Page:Notes and Queries - Series 12 - Volume 10.djvu/331

 12 s.x! APRIL s, i922.i NOTES AND QUERIES. 269 Street, the King's Printing House there," with tho addition of a footnote stating, "A Certificate respecting it, as bequeathed to the Dyers' Company." In the latest list of 1908 ('Lists and Indexes,' No. XXV.. Rentals and Surveys, p. 214), under the heading of ' Thames Street,' without indica- tion of parish, it is styled, erroneously, " Survey of the King's Printing House." The number 89 is assigned to the document, and its size (1 folio) indicated in the last two lists, but the date is omitted. Upon the back of the leaf, the size of which is about 15in. by 12in., the old seventeenth- century endorsement reveals the over- looked date : " Certificate concerning a House in Thames Street called the King's Printing House, London. Rec d this 20 th of Decemb*, 1653. Transmitted to the S r veyor Grail the same day." This is marked " Dawgs," whose signature appears as a commissioner on the other side. The single sheet is enclosed within a cover of coarse white paper, upon which is pasted a label, having the eighteenth -century endorsement (when in the Augmentation Office), "Midds. Thames Street. A Certi- ficate concerning the Printing House there," accompanied by the number 89. The certificate is addressed " To the Hon^ le the Trustees for sale of the Honnors Mannors & Lands, &c.," and is signed by three commissioners, viz., William Dawgs, Ric. Sadler and Tho. Tanner, who also sign P.S. 2, 10, 11, 12, 13 and 21 in the years 1653 and 1654 (Dawgs and Tanner only P.S. 5 and 15 in 1651-1652, and Dawgs alone P.S. 65 in 1655). These are to certefie [runs the statement] that vpon the pervsall of Evedences concerning a Messuage in Thames Streete comonly called or knowne by the name of the Kinges Printing howse given vs in charge to Survey wee find that Robert Lund ffreeman of the Cittie of London did by his last will and Testamt bearing date the xxth day of November 1616 give and bequeath the said Messuage to the Warden and Comltie of the Mistery of Dyers for ever for wch they are to pay the yearelie Rent of iiijli yjs viijd by equall porcons wch said Rent was given to the Crowne by Act of Parliamt.* SIDNEY J. MADGE. 69, Oakfteld Road, Stroud Green, N.4. Slaughter House, St. Margaret's, Westminster, was surveyed in January, 1649-50, almost im- mediately after the Act of July 16, 1649, was passed ; it is a survey of 3 folios, concerning a certain House or Brick Building, heretofore called the King's Slaughter House, in the Mill- bank, with some other tenements near adjoining, with their appurtenances, scituate there." EXHIBITIONS OF AUTOMATA IN LONDON. Apparently there were several exhibitions of life-size automata similar to the chess- player already referred to in these pages, and in some instances there is doubt as to whether the source and control of the figure was rather human than mechanical. The following are transcribed from hand- bills, and some descriptions of the automata shown by Merlin and other exhibitors will be esteemed. " The Androides, 38, Norfolk Street, Strand," was a place of exhibition of these automaton figures, alternatively known as " The Mechanic Theatre." It was " lighted with wax " and had a gallery (admission Is. ), for which there were provided " The Running Attendants (much improved), Two Figures which wait on the Company in the Gallery with any thing required from the Exhibitions" The exhibition at this date (1797) con- sisted of The Volunteer, Being an Automaton Figure dressed in a Military Uniform, which appears at the Gate of an Antique Building, called The Temple of Mars, and goes through the Manual and Platoon Exercise, by beat of Drum (which is performed by an Automaton Drummer stationed for the purpose). It will then come out in any of the Positions re- quired, and concludes by firing off its musquet. There were also shown : The Writing and Drawing Automaton, which can be set to write any Word, or draw a clear outline of any of the following Beasts : a Lion, an Elephant, a Bear, a Tiger, a Horse, a Camel, or a Stag. The Fruitery at the Gate of which the Porter stands, and when desired, rings the Bell ; The Fruitress comes out to attend the Company with any of 12 different kinds of Fruit; it will likewise take in Flowers, or any small articles and produce them again as called for. The Liquor Merchant and Water Server. The Liquor Merchant stands at a cask, from which it will draw, at the choice of the Company, any of the following Liquors, Rum, Brandy, Gin, Whisky, Port, Mountain, Shrub, Raisin Wine, Peppermint, Aniseed, Caraway, and Usquebah. The Highland Oracle. A Figure in the High- land Dress, which gives a rational Answer, by Motion, to any question proposed, calculates Sums in Arithmetic, etc., etc. Obviously the last described was not solely mechanical. With these automata there was shown The Telegraph, " a Descrip- tion and Dictionary of which is given in the Bills presented at the Theatre." This bill is much larger than the handbill just quoted, measuring nearly 18in. by Sin. as against I 8in. by 5in. It recapitulates the foregoing, I only slightly adding to the detail. " The
 * It m^r be mentioned that the " King's