2'"^ S. VIII. Oct. 29. '59.] 



NOTES AND QUEKIES. 



349 



Older than any church remains with which I 

 became acquainted in the county is the Baptistery 

 at Holystone — a broad and very long basin of 

 water, perhaps some four feet in depth, where 

 St. Paulinus immersed 3000 converts. The crosses 

 are hardly worthy of that name for the amount of 

 religious feeling embodied in them. The prin- 

 cipal form consists of a stone pillar surmounted 

 by a ball, and standing on a broad flight of steps. 

 Instances occur at Bywell, Ryton, and Ravens- 

 worth. But the most important remains in the 

 county are, as may be supposed, connected with 

 military matters, and erected for offensive or de- 

 fensive purposes. 



On the borders there are ruins of many towers, 

 into which the cattle could be driven, where the 

 women and children could find shelter, and 

 whence the warfare could be carried on from 

 loophole or battlement. 



In Northumberland these towers receive the 

 name of " peels ; " but a perfect example of a 

 peel tower is, I believe, rare, if in existence at 

 all. That at Staward is best known from its 

 magnificent situation ; but there are others in 

 better state of repair. The birthplace of Bishop 

 Ridley, Willimoteswick, boasts a very fine tower, 

 the interest in it ten times increased because it is 

 so closely connected with the boyish days of the 

 great reformer. Of the more ambitious castle, or 

 fortress, that at Hermitage is a fine instance; 

 stern and gloomy it rises from the water's edge, 

 the fit home of that ogre of north- country le- 

 gendry, Lord Soulis. 



Aydon Castle has far more of a domestic cha- 

 racter about it. More care has been expended 

 on its elaboration, and far more con;fort was 

 practicable within its walls ; and being almost 

 perfect, and most carefully preserved, it is worthy 

 a visit. It crowns a steep bank clothed with fire 

 trees about two miles from Corbridge. 



T. Habwood Pattison. 



INSCEIPTIONS ON FLY-LEAVES. 



Attention having been directed in some of your 

 early volumes (1" S. vii. and viiii.) to the subject 

 of inscriptions placed on the fly-leaves of old 

 books by their owners, I send you a few which I 

 collected during a recent examination of the Ca- 

 thedral Library at Lincoln. 



To many these scraps, gathered together hap- 

 hazard, may seem mere nugce ; but experience 

 will teach one that the fly-leaves, and even the 

 covers alone of old books, contain treasures wljich, 

 though mutilated, will gladden the heart of the 

 bibliomanist almost as much as a genuine Caxton, 

 or Wynken de Worde. As an instance, on inspect- 

 ing a book in this library of the sixteenth century, 

 the covers were found to have suffered from damp 



so as to loosen the leather, and the component 

 thicknesses of paper, forming the millboard sides ; 

 whereupon curiosity prompted a peep into the in- 

 terior, and it was discovered that the millboard 

 had been manufactured out of a very early pack 

 of playing cards, many of which were quite per- 

 fect even in their colours. Such a case as this, 

 contrary to the usual doctrine, makes the cover of 

 the book much more valuable than the interior. 

 The mutilation of ancient manuscripts, and their 

 conversion into fly-leaves, is well known, but the 

 mine is not exhausted until the very strata of the 

 covers are as it were geologically explored. 



But to return to the fly-leaf inscriptions : the 

 first one is very curious, and I should like to 

 know whether any other example of the same 

 verses is extant, as the reading of the last two 

 lines is somewhat doubtful. 



" The honor of this booke, 

 Is John Wheler by name, 

 Desiringe the reder here on to loke, 

 And these wordea set in frame. 



" Good reder what thou arte 

 I speake to thee unknowne, 

 Think ever in thy harte, 

 Let etch man have his one. 



" Then canst thou not but give 

 This booke to me againe, 

 Whose habitation at this time 

 Is placed in Milkstrete. 



" If witnes thou requirest, 

 Good witnes can I bringe. 

 Which will upon the bible swere 

 This thinge to afferme. 



" Alas, thou gentle wite, 



What pleasure cannest thou have, 

 Sith that j'e honor right, 

 ombly sectes to crave." 



The book in which these lines are written is 

 entitled L. Fenestellce de Magistratibns, Sacerdo- 

 tiisque Rornanorum Libellus, 1538. Press mark 

 S. 5. 9. 



The next book is a Homer ; inside the cover of 

 which is written " Liber Johannis Gooddall, Scl 

 Job. Coll. Cant." And on the fly-leaf— 



" mihi post nullos Goodall memorande sodales. 

 Donee eris felix semper amicus ero. 



" Thomas Han-ison, scrip*." 



On the fly-leaf of a Hebrew Dictionary : — 



" Francis Xevill. 

 " Hoc est nescire sine Cristo plurima scire, 



Si Cristum bene scis satis est si csetera nescis." 



On the fly-leaf of Petri Rami Professoris Regit 

 Grammatica Grceca, 1 605 : — 



" Michaell Honiwood, his booke. 

 " Damna fleo rerum sed plus fleo damna dierum, 

 Quisque potest rebus succurrere nemo diebus." 



On the title-page of another book is this note : 

 " Deliver this book to my cosen M"" Hunniwood, fellow 

 of Christ's Coