Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 8.djvu/115

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NOTES AND QUERIES.

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Jonson's, and thus finally disposing of Fleay's theory, based upon internal indica- tions of a trivial and unreliable kind, that it was written in 1610.

It may be added that ' The Devil is an Ass ' was written too late for inclusion in Jonspn's collected edition of his ' Works ' published in 1616, and that it does not appear to have been printed until 1631.

H. D. SYKES. Enfield, Middlesex.

RELIC OF AUSTRALIAN EXPLORERS. An interesting relic has recently come into my possession through the death of a relative whose husband had it presented to him. Merely a much -battered and blackened coin, it presents in itself no especial feature of value or interest, but its history is thus recorded on the paper in which it is wrapped :

" A shilling found among the ashes on the encamp- ment of Burke and Wills, the great Australian explorers, who were found starved to death. This is one of two shillings found at the place where the bodies were found."

Curious to say, the only legible part of the inscription on the coin is the date 1836. It would be interesting to learn if anything is known of the other shilling, or whether any other relic of the ill-fated expedition is extant. CUTHBERT B. PmoT.

WE must request correspondents desiring in- formation on family matters of only private interest to affix their names and addresses to their queries, in order that answers may be sent to them direct.

PETRONIUS, CAP. LXXXI. In this chap- ter of the ' Satyricon,' Encolpius rails against his two friends, who have left him. He describes them both in terms of disparage- ment, and it seems somewhat uncertain which description applies to Ascyltos, and which to Giton. Is the first described ("adolescens impurus," &c.) Ascyltos, and the second (" qui, tanquam die togse virilis, stolam sumpsit," &c.) Giton, or vice versa ?

Opinions are evidently divided on this point. Thus French scholars seem to agree that the first is Ascyltos and the escond Giton, for in the translation of M. de Guerle (p. 125) the translator boldly inserts the name " Giton : ' (in relation to the second description), which is not to be found in the original text ; in the translation of M. de Redni (p. 214) the translator has a note deducing the age of Giton from the passage

concerning the " toga virilis," which he takes as applying to him ; and M. Emile Thomas, in his excellent book ' Petrone ' (third edition, 1912, p. 36, notes 3 and 4), also applies the first description to Ascyltos and the second to Giton.

On the other hand, the first English translation (1694), that of 1708, and the new one of 1902, all seem to apply the first description to Giton and the second to Ascyltos.

To me it appears probable that the French scholars are right, but the passage seems ambiguous, as a youth who was old enough to adopt the " toga virilis," and one to whom the term " adolescens " was applied, would surely be much about the same age. I should be very glad to have the point cleared up. SATYRUS.

MARBLEMEN. The following is from the ' Calendar of Close Rolls,' 46 Edward III., 23 Oct., Westminster :

" To John Cavendissh and Thomas de Ingelby,

justices appointed to hold pleas before the king

Order by writ of ni-nprius to cause the inquisition which is to be taken, it is said, between the king and the men of the township of Lenne Episcopi of the great guild for that they are embracing certain traffic of millstones and of marble for altars and grave-stones so often as the same come to that town, selling them by two men of the guild called 'skyveyns' without that that any other man may freely ply such traffic, and moreover, to the oppression of the people, setting a fixed price upon the sale thereof within which no stone may be bought, to be taken before them the said justices or one of them." Edition published by authority of the Home Department, p. 413.

What was the " great guild " ? and what is to be understood by " skyveyns " ?

PEREGRINTJS.

IDENTIFICATION OF PAINTER SOUGHT. Can any reader inform me who was the painter of a large oil painting of the launch- ing of the Indiaman David Scott and the Indiaman William Fairlie from the stocks at Mr. Bayley's Halifax Shipyard, Ipswich, in September, 1821? A notice of the occurrence will be found in G. R. Clarke's ' History of Ipswich' (1830). H. A. PITMAN.

65, Cambridge Terrace, Hyde Park, W.

EARLS OF ROCHFORD. Can any of your readers tell me whether there exist any representatives of the family of the Earls of Rochford, one of whom was Ambassador in Paris in the year 1766 ? This peerage was then held by the family of Nassau (of Zulestein). Lieut. -General W. H. Nassau was created Earl of Rochford about the year 1690. H. A. L.