Literature, from the Earliest Ages to the Accession of the House of Tudor.' G. F. R. B. He was the author of 'The New Lancashire Gazetteer, or Topographical Dictionary' (published by Henry Teesdale, London, 1830). He also wrote a similar work relating to the county of York (Teesdale, London, 1828). In 1830 T. and G. Underwood, London, published for him' Conversations on the History of England,' 2 vols. 8vo.

H. FISHWICK.

He also published a 'New Yorkshire Gazetteer,' 8vo., London, 1828. W. C. B. ADRIAN VANDYKE (7th S. i. 488).-I may be able to throw some light on the query of MR. F. E. SAWYER about Adrian Vandyke, who had four wives, and think that presumably he may have some connexion with the "great painter of that name who came to England about 1632." It may interest MR. SAWYER and some of the readers of N. & Q. to know that his first wife was of the family of the Millers, or Myllers, long settled at Horsenail, Crouch, in the parish of Wrotham, and also at Oxen Hoath, parish of West Peckham, both in the county of Kent, and not more than two or three miles apart, and that it is recorded in the register of Wrotham that Adrian Vandicke and Winifreth Miller were married December 27, 1595,-no doubt the "Winifred Vandyke who was buried at Lewes, in Sussex, December 17, 1619." In Berry's 'Kentish Genealogies' it is stated that William James, of Ightham Court, Esq. (not far from Wrotham), and who was aged eighteen in 1619, married Jane, daughter of Nicholas Miller, Esq., of Crouch, which Jane was, according to Wrotham parish register, baptized August 25, 1605, and in all probability was sister Winifreth Vandicke. This William James, Esq., of Ightham Court, had seven uncles, one of them, Arnold James, married Mary, daughter of John Vanhulst, of London, and another, John James, of Grove Manor, Woodnesbrough (sixth son of his father, also Wm. James, of Ightham Court), married Susannah, daughter and coheir of Peter Vandewall, of Antwerp, who had six children, the eldest of them aged fourteen in 1619. It does not seem a great stretch of imagination to think that Vandyke, the painter, may have been brought to this country by cousins, connexions of the Vandicke and Miller families. M. D. N.

of

THE TOPIC' (7th S. i. 508).-The Topic was first issued in weekly numbers and monthly parts, but after a few months the numbers appeared every fortnight instead of every week. The first part is dated May 1, 1846, and contains articles on 'The Indian War, The New Tariff, The Oregon Question,' and 'Poland.' Part xiv., which is dated June 1, 1847, is the last which I have

seen, and is probably the last which was issued. It contains articles on the following subjects, 'The London Picture Exhibitions,' and 'Socialism as illustrated by Fourier's System.'

G. F. R. B. The first number of the Topic was published on April 4, 1846, and the last on June 1, 1847. WM. ENGLAND HOWLETT. Kirton in Lindsey.

DR. ROWLAND TAYLOR, MARTYR, SUFFERED Homra, co. Down, Rowland Taylor's descendant 1555 (7th S. i. 448).—Mr. William Todd Jones, of in the sixth degree, was employed collecting and arranging materials for a biography of his ancestor, and possessed a family book" in the bishop's writing giving an account of his parentage, &c.; but unfortunately he died before he had completed it, and the fate of his papers has not been ascertained. They were at one time at Montalto, under the care of Lord Moira, and then sent to Donnington; but it is believed that they never reached there, and were burnt in the fire which destroyed the London Custom House.

Many traditions, however, came from Mr. Jones to his sister Mrs. Wray, who communicated them to Bishop Heber; and the latter states in his 'Life of Jeremy Taylor' that he was the lineal descendant of Dr. Rowland Taylor." CONSTANCE RUSSELL.

Swallowfield, Reading.

BOOKPLATES (7th S. i. 448; ii. 16).—I have the two plates described by W. M. M. No. 1 has the name Smith at the foot in my copy, and the arms are those of a family of that name. He has omitted to notice that the design includes a large scroll S, on which the arms, crest, and motto are placed.

In No. 2 the birds are not martlets, having very visible feet, but sea pies. The crest also is not "a griffin's head on a block," but a cockatrice's head, · couped, on the usual wreath. "Dey Syer" is no doubt the name of the owner, as these are the arms of Syer, of Isham, co. Northants (the field should be gules). Dey, D'Eye, or Day is a family name, and " C. C. C." is, of course, either Corpus Christi College, or Christ's College, Cambridge.

C. R. M.

GRACE BEFORE OR AFTER MEAT (7th S. i. 228, 357, 416).-Among Church people I have only, and that lately, been shocked by this omission in two or three houses, and those decidedly "fast" ones. I must say I have always found grace reverently said by Roman Catholics, accompanied by crossing also. Dissenters I do not remember to have dined with, but I am sure it would not be omitted by them. I have always heard it called "saying grace." Having once heard a discussion amongst clergy whether a bishop or his chaplain ought to be asked to say it, and having sometimes had both

memorial referred to nor a second one sent to Sir Joseph in November, 1817, for transmission was forwarded, for the originals lie before me, together with pitifully worded letters begging for old clothing or relief in any form. ANDREW W. Tuer.

