Page:Notes and Queries - Series 12 - Volume 5.djvu/271

 12 S. V. OCT., 1919.]

NOTES AND QUERIES.

265

REFERENCES TO WORKS WANTED. It is fcated at p. 18 of Reseller's ' Geschichte der ^ational-Oekonomik in Deutschland ' that he treatise of Henricus de Hassia (known as ienry Langenstein), entitled ' Tractasu de ontractibus et de Origine Censuam,' and lie treatise of Henricus de Hoyta entitled Tractatus de Contractibus sc. Redditibus re to be found in the fourth volume oi Person's ' Tractatus Diversi.' I cannot find ny reference to this work of Gerson's in any brary catalogue that I have consulted, an any of your readers inform me where I can find copies of these two treatises ?

GEORGE O'BRIEN. 40 Northumberland Road, Dublin.

NUNCUPATIVE WILLS. In the time of Milton was it necessary to the validity of a nuncupative will that is, a will made by word of mouth that it should be made when the testator was in extremis ? or could it be validly made when the testator was in good health ? No weight can be given to what Wartoi) (as quoted in Todd's Milton, 3rd edn., 1826, vol. i., pp. 264, 289) says on th s subject ; it is evident that Warton's knowledge was very imperfect.

AEGERIA.

REDE-BIRDS. Some years ago a query appeared in ' N. & Q.' as to what were rede-birds, and no satisfactory answer was given. Can any reader say now what are rede-birds ? W. D. R.

J. SYMMONS OF PADDINGTON HOUSE. Is anything known of this excellent collector of topographical prints and drawings, who apparently flourished at the end of the eighteenth century ? Messrs. Leigh & Sotheby had prepared for sale on Friday, Dec. 11, 1795, and three following days teresting collection of topographical prints md drawings in England and Wales. A VIS. endorsement on the catalogue before me s to the effect that this, the most extensive collection ever offered to public sale, was sold by private contract, the day before the luction was to have commenced, to Mr. Simmons of Paddington. Presumably the jurchaser wished to secure certain prints for lis own collections, but a few years later ictually on Monday, April 23, 1804, and five 'pllowing days Mr. King sold by auction a similar, almost identical, collection of up- vards of 10,000 topographical prints and Irawings, and in the catalogue before me, in iddition to the names of purchasers and
 * Sunday excepted) an exceptionally in-

prices realised, a MS. note is added identify- ing the same owner, and referring to the preceding sale.

I would like to write at length of the interest of this collection. As usual the various lots, although large, are all too briefly detailed, but it is possible to notice :

Lot 80. "Aggas (Ralphe) original map of London in the time of Elizabeth, sup- posed to be the only one remaining."

Bought by Dodd 12 12

This is the Guildhall Copy.

Lot 81. " Vertue's copy of the above, and another copy done 1738." Bought by Dodd ... ... 109

Lot 58. The original Drawing from which the great West Window of the abbey was made. N.B. This drawing was Bishop Atterbury's, at whose expence the window was made. Bought by I. Smith 1 15

Lot 20. Fourteen Prints and Drawings from Kentish Town to Newington Butts, including a Ground Plot of Kilburn Abbey. Bought by Dodds 110

This collector also formed a library, which apparently was sold in 1828. In ' The Crypt,' vol. ii. p. 143, in his 'Letters from London,' Periphes (? Rev. Peter Hall) writes :

" Symmonds, of Paddington Green is gone to the auctioneer's ; his books come on to-morrow and 12 following days ; 40,000 volumes, of very mixed character. The Cataloguing by Phillips of Bond Street is particularly curious : ' Elzevirianis ; Classics ; Plantin's ; Gronovius, &c.' eight and ten in a lot."

A still further clue to the identity of this collector is afforded by the title of a small 8vo volume published 1797 : " Hortus Paddingtonensis, or a catalogue of Plants cultivated in the Garden of J. Symmons Esq. Paddington House, by W. Salisbury."

ALECK ABRAHAMS.

COURT OF ST. JAMES. When was England, in diplomacy, first known as the Court of St. James ? I believe it was after the burning of Whitehall, at the end of the seventeenth century. What is the first recorded document in which the term appears ? J. LANDFEAR LUCAS.

Glendora, Hindhead, Surrey.

CONCANNON FAMILY. Can any one give any details of, or state the relationship (if any) between the following :

1. George Concannon, app. Aug. 30, 1736, one of the three lieutenants of Capt. Samuel Cunningham's Independent Com- pany of Foot at Jamaica.

2. Matthew Concanen, author of several poems, Attorney -General of Jamaica, who m. Shirley, only sister of Robert Nedham,