2"'' S. N» 56,, Jak. 24. '57.] 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



65 



The Emerald Table of Hermes, quoted in the 

 above by King Kalid, contains the earliest expo- 

 sition we possess of the Golden Chain of Nature, 

 and yives the keynote to the work of our 

 anonymous author. I need not, however, take 

 up space with it here, as it is readily to be met 

 with. 



In concluding this portion of my note, let me 

 refer to the very interesting work entitled A 

 Suggestive Inquirj/ into the Hermetic Mystery, 

 London, T.Saunders, 1850, pp.531., 8vo. ;* as 

 chap. ii. treats " Of the Theory of Transmutation 

 in General, and of the Universal Matter." 



ElBIONNACH. 



(Tb he continued.^ 



CURIOUS SUEGEON S BII-L. 



The following medical bill for curing a prisoner 

 in the Tower, a.d. 1588, presenting so many 

 curioiis items, I think it is worth preservation in 

 the pages of " N. & Q." The perfun^ed quilts for 

 his head, and some other articles, might pass 

 muster ; but we cannot refrain a smile when we 

 read of four ounces of perfumed lozenges for his 

 ear, and four ounces of syrup for his nostrils. In 

 addition to this account for medicines supplied, 

 the doctor seems to claim some reward for curing 

 Gerald. Over and above his bill, therefore, 

 reckoned at 51. 0«. 66?., they appear to have 

 awarded him 195: 66?., making a sum total of 6Z. 

 This plentiful supply of drugs did not, however, 

 prevent his falling sick again, for in July, 1589, 

 we find another account of 10/. Perhaps some of 

 your readers may be able to define what the 

 " trossies de terra sigilata" were? 

 « Sept. 1588. 



" Tlie Note of Charges of Jno. Roberts, Surgeon. 



" His Charges for the curing of 3fr. James Gerald in the 

 Tower. 



A note of such charges laid out to the use of Mr. James 



Givold, as shall apeare following : 



s. d. 

 Imprimis p and for 2 bottells of Serope of 3 



pints a peace at - - - * xij iiij 



Item 1 unce of the Beste Rubarbe at . - ix viij 

 Item 3 Bottells of Diet Drinke of a potteli a 



peace at - - - - - xiij iiij 



Item 2 Quilts perfumed for his lied at - x vi 



Item 2 Pourgations at - - " vj viij 

 Item 4 ounces of perfeumed Lossengis for his 



eare - - - - - x vj 



Itm 4 unces of serope for his nostrils at - viij viij 



* This learned and valuable book is anonymous, and, 

 I regret to learn, has been suppressed by the author. In 

 it he advertised " The Enigma of Alchemy and CEdipus 

 Kesolved ; a Poem in Five Parts," &c., which has never 

 appeared. The writer seems to be unacquainted with the 

 A. C. H., as he makes no allusion to it. 



Itm 4 unnces of unguent for his eare at - vj vj 



Itm 4 unnces of Implaster for his eare at - v viij 



Itm 4 unnces of Pilles of Mastichini ^t - viij x 



Itm 2 drames of pillelucies at - - v viij 



Itm 1 drame of Irossies de terra sigilata - ij vj 



Tli0 holle somme of chargis is at v" vj'' 



I stande to yo" bono" rewarde for my paines"^ , 



taken in curing of Mr. James Garpldejit yC ( ."" 

 honors pleasure yo'' Lordshippes to comande r^^^ '^. 

 duringe liffe. John Robertes, Sourgon. -J 

 « Totalis vj"." 

 Again for the quarter ending Julie, 1389, 10". 



Cl. Hopfeb 



PAINTERS ANACHRONISMS. 



Since forwarding my observations on the hare 

 which figures in mediaeval representations of the 

 "Last Supper," I have had an opportunity of 

 looking in again at Lord Ward's pictures, and find 

 the little painting by Albert Durer less extraor- 

 dinary than I had supposed ; indeed, it is quite 

 thrown into the shade by a Dutch rendering of 

 " Christ and the Crown of Thorns," which for 

 extreme profanity has not, I should think, its 

 equal. 



Teniers seems to have been unable to leave his 

 beloved pothouse even when treading holy ground ; 

 and consequently the Roman soldiers are so many 

 Dutch boors, full of beer and vulgarity ; and, as if 

 not satisfied to have trenched thus far on the re- 

 verence of his admirers, the painter has repre- 

 sented a rude sketch of another boor stuck on the 

 outside of the open door ; and the room and fur- 

 niture are quite ix\ keeping with his Dutch jma- 

 ginalion. 



A collection of these painters' anachronisms 

 might be made both interesting and amusing, if 

 they have not as yet been gathered together ; I 

 believe no DTsraeli has as yet appeared to chro- 

 nicle the " Curiosities of Art." 



One of the most amusing I have stumbled on is 

 mentioned in those ponderous volumes by Dibdin, 

 wherein he narrates his foreign adventures in 

 1820, the " Picturesque Tour." 



Noticing the cheap chap-books then so popular 

 in that part of France, which had their centre in 

 Caen, he gives an illustration from one of them, 

 conveying one of these artists' conception of the 

 " Departure of the Prodigal Son," who " is aboi^^ 

 to mount his horse and leave his father's house, in 

 the cloke and cocKd hat of a French officer ! " 



In architectural details the painter is more 

 startling still, for if there has never been a dis- 

 position to act, there has never been wanting in- 

 clination to paint " in the living present." 



Gothic cathedrals and convents form back- 

 grounds to Scripture subjects, and indeed, the con- 

 jectural architecture of Palestine alone would 



