hall sacred to the memory of David Garrick, imme- diately over the historic gateway of the Knights of St. John, Clerkenwell. Therein was gathered a goodly company of the literary elect of London. After the dinner a gentleman rose and called the attention of the Club to a letter that had appeared in The Daily Telegraph, that voiced the indigna- tion felt by all connected with literature at the miserable cheeseparing of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, &c., and proposed that the Urban Club should mark their sense of obligation to the anonymous writer of it by electing him a, life member of the Club !

" When he resumed his seat the Club broke into rapturous applause, partly in tribute to the brilliancy of the speech, and partly in support of the resolution. When this had subsided there was a pause, awaiting a seconder, and all eyes turned to the chairman, their expectation being that the President, in his official capacity, would undertake the duty. He, however, made no sign, and the guests, growing impatient, began calling ' Knight ! Knight ! ' Then he still holding back, the calls became universal, so that at last ah e arose, and with that look on his face that his friends so well knew, that silently ex- pressed, ' Well, confound you! if you will have it, then I suppose I must,' he began to abuse the letter. Admitting that he had read it, he considered it so devoid of all literary merit, it was so wanting in artistic style and construc- tion, that, in his judgment, it would be humiliating for the society of men constituting the Urban Club to recognize it in any way. This response acted as a cold douche on the enthusiasm of the meeting, and a chill silence fell upon the company. This, however, was soon relieved by the rising of a gentleman who received such an ovation that I whispered to my neighbour, ' Who is it ? ' ' Why,

don't you know ? It's Mr the editor of the

Telegraph.'

" He commenced by saying : ' It is well known to you, gentlemen, that there is nothing held by the editors of London daily papers more sacred and inviolate than the anonymity of their corre- spondents. Any one writing to them under a pseudonym, wild horses would not drag the author's name from them. And it would be n crime for an editor, under almost any conceivable circumstance, to break this law. But it has been said " There is no law without an exception." I will, at the risk of being held a traitor to my class, on this occasion break this rule by inform- ing you that the writer of that letter was none other than our President himself ! '

" The shout that greeted this disclosure showed how fully they appreciated the humour of it."

Such urbanity and modesty lend a new grace to scholarship.

VERNON REND ALL.