Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 1.djvu/468

 460

NOTES AND QUERIES,

[9 th S. I. JUNE 4, '98.

the monument to his memory in Westminster Abbey to be erected.

The Growth and Influence of Music in Relation to

Civilization. By H. Tipper. (Stock.) MR. TIPPER'S volume attracts attention rather as a rhapsody than as a scientific work. Within the space he has assigned himself Mr. Tipper cannot attempt to deal adequately with the music of China, Hindustan, Egypt, Israel, Greece, and with that of subsequent times and countries. He carries his argument no further than the death of Beet- hoven, and leaves the development of musical art in England for a subsequent volume. The appre- ciations of musicians, though short, are often com- mendable ; but more space seems requisite for the due development of the subject.

Did Cabot return from his Second Voyage? By

Henry Harrisse. (Privately printed.) MR. HARRISSE has added an interesting brochure to his many contributions concerning the Cabots. From the new matter brought to light he answers his own question with a rather dubious affirmation. It is prooable that John Cabot was in England in September, 1498, but the fact cannot be established. New light may, perhaps, even yet be obtained.

THE May number of the Antiquary is a good one. The instalment of 'Old Sussex Farmhouses and their Furniture' is especially interesting, being illustrated with some good representations of rush- holders, hanging candlesticks, and warming-pans. information.
 * Notes of the Month' are full of interest and

THE most striking article in the number of Melusine for March- April is the paper reviewing a portion of the first volume of M. Lehugeur's ' His- toire de Philippe le Long,' a book which shows that monarch to have been honestly desirous of promoting the interests of his people and of intro- ducing reforms into the management of his realm, yet wnich in its tenth chapter testifies only too painfully to the superstition and barbarity which crippled both governed and governors in the earlier years of the fourteenth century. Terrible famines afflicted France at this period, and in addition to the grievous suffering caused by ignorance of agri- culture and of the connected social arts, the people were maddened by all manner of superstitious crazes. They attributed the scarcity of food, war, and every other pressing evil to supernatural causes, such as the devil, sorcery, or "I'estoille comete," which for many days was seen in the sky threaten- ing ill to the kingdom. Every unfortunate event of importance enough to strike the imagination became a source of the insanest surmises. Accusa- tions of witchcraft were general, and even bishops and other persons of high position fell victims to the popular credulity. For example, Hugues Geraud, Bishop of Cahors, was tried for conspiring against his compatriot Pope John XXII. by magic practices, was submitted to countless insults, con- demned, degraded, drawn " de palatio Pape ad pedes equorum per to tarn civitatem," flayed alive, quartered, and burnt at Avignon ; after which his remains were enclosed in a sack, and hung on a gibbet as an example. It was in a condition of society wretched enough, morally and intellectually, to be capable of such savagery, that the "mental epidemics" known as the expedition of the Pas- toureaux, the destruction of the lepers, and the

persecution of the Jews developed, the first being caused by the utterly miserable condition of the working classes, allied with mystic exaltation and fanaticism, and the latter two by the idea that the lepers were responsible for the terrible maladies affecting the underfed population, and that the social misery of the country had been brought about through Jewish usury.

THE Intermediate for 20 April contains two notes on the folk-customs of Luxemburg, one relating to Candlemas and the feast of St. Blaise, the other to the cakes and loaves used in connexion with St. Hubert's Day, All Saints', and other holy days. Several replies are also given relative to the charivari or, to use an English equivalent, the "rough music" with which it is customary to stigmatize a scandalous or an unpopular marriage. Further additions are made to the already long list of ornamental iron plaques which were formerly much used as chimney-backs ; while in a later number it is shown that the reason why trains run to the left in passing each other in France, instead of to the right, according to the ordinary rule of the road, is that the first French railways were con- structed by English engineers, who followed their own national custom of taking the left in driving, and constructed locomotives with a mechanism adapted to this habit. In playing whist, also, Frenchmen deal to the left, in the English manner, but in their own card games to the right.

OUR attention has been drawn to the fact that Mr. Gladstone communicated to ' N. & Q.' a signed article on No. 10, St. James's Square. See 8 th S. ii. 310.

fjfoikes ta fasxti$Mfomt* t

We must call special attention to the following notices :

ON all communications must be written the name Mid address of the sender, not necessarily for pub- lication, but as a guarantee of good faith.

WE cannot undertake to answer queries privately.

To secure insertion of communications corre- spondents must observe the following rule. Let each note, query, or reply be written on a separate slip of paper, with the signature of the writer and such address as he wishes to appear. Correspond- ents who repeat queries are requested to head the second communication " Duplicate."

F. L. ("Gladstone Residences"). We believe Mr. Gladstone lived at No. 11, Carlton House Terrace, and not at No. 10.

NOTICE.

Editorial Communications should be addressed to ' The Editor of ' Notes and Queries ' "Advertise- ments and Business Letters to "The Publisher" at the Office, Bream's Buildings, Chancery Lane, E.G.

W"e beg leave to state that we decline to return communications which, for any reason, we do not print ; and to this rule we can make no exception.

TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION BY POST For this Year, Fifty -three Numbers.

For Twelve Months ,. 1 11

For Six Months

... 10 6