Page:Notes and Queries - Series 12 - Volume 1.djvu/501

 is s.i. JUNE 17, 1916.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

495

MIRROR GHOSTS (12 S. i. 447). I heard the following story about twenty years ago. My informant had learnt it from a friend, who was also a friend of the lady who saw the ghost. One evening Lady G., when staying at Rufford Abbey, had dressed for dinner. Her maid had already left the room, and she stood alone before the dressing table, giving a few final touches to the diamonds she had put on. As she did so, she suddenly observed in the mirror before her that a man in the habit of a monk was standing behind her, gazing over her shoulder. The sight gave her a shock. When she related what she had seen, after she went downstairs, she was told that the monks of Rufford had not worn the dress which she described. Nevertheless, she was so nervous that she left the Abbey on the following day. Some little time after it was discovered from old documents that a monk of an order which wore the costume she had seen had visited Rufford and died there.

Probably the present owner of the place could say whether there was in reality any modern foundation for the story, or whether it is an old tale made new. M. P.

AUTHORS OF QUOTATIONS WANTED (12 S. i. 428).

L This worlde is but a through-fare fulle of woe is by Chaucer (in ' The Canterbury Tales,' as well as I can remember), and the' remainder of the distich is,

And we beene pylgrymes passyng to and froe. A. SMYTHE PALMER. Eastbourne.

['The Knight's Tale,' 11. 2849-50.]

4. The most unhappy man of men is Toussaint L'Ouverture, in Wordsworth's sonnet beginning,

Toussaint, the most unhappy man of men !

C. C. B.

HYMN-TUNE 'LYDIA' (12 S.i. 309,377,434). In the answers to the query as to the hymn- tune ' Lydia ' at the. second refer- ence, I notice in one case, at least, an incorrect statement relative to ' The Union Tune-Book.' This work first appeared in 1837-. A reference to the preface or adver- tisement will show that Mr. John Peck was the man engaged as musical editor, not Thomas Clark, and not J. T. Cobbin.

In 1842 a new and revised edition was issued, and for this Thomas Clark's services were engaged to re-harmonize the tunes he and J. T. Cobbin writing many fresh tunes for the work.

In 1854 a continuation, bringing the number of tunes up to 483, was issued. This was under the superintendence of J. T. Cobbin.

In 1879 a supplement, edited by John Hullah, was issued, last tune No. 687. This contains that remarkably fine tune ' Canons Ashby,' by J. Hullah, written, I believe, for the ' Book of Praise Hymnal.'

As to William Arnold of Portsea and his tune ' Lydia,' I am fully aware there is one of that name in his collection of Original Tunes. But this tune not having been recognized by Episcopalians, I considered it was quite out of the running.

Mr. J. T. Lightwood, in his ' Hymn-Tunes and their Story,' p. 284, states that prior to the issue of Dr. Allon's ' Congregational Psalmist ' in 1858, the Congregational churches for twenty years had been subsist- ing on the old ' Union Tune-Book.' This, however, is incorrect. Dr. Allon's own congregation were using ' The Psalmist ' a collection of four hundred tunes of which parts i. and ii. appeared in 1 835 ; part iii., 1 838 ; part iv., 1842. The compilers and pro- prietors of this fine work were John Haddon, Thomas Hawkins, Thomas Overbury, and Edward Smith. An arrangement between the ' Psalmist ' proprietors and Dr. Allon as to a new work was almost completed, but it fell through. Then Dr. Allon issued his ' Congregational Psalmist.'

In addition to ' The Psalmist,' claiming the attention of Baptist and Congregational churches, I may mention Dr. Waite's ' Hallelujah,' ' The Standard Tune - Book,' containing some very fine tunes by Dr. Gauntlett and others, and ' The Comprehen- sive Tune-Book.' There were others in town and country. In some localities MS. selec- tions were in use, culled from Jarman, Jordan, White, and other composers of local fame. So ' The Union Tune-Book ' did not reign supreme, as Mr. J. T. Lightwocd intimates.

I will just state here that, having known ' The Psalmist ' for over sixty years, I am fully acquainted with its defects ; I also know its great excellence. The late Dr. Allon, the late Rev. T. T. Lynch, and others have borne testimony to the fine quality of many of the tunes therein. But Dr. Allon's book and ' The Bristol Tune-Book ' con- tained tunes for the new measures scattered about the new hymn-books, and these were important factors in the overthrow of ' The Psalmist ' and ' The Union Tune-Book.' I well remember it frequently being said, " There are two chapels in London, at any