The Leadenhall Press, E.C.

GREEN DALE OAK: GOLD MEDAL: NOTTS YEOMANRY (7th S. i. 347, 509).-The medal in question was given to the Nottinghamshire Yeomanry Cavalry at the time of the enrolment of volunteers to protect the country against the possible invasion of the army of Boulogne. Many other regiments had medals distributed of the same character. A specimen in silver can be seen in the British Museum. Vide Gibson on 'Medals,' p. 65. The particular medal in gold now referred to must be almost unique, as those distributed to officers and men were in silver or bronze.

BREAKSPEAR (7th S. i. 329, 393, 492).-As the eldest son of the late W. H. Brakspear of Henley, I think I can tell J. H. G. something about my grandfather's bookplate. It is quite true that he always

used a monogram.

He was what was then called

"an elegant penman," and designed it himself; but I do not think that the use of a monogram on a bookplate argues the non-possession of a coat of arms. This much I can say, that as a very young man I asked my father why he did not use his crest, and to let me know what it was, as I had never seen it, and he said, "No, I have never used it, and your grandfather would never do so because he thought it was out of place for a man of business to do so." It must be remembered that in those days it was not the custom for everybody to put a crest of some kind on his livery buttons, &c.

My grandfather, Mr. Robert Brakspear, was not born at Henley. I do not think he came there until he was in business. I wish J. H. G. would let me know his name and address, as he seems to know a great deal about my father's early history, and must be an old friend. H. H. B.

10, Chapel Place, Ramsgate.

HERALDIC (7th S. i. 509).-The coat of arms is that of the Darells: Azure, a lion rampant or, armed, langued, and crowned gules. Crest, Out of a ducal coronet or a Saracen's head couped at the shoulders proper, bearded sable, wreathed about the temples argent and azure; on the head a chapeau of the last fretty of the third, tasselled gold, turned up ermine. I fancy the quartering must be intended for Chicheley, Argent, a chevron between three cinquefoils gules. Burke's Com

moners.' i. 133, states that "John Darell, second son of William Darell of Sesay, co. York, married secondly Florence, heiress of William Chicheley, Archbishop of Canterbury, and so obtained the manor of Scotney." This quartered coat might be borne by any of their descendants. E. FARRER. Luton Hoo.

WILLIAMS COLLEGE OF MASSACHUSETTS (6th S. xii. 348).—It has been asserted that Robert Williams of Roxbury, the ancestor here of the founder of this college, was from Caernarvonshire, and that he had the right to bear the following coat of arms, viz., Gules, a chevron ermine between three men's heads affronté couped. These show an armorial connexion with the Williamses of Cochwillien, Penryn, and Veynol in that county. Can any of your noted Welsh antiquaries give the pedigree of this Robert Williams? A. D. WELD FRENCH.

Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.

PORTRAITS HAVING ONE HAND ON A SKULL (7th S. i. 407, 512).-The best reply I can make to I. E. C. is to point out that poets are subject to die of love frequently and yet to attain to a good old age. The stubborn facts remain that by the Milanese fixed at 1531, and in the Life of Sannazuro preedition of Vasari the death of Andrea del Sarto is fixed to the edition of his Arcadia' printed at Venice in 1578, that of Sannazaro is given as 1533. It is difficult to believe that he foresaw the time of his own death at least two years before it occurred, or that, if Andrea left the portrait unfinished, Sannazaro did not have it completed at once by one of Andrea's scholars, and trusted to what might be done after his own death.

RALPH N. JAMES.

I

SHAKSPEARE'S DOCTOR (7th S. i. 428; ii. 18).— This mythical individual ought hereafter to be known as Shakespeare's "Jack-in-the-box." had supposed him for ever carefully fastened down by my discovery of the stone and the epitaph, as described in Harper's Magazine, January, 1886. Now he pops up for a German career. The fragments of Dr. Heldon's gravestone-the oldest English gravestone in this country (1618)—are in my possession. There was nothing about Shakespeare in the epitaph. It states that he was born in Bedfordshire, England; and it would much interest

Virginians if any trace of the family could be dis-
covered, or the time and circumstances of Edmund
Heldon's voyage.
MONCURE D. CONWAY.
Brooklyn, N.Y.

DR. JOHN MONRO (7th S. i. 369, 413, 474, 514). -Since writing my letter published 7th S. i. 514 I have found an original correspondence between my grandfather, Dr. Thomas Monro, and the prime minister, Mr. Spencer Perceval, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and Lord Eldon (the Lord Chancellor) regarding George III.'s illness in 1811 and 1812. This confirms what I have said about my grandfather having been the physician who attended George III., rather than my great-grandfather Dr. John Monro. But in the same packet I have found a copy of a letter written January 31, 1789, by Dr. Warren to my great-grandfather, Dr. John Monro, asking his opinion regarding the symptoms of incurability in insanity. I have also Dr. John Monro's answer, but written in the handwriting of my great-grandmother. This, I imagine, was because her husband was too unwell himself to write it. My grandfather has written on this correspondence, May 24, 1824, the following: "When the King George III. became insane and the physicians were examined before the House, Dr. Warren wrote the enclosed to my father. The answer is in my mother's hand."

