324 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



[gn* S. X. Oct. 27, '€ 



said she loved them in God, but was to love nothing out 

 of him. She lived several years after this occurence re- 

 ligiousl}', and no doubt made a good end. — Note. Thomas 

 Kussell gave it under his hand that she brought a mes- 

 sage from the dead that no one living knew but himself. 

 The truth of this narrative was known to many who 

 knew the woman before and after this wonderful event. 

 The person that wrote the original that this is a copy 

 from knew her, had knowledge of her sickness, conversed 

 often with her, and asked her many questions ; her an- 

 swers were as already recited. He also knew T. Eussell 

 gave her the above certificate." 



R. C. 

 Cork. 



NOTES FROM AN OLD NEWSPAPER. 



ADM. BYNG : FEMALE SOLDIER I TEICK OF GOVERN- 

 MENT CONTRACTORS, ETC. 



A few days ago I came across some old accounts 

 for the year 1756, whose outer covering consisted 

 of a piece of a Sheffield newspaper of that date. 

 Amongst the paragraphs on the scrap are the 

 following : — 



" It is confidently asserted by those who are conver- 

 sant ia such afi'airs, that as Admiral Byng is determined 

 to die hard, by giving the government the trouble of 

 sending for a great number of witnesses to attend his 

 trial, the charge of it will cost one hundred thousand 

 pounds." 



" Newcastle, August 30. Last week a person was inlisted 

 here by one of the Serjeants of Lord Charles Manners's 

 regiment, who after being approved of, &c., was discovered 

 to be a woman, and to come from Red water in Northum- 

 berland. She was set at liberty on returning the inlist- 

 ing money ; but seemed greatly dissatisfied that she could 

 not be allowed to serve his Majest}' either in the army or 

 navy, having some time before inlisted on board a man- 

 of-war." 



" Leostoff (in Suffolk), August 30. Yesterday came in 

 at the Gateway, the brave Capt. Hackman of the Hazard 

 sloop of war, of eight six-pounders, fourteen swivels, and 

 66 men ; and brought with him a large French privateer 

 snow, of eight six-pounders, sixteen swivels, and 90 men. 

 They were engaged about three hours ; just before she 

 struck, they threw overboard four carriage and four 

 swivel guns, her boat, and started their water, in hopes 

 of escaping. The Hazard had but one man wounded. 

 The French lieutenant and several others were wounded, 

 and four killed; both their riggings were cut all to pieces, 

 and their sails full of holes, neither did their hulls escape 

 shot-free. The French had on board a great number of 

 tin boxes filled with old iron and large nails. O that we 

 had more Hackmans, and such brave fellows as he, whose 

 gallant behaviour in this affair have proved them to be 

 Englishmen, in doing justice to their country, and infinite 

 service on our coast." 



" The cause of the extraordinary rise of bread, which 

 has remained so long unaccountable, since just before 

 there was the greatest appearance of plentj', and a more 

 promising crop upon the ground never remembered, is 

 said to be at last discovered. The Treasury some time 

 ago advertised, that all persons willing to contract for 

 supplying the Encampments with flour, forage, &c., might 

 send in their proposals. On this occasion, a set of per- 

 sons who are always ready to prey upon the publick, and 

 like human vultures rejoice at war for the advantage 

 they can suck out of it, confederated together, and gave 

 in, or caused to be given in, their proposals so much 



alike, that they presumed there could be no doubt of 

 their appearing about the mark, from their general agree- 

 ment ; and as the interest was common, it was matter of 

 little concern which amongst them had the preference. 

 However, unluckly for 'em, a person they had no suspi- 

 cion of, gave in proposals, which in some articles were no 

 less than Jiftt/ per cent, cheaper. These of course were 

 accepted, and the disappointed confederacy have been en- 

 grossing the corn, &c., as touch as possible, partly out of 

 revenge against this single person, but more, 'tis ima- 

 gined, to prevent, by his example, others from venturing 

 to interfere with them for the future. But the gentleman 

 they thus aimed to ruin, had prudently provided for the 

 execution of his contract previously to his giving in pro- 

 posals ; whence, as these honest 'men's stock must soon 

 come into the market, and the harvest is in so fair a way, 

 it may reasonably be hoped that the poor will soon see as 

 large loaves for their penny as ever they did. — It may 

 hence be collected how it was possible for a late agent 

 victualler to make a fortune of three or four hundred 

 thousand pounds in a few years' time." 



J. Eastwood. 



Unintentional Puns. — Some years ago, in 

 Paris, a tragedy was ruined by one of the above. 

 An actor was pi'oceeding with his part, having to 

 describe somewhat fully the death of one of the 

 characters. He had to use the following words : 

 " sortit de ce monde comme un vieillard en sort." 



The sound of the last words caught the ear of 

 the facetiously disposed of the house, and " sortit 

 de ce monde comme un vieil hareng saure " be- 

 came so much one of the points of the play, that 

 it had to be withdrawn. The pathetic allusion to 

 an ancient red-herring's peaceful demise was too 

 much for the Parisians. L. H. M. 



Ireland in the last Century. — William 

 Armstrong, of Killea, near Lloydsboro, in the 

 county of Tipperary, told me that he well recol- 

 lects his father, who, at his death, had attained 

 the advanced age of eighty-seven years, telling 

 him that, in his early days, so sparse was the 

 population in the locality in which he resided, 

 that it was usual when a death took place in the 

 neighbourhood to light a fire at nightfall on the 

 nearest eminence, to notify the occurrence to 

 those living at a distance, and that their attend- 

 ance would be required to convey the corpse to 

 the grave. James Butler. 



19. Northumberland Street, Strand. 



Extract from an Old Diary. — The following 

 is written on one side of a small sheet of paper 

 7^ X 6 inches ; it appears to be an abstract of the 

 current events of the day. I found it lately 

 amongst the papers of a gentleman then (1701) 

 much involved in political difficulties : — 



" 16ti^ May, 1701, 



" The Kentish pet" have made a greate noise here of 

 late; and one of them makeing his Escape from the sear- 

 gent at Arms, and writeing a scurilous letter to him in 

 defeaiance, and the three other who remained being verie 



