Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 6.djvu/92

 74 NOTES AND QUERIES. p» s. vi. JULY as, woo. James.' The work was published anony- mously ; and as, I believe, the name of the author was also omitted from the title-page of subsequent editions, perhaps it may be mentioned in 'N. & Q.1 that he was not Charles James Lever, but Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu, born 1814, died 1873. HENRY GERALD HOPE. Clapham, 8.W. THE LUNEBOURG TABLE (9th S. v. 515).—The history of the golden table of Lunebourg ; its disappearance from St. Michael's Church in March, 1698; trials and execution of the thieves, are given very fully in ' N. & Q.,' 1" S. xi. 29. EVERARD HOME COLEMAN. 71, Brecknock Road. UNICORNS (9th S. v. 314, 427 ; vi. 10).—I see that the reference of the annotator to Pliny concerns only the elephants. I was wrong in supposing that it concerned also the bears and the unicorns. E. YARDLEY. PLUCKING A PROCTOR'S SLEEVE (9th S. vi. 8). —I believe, and, in fact, I have no doubt, that I was the last proctor who was the subject of this ceremony. During my procuratorial year (which extended from the beginning of the Easter Term of 1862 to the beginning of the Easter Term of 1863), though at what precise date I do not recollect, a certain debtor in the Vice-Chancellor's Court, either before or after judgment, pleaded bankruptcy. One of the proctors in that court (who must not be confounded with the proctors of the University), regarding this plea as a step taken for the purpose of defrauding his clients, determined to have recourse to an old statute empowering any member of the Ancient House of Congregation (the body which grants degrees) to stop a degree on three successive occasions, the reasons having to be stated and a vote taken on the third occasion. The proctor in the Vice-Chancellor's Court, not being himself a member of the house, acted through the dean of his college. I was previously apprised of the intention, and the "pen-wiper, a small piece of folded silk which is attached to the back of the proctor's gown (not " the proctor's sleeve," as your correspondent states), was duly plucked on each successive degree day, the college dean in question informing me in a whisper to which candidate he objected. On the third occasion the Vice-Chancellor (then Dr. Jeuue, afterwards Bishop of Peterborough) and the proctors retired, together with the plucking dean, to an adjoining room, where the reasons were stated. On re-entering the Convocation House they were communicated to the house by the Vice-Chancellor, and a vote taken, resulting, by a small majority, in favour of the candidate objected to. In the Proctors' Black Book there are several entries of degrees being stopped either by the House of Congregation or by the proctors for various reasons, including, during the feuds between the Jacobites and Hano- verians, political grounds as well as the more permanent reasons of breaches of academical discipline or failure to pay debts. I am not aware what your correspondent means by " debtor-student's sleeve." THOMAS FOWLER. C.C.C., Oxford. "WINCHESTER PIPES" (9th S. v. 516).— F. W. Fairholt, F.S.A., in his 'Tobacco: its History and Associations,' 1876, says Ben Jonspn (1574-1638) notes that the best pipes of his time were made at Winchester, and the early period at which tobacco-pipes were first manufactured is established by the fact that the incorporation of the craft of tobacco- pipe makers took place on 5 October, 1619, "their privileges extending through the cities of London and Westminster, the kingdom of England, and dominion of Wales." See Marryat's ' History of Pottery and Porcelain.' EVERARD HOME COLEMAN. 71, Brecknock Road. I.O.U. (9th S. v. 475 ; vi. 14).—These letters are an abbreviation of the words "I owe unto." Thus, in West's ' Symboleographie,' 1647, sec. 101, the following precedent is given :— "I, A. B., owe unto D. B. li. of lawfull English money, for the payment whereof 1 bind me and my heires. In witnesse, Ac., I have put my hand and seale the xx. day of, &c." There were earlier editions of this book. Other short forms, known as " bills obliga- tory," which also contain the words "I owe unto," are given in 'A Booke of Presidents,' 1572, f. 144. It appears from these precedents that an I.O.U. was formerly of the nature of an obligation or bond under seal. At the present day it is a mere admission of debt on which the defendant can be sued, and it requires neither seal nor stamp. S. O. ADDY. MR. J. F. SMITFI (9th S. v.377, 459; vi. 14).— The title-page of the first volume of the work is 'John Cassell's Illustrated History of England.' The text from the earliest period to the end of the reign of Edward I. is by Mr. J. F. Smith. This takes sixty chapters in vol. i. The completion of the history is by Mr. William Howitt up to the end of vol. vi., each volume containing a year's weekly