Page:Notes and Queries - Series 2 - Volume 1.djvu/101

 tham impales a mullet on a chevron; as usual to that age, no tincture indicated. Probably some reader may be able to inform me the name of the family. The figure of D'Ewes is well executed, 23 inches. One of Lady Latham, 15), and others of the family, dwindle into caricatures of 6 inches. The brass of Ralph Latham is pale impressed, with a portion of the habiliments of an ecclesiastic of the Church of Rome; and must have been much larger, though it required two annexations to suit the new figure. What is the history of pale impressed brasses? Had despite of Rome anything to do with the conversion of brasses?

Our church is highly interesting in many respects. The construction of the floor of the tower is singular, and a good specimen of the carpentry of the age of John. The centre principal only rises from the ground, the upright supports of which measure 18 inches by 12, are stop chamfered, and have moulded plinths wrought out of solid wood. These timbers stand upon fine blocks of oak, 6 feet long, 1 foot 6 inches wide, and 1 foot thick; which serve as templates, and are bedded on foundations of rubble work. The other two principals are carried upon stone corbels into the walls. The framing of the bells in parallel lines against the wall is, I believe, very ancient; though the bells do not bear date earlier than 1583, except the smallest, 2 feet 9 inches in diameter, which bears the inscription, "Sancte Gabrile, ora pro nobis." If any readers can favour me with answers to either of the above Queries, or if there exists a monument or tablet to the memory of Dr. Derham, and where, it will oblige.

In order to complete a little work on The English Mystics, I wish to obtain some biographical details of Jane Lead—one of the least known, but in every respect most singular, of the little knot of Behmen's disciples in England, who appear to have dated their origin from the publication of Dr. Pordage's work. According to Tenneman, she was a woman of elevated and enthusiastic piety; who has scattered several luminous thoughts and memorable relations in the midst of the obscurity that generally cha- racterises her style."

She must have been a person of good faith, or she would not have secured the friendship of a man like Francis Lee, who edited, at least, two of her works. Nearly half a century after her death, we find Trapp accusing William Law of stealing his mysticism from her; and I fear the "unspiritualised" critic would hardly absolve Swedenborg from a similar charge. The following, though imperfect, is a more complete list of her works than will be found in Lowndes and Watt:

1. "The Heavenly Cloud now Breaking, 1681." 2. "The Revelation of Revelations, 1688."

3. "Laws of Paradise, 1695."

4. "Wonders of God's Creation manifested in the Variety of Eight Worlds, 1695."

5. "Fountains of Gardens, watered by the Rivers of Divine Pleasure, 1697."

6. "The Wars of King David, and the Peaceful Reign of King Solomon."

7. "The Enochian Walks." (?)

8. "Three Messages to the Philadelphian Society."

I have only been able to meet with Nos. 3. and 4., and should be obliged to any of your readers who can procure me a sight of the rest, or of Jager's Latin translation, Acta Leadiana, Tübingen, 1712. Any mite of information respecting her, or any of her co-religionists of the period, will be thankfully received if addressed to the Editor or to the address below.

6. Beaufort Buildings, Strand.

[Any information respecting the Mystics and Theosophists, whether of this country or abroad, or of the ancient philosophic and Christian schools, which is not attainable in the ordinary channels of literature, or not easily accessible, will, we are assured, be most readily afforded by, of Ludgate Street, on application to him by letter, stating the nature of the inquiry, and enclosing a directed P. O. envelope for his answer. In which application may also be included the resolution of any seemingly inconsistent or difficult passages in the recondite writings of Jacob Böhme, surnamed the Teutonic Theosopher. Some references to Jane Lead, as to her position in the scale of Mystical Divinity, may be found in the Appendix to the Introduction to Theosophy, a copy of which work, we understand, has been deposited for public reference in all the principal colleges throughout Great Britain and Ireland, as well as for- warded to forty of the leading colleges and libraries of the United States. But the fullest particulars of the Mystic school referred to in the above Query of our correspondent, and indeed nowhere else attainable, will, we believe, be found in the work referred to, " N. & Q," it S. viii. 247., which we find (in the Introduction to Theosophy) thus entitled:—"Notes and Materials for a Just and Adequate Biography of the celebrated Divine and Theosopher William Law. Comprising an Elucidation of the Scope and Contents of the Writings of Bohemius, and of his great Commentator, Dionysins Andreas Freher; with a Notice of the Mystical Divinity and most Curious and Solid Learning of all the Ages and Parts of the World. Also, an Indication of the true Means for the Induction of the Intellectual Heathen,' Jewish, and Mahomedan Nations into the Christian Faith. Imp. 8vo., Nonp., pp. 688., A.D. 1854. Printed for Private Circulation."]