Page:Notes and Queries - Series 12 - Volume 6.djvu/330

 270

NOTES AND QUERIES. [12 S.VL JUKES, 1020.

DE BLAINVILLE'S ' TRAVELS ' (LONDON, 1743). The " Preface to the Editor " is xinsigned, but the " Dedication " to Lord John Sackville is signed Daniel Soyer, who is doubtless the " Proprietor " for whom the translation was printed by W. Strahan. The translation was the work of George Turiibull, LL.D., and William Guthrie, Esq. This last is the subject of a notice in the ' D.N.B.' Is it know who the Editor was ? and what is known of Daniel Soyer and George Turnbull ?

The editor writes (p. i.) that the author " died but nine or ten years ago," having been " confined to his Apartment, and very often to his Bed " for the last years of his life. He appears to have died in London. On p. iii. the editor writes :

" This work is written by way of Journal, or in exact Chronological Order. 'Twas Mr. de Blain- ville's Custom to set down his Hints daily, and send, at intervals, to a learned Correspondent in England, an Account of the several Particulars which had happened to him, as well as of the various remarkable Objects he had met with in the Course of his Travels."

Who was this correspondent with whom De Blainville was obviously on very friendly and intimate terms ? It was certainly not the editor, who says (on p. ii.) that he never " had the Advantage of being acquainted with our Author."

On p. iii. the editor says :

" What I could gather from all my Enquiries amounts to this. Monsieur de Blainville was born in the Province of Picardy in France. Having apply'd himself closely, in his younger Years, to the most useful brances of Learning, especially Polite Literature, he left his Native Country, on account of the Revocation of the famous Edict of Nants, in 168S, and retired into Holland. Here he lived some Years ; and was sent in 1693 to Madrid, in Quality of Secretary to the States General s Embassy, when Myn-heer van Citters was Einbassador at that Court. This Post, of very great Trust, he filled with distinction four Years at least ; and then quitted it on account of the Death of the said Minister."

In a foot-note the editor says that De Blainville had written notes on Spain which were lost in the wreck of the ship that was carrying Van Citters's body to Holland, and then resumes :

" From Spain he came directly to London, where having resided a considerable Time without .any Employment, he was at last invited by a Gentleman of Distinction to accompany his Two Sons in making, what they call, the Grand Tour of Europe."

From a foot-note it appears that this " Gentleman of Distinction " was William Blathwayt, as to whom see the ' D.N.B.,'

who was Secretary-at-war from 1683 to 1704. The foot-note goes on : " The Eldest of his two Sons is dead, and the Second, a very worthy Gentleman, is now Colonel in the King's Horse Guards."

De Blainville accepted this offer, and starting in January, 1705, spent no less than four years in visiting " Holland, Germany, Switzerland and other Parts of Europe, but especially Italy." It seems very odd that this very learned author's ' Travels ' have not succeeded in rescuing his Christian name, parentage, &c., from oblivion.

But perhaps they are not so unknown as they would seem to be ?

JOHN B. WAINE WRIGHT.

ABOLITION OF SEX DISQUALIFICATION. Let it be noted that for the first time in the history of over two centuries of the Society of Antiquaries of London a woman has been present at a meeting. At the Ordinary Meeting on May 20, 1920, Mrs. G. W. Kinders- ley attended as a visitor. Mrs. Kindersley was not invited to speak, and offered no observations. She wore no hat. Ne quid pereat. OBSERVER.

' N.E.D.' : " PLEW." A better explana- tion of the meaning of this word than that given in the great Dictionary is to be found in Ruxton's ' Adventures in Mexico and the Rocky Mountains ' (London, John Murray, 1847), p. 245 :

" The ' beaver ' is purchased at from two to eight dollars per pound : the Hudson's Bay Com- pany, alone buying it by the pluie or ' plew,' that is the whole skin, giving a certain price for skins, whether of old beaver or ' kittens.' "

T. F. D.

THE LONDON UNIVERSITY. The intended return of the University to the neighbour- hood of Gower Street has occasioned in the newspapers some discussion of its earliest years. Apparently the writers were not familiar with the principal incidents ; not any, for example, have referred to Theodore Hook's antagonism.

In John Bull, Dec. 26, 1825, the name " Stinkomalee " was suggested in some humorous verses prefaced by these lines :

" In consequence of the nature of the property, the first act of the council has been to give a new and distinguishing name to the Institution instead of the London College, or Carmarthen Street University, as heretofore, it is in future to be called Stinkomalee ! "

Again on Jan. 23, 1826, there are more verses ' To the Cockney College,' ' An