Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 9.djvu/157

 9* S. IX. FEB. 22, 1902.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

149

tioned. In the Vosges, according to Laisnel de la Salle's 'Croyances et Legendes du Centre de la France,' vol. ii. p. 280, it is believed that the wind which blows during the mid- night mass on Christmas Eve will be the predominant wind during the approaching year. G. W.

JACKSON FAMILY, co. DURHAM.! should be much obliged if any of your readers would tell me the descent of Philip Jack- son, of West Rainton Hall, co. Durham. West Rainton Hall was conveyed to him in or soon after 1760, and he married Penelope, daughter of John Goodchild, Esq., of Pallion, in the same county. G. B.

SMALLNESS OP THE INFANT JESUS. In a translation of 'A Prayer of the Blessed Francis to obtain Holy Poverty,' appended to Mr. Montgomery Carmichael's rendering of 'Sacrum Commercium Beati Francisci cum Domina Paupertate,' occurs the following

"She [Poverty] clung to Thee with such Fidelity, that even within Thy Mother's womb she paid Thee homage, for Thy Infant Body was, it is thought, the smallest of all."-P. 186. '

This tradition is new to me. first notice of it appear 1

Where does the ST. SWITHIN.

ULISSE BARBIERI. Edmondo de Amicis, in his very interesting ' Memorie,' has the fol- lowing in his article on the above :

"Coslegli gira il mondo da quindici aniii e

sar& tale e quale fra trent' anni, salvo qualche pelo bianco di piu sulla testa e qualche ceiitinaio di drammi di piii sulla coscienza." The article is dated Torino, 1878. Is this prolific and erratic author still inter vivos ? J. B. McGovERN.

St. Stephen's Rectory, C.-on-M., Manchester.

FOUNTAIN FAMILY. After the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes a branch of my family settled in England, Scotland, or Ireland. They formerly resided at Roy an, near Bordeaux, and in the sixteenth century in Touraine. I should much like to hear from any member of this family.

HUBERT DE FONTAINES.

Chateau de Serigny, Foussais, Vende"e.

SOURCE OF QUOTATION WANTED. An American correspondent wants to know where the following line occurs :

The raucous clamouring of crows and choughs.

J. A. H. MURRAY.

REDEMPTION OF CAPTIVES, 1659. In a curious tract published in 1660, entitled ' The Mystery of the Good Old Cause Briefly Un folded, &c.,' giving details of "such Aldermen

and Common-Councilmen as made profit by the Continuance of the War, Excise, Taxes, and oppressive proceedings of the Long Par- iament," mention is made of Alderman Richard Hill, who died in 1659, as " a receiver of one per cent, of merchants' goods for re- demption of captives."

I should be glad to know what this refers X). It could not have been anything to do with briefs for collections for redemption of captives, as apparently none was issued be- tween 1624 and 1668. Was the receivership i permanent post created by the Parliament, or only a temporary one by the City ? I may mention that I have found frequent refer- ences to Hill in the State Papers as com- nissioner for sale of goods taken in the Dutch war, but nothing to throw light on this one. R. H. ERNEST HILL.

'THE GAMBLER DETECTED.' (9 th S. ix. 67.)

THE engraving with this inscription about which F. J. inquires is British Museum Satirical Print No. 4836, and it came from the Covent Garden Magazine, March, 1773, where impressions face p. 82. The impression in the Print Room, British Museum, is accom- panied (vide the entry under No. 4836 in the Trustees' ' Catalogue of Satirical Prints ') by a utting from that periodical to the following _ffect: "This design represents a circum- stance in the career of ' Baron Neuman,' who is called Crooked-finger Jack." He is stated to have been a German of doubtful origin, educated by charity, apprenticed to a grocer, and of vicious habits. He became a gambler, assumed the character of a gentleman, but was detected or suspected of unfair play, and driven in succession from various resorts. He then came to England, assumed the title of baron (Neuman), was very successful, and set up a handsome establishment. His usual game was piquet :

"An unlucky discovery, however, occurred at Scarborough, where our hero repaired to improve his finances. Being at play with a gentleman one day at all fours, whilst dinner was getting ready, and the cloth laid, with knives and forks at one end of the table, the gentleman was astonished how Jack always became possessed of the knave of trumps, and having watched him with great accuracy and attention, at. length perceived a corner of a card in his hand while he was dealing ; upon which the gentleman, immediately seizing a fork that lay by him [forks were twi-prongs m those days], pinned his hand down to the table, saying, ' By G-d, I've got you now.' There was the knave sure enough, and so the party ended.