Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 2.djvu/315

 9 th S. II. OCT. 15, '98.]

NOTES AND QUERIES.

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said with justice. For one thing, his great bio- graphy has more continuity than BoswelPs ; it exhibits a more complete picture of its hero in all the stages of his life. Then its interest for the lover of literature may be deemed greater, from its very full account of Scott's wide and various reading, his catholic criticisms, and his personal knowledge of the most illustrious and original contemporary minds in all departments.

" Again, the inimitable talk of Johnson is balanced, in some sort, by the almost equally fascinating letters of Scott superior, even far superior, to those of the Doctor (if the letter to Lord Chesterfield be excepted), and possessing, in addition to their literary flavour, a courtly grace and charm, and a pictorial power, which the lexico- grapher never displayed either in his talk or in his correspondence. There is also the charming frag- ment of Scott's autobiography to enrich the pages of Lockhart's narrative, and Boswell has nothing aim ilar to give from the pen of his hero. As for Scott's letters, I nave read that the late R. L. Stevenson was indebted largely to the study of them for his own admirable mastery of style."

After reading the foregoing, I think we must admit that my correspondent, without being chargeable with inconsistency, or dis- loyalty towards his favourite Boswell, ends by blessing Lockhart altogether.

JONATHAN BOUCHIER.

Ropley, Hampshire.

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 may be addressed to them direct.

HUMPTY-DUMPTY. Is anything known of the first appearance of this personage in nursery lore, or of any allusions to the name as there applied ? I shall be glad of any references before 1848.

J. A. H. MURRAY.

Oxford.

"A FAMPT DOO." In Ben Brierley's 'Red Windows Hall' (ed. 1884), p. 234, a sarcastic old weaver says, " Well, then, thou'rt a fampt doo, if t' knows what that is." What did the old fellow exactly mean by this expression. ] I know no other instance of its use in dialect literature. A. L. MAYHEW.

Oxford.

SILHOUETTES OF CHILDREN. Much should I like to know who designed and cut out in black paper a remarkably clever series of about eighty minute silhouettes of child life, mostly groups. They are loosely placed in a book of blank leaves bound in contempo- rary citron morocco, lettered on the front A. L. P, and on the back M. G, To

some the artist has written a verse and to others a date, the earliest, 1796, the latest, 1806. Inferentially, the work is that of gentlefolk. Between two of the leaves is a piece of black paper, on the reverse or white side being written J. Poulett, Twickenham, Middlesex, and on another piece of paper the name Lucy is cut out in silhouette.

ANDREW W. TUER. The Leadenhall Press, B.C.

PORTRAITS BY HOPPNER. Where are the originals of Lady Charlotte Buncombe, only daughter of the second Earl of Dart- mouth, painted in 1794, and of Viscountess St. Asaph, painted in the same year, daughter of the first Earl of Beverley ? Both portraits were engraved in stipple three years later by Charles Wilkin. The first was then in the possession of the Hon. and Rev. Edward Legge, and the owner of the second was the Earl of Beverley. ST. GEORGE.

"RIGHT HONOURABLE" AS APPLIED TO A LADY. In a south-eastern seaside resort 1 saw in August a placard announcing a bazaar "under the distinguished patronage of the

Right Honourable the Viscountess ." Is

the prefix applicable to a lady 1

POLITICIAN.

GEORGE AS A FEMININE NAME. An unusual use of the above name occurs in the list of candidates of the Printers' Pension Corpora- tion at the present time. Among the widows eligible for election is one George Hannah

C, and the name occurs so in different

parts of the paper (where the male and female names appear in separate lists).

R. B.

Upton.

YATE. I have been seeking for the burial- place of a William Yate, of Gravesend, who died in 1707-8. I have searched registers and advertised to no purpose, but it has occurred to me that some reader of ' N. & Q.' might possibly help me. If so, I should be deeply grateful. I am also anxious to obtain informa- tion respecting any family of Yate or Yates who formerly owned property in Gravesend or Rotherhithe.

(Rev.) GERARD W. BANCKS.

The Green, Dartford.

SUPPOSED RELICS OF FAUNTLEROY. Some little time since, in a Sussex town, I was shown a marvellously well-preserved right hand, denuded of all flesh, but showing every muscle and tendon, together with the veins, set out in some blood-coloured material. The nails, with one exception, were perfect, With.