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NOTES AND QUERIES.

[2nd s. N 4., JAN. 26. '56.

miner had supposed it to be ; at any rate, that it was not the remains of some work of a very ancient date. Within the past three or four years, however, some more diligent inquiries have been set on foot, and it has been lately ascertained that the writer of the Survey of the County Kilkenny has been " all wrong " in his speculations in " Pe- lasgic" lore.

A sort of red grit stone has been in use in Ireland for the purpose of making grindstones for the small country mills where oats and other coarse food is ground. In the neighbourhood of the hill mentioned some of this stone has been found. It was conjectured that the letters al- luded to might have been the work of a modern tradesman, having had the appearance of being cut with a tool called a " mill-chisel," an instru- ment well known to all millers, and one which would very quickly effect such indentations on a piece of comparatively soft stone.

The conjecture was fully confirmed by the ob- server reading the letters upsidcdown; and they would stand thus :

"E. CONIC, 1731."

The observer, justly imagining that the person cutting the letters lay flat along the upper sur- face of the slab, and worked with his arms at the edge, thereby inscribing his name as it is read above, and, shall I add, perpetuating its fame for over a century.

On farther pushing this inquiry, some old per- son was found in the neighbourhood who had known, or at least heard of, this " Ned Conic," and who had been told that he and some others had made an appointment to go to the top of the hill to cut some of these mill-stones, but that his party had disappointed him ; and while waiting for them he had filled up his vacant time by thus unconsciously spreading abroad his humble fame, and innocently puzzling posterity for about one hundred and twenty years !

It is quite needless to enlarge on these remarks ; but the circumstance serves as a caution to those who speculate on such matters to withhold their judgment until every test of common sense be brought to bear on the facts at issue. H. H. H.

ILLUSTRATIONS OF MACAULAT.

Capture of Sir John FenwicJt.

Herewith I send you another contribution to your illus- trations of Macaulay's History. It relates to the capture of Sir John Fenwick, and, if not hitherto printed, may be an acceptable addition to your interesting collection.

May it please your Grace,

This day, about nine of the clock in the fore- noone, were apprehended in this towne, att the house of Thomas Ladd, in bed there, two persons,

being gentlemen ; the one is a tall man, being 60 years of age or above, supposed to be S r Jno. Fenwick, tho' he denyes that name, and says his name is Thomas Ward, and that his lodgings are in Chancery Lane, att the house of one Spencer, near the S' John Babtist Head; and there is in his company one who is known here to be M r Robert Webber, an attorney of Clifford's In .. They pretend to come to survey an estate, late gr ^ym Goulston's, which they say is to be sold ; but they have noe pticular, nor can I find any papers or letter about them, nor in their leather baggs (for they had both leather baggs beheind them on their horses, stuffed full of cloths and linen). The antient gent is doubtless one of those that, under the notion of merchants, was to be conveyed to France by Tho. Ladd and Nicho. Rolfe, of whom I informed M r Vernon, your Grace's secretary, by my affidavit, and by an express letter I sent on Monday last to him ; and they were both seized by Rolfe and his assistants (whereof a son of mine was one). I have them under a strong guard att present ; but our goal or prison is very inconvenient, and M r Mayor of this towne is gone to a faire eight miles off before the matter happened, and Ladd, in whose house they were taken, went out yesterday morning to Can- terbury, in order to meet the two merchants, whereof this old is supposed to be one, and Ladd is supposed to be with the other att Canterbury, in order to gett him downe this way ; and I doubt nott but he will secure him if ( he comes in his company, for he faithfully promised me to appre- hend them both. I pray your Grace to send downe officers with a sufficient guard to convey these prisoners now in custody to such place as your Grace shall direct, with as much speed as may be. Here is now in towne one Ensigne Scroop, belonging to the Duke of Bolton's regi- ment of foot, who says he thinks verily 'tis S r John Fenwick that is here. I beg y e favor of your Grace to acquaint his Maj ties Privy Councill therewith, and to send me directions and an an- swer by this bearer who conies on purpose, and for whose journey and the charge of guarding the prisoners I hope care will be taken to satisfy for the same, and am

Y r Grace's

most humble Servant,

Jo. MASCALL.

New Romney,

11 June, 9(>,"

near 12 o'Clock at noone.

The persons that apprehended these two are Nicholas Rolfe. Rob* Mascall, my son. John Brakenbury, constable. Mr. Jo. Randolph. Tho. Dray ; and John Ruwley ;