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NOTES AND QUERIES. [0 th s. xn. AUG. s, im.

was born. Raleigh's town is mentioned, no doubt Raleigh in North Carolina. Roanoke is also mentioned. In the ' Compendium of Voyages,' edited by T. Smollett, vol. iii. p. 115, there is a map of Virginia and Maryland and part of Pennsylvania. He did not visit Guiana till James I.'s time. By the way, his name is generally mispronounced in the present day ; it is called Raleigh, but 1 believe the correct pronunciation is Rawleigh, though he himself spells it " Ralegh."

BRUTUS. [For Raleigh's surname see 7 th S. i. 252, 396, 455.]

JOHN HARRIS, PUBLISHER. At Messrs. Christie's was recently offered for sale a por- trait which possesses a certain amount of historical association, as it is of one who had intercourse with many of the celebrities of literature who adorned the eighteenth cen- tury. It is that of John Harris, publisher and bookseller, of the at one time existing "Bible and Crown," St. Paul's Churchyard, successor to the well-known John Newbery. The following facts may prove interesting.

Newbery was first established at Reading ; he then went to London and opened at " The Bible and Crown, near Devereux Court," with a branch establishment at the " Golden Ball, Castle Alley, City " ; he then amalgamated the two at "The Bible and Crown, near the Chapter House, St. Paul's Churchyard," 22 December, 1767. It must have been about this time that my great-uncle came in touch with him. To this new place there flocked numbers of the leading men of letters.

At the death of Newbery the business was carried on for a time as Newbery & Carnan, then as Newbery & Harris, and 500. per annum was allowed to the widow by him ; he then dispensed with the name of Newbery. He was an eye-witness of the affray between Oliver Goldsmith and Evans the publisher in 1773. Evans had permitted a libel to appear in the London Packet, and the author felt aggrieved. The incident is somewhat quaintly described in the London Chronicle, 27-30 March, 1773 :

"Dr. Goldsmith, supposing himself ill-treated by a letter in the London Packet, went to the person's shop who published it, and struck him across the back with his cane. A scuffle ensued, in which the publisher made uncommon use of his nails, and was at length knocked down : he then arose, seized a stool, and attacked his antagonist until, some people coming in, they were parted. Thus ended the con- test between the son of literature and the pub- lisher : the latter bears a black eye, and the author a scratched face."

During Harris's connexion with it the firm became the recognized business patrons of very many celebrated literati Dr. John-

son, Oliver Goldsmith, Dr. Dodd, Smollett, and others, and many instances of relief accorded to indigent authors and of help in advancing their aims, quite irrespective of business, may safely be attributed to Harris.

GERALD LOWE.

WE must request correspondents desiring infor- mation on family matters of only private interest to affix their names and addresses to their queries, in order that the answers maybe addressed to them direct.

CORRESPONDENCE OF THE COMTE DE PUY- SAYE. Would an obliging friend be kind enough to give -the following information ? Having heard that the correspondence of the Comte de Puysaye, the famous general of the Vendean war, is in London, I should like to know to whom I must write to obtain a copy of it. (Madame) C. BARBEY-BOISSIER.

Valleyres, par Orbe, Vaud, Switzerland.

CESSION or WELSH COUNTIES TO ENGLAND. I should be glad of information in regard to any arrangement or understanding by which Welsh counties have been or are to be periodically ceded to this country. I have seen it stated that some such arrangement was entered into about the time of the con- quest of Wales. If so, where are full details to be found ? M. E. S.

CHRISTIANS. I should of your readers could

FREE CATHOLIC be glad if any

give me information respecting a religious denomination known as " Free Catholic Christians." The title was included in the list of places of worship certified by the Registrar - General (' Whitaker'a Almanack,' 1890). I should like to be informed of the tenets of the body and where their church (or churches) is situated, if it still exists.

W. L.

ASH : PLACE-NAME. There are places so called in Devon, Kent, and Salop, and pro- bably elsewhere. In Domesday the Devon Ash is spelt "Aissa." In old records the name is written "Aysshe," "Aysh," and "Esse." It has been suggested that it is derived from " esca " = water. My own idea was* that it merely meant the tree an idea supported by the fact that a huge ash was a salient feature in the Shropshire village. Can any of your readers give me any infor- mation'? B. C. F.

EVIL SPIRITS AND INKBOTTLES. In Frey- tag's ' Die Journalisten ' one of the characters