Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 3.djvu/340

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NOTES AND QUERIES. [9 th s.m. APRIL 29, m

being printed, it is as well that licence in marriages should universally adopt the c.

ESSINGTON.

JOHNSON'S HOUSE AT FROGNAL (9 th S. iii. 228). The following explicit statement is taken from Mr. Laurence Button's ' Literary Landmarks of London ' (1885) :

"Shortly afterwards [1737] he [Johnson] had lodgings in Woodstock Street, Oxford Street, and in Castle Street, near Cavendish Square, in houses which, if they remain, it is not possible to identify now. In Castle Street he wrote 'London.' No detailed account of his places of residence for the next ten years is given oy Boswell ; but in 1748 he speaks of his temporary home at Hampstead. ' For

occupied by Benjamin Charles Stephenson, (Parke's 'Hampstead/ p. 334). No trace of this house now remains."

Col. Grant, in his ' Life of Johnson ' (" Great Writers Series"), says that owing to the declining health of Mrs. Johnson " a part of the summer [of 1748] was passed by them at Hampstead, where he wrote ' The Vanity of

Human Wishes' [which] appeared early in the

ensuing year."

JOHN T. PAGE. West Haddon, Northamptonshire.

P.S. A sketch of * Dr. Johnson's House at Hampstead ' appeared in the Morning Leader of Wednesday, 29 March.

There can be little doubt that Priory Lodge has received substantial additions since the days when Mrs. Johnson and the great lexi- cographer resided therein for awhile. The original cottage appears to be quite distin- guishable, as it faces south, almost eclipsed by the more modern portions of the building. From its present somewhat incongruous ap- pearance, the lodge is more likely to have been added to than "rebuilt," as suggested in 'Old and New London.' It was stated at a recent meeting of the Hampstead Anti- quarian and Historical Society that the old place is shortly to be occupied by a commu- nity of sisters from the convent of Haiiey House, Marylebone. This is good news, as it heralds release from the clutches of the speculative builder, who threatened an attack upon this notable spot. CECIL CLARKE.

Authors' Club, S.W.

" PEACE, RETRENCHMENT, AND REFORM " (9 th S. iii. 287). If D. will refer to 'Joseph Hume ' in the ' Diet. Nat. Biog.,' he will find it said " that it was chiefly through his efforts that 'retrenchment' was added to the words 'peace and reform' as the party watchword."

C. S. WARD.

Wootton St. Lawrence, Basingstoke.

DATE OF WEDDING (9 th S. iii. 228, 317). The entry (in the Bible) to which your corre- spondent alludes is :

"S r Clement ffisher, sonn of S r Robert ffisher. Baronet, was married by Gilbert Shelden, Lord Arch Bishop of Canterbury, December 8 th (1662), to Jane Lane, Daughter to Thomas Lane, Esq., of Bentley, in the County of Stafford."

CHARLES W. DILKE.

"PEASE EGGERS" (9 th S. iii. 249). See 5 th S. ix. 96. " Paceggers," otherwise " pace-," " peace-," " pease-," or " pasque-eggers," go through a performance when the eggs thus variously named are in vogue, namely, in the season sacred to Eostor, goddess of the dawn, but known to the Jews as the Paschal feast. There is no Christian name for the season which marks the climax of the Christian faith. But the Easter egg has been wisely adopted as an appropriate symbol. What brings about at this season the performance of the play of St. George is the occurrence of his festival towards the end of it. For the senseless transfer of the term "peace egg" to Yuletide play-acting, see 5 th S. iv. 511; also Mrs. Ewing's tale ' The Peace Egg.'

KILLIGREW.

"Pease eggers," properly "peace eggers," are still extremely common in the South- West Riding of Yorkshire at Christmas (not spring) time. They have this name because of the countrymen acting a piece (of a very warlike character, hence) entitled ' The Peace Egg.' I enclose two copies of this for your and your correspondent's acceptance, in order that, if you think the subject worthy, a more extended notice of such may be given.

E. G. B.

[We acknowledge receipt of ' The Peace Egg,' and have forwarded one to our correspondent, reserving ourselves one, for which we are grateful.]

PARLIAMENT CAKES (9 th S. iii. 149, 212). During my schooldays in Bancroft's Hospital (1862-9) " parliament cakes " were a favourite delicacy. The cakes were square in shape, crinkled or notched at the edges, of a pale chrome colour, and were sold at a halfpenny each. F. E. MANLEY.

Stoke Newington.

THE PAPAL BULL AGAINST A COMET (4 th S. iv. 437, 523; v. 213; 9 th S. ii. 477, 517; iii. 153, | 197). The comet to which MR. ARMSTRONG interestingly refers certainly appeared in the early part of July, 1456 ; but I am inclined to believe that the bull of Calixtus III. against the comet never made any appearance at all, nor do I think that Prof. Draper, in his valuable and well-known work referred to,