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NOTES AND QUERIES. [9 th s. ix. JUNE 21. 1902

The Coming Unity : the Problem of the Churches.

By the Rev. Alfred J. Harvey. (Stock.) WE have read this little book with much interest. The tone of it will commend itself to Churchmen and Dissenters alike. The author seeks to draw the various churches together by love and mutual help in a union not founded by Acts of Parliament, but, as urged by the late Dr. Stoughton, "a real and visible union between Churchmen and Dis- senters, distinct from comprehension not in- volving the destruction or injury, and not at all threatening the independence, of any free eccle- siastical organization whatever." Mr. Harvey refers to two important changes made of late years by the Free Churches in their services and in the architecture of their buildings. In their services "not only are the Te Deum, the canticles, and Psalms rendered as in our churches, but oftentimes large portions of the Prayer Book prayers are in- corporated into their supplications and giving of thanks," while " many of the noblest hymns found in Church of England hymn-books are the work of members of these Evangelical Free Churches." As regards architecture " many a Nonconformist 'chapel' of recent years is architecturally indis- tinguishable from an English parish church." This change was commenced as far back as 1848, when, through the liberality of Mr., afterwards Sir, Morton Peto, Bloomsbury Chapel was built. The origin of its two handsome towers is rather curious. Peto had great difficulty in obtaining a site for a Dissenting place of worship in such a prominent position. The ground was the property of the Commissioners of Woods and Forests. Lord Morpeth, who was the Chief Commissioner, had suggested that in order to protect the adjoining property the build- ing should be veiled by a row of houses. When Peto asked Lord Morpeth for a lease, McCree, in his life of Brock, relates that " he gave a dubious look, and said, ' If it had been a building with a spire,' whereupon Peto exclaimed, ' My lord, we shall have two spires.' " Peto had like trouble when he purchased the site of the Diorama in 1852 for the present Regent's Park Chapel. The repre- sentatives of the Crown insisted that the front should be maintained as part of the terrace, and that there should be no outward appearance of its being a chapel. As showing the interest Baptists are taking in their new buildings, we have noticed that a correspondence on the architecture of chapels is now appearing in the Baptist Times and Freeman, and a recent number contains illus- trations of the homely old chapel in which Robert Hall preached at Cambridge for fifteen years, and the very handsome new building shortly to be erected. Mr. Harvey closes his book with the wish that "both ministers and people will avail themselves of every opportunity of brotherly inter- course and co-operation."

We have received the first number of Cambrian Notes and Queries (Cardiff, Western Mail Office). The contents are of very varied character. Some of the questions might have been answered by the writers for themselves had they paid a visit to any good free library. Others are of real importance, and we trust will in due time receive satisfactory replies. Several contributors send jingles, half Welsh, half English, made for the purpose of im- pressing on children the English equivalents of the words they use. All these should be carefully preserved. Some of our own contributors who

have discussed the subject of the ill luck which is supposed to attend those who walk under a ladder may like to know that in Carmarthen the evil influence is supposed to be averted by crossing the thumbs.

THE moulins a hosties sometimes figured in eccle- siastical glass receive attention in the later num- bers of the Intermddiaire. These strange symbolical representations, which seem to have no English name, show the Saviour fixed in a mill, from which Eucharistic wafers are escaping " transformation du corps divin." Winepresses out of which the sacred blood flows in like manner are also to be met with, and a fine example of one of these Eucharistic presses is to be seen in a window of the church at Conches (Eure). The Intermddiaire also continues to discuss the question of the proper signification of the barre in heraldry, and to furnish a list of the real names of many religious commu- nities and orders, since their popular names are often incorrect. One correspondent desires to receive information regarding women who have disguised themselves as men to serve as sailors, and quotes an instance recorded in Jurien de la Graviere's ' Souvenirs d'un Amiral,' 1872.

AT an early date lists of the chief errata in the ' Dictionary of National Biography ' will be issued. Such errata will deal exclusively with matters of fact and date, and will not supply new information. The publishers would be obliged if those who have not already forwarded particulars of mistakes would send them now to the Editor of the ' Dictionary.' 15, Waterloo Place, S.W.

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H. (" For the love of God is broader "). ' Hymns Ancient and Modern,' No. 634, by Faber.

W. ABBATT (" Capt. Arnold"). This query ap- peared on 7 June, p. 447.

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