Page:Notes and Queries - Series 2 - Volume 1.djvu/406

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NOTES AND QUERIES.

[2nd g. NO 20., MAY 17. '56.

the resurrection of the dead, was condemned to be burnt by the Emperor Tiberius (circ. A.D. 585.).

When the Roman Senate condemned the books of Cassius Severus to the fire, he told them that if they would not have them remain, they must burn him also, for he had every word of them in his mind.

The Emperor Basilisc says :

" As for those writings which disturb the harmony and order of the holy churches of God, and the peace of the whole world, viz. the decision of Leo concerning the faith, and all that was decreed by the Council of Chalcedon, defining the faith, and expounding the creed, whether exposition, doctrine, or discussion, said or done, whereby a new belief is introduced contrary to the holy symbol of 318 bishops, we decree and determine, as well here as in every church everywhere, that they shall be anathema- tized by the bishops, and wherever found, that they shall be committed to the flames and burnt (as Consfantine and Theodosius Jun. decided concerning all the dogmas of all heretics)," &c.

The Solemn League and Covenant was in a yet more ignominious manner, and with more dreadful and diabolical solemnity, burnt at Linlithgow in Scotland, May 29, 1662. (Sermons of D. Wilson, p. 619.)

James Montgomery, of Sheffield, during his imprisonment in 1796, solaced his captivity by the composition of a novel, which he subsequently burnt. (Memoirs.)

" There is one action for which the Count d'Orsay de- serves respectful remembrance. He burnt his diary the sparkling diary said to surpass De Grammont. Its reputation was wide, and tempting offers were made for publication, but he would not violate the privacies of life: he burnt it to avoid the tempters." Eel. Rev. on " Life of Lady Blessington," 1855, p. 526.

The fire of London destroyed the libraries of many : among others Dr. Edmund Castell lost many cabalistic and rabbinical books, and three hundred copies of his great Lexicon, as far as was printed.

Some of the works of Chrysostom, preserved in the Thanaite Palace, perished by fire under Con- stantine and Irene. (Zonara, lib. iii. fol. 96.)

The original copy of the famous Hexapla of Origen, which was deposited in the library at Caesarea, was burnt, together with many other books, by the Mohammedans in their devastating campaigns.

" Antiochus magnus libros Moisis et prophetarum un- dique conquisitos igni consumit." Chron. Carionis, p. 137., ed. 1610.

A destruction of MSS. by fire at Alexandria is recorded to have occurred in the reign of Hadrian.

Tetzel hurled his thunderbolts at Luther : he everywhere shouted that this heretic ought to be destroyed by fire, and Luther's theses and dis- course of indulgences, he publicly cast into the flames. 800 copies of Tetzel's counter- theses were burnt at Wittemberg in the market-place by

the students to revenge the act of their author at Frankfort. (D'Aubigne.)

Mr. Addington burnt the immense mass of Mr. Pitt's communications with him. (Court and Cab. of Geo. III., by Duke of Buckingham, vol. iii. pp. 1423.) B. H. COWPEB.

(To be continued.)

Under this head I have not seen in " N. & Q." a notice of the fire that occurred in Gray's Inn about the year 1650, by which the Society's books were destroyed. GASTBOS.

HOLLY FENCES.

(2 nd S. i. 335.)

In reply to W. P. A.'s request of the best manner of planting holly fences, I would recom- mend two courses ; according to what his aim is, whether he intends to fence common fields with the holly, or only a piece of pleasure ground.

If a field is to be fenced, let the plough turn over a breadth of ground ten or twelve feet, in the line of the fence. The ploughing should be deep, and a clearing out, leaving the open furrow where the line of fence is to be. This ploughing may be executed in the leisure time, after turnip sowing is over. Let the ploughed stripe of land be harrowed, and picked clean of any weeds. Then put on good manure, at the rate of sixteen to twenty cart loads to the imperial acre ; spread it, and plough it in ; gathering the land towards the open furrow, which will then become the crown of the stripe, and still be in the line of the proposed fence.

Let the ground remain so for a month or two, to give the dung time to incorporate with the soil ; and whenever surface weeds appear, let the harrows put them down.

In September or October let the holly plants be planted. In doing this, run a garden line in the exact line in which it is determined to plant the hedge, and make a small trench with the spade from the line : place the plants upright at the perpendicular side of the trench against the line, arranging the roots, and replacing the earth against the plants with the hand. Return the earth into the trench with the spade, tramping it against the plants firmly down with the foot, andthe spade also finishes the surface of the ground.

If the fence is for a pleasure ground, let a two- spit trench be made with the spade, mixing dung with the earth, in the line of the fence, and plant the plants as above.

The holly plants should be from nine to twelve inches in height, and be furnished with plenty of small fibrous roots. They should be planted