Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 8.djvu/340

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NOTES AND QUERIES, [n s. VIL APRIL 26, 1913.

by St. Patrick, who found fire-worship or sun-worship (for they are identical) preva- lent in Ireland. I was told at Achill that the ancient custom of lighting the May Day fires was still (1898) kept up in Inniskea and other adjacent islands.

Another observance closely connected with this subject, and which existed in remote districts until quite recently, was the custom of declining firmly to give the " seed of the fire " to any one on May Day. On other days of the year, except during the actual operation of butter -making, a neigh- bour whose fire went out in the night always got a coal or two without demur, but on May Day it was no use to ask. I remember the case of one old man who lived close to our farm, whose fire was out on May morning. He went to his next-door neighbour, an old Woman, for the " seed of the fire " ; but she strenuously refused, whereupon he tore off a piece of his ragged corduroy trousers, which he lit as if to " redden " his pipe. This, however, was not his object : as corduroy burns slowly he took it away, notwithstanding the protests of the old lady, who predicted that some harm Would befall her before the day was out. The man succeeded in lighting his fire, but the old Woman's goat, her only possession, died before night.

Down to a few years ago cattle were struck with burning branches taken from bonfires on St. John's Eve, and boys, and sometimes even daring girls, used to jump across the outskirts of the fire, round which they always danced " le deiseal na greine " i.e., they followed the apparent course oJ the sun, but never went in the contrary direction, which is the course taken by Witches and those who practise charms on Hallow-e'en.

With regard to the derivation of the wore " Bealltaine," I think it comes from teine (fire) and Baal (the Irish Sun -God).

T. O'NEILL LANE. Tournafulla, co. Limerick.

'ECCENTRIC BIOGRAPHY' (11 S. vi. 369 434). I have lately come across an ad vertisement in a Work dated 1802 which i almost certainly of the book inquired for It runs :

" Just published, By T. Hurst, Paternoste Row, Neatly printed in a Pocket Size, Price 4s in boards, Eccentric Biography ; or, Sketches o upwards of 300 Remarkable Characters, ancien and modern, embellished with Portraits ..... few copies are reserved, with the Portraits printe in Colours, price 6s. boards."

W. B, H.

HAYTER'S ' TRIAL OF QUEEN CAROLINE * 11 S. vii. 69, 152). This very large canvas as not exhibited at the Academy. When ompleted in 1823 it was shown at " Mr. Dauty's Great Rooms, No. 80, Pall Mall. Admittance one shilling." The" " Catalogue rith five plates of reference " is of more han usual size and merit. Hayter in his ntroduction provides some additional infor- mation worth transcribing :

This day was preferred as one when the honour- able and learned gentlemen of the Bar had, if )ossible, a little less occupation than during the jxamination or cross - examination of a witness ; which enabled the painter to show, with more pro- priety, the faces of some gentlemen, whose backs vould otherwise have been turned towards the ipectator. It appears in the journals of the day, ,hat the persons most exerting themselves, pre- viously to the Queen's leaving her chair in the louse, at half-past twelve o'clock, were the Right honourable the Lord Chancellor, Lord Amherst, liord Falmquth, Lord Ellenborough, and the Earl irey, who is checking the prolixity of the inter- preter, the Marchese Spinetti, desirous to proceed with the examination of the witness."

The picture was again exhibited at the Egyptian Hall, Piccadilly, during 1843, with other works of this artist. A descrip- tive catalogue (8vo) with " Eleven plates of reference " was on sale at Is., and two different handbills were issued.

I was at fault in suggesting at the first reference that it remained at Dover House from 1830 to 1860. ALECK ABRAHAMS.

HART LOGAN, M.P. (US. vii. 170. 238). Hart -Logan Was one of two members for West Suffolk, elected 7 Aug., 1837. After his death Henry Spencer Waddingtoii of Cavenham, Suffolk, was elected in his place 7 May, 1838 (see Blue-book of Members of Parliament). Apparently Logan was not in possession of Kentwell Hall (1| miles beyond Long Mel ford on the road from London to Norwich) for very many years. He appears as living there in * Paterson's Roads,' eighteenth " edition, by Edward Mogg, 1826, p. 337; but in ' Kearsley's Traveller's Entertaining Guide through Great Britain,' 1801, col. 18, and in ' Gary's New Itinerary,' fifth edition, 1812, col. 545, Richard Moore is given as the inhabitant of Kentwell Hall.

BARON STULZ (11 S. vii. 121). Stulz is named in Marryat's ' Japhet in search of a Father,' vol. i. chap, xxi., as the fashionable tailor, apparently of St. James's Street. .The novel appeared in 1836, according to Allibone. Of course this does not show that an actual Stulz existed at that time.

ROBERT PIERPOINT.