Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 8.djvu/369

 9th s. VIIL NOV. 2, i90L] NOTES AND QUERIES.

361

Government has sanctioned the erection of a monument to Chopin at Warsaw.

A. N. Q.

CHRIST CHURCH, WOBURN SQUARE. The theft of the cross from this church, so full of associations with Christina Rossetti, is a cause for universal regret. It was given by her aunt Eliza Polidori, and consisted of a ruby enamelled globe banded with emeralds set in massive gold, and included a star and crescent of diamonds, the gift of the Sultan of Turkey, in recognition of Miss Polidori's services as one of the nurses in the campaign in the Crimea. The cross occupied a position in front of the reredos filled with paintings by Sir Edward Burne- Jones as a memorial to Christina Rossetti. N. S. S.

ACERVATION. (See 9 th S. vii. 420, 485.) In Thomas Carlyle's ' History of Fried rich II. of Prussia,' book ii. chap, viii., a very curious illustration of this occurs. Markgraf Otto IV., of the Ascanier line of Markgraves in Bran- denburg, has been taken prisoner (A.D. 1278) by the Archbishop of Magdeburg, and is let out on parole to raise his ransom :

" Markgraf Otto returns, money in hand ; pays, and is solemnly discharged. The title of the sum I could give exact ; but as none will in the least tell me what the value is, I humbly forbear. ' We are clear, then, at this date ? ' said Markgraf Otto from his horse, just taking leave of the Magdeburg Canonry. ' Yes,' answered they. ' Pshaw, you don't know the value of a Markgraf ! ' said Otto. ' What is it, then?' ' Rain gold ducats on his war- horse and him,' said Otto, looking up with a satirical grin, ' till horse and Markgraf are buried in them, and you cannot see the point of his spear atop ! ' That would be a cone of gold coins equal to the article, thinks our Markgraf; and rides grinning away."

Otto evidently was making a facetious allu- sion to some form of the custom discussed by M. Chauvin in Melusine, the point of the Markgraf's raised spear corresponding to the tip of the suspended dog's tail.

EDWARD BENSLY. University, Adelaide, South Australia.

FORAGE CAPS. May it be recorded in 1 N. & Q ' that from 1 October the forage cap of the. Grenadier, Coldstream, and Scots Guards, which had been long in use, has given place to one similar in shape to that worn by the Irish Guards since their forma- tion 1 The cap bands will be similar in colour to those hitherto worn scarlet for the Grenadiers, white for the Coldstreams, and chequered scarlet and white for the Scots, the Irish Guards having green bands. As much has been said and written on the cap to which attention is directed, and as it may

possibly be issued to soldiers of the line, and having regard to the fact that the adoption of this shape of forage cap " has formed the sub- ject of long and anxious discussion on the part of the uniform authorities at the War Office " (vide Daily Telegraph of 5 October), I beg to remark that Lieut. Charles O'Malley (like his second, Major O'Shaughnessy, of the Con- naught Rangers), in his duel with Capt. Tre- vyllian in Spain in 1809, wore an undress cap similar to those now worn by the men of His Majesty's Foot Guards. It may be men- tioned, in connexion with the matter, that Mister Mickey Free, also of the 14th Light Dragoons, had on the right side of his wise head a cap somewhat like his master's, when he was sitting on a bank, with a mug of something by his side and a fife between his fingers, and in order to please three of his comrades who, by the way, were cleaning his accoutrements and horse for him singing the following song :

Bad luck to this marching,

Pipeclaying and starching ; How neat one must be to be killed by the French !

I 'm sick of parading,

Through wet and cowld wading, Or standing all night to be shot in a trench.

To the tune of a fife

They dispose of your life, You surrender your soul to some illigant lilt ;

Now I like ' Garryowen'

When I hear it at home,

But it's not half so sweet when you're going to be kilt.

Then though up late and early,

Our pay comes so rarely, The devil a farthing we've ever to spare ;

They say some disaster

Befel the paymaster ;

On my conscience I think the money 's not there. Vide Lever's 'Charles O'Malley, the Irish Dragoon,' pp. 311, 479, 485, and 506.

HENRY GERALD HOPE.

119, Elms Road, Clapham.

IBSEN'S MASCOTTES. Within the last fifteen years there has been at least one series of notes on the mascottes of distinguished people. The indexes do not help me* in the search, so I must ask the Editor to forgive my omission of references.

Mrs. Alec. Tweedie, in the Pall Mall Gazette of 4 October (p. 2, col. 1), gives a description of a visit to the great dramatist some six years ago. From this I clip the following :

"Ibsen's writing-table is placed in the window.

On the table beside the inkpot stood a small

tray. The contents were extraordinary. There were some little wooden carved Swiss bears, a little black devil, some small cats, dogs, and rabbits in copper, one of which was playing a violin. What


 * The word is discussed 9 th S. i. 229, 311.