2»«» S. N« 76., June 13. '57.3 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



477 



to certain statements of Sir Isaac Newton regard- 

 ing the tenacity of fluids, the decrease of the 

 various motions that are in the world, the pro- 

 bability of an increase in the irregularities of the 

 planetary motions, until the present system of 

 Nature shall want a manum emendatricem. As- 

 suming the truth of these statements, on the one 

 hand Leibnitz asserted that a want of foresight in 

 the Creator might be inferred, while Claike on the 

 other band argued that a continuation of immuta- 

 bility in the universe might be construed to prove 

 the eternity of the universe, and to exclude the 

 providence of God. John Husband. 



Souls (S""! S. iii. 307.) — The green hair streak, 

 Thecla rubi, the under side of whose wings is green, 

 is, I believe, the only English butterfly of that 

 colour. I am inclined to think, however, that the 

 "little green thing" of the Gloucestershire child, 

 must be the oak moth, l^ortrix viridana, whose 

 myriads of leaf-rolling larvae disfigure our oaks so 

 often, and the tender green of whose beautiful 

 little wings must have been noticed and admired 

 often during a woodland walk in July or August. 

 W. J. Bebnhard Smith. 



Temple. 



The Game of Clomjnge (2"^ S. iii. 367.) — The 

 game of clossynge is the one frequently called in 

 ancient statutes cloisk, or closh, which seems to 

 have been the same as hayles, or heiles, or at least 

 exceedingly like it. Cloish was played with pins, 

 which were thrown at with a bowl instead of a 

 truncheon, and probably difiered only in name 

 from the nine-pins of the present time. This 

 game is prohibited by 17 Edw. IV. cap. 3 ; 18 and 

 20 Hen. VIII., &c. (Strutt). In the Narrative of 

 Louis of Bruges, Lord Grauthuyse, in Archceologia, 

 1836, p. 277., is the following passage : 



" Edward IV. had the lord of Grauthuyae brought to the 

 queen's own withdrawing room, where she and her 

 ladies were playing at the morteaulx [a game probably 

 resembling bowls], and some of her ladies were playing 

 at elosheys of ivory [nine-pins made of ivory]." 



J. Y. 

 May Kittens and May Ducks (P' S. iii. 20. 84.) 

 — As in Wilts, Devon, and Hampshire, so it is 

 considered extremely unlucky by the old wives of 

 Pembrokeshire to rear kittens which are born in 

 the month of May. They are called " May chetts " 

 (an evident corruption of the word " chatte "), 

 and are popularly believed to carry toads and 

 adders into the house. This playful peculiarity 

 of theirs would make them anything but agreeable 

 companions. Ducks which are hatched in May 

 are obnoxious to a similar prejudice. It is sup- 

 posed that they never thrive, and are particularly 

 liable to paralysis of the legs. Upon what legend 

 or tradition can so absurd a belief be founded ? 



John Pavin Phillips. 



Haverfordwest. 



Spinettes (2°^ S. iii. 111.) —At the Norfolk 

 Arms Inn, at Arundel, there is a curious old 

 harpsichord that might perhaps be of some in- 

 terest to persons inquiring into spinettes and 

 other musical instruments of the same date. 



Mbletes. 



Eminent Artists who have been Scene Painters 

 (2°'^ S. iii. 46.) — Add to my previous list the nam© 

 of Philip James de Loutherbourg, who, like Stan- 

 field and Roberts, was a scene-painter at Drury 

 Lane Theatre. Cuthbert Bede, B.A. 



Quotation Wanted : " Oh Great Corrector,^' Sfc. 



(2"'^ S. iii. 448.) — The quotation wanted by F. 



M. H. will be found in The Two Noble Kinsmen 



of Beaumont and Fletcher, Act V. Sc. 1., at the 



close. 



" Oh great corrector of enormous times, 

 Shaker of o'er-rank states, thou grand decider 

 Of dusty and old titles, that healst with blood 

 The earth when it is sick, and curs't the world 

 0' the pleurisy of people," &c. 



Mr. Darley points to this passage, and some 

 others in the first three scenes of the fifth act, as 

 favourable to the supposition that Shakspeare 

 may have contributed to this play ; so much more 

 do they resemble Shakspeare's "large manner," 

 both in thought and versification, than the style of 

 Fletcher. Robert Alfred Vaughan. 



NOTES ON RECENT BOOK SALES, 



Messrs. Sotheby & Wilkinson disposed of the fol- 

 lowing Theological and Historical Works at their sale on 

 June 5th and 6th, 1857 : — 



No. 294. Hooker (Richard) of the Lawes of Ecclesias- 

 tical Politic, eyght Books. J. Windet. The Fifth Book, 

 &c. 1597. First Edition, very rare. Fol., in 1 vol. 21. 6s. 

 Four books only were published at first, though the 

 title mentioned eight. There is no date to the four 

 books, but they appeared in 1594. 



295. Hooker (R.) of the Laws of Ecclesiastical Politie, 

 eight books. Second Edition of the Four Books, scarce. 

 J. Windet. 1604. The Fifth Book, First Edition, scarce. 

 Calf, fol, in 1 vol. 16s. 



The second edition of the Four Books, and little known. 

 Mr. Keble had not seen a copy when he published 

 his first edition. It is very similar to the first edi- 

 tion, containing one page more. The notice of errata, 

 too, is couched in almost the same terms. Spencer 

 was the editor. 



296. Hooker (R.) of the Lawes of Ecclesiastical Politie, 

 eight Books. (Book L to V.) Engraved title by Hole. 

 Fol. 1611. 3s. 



This is a reprint of Spencer's edition of the Four Books. 

 It is the third edition of the Four Books, and the 

 second edition of the Fifth. The edition is scarce, 

 and was not known to Mr. Keble on the publication 

 of his first edition. The date occurs on the title to 

 Book V. With the volume is the Book of Homilies, 

 Black-letter, 1623. 



297. Hooker (R.) of the Lawes of Ecclesiastical Politie, 



