Page:Notes by the Way.djvu/260

 190

��NOTES BY THE WAY.

��included Mulready, Cope, Horsley, Redgrave, Webster, the four Linnells, Townsend, and others. A specimen of the first Christmas card was sold a few years back for 501.

��"DO YOU KEN JOHN PEEL?"

1903, Nov. 28. The Daily Telegraph of November 19th, 1903, records the death

" Do you ken a ^ the age of eighty-eight, at Greenrigg, Caldbeck, of Mrs. Richard- John Peel ? " son, the last surviving daughter of John Peel, the famous Cumber- land huntsman, and hero of the well-known hunting song.

��GEORGE IV.'s GOLD DINNER SERVICE AT WINDSOR. 1903, Dec. 12. Truth for December 3rd, 1903, states in reference to this that

George IV.'s " it is not generally known that the collection of Crown plate once gold service, included a very much more magnificent and valuable gold dinner service, which was made for Henry VIII. This service was taken to Holland by William III., to be used at some great ceremonial dinner at The Hague. It was never brought back to England, and is now included in the Dutch Crown plate. Charles II. caused each piece of the service to be engraved with his Majesty's arms as King of England, Scotland, France, and Ireland. About half a century ago the late King of the Netherlands ordered these arms to be erased, and they were replaced by the Dutch royal arms, the value of the service being, of course, considerably reduced by this barbarous proceeding."

��JAPANESE NEW YEAR'S DAY.

1904, Jan. 9. The Daily Chronicle of January 1st, 1904, had the following

JapaneseNew interesting notice : Year's day.

" To a devout Japanese breakfast on New Year's Day is a religious

rite. No ordinary dishes are consumed. The tea must be made with water drawn from the well when the first ray of sun strikes it, a pot-pourri of materials specified by law forms the staple dish, at the finish a measure of special sake from a red lacquer cup must be drained by whosoever desires happiness during the coming year. In the room is placed an ' elysian stand,' or red lacquer tray, covered with evergreen leaves, and bearing a rice dumpling, a lobster, oranges, persimmons, chestnuts, dried sardines, and herring roe. All these dishes have a special signification. The names of some are homonymous with words of happy omen ; the otl ^rs have an allegorical meaning. The lobster's curved back and long claws typify life prolonged till the frame is bent and the beard is long ; the sardines, which always swim in pairs, express conjugal bliss ; the herring is symbolical of a fruitful progeny. These dishes are not intended for consumption, although in most cases the appetite is fairly keen. The orthodox Japanese not only sees the old year out ; he rises at four to welcome the new-comer, and performs many ceremonies before he breaks his fast,"

�� �