230 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



[2"<» S. VIII. Sept. 17. '59. 



Earhj Catalogues (2"'^ S. viii. 183.)— In refer- 

 ence to a footnote at p. 183., I think it will be 

 found that the first generalised list of publica- 

 tions in our language was compiled by Andrew 

 Maunsell, whose sign was the "Parrot" in St. 

 Paul's Churchyard. It is intitled : — 



" The first part of tlie Catalogue of English printed 

 Boolses. Which concerneth such matters of Divinitie as 

 have bin either written in oure tongue, or translated out 

 of some other language; and have bin published to the 

 glory of God, and editication of the Churcli of Christ in 

 England. Gathered into Alphabet and such method as it 

 is, by Andrew Maunsell, bookseller. London : printed by 

 John Windet, for Andrew Maunsell, dwelling in Loth- 

 burie, 1595, in folio, with the device of a Pelican and its 

 offspring rising out of the flames, round which is ' Pro 

 lege, rege, et grege. Love kepyth the lawe, obe^^eth 

 the kynge, and is good to the commonwelthe.' " 



In the first volume of the Athenceum, pp. 43. 

 45., an analysis is given of this Catalogue. It is 

 a curious fact made apparent on some of the old 

 catalogues whereon the prices are marked, that 

 the sura of one penny was a very common bidding. 

 • It may be supererogatory to notice that cata- 

 logues of books were very early compiled by the 

 monks. The most extensive example is one 

 written by Henry de I'>stria, prior of Canterbury 

 (1285), now preserved in the Cottonian Library. 

 It occupies no less than thirty-eight treble- 

 columned folio pages, and contains the titles of 

 more than 3,000 works. Prlnte4 catalogues were 

 produced as early as 1574, if not sooner, for the 

 use of the book fairs which used to be held at 

 Frankfort, in a street there called Book Street; 

 and Ggorge Wilier of Augsburg is said to have 

 been the first who " fell upon the plan of causing 

 to be printed every fair a Catalogue of all the new 

 Books, in \jfhich the size and printers' names were 

 marked." His last catalogue is said to be dated 

 1597, and printed by Bassaaus of Frankfort. In a 

 great measure owing to the restrictions placed 

 upon the publishers at Frankfort, few catalogues 

 were printed there after 1604, the bookselling 

 businesses having been carried to Leipsic, and the 

 shops in Book Street were generally converted 

 into taverns. It is a singular coincidence that it 

 was for a very long period the custom for book- 

 sellers to make all their bargains at these places. 



W. J. Stannaed. 

 Hatton Garden. 



Grotesques in Churches (2""* S. viii. 196.) — 

 F. E. Cabrington's explanation is by no means 

 satisfactory, though I am not prepared with a 

 better. Admitting its truth, however, it does 

 not explain why the grotesque figures so fre- 

 quently to be seen in our churches were placed 

 there at all, nor yet for what purpose. Many of 

 these figures are positively indecent. I know a 

 sacred building still used for public worship, in 

 which the misererles (though very beautiful as 

 carvings) are so filthy and obscene in their refer- 



ences, that, they are nailed down by the authorities 

 that they may not be seen. Perhaps some one 

 can give a good reason for allowing their admis- 

 sion into sacred buildings, and the objects intended 

 to be served. R. S. 



Rev. Richard Johnson (2"^ S. vil. 394.) — An 

 inquiry is made by Delta as to the Rev. Richard 

 Johnson. If not too late I can supply a little 

 farther information as to that clergyman. He 

 remained, I am informed, about twenty years in 

 New South Wales, and on his return to England 

 Government presented him (through Mr. Per- 

 cival) with the living of St. Antholin's, Watling 

 Street, worth about 200Z. a-year, and which he 

 held till his death in 1827. I do not know of any 

 biography of him, but I have no doubt that if 

 your correspondent requires farther information 

 respecting him, and would communicate directly 

 with me, I should be able to supply it. 



Jko. Edward Hih. 



Halifax. 



[We have intimated to Delta, Mr. Hill's obliging 

 offer to supply him with biographical information re- 

 specting the Rev. Richard Johnson; but he scarcely 

 thinks, on his own individual account, he ought to tres- 

 pass on Mr. Hill's courtesy : still he is of opinion, if it 

 meet his approbation, the public generally might feel an 

 interest in some short memoir of the reverend gentleman. 



The Rev. Richard Johnson was of Magdalen College, 

 Cambridge, B. A. 1784, and presented by the crown to 

 the rectory of the united parishes of St. Antholin and 

 St. John Baptist in 1810, and was instituted to Ingham, 

 held by sequestration, in 1817. In the Wilherforce Cor- 

 respondence, there is a letter in vol. i. at page 15. from 

 the Rev. John Newton, 15 Nov. 1786 : " Who can tell 

 what important consequences may depend upon Mr. John- 

 son's * going to New Holland ? It inay seem but a small 

 event at present : — so a foundation stone when laid, is 

 small compared with the building to be erected upon it ; 

 but it is the beginning and the earnest of the whole," &c. 

 &c. ; and at p. 61., " Pretty man," writes Mr. Pitt, on 

 14 Oct. 1788, " has sent me your (Mr. Wilberforce's) 

 letter, mentionirtg the curate you have found [Mr. John- 

 son] for New Holland. I will take care of the business, 

 and let you know as soon as the stipend, &c. is fixed. I 

 conclude he will be read}', if he takes the charge, imme- 

 diately." There are several other notices in the Cor- 

 respondence of Mr. Johnson and the duties of the chap- 

 lain, but we will onlj' observe that while Mr. Johnson 

 singly laboured at that time in the vinej'ard, there are 

 now considerably above three hundred clergymen of the 

 Church of England officiating in Australia and New 

 Zealand. Mr. Johnson died on March 14, 1827, aged 

 72.— Ed.] 



Inn Signs ly Eminent Artists (2°'^ S. viii. 77.) — 

 In the village of Newick in Sussex there is the 

 sign of a bull of the Sussex breed which was 

 painted by the late J. H. Hurdis, Esq., and pre- 

 sented by him to his neighbour, the host of the 

 " Bull and Butcher " there. 



Mr. Hurdis was an intelligent and kind-hearted 

 man, and an ingenious artist. He studied en- 



* " The first chaplain sent to New South Wales." 



