Page:Notes and Queries - Series 2 - Volume 1.djvu/96

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NOTES AND QUERIES.

[2nd g. NO g., FEB. 2. '56.

trare for interpretare ; the French tremper is mo- dified from temperare. Similar transpositions abound in the old Italian writers, as strupo for stupro, preta for petra, catreda for cattedra, Adas- tro for Adrasto, capresto for capestra, sterlomia for astronomia, catrigole for graticole, cateratte for ca- rattere. Many of these metatheses recur in the popular dialect of Tuscany, as represented in Baldovini's poem of the Lamento di Cecco da Varlunge : thus, drento for dentro, brullo for burlo, Preto for Pietro? gralima for lagrima. (See the edition of the Lamento di Cecco by Marrini, Fi- renze, 1817, pp. 63. 75. 98.) The river Acheron, near Pandovia, in Southern Italy, where Alex- ander, King of Epirus, lost his life, is now called the Arconti ; that is to say, Acheronta has been changed into Arechonta. (See Blewett's Hand- book of Southern Italy, p. 448.) L.

BLKVEN THOUSAND POUNDS BEWARD FOB TUB DISCOVERY OF A WILL.

Your correspondent, the Rev. JAMES GRAVES, of Kilkenny, furnished a Note (1 st S. xii. 365.) headed " Stolen Deeds," extracted by him from the Pictorial Times, Nov. 11, 1843. The follow- ing, respecting a " stolen will," is infinitely more curious, and well deserves a place among the out-of-the-way scraps which have built the repu- tation of " N. & Q.' It appeared in the Dublin newspapers of 1818. Can any of your correspon- dents tell whether Mr. Walker's will, for the dis- covery of which 11,0001. was offered, ever came to light ? The delicate manner in which the proclamation alludes to the rogue's motives, in keeping back the will, are especially amusing.

WILLIAM JOHN FITZ-PATRICK.

Dublin.

" 10,000 Reward for a Will

" Whereas, the late Thomas Walker, Esq., of Belgriffin Park, in the county of Dublin, but formerly of Dame Street, died on the 26th day of March, 1817, and having during his illness declared, in the most explicit manner, to au eminent physician, that ' he had made his will, arranged his affairs to his satisfaction, and that same was safe, and would be found after his demise.' And whereas there is reason to believe that, in his regularly executed will, a considerable sum of money has been be- queathed to charitable purposes, and that said will, with other testamentary papers, were deposited with some per- son who, from the importance of the trust, have with- held same, for the purpose of receiving such liberal re- muneration, as by the value which such documents (the testator dying worth upwards of 250.000Z.) they ought to be considered justly entitled to. Notice is hereby given, that any person or persons with whom said will and testamentary papers may have been deposited, and who will make a communication (private, if more agree- able), so that said will, as duly executed, may be brought forward, such person or persons will become entitled to the reward of 10,000?., which sum shall be deposited in the hands of any three respectable persons (the Secretary

of the Bank of Ireland being one), who the parties making the communication may name, to be held in trust, and paid over the moment said will is proved. Communica- tions to be made (and also as to any other terms required) to any three of the following persons : The Right Hon. John Radcliffe, or his Register, John Hawkins, Esq.; Thomas Williams, Esq., Bank of Ireland ; Thomas Kem- mis, Esq., Law Agent to Commissioners of First Fruits, Kildare Street ; Wm. James M'Causland, Esq., Secretary to Comissioners of Charitable Donations, 38. Merrion Street, Dublin ; or if the said will and papers are in the possession of any person or persons in Great Britain, in- formation may be made to the Right Hon. Sir John Nichols, the Right Hon. Sir Wm. Scott, or their Register, Charles Moore, Esq., Prerogative Office, London.

"Further Reward of 1,000 more.

" And whereas it appears by the testamentary paper, or instructions for drawing said will (which has been lodged in the Prerogative Court, and which instructions have been proved by several of the most respectable wit- nesses to be the handwriting of the deceased ), that he has bequeathed a sum of money to my family, I do hereby offer a reward of one thousand pounds, in addition to the above ; which sum shall be paid on demand to the person who shall deliver said will to any of the above named, or to any person who will give such information o as to secure its production, on application to George Webb, Stock Broker, London; or at my office, 17, Dama Street, Dublin. ROBERT WEBB."

To the above the following cutting may not be inapplicably appended. It appeared in the Chester journals of 1819 :

" Extraordinary Discovery of a Will.

"About four years ago, a man possessed of very con- siderable property died\ bequeathing his effects to his daughter, in exclusion to his son and wife ; his will, it eems, fell into the hands of his wife, with whom the son was a favourite, and to prevent its being carried into effect, she buried it, together with what other valuable papers she could collect, in the coffin with the husband. A few weeks ago, being on her death-bed, she confessed the particulars to a friend, enjoining her not to disclose the fact till after her death ; the widow is now dead, and application is making at Doctors' Commons to take up the coffin of the deceased man."

HAMLET READINGS, NO. I. GERTRUDE 8 SHOES.

"A little month ; or e'er those shoes were old, With which she follow'd my poor father's body, Like Niobe, all tears; why she, even she, (O heaven ! a beast, that wants discourse of reason, Would have mourn'd longer,) married," &c.

Hamlet, Act I. Sc. 2.

The above is the received text, corrected in one particular, viz. by writing "e'er" for ere of the early quartos, ere being merely the contracted form of or ever. The variations of the old copies are unimportant, except that in the first and some of the later quartos, "shoes" is spelt shoaes, and that the first quarto reads the which instead of " with which."

The integrity of the text has never been sus- pected ; and except a passage in Voltaire, in