2"d S. X. Xov. 3. *G0.] 



NOTES AND QUERIES, 



34,5 



place a jug between the bands of two persons sitting op- 

 posite to each other, Avhen, after the recital of certain 

 passages taken indiscriminately from the Koran and the 

 Psalms of David [table-turning can be done here with- 

 out this], it will move spontaneously round, to the asto- 

 nishment of the holders [beholders also]. A stick, at his 

 biddings will proceed unaided from one end of a room to 

 the other. A new Testament, suspended to a kej' b}"- a 

 piece of string, will in the same way turn violently 

 round of itself. On two earthenware jars being placed in 

 opposite corners of a room, one being empty, the other 

 tilled with water, the empty jar will, on the recital of 

 certain passages, move across the room ; the jar full of 

 water will rise of itself on the approach of its companion, 

 and empty its contents into it, the latter returning to its 

 place in the same manner that it came ... a double-locked 

 door will unlock itself. There cannot be a doubt that 

 an unseen influence of some kind is called into operation, 

 but of jyhat nature those may conjecture who like to 

 speculate upon such matters." 



T. J. BUCKTON. 



Levant Notes and Queries. — With a view to 

 promote the investigation of the various branches 

 of archeology, ethnology, folk lore, &c. in the Le- 

 vant, I have prevailed on the editor of the Levant 

 Quarterly Iteviexo to imitate " N. & Q." by insti- 

 tuting L. Q. R. N. & Q. I trust this step may be 

 useful, and that it may receive the countenance of 

 such of your readers as are interested in Levr.nt 

 inquiries. Hyde Clarke. 



Constantinople, Oct. 



Senile Lactation. — The following incident, 

 related by Richard Baxter, at p. 160. of his Strange 

 Preservations in the lute Wars, will serve to corro- 

 borate certain statements of the like nature made by 

 Dr. Livingstone in his account of Central Africa : — 



" When Prince Rupert marched with his army through 

 Lancaster to York-fight, where he was overthrown, the 

 town of Bolton made some resistance in his passage ; and 

 he gave them no quarter, but killed men and women. 

 When he was gone, those that escaped came out from the 

 places where they lurked; and an old woman found in 

 the streets a woman killed, and a child by her, not dead. 

 The old woman took up the child ; and, to still its crj'ing, 

 put her own breast to the child, which had not given 

 suck, as I remember, of above 20 years. The child being 

 quieted, she presently perceived milk to conne, and con- 

 tinued to give the child sufficient milk till it was pro- 

 vided for. I had the full assurance of this from my 

 worthy friend Mrs. Hunt, wife of Mr. Rowland Hunt, of 

 Hanow-on-the Hill, who told me she was one of those 

 appointed to make trial of the case, and she found it true ; 

 and the old woman's breasts to give the child milk, as 

 was reported. And she told me, in 1665, that the said 

 child was at that time alive, a servant-woman in London." 



J. w. 



The Humanity op Louis XV. — While the 

 naval and military tactics of the two most power- 

 ful nations of Europe appear to have for their 

 object the greatest destruction and misery of 

 their species, as if they desired that 



" Unpitying massacre might waste the world," 



tliore is a pleasure in contemplating, even in an 

 enemy, a disposition to mitigate or avert the evils 



which war so excessively entails upon mankind. 

 The annexed is from the History of France, and 

 it holds in just contrast what would have been 

 the inclination of Louis XL In conclusion, let 

 me disown being the imqualified panegyrist of 

 Louis XV. The licentiousness of his reign was 

 unbounded, and, having read La Vie privee de 

 Louis XV., 4 tomes, 1788, most people would, I 

 think, come to the same inference : — 



" Dans la guerre de^astreuse de 175G, lorsqiie les Ang- 

 lais bravaient Louis XV., jusque dans ses ports, Dupr^, 

 chimiste du Dauphine, inventa un feu si rapide et si 

 devorant, qu'on ne pouvait ni I'eviter ni I'eteindre; I'eau 

 lui donnait une nouvelle activite. On en fit des experi- 

 ences sur le canal de Versailles, en presence du roi, — dans 

 les cours de I'arsenal tl Paris, — et dans plusieurs ports du 

 Royaume ; elles firent toutes fremir les militaires les plus 

 intr^pides. Trop certain qu'un seul homme avec un tel 

 art pouvait detruire une flotte enti^re, ou bruler une 

 ville, sans qu'aucune force humaine put donner le moin- 

 dre secours, Louis XV. defendit a Dupre de communiquer 

 son secret h personne, et le r^compensa pour qu'il se tut." 



The author concludes with this remark : " Louis 

 XI. n'aurait pas etc si scrupuleux." 2. 2. 



Spirit Hands. — The writer of the well-known 

 paper in the Cornhill Mag. describes the peculiar 

 feeling of the large hand which " came under the 

 table-cover," and which he audaciously ventured 

 to seize. " It was palpable as any soft substance, 

 velvet, or pulp ; and at the touch it seemed as 

 solid ; but pressure reduced it to air." The fol- 

 lowing curious parallel occurs in the Travels of 

 Evliya Effendi, Part i. p. 4. (published by the 

 Oriental Trans. Fund) : — 



Evliya had been favoured by a miraculous 

 vision, "while sleeping in my father's house at 

 Islambiil." He dreamt that he was in a certain 

 mosque " built with money lawfully gotten, from 

 which prayers therefore ascend to heaven." That 

 the Prophet himself, " with his two grandsons 

 Hasan and Hosain, the twelve imaums and the 

 ten disciples," made their appearance, and that he 

 himself, Evliya, took part in the service which 

 followed. 



" I afterwards went round, kissed the hands, and re- 

 ceived the blessings of each. Their hands were perfumed 

 with musk, ambergris, spikenard, sweet basil, violets, and 

 carnations : but that of the prophet himself smelt of no- 

 thing but saffron and roses, felt when touched as if it had 

 no bones, and was as soft as cotton. The hands of the 

 other prophets had the odour of quinces; that of Abii- 

 bekr had the fragrance of melons ; Omar's smelt like 

 ambergris; Osman's like violets; Ali's like jessamine; 

 Hasan's like carnations ; and Hosein's like white roses." 



R. J. K. 



A Phonetic Translation. — A sporting Somer- 

 setshire farmer, who had been welcomed one morn- 

 ing at the mansion, stalked up to the fireplace, 

 over Avhich he observed the well-known motto — 

 "Pro aris et focis." "Ah! Squire," exclaimed 

 the honest yeoman, " I see you be all for the ares 

 and foxes up there too." F. Phillott. 



