Page:Notes and Queries - Series 2 - Volume 1.djvu/161

 2 n S. NO 8., FEB. 23. '56.]

NOTES AND QUERIES.

153

be made by stripping off a small sheet of birch bark, pinching up its corners, and pegging them together, so as to make a deep dish. I should be much obliged for any information referring to the bark vessels formerly in use in England. F. G.

Variation of Currency. The currency is


 * . d.

In Canada - - 5 to the Spanish dollar.

The New England States 6 ditto.

New York - - 8 ditto.

Pennsylvania - -7-6 ditto.

Virginia- -60 ditto.

South Carolina - - 4 8 ditto.

England (nominally) - 4 6 ditto.

And in the British West India Islands it is be- lieved there are several different currencies to the dollar. In the New England States, Pennsyl- vania, Virginia, and South Carolina, there is no coin to represent the shilling. In Canada there was not, until lately, any such coin. In New York State the shilling is a " real," one-eighth of a dollar.

The above being now, or having been formerly, all English colonies, how did these different cur- rencies originate ? S. W. Kix.

Beccles.

Mrs. Fitzherbert. Information is requested respecting any pamphlets that appeared on the subject of the marriage of the Prince of Wales with Mrs. Fitzherbert. G. H.

The Cobbe of Lyme. When was the Cobbe of Lyme, in Dorsetshire, built, by whom, and why so named ? A FISHERMAN.

Gunston Manuscript. A manuscript which I have, of 12mo. size, in a good hand of the seven- teenth century, bears the following title :

" A Short Meditation or Consideration of the Future Joyfull, Blessed, and Eternall Life : collected out of the Holy Scripture, for especiall Cheering and Comfort of Heart to all Sorrowful!, Godly Christians in these last dangerous and troublous Times. By Jeremia Apfelio, in the German Language. Now Englished by J. Gunston."

There follows an epistle dedicatory " To my dearly beloved sister, Mrs. Mary Gunston," dated " Hambourg, 31. Xber, 1681." The Preface oc- cupies eight pages, and the "Meditation" itself forty-seven. The author observes that, in this life men have need of food, raiment, dwellings, company, and exercise ; and proceeds to show, " out of the Holy Scriptures," to which the mar- ginal references are very numerous, that " all these shall the saints have in the life to come." At the end is written, by the hand of the translator or transcriber, " Hannah Gunston, 28 December, 1691 ;" and on the back of the last page :

" A book may find him who a sermon flies, And turn d'elight into a sacrifice."

Has this MS. been printed?* Was not "J. Gunston" the father of Thomas Gunston, who built Sir Thomas Abney's residence at Stoke Newing- ton ; and of Mary Gunston, who became Lady Abney ? S. W. Rix.

Beccles.

History of Newspapers. I have not seen " N. & Q." regularly for some time, but a friend informs me that a notice has appeared in a recent Number of the intention of the writer to compile a History of Newspapers. As I have been engaged in col- lecting materials for such a work for some year?, deferred it till I ascertained how Mr. Knight Hunt would handle the subject, and have now resumed it, and have it nearly completed, I should be glad to know if your correspondent is still pro- ceeding with his task. A. A.

The Derwentwater Family. Can M. R. be in- formed who is the heir of the Derwentwater family, as James the third earl, and Charles his brother, died without male issue ?

Sir Charles Sedley. Is there any picture or engraved portrait of him ? If there is, I should be obliged by a description such as might enable me to decide whether a small picture in my pos- session is a likeness of him. N. B.

imtfj

"Myrrour of the Worlde." I have before me a very old dwarf quarto volume in black letter, of which the title-page has been lost, and in which I can discover no date. The "Prologus" com- mences thus:

" In the name of ower sauiour criste Jesu, maker and redemour of al makynd, S. Laures adrewe, of y c towne of Calis, haue translated for Johnes doesborowe, booke prenter in the cite of Andwarpe, this psent volume, de- uyded in thre partes, which was neuer before in no ma- ternall langage prentyd'tyl now."

The first part is called the " Myrrour of the Worlde," and treats of the creation of the earth, astronomy, physics, the nature of heaven and hell, and the like. The second part treats " To the lawde and prayse of Almighty God, of y* bestis and wonnes on erthe, with their properties and vertues." The third part treats of " Serpetys on y erthe, fowles in y c ayre, and fisshes and monsters in the water." The whole volume is profusely illustrated with a number of most

[* This translation does not appear to have been pub- lished. A copy of the original work is in the Bodleian, entitled Apfelii Meditatio vita aeterna, Germanice, 8vo., Brernse, 1639.]