Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 9.djvu/504

 498

NOTES AND QUERIES. [ii s. ix. JUNE 20, 191*.

SIB FRANCIS GALTON IN THE SUDAN (US. viii. 29). Galton revisited Egypt in 1900, and at a meeting of the Khedivial Geo- graphical Society on 24 Feb. in that year he gave some reminiscences of his visit to Egypt and ascent of the Nile to Khartum in 1846. In it he explained how a simple pleasure tour led to his giving the remainder of his life to a more serious scientific vocation, how the suggestions of M. d'Arnaud, a French pioneer in the Sudan, afterwards D'Arnaud Bey, led him to explore the land of the Damaras in South-West Africa, and that the inception of his investigations into finger-prints was in a measure due to his chance meeting with D'Arnaud at Korasko in 1846. Galton's address to the Khedivial Geographical Society is printed in the Bulletin de la Societe Khediviale de Geo- graphic du Caire, Cinquieme Serie, No. 7, Mai, 1900, pp. 375-80. See also No. 8, Septembre, 1900, p. 481. As this periodical is not, perhaps, much known in this country outside the library of the Royal Geographical Society, it may be well to record this remi- niscence in ' N. & Q.'

FREDK. A. EDWARDS.

MOTHERING SUNDAY (11 S. ix. 149). I have received help for which I am grateful through my query last February, and have collected a great deal of informa- tion, but am still at a loss for the date of the term " Mothering Sunday." The custom itself has been observed from the earliest ages of Christianity on the fourth Sunday in Lent, but I can find no trace of the expression till it is used by Herrick. I should be glad of information on this point. CONSTANCE SMITH.

BURNAP ALIAS BURNETT (US. IX. 448).

The Burnetts are not a Scottish, but a South of England family. See the pedigree of Burnett of Leys in Burke' s ' Peerage and Baronetage.' S. D. CLIPPINGDALE.

ROBIN HOOD ROMANCES (11 S. viii. 203, 297, 313, 378). The following further refer- ences may be added : The Antiquary, vol. xii. pp. 137-143 ; Folk-Lore Journal, vol. iii.; Chambers' s Journal, vol. xviii.

CHAS. HALL CROUCH.

REV. RICHARD SCOTT (11 S. ix. 430). He was probably identical with Richard Scott, scholar of Trinity College, Dublin, 1780 ; B.A., 1782, M.A. 1788 (' Catalogue of Graduates who have Proceeded to Degrees in the University of Dublin,' 1869, p. 507.) DANIEL HIPWELL.

THE DEDICATION or ROSTAND'S ' CYRANO r (11 S. ix. 318). It is with astonishment that I have read at the above reference under the heading ' Notes on Books ' an appreciation of Miss Mary E. Brown's ' Dedications,' in which is quoted the follow- ing supposed-to-be-dedication of Rostand's play ' Cyrano ' :

" It was my intent to dedicate this poem to the soul of Cyrano, but since that soul has entered into thy soul, Coquelin, I dedicate it to thee."

Of course, if this were an accurate transla- tion the dedication would have justified that criticism of Mr. Knight's which is alluded to. But, once more, " traduttore, traditore " ; for the French text reads thus :

" C'est a Tame de Cyrano que je voulais dedier ce poeme, mais puisqu'elle a passe" en toi, Coqueliu, c'est a toi que je la dedie."

Which, accurately translated, runs :

" It is to the soul of Cyrano I intended to dedicate- this poem, but since that soul has entered into thee, Coquelin, it is to thee I dedicate it."

It is a pity that Mr. Knight, so trusty and judicious a critic, has lighted upon this false translation he would probably have approved the original ; and still more a pity that Miss Brown should have repeated the blunder in a book so worthy in other respects. JOHN TH. ROSY.

Montreal.

GOVERNOR EYRE (11 S. ix. 447). Sed- bergh School Register (edition, 1895), has under Entrances in 1828, the name of this man, thus : " Eyre, Edward John, entered February, aged 13, born at Whipsnade, near Dunstable, left June, 1830." Then follows a long account of his career.

W. H. CHIPPINDALL, CoL

Kirkby Lonsdale.

JOHN CURWOOD (11 S. ix. 430). Curwood the counsel in Stockdale v. Hansard, was admitted to membership of the Middle Temple on 18 Jan., 1790, as "John Cur- wood, eldest son of John Curwood of Bishops- gate Street, City of London, gent." He was called to the Bar, 10 June, 1796, having been a special pleader, and joined the Oxford circuit. The Law Times of 17 April, 1847,. recorded

"the death of this venerable member of the Old Bailey Bar. . . .unexpectedly at Hendon on Wed- nesday last. Mr. Curwood's name has been for more than 30 years familiar to the public as a leading practitioner at the Metropolitan Criminal Court. At various periods his forensic abilities were ex- hibited in leading trials of interest ; amongst others was that of the King v. Thistlewood, in- which he was retained for the defence. The-