2>"» S. X. Sept. 29. '60.] 



NOTES AND QUEEIES. 



247 



his skin, though not in the fantastical style de- 

 sci'ibed in the above-mentioned exti-act. He had 

 it hanging partially on his sides, and I drew some 

 pieces out of his mouth, as it hung out_ on both 

 sides. I took him on my hand to do this, and he 

 sat perfectly still, and evidently liked to be thus 

 assisted. This I have observed in former pet 

 toads in the same predicament. His new skin 

 was bright and clammy, but soon attained its 

 proper firmness. It surprised me, however, to 

 find him six days after, repeating, or perhaps 

 completing his change of skin. This time I drew 

 out of his mouth two pieces of skin each an inch 

 and a half long, during which he sat quiet and 

 seemed quite pleased, as before. After this, 

 however, he would take no food but one moth, 

 became extremely restless, and impatient of 

 confinement, and six days afterwards^ he died ; 

 leaving me convinced that the " Running Toad " 

 cannot be kept in confinement, though I have 

 kept the common toad more than two years. A 

 full account of other " Running Toads," which I 

 have k§pt may be seen in the Literary Gazette, 

 Dec. IG, 1854. F. C. H. 



Alexander Pope. — Mr. Bolton Corney (P' 

 S. X. 417.) refers to a copy of Pope's Works: 

 " The Gift of Alexander Pope to the Society at 

 Marsh-gate, 1741." I doubt not but that many 

 persons have been speculating as to the where- 

 abouts of this Society. Marsh-gates are common ; 

 but I suspect the Marsh-gate here alluded to was 

 situated at the entrance to Richmond from East 

 Sheen, as set down in the Ordnance Map. Knap- 

 ton, the bookseller, lived there. Pope, in a letter 

 to Bathurst, the bookseller, dated " Twitnam, 

 Oct. 23," {Gent. Mag., Dec. 1855,) invites him to 

 dinner, and says: "You'll meet nobody that I 

 know of, except by chance Mr. Knapton should 

 call from Marsh Gate, where he is generally on a 

 Sunday." A. P. M. 



The Moon and Mushrooms. — It was only 

 lately that I became aware of a generally admitted 

 fact, that the growth of the above esculent is in- 

 fluenced by the changes of the moon._ _ My gar- 

 dener informs me, on more than traditional evi- 

 dence, that towards, and at the full of the moon, 

 mushrooms show themselves, but when she begins 

 to loaste, the crop declines. He says he heard 

 this as a boy from the Leigh watermen, and has 

 assured me 'it is the result of long observation. 

 This piece of Essex folk-lore, which is altogether 

 new to me, and may be so to your readers, I have 

 reduced, for convenience sake, to the following 

 ^ormula : — 



When the moon is at the full. 

 Mushrooms you may freely pull ; 

 But when the moon is on the wane, 

 Wait ere you think to pluck again. 



F. Phillott. 



luetics. 

 Baetholomew Fair. — Those who read with 

 pleasure Dr. Rimbault's interesting communi- 

 cations on Bartholomew Fair have no doubt been 

 looking forward to the fulfilment of his promise 

 to give " a separate paper on Henry Fielding." 

 When may we expect it ? Whilst on this subject 

 I would mention, that neither Mr. Morley nor 

 Dr. Rimbaclt take any notice of the most in- 

 teresting of the Bartholomew Fair prints, viz. the 

 one engraved and published by J. Basire (the 

 father of the James Basire, engraver to the Anti- 

 quarian Society). It is also the largest, measuring 

 25 J inches by 20, and shows the large theatrical 

 booths placed on the classic ground over against 

 the hospital gates. Gibber, Griffin, Bullock, and 

 Ilallam, occupy the space nearest the hospital, and 

 next to them is the booth of Henry Fielding and 

 Ilippisley. Lee and Harper are close by, and are 

 entertaining the fair folks with "Hob in the Well." 

 There Is no date on the print, but I believe It must 

 be the year 1733 or 34, when the fair lasted four- 

 teen days. J. H. W. 



Christopher Barker (the Printer), and his 

 Deputies, Bacon House, Aldersgate. — Where 

 was the printing office of Christopher Barker and 

 his Deputies ? And who were the Deputies ? 



Shelley House, in Noble Street, Aldersgate, 

 which Stow says belonged to Sir Thomas Shelley, 

 Knt., In the 1st of Henry IV., afterwards became 

 the property of, or was occupied by. Sir Ralph 

 Rowlett, Master of the Mint to King Henry VIII. ; 

 and subsequently by Sir Nicholas Bacon, who re- 

 built It, and It was then called " Bacon House." 

 Fleetwood, the Recorder, buUt a house adjoining 

 to It, In which he resided; and died there 28th 

 Feb. 1594. Many of his letters to Lord Burleigh 

 are dated from " Bacon House." 



This house was afterwards occupied by Chris- 

 topher and Robert Barker, and by Edward and 

 Nicholas Golf the younger ; then by Sara Savage 

 and George Egylshaw, physician; and In 1628 it 

 was sold by Sir Arthur Savage and Dame Sarah, 

 late wife of Sir George Smithies, alderman, Tho- 

 mas Viscount Savage, and Richard Millard, to 

 Charles Bostock, scrivener; and it then became 

 the Hall of the Worshipful Company of Scriveners, 

 by whom It was sold, some time In the last cen- 

 tury, to the Coachmakers' Company, whose Hall 

 It now is. 



Was Bacon House the pi-inting office of Chris- 

 topher Barker and his Deputies ? And were the 

 Goffs the Deputies or successors of Christopher 

 and Robert Barker ? Geo. R. Corner. 



Charles Dibdin. — What was the Christian 

 name and ancestry of the father of Charles Dibdin, 

 the famous naval poet ? He lived, I think, near 

 Southampton, and was a merchant. Any par- 

 ticulars of the genealogy of the Dibdin family will- 