HENRY MONRO, M.D. AUTHORS OF QUOTATIONS WANTED (7th S. ii. 30).—

A man of hope and forward-looking mind. Wordsworth's Excursion,' bk. vii. 1, 278. FREDK, RULE.

Miscellaneous.

NOTES ON BOOKS, &o. Dictionary of National Biography. Edited by Leslie Stephen. Vol. VII. Brown-Burthogge. (Smith, Elder & Co.)

WITH punctuality and rapidity that can scarcely in the case of a work of this importance be overpraised, and that prove how well Mr. Leslie Stephen has his team in hand, the seventh volume of the Dictionary of National Biography sees the light. It contains a more than average number of names of the highest importance, among them being, of course, Sir Thomas Browne, Bunyan, Burke, Burns, Burnet, Bucer, Buchanan, Bruce, Browning, with many others of hardly less importance. Most of the biographies are competently done, and some of them are admirable in condensation. Sir Thomas Browne and his contemporary William Browne, of the 'Britannia's Pastorals, are done by Mr. A. H. Bullen, one of the most valuable and fortunately one of the most constant contributors. The Rev. William Hunt supplies the long biography of Edmund Burke; while Burns, in whose case judicious handling is expedient, is one of three or four important memoirs supplied by the editor, the most noteworthy of these being the excellent life of Buckle. The life of Bunyan is written by the Rev. Canon Venables, a too infrequent contributor to ' N. & Q.,' who supplied the Memoir of Bunyan to the "Clarendon Press Series." Canon Venables, it is interesting to state, is against the gipsy origin

of Bunyan, concerning which a discussion is being carried on in our pages. Burbage falls to Mr. S. L. Lee, who contrives in the life to supply an interesting and a very useful account of the stage in Shakspearean times. Mr. Lee's valuable contributions include Sir Francis Bryan and

many other worthies. George Buchanan is dealt with by

Dr. Æneas Mackay, who is also responsible for Robert Bruce. Dr. Westland Marston supplies, in part from personal recollections, a life of Buck stone, and one of Oliver Madox Brown. Mr. Osmund Airy, the accomplished editor of The Lauderdale Papers,' writes on Burnet, and Mr. Robert Harrison deals with the Brunels. Dr. Norman Moore supplies some good medical biographies. Moses Browne, the piscatorial poet, is in the hands of Mr. W. P. Courtney. Bruce, the African traveller, has been trusted to Dr. Garnett, and Sir Jarvis Knight Bruce and some other legal and literary dignitaries, including James Silk Buckingham, to Mr. Russell Barker. Mr. W. E. A. Axon, Mr. Thomas Bayne, Mr. H. Bradley, Mr. Thompson Cooper, Mr. Austin Dobson, Dr. Jessopp, Mr. R. E. Graves, Mr. Louis Fagan, Mr. Arthur Locker, Mr. Monkhouse, and Mr. J. H. Round are among the contributors, It is noteworthy that the editor has in this volume taken example, some lives involving the utmost drudgery and upon himself, perhaps for the purpose of setting an the least reward.

The Domesday Book for the County of Derby. Reprinte from The Feudal History of the County of Derby. By John Pym Yeatman. (Bemrose & Sons.) MR. YEATMAN is well known as a student of our early history, and as one who holds views which arenot to use too strong language-unpopular with the majority of his fellow labourers in the same field. He is a strong supporter of the theory which sees in many of our most important customs which have had the force of law for ages not the relics of village community life which once flourished among our Teutonic kinsfolk, but remains of an earlier race-the Celts-which adverse circumstances have driven from the fairest portions of the patrimony which was once their own. We cannot in the space at our disposal argue this matter with him. It would require a volume of no small dimensions to do it effectively. Thus much, however, must be admitted by all who have entered on the question without prejudice, that, allowing for the not unnatural exaggeration of a certain school of historians who have laid the foundations of a scientific history of our people, as relates to more than half of England the Teutonic theory is undoubtedly true.

We must confess that there are some passages in Mr. Yeatman's introductory essay which we do not understand. Does he really think that the book known by the misnomer of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle' is not a contemporary document so far as the latter portions are concerned; and has he come to the conclusion that all the charters we have of a time preceding the Norman Conquest are spurious? We are reluctantly compelled to believe that he has adopted this view, for he tells us that "before the Norman Conquest writing was not employed in the transfer of land." That forged charters exist no one doubts; but that a large mass of genuine evidence from pre-Norman times has come down to us cannot be doubted by any one who has seen and read the documents.

Mr. Yeatman's rendering of the Derbyshire part of the Domesday Survey seems accurate, and he has done a service by pointing out that it is no argument against the existence of a place in remote times that its name cannot be found in the Survey. He says truly that those places were not mentioned from which the king did not derive revenue. We could give instances of hamlets