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NOTES "AND QUERIES. [9 th s. vm. AUG. 24, 1901.

American ancestor of Nathaniel Hawthorne, the American author, was the eldest son of William Hathorne, of Binfield, in the north- eastern part of Berkshire (Waters's 'Genea- logical Gleanings in England,' Boston, 1901, vol. i. pp. 43-5). M. H. WALL.

Boston, U.S.

A LADLE (9 th S. vii. 467; viii. 94). In country churches and chapels in Derby- shire when I was a lad the collections were always taken by ladle a square wooden box at the end of a joiner-made stick, 3ft. to 5ft. long. I used to listen with much pleasure to the rattle of the coppers in the box as it was passed along pew by pew. The operation of collecting was also a matter of particular interest to the congregation generally, and when at some of the pews no "copper droppings" were heard there were significant nucfges and digs in the ribs amongst the occupants of the "tubs," whose heads could be seen strained above the tops of the pews. But there were very old-fashioned doings at the three churches I best remember Duffield, Horsley, and Holbrook.

Ladles of this kind did double duty on the occasion of "love-feasts," which were then very common among the Wesleyans, Method- ist New Connexion, and Primitive Methodists, and at the many "camp meetings" held in the summer time. There may be contributors and readers of 'N. & Q.' who know better than I do what these "love-feasts" were. They were exciting occasions, when men women, and children, " moved by the Spirit,' related their experiences and " testified." At the appointed time "broken bread" was handea about in the collecting "ladles," anc all including the children took a little square of bread. Water was next handec round in mugs, some of them two-handled While the bread and water were thus dis buted "John Wesley " favourite hymns were aung. Before the close collections were madi in the boxes which had been used in th ceremony of bread distribution. Thes "camp meetings " and "love-feasts" were im pressive and of a deeply interesting nature. THOS. RATCLIFFE. Worksop.

I have in my possession two copper enure collecting ladles (having given to friend two from the set of four). They are sai< to have been used in Wem Church, co. Salop These ladles are in good preservation, an in shape are somewhat like a warming-pa with half of the lid cut away and the othe half fastened down, the total length bein

2* in. The copper part is 6 in. long, 7 Jin. nd 72 in. wide, and nearly an inch deep inside. hey appear to have had thick paper pasted

side to prevent noise during collection.

HERBERT SOUTHAM.

Shrewsbury. _ _____

nsi

NOTES ON BOOKS, &o.

Tie Jewish Encyclopedia. Isidore Singer, Ph.D., Projector and Managing Editor. Vol. I. (Funk & Wagnalls Company.)

,VE have here the first volume of a very ambitious ind wholly commendable undertaking. This is lothing less than an encyclopaedia devoted to ' the history, religion, literature, and customs of he Jewish people from the earliest times to the present day." It is being carried out by the Funk fe Wagnalls Company, to which we owe the best ind most convenient of accessible English dic- ionaries and many other important works, and is he product of more than four hundred scholars aid specialists, including many scholars whose lames are known over two continents. Were we not assured by the management that the whole will be comprised within twelve volumes, we should be led from the book before us to expect an almost interminable series, the first volume, which comprises over seven hundred pages, ending with Apocalyptic literature, or little more than half way through the first letter of the alphabet. It will give some idea of the probable cost of the undertaking when we say that the production of the first volume has involved an outlay of no less than 20,000/., and that five times that amount will have to be expended before the completed work is in the hands of the subscribers. This brings the ' Encyclo- paedia' into the same class with the ' New English Dictionary ' and the ' Dictionary of National Bio- graphy,' the two undertakings of which, though the general reader remains lamentably ignorant, the cultivated Englishman is most proud. Promises of support sufficient to constitute a guarantee of success have been received from the United States. A much larger public remains behind. A cursory glance over the names reveals not a single English, or indeed European, subscriber, and only a sprinkling of names from Canada.

It need not be supposed that the constituency consists only of Jews. Such are in themselves very numerous, and as a rule they are also spirited and enlightened. The appeal extends to Christians. Our religion is rooted in that of the Jews, and more of our views and customs than is generally admitted is Hebrew in origin. Quite impossible is all knowledge of the mysteries of our faith to one wholly unversed in Hebrew studies. By far the larger portion of the Bible is the Divine Book of the Hebrew as well as our own. No source of folk-lore and legend more important than the Talmud exists, and it is greatly to be desired that an English translation of this were generally acces- sible. One such began, and was warmly welcomed by us. Its publication was apparently suspended, not more than a single volume having reached us (see a review of ' A New Edition of the Baby- lonian Talmud,' by Michael L. Rodkinson, 8 th S. x. 367). In all that regards the origin of creed and development of every kind the Jew is the most