Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 11.djvu/357

 g s. xi. MAY 8, loos,] NOTES AND QUERIES.

349

who died about 1660, leave a will, and, if so, where was its probate granted 1

F. H. C-D.

NICOLINI. Nicolini, the author of a ' His- tory of the Jesuits,' published by Bohn, tells us at p. 106 of his * History of the Pontificate of Pius IX.' (Edinburgh, 1851) that when the Dominicans fled from their convent in Home they left a precious docu- ment :

"This was a volume of autograph letters from different prelates, bishops, and ordinary priests, addressed to the president of the Inquisition [the Pope]. It is worthy of remark that in almost every instance the secrets revealed in those letters related to political and State affairs, no matter in what country. Many of these letters were written by

Irish and English prelates From the whole of

these letters it was clearly evident that the

confessional is nothing but an engine of police." P. 107.

Nicolini states that these facts, published in 1849, were never contradicted. Is mention made by any English authority of these revelations of " political and State affairs " ? If so, by whom and where ? A. LE LIEVKE. 16 and 17, Imperial Buildings, E.G.

CARBONARI. Is there any work, English or Italian, in which I can find an account of the organization of the Carbonari oi their degrees, officers, lodges, certificates, and such like ? I want the machinery, not the objects, &c., of the society. E. E. STREET, F.S.A.

Chichester.

LACAUX. Can any of your readers give me the parentage of Elizabeth Lacaux (born 1712, died 1773), wife of Stephen Guyon, of Hampstead 1 Her father was of a Huguenot family, and lived at Portarlington.

E. MACDONALD.

52, Holbein House, Sloane Square, S. W.

JAMES MORE. Can any of your readers give me any particulars of an artist of the above name? I have seen a picture of his dated 1792, * The Tomb of the Curiatii and Horatii, near Albano,' and should like to know something of him. J. WILLCOCK.

Lerwick.

[There is in the 'D.N.B.,' vol. xxxviii. p. 423, a life of Jacob More, a landscape painter who was known as "More of Rome," and died in 1793.]

" OWL-LIGHT." In Richardson's 'Pamela,' letter xxxvii., this word occurs in the subjoined sentence: "The gentlemen, per- mit me to add, went away very merry, to ride ten miles by owl-light." The meaning of the word is plain enough, but I am curious to know if it has any sort of currency.

W. B.

SIR CHARLES NAPIER AND FIELD SPORTS. It is stated in Smiles's book ' Character ' that Sir Charles Napier gave up field sports because he could not bear to inflict pain needlessly on dumb animals. Is there good authority for the statement ? PERTINAX.

BELL : LINDLEY : PERRY. I shall be deeply indebted to any of your readers who can answer any one of the following genealogical queries.

Joseph Bell, surgeon, lived at High Wy combe in 1784. He was alive in 1799, but cannot be traced later. Highly probably he was identical with a Joseph Bell, born at Marlow in 1751, and the son of the Rev. Joseph Bell, rector of Radclive, and vicar of Stowe, Bucks. Wanted proof of this identity ; marriage of Joseph Bell, the surgeon j date and place of his death.

Barbara Lindley (Bell?), born in 1783-5, probably in Bucks or Berks, provisionally assumed to have been younger daughter of Joseph Bell, the surgeon. Wanted date of her birth and place of baptism.

Barbara Lindley (Bell) late in 1813 married Sampson Perry, of Southampton Street, W.C. Where were they married, and on what date ? Sampson Perry is said to have been born at Aston, Birmingham, in 1745-6, but no record can be found at the parish church. Wanted date of his birth and names of his parents.

I have, of course, searched the usual books, and have written to the incumbents of a number of churches, who have been good enough to search their registers for me, but have utterly failed to answer any of these queries, and it is only as a last resort that I ask you to let me trespass upon your space with these inquiries. F. H. PERRYCOSTE. Polperro, R.S.O., Cornwall.

" OH ! GOOD ALE," &c. Can any reader supply me with the words of a song, of which the following is the refrain ? Oh ! good ale, thou art my darling, Oh ! good ale, thou art my dear.

(Major) J. H. LESLIE.

SNAKES' ANTIPATHY TO HORSEHAIR. In 'Fifty Years on the Trail,' an account of the life of an American scout and interpreter, occurs the following passage : " I would first


 * ake my lariat made of horsehair and coil

it in an oval about four feet wide and seven or eight feet long. No snake will pass over a horsehair coil." The narrator goes on to say that he would spread his blanket within
 * he oval thus formed, and sleep in perfect

safety. Is this a piece of folk-lore merely, or can it be shown to be true 1 It may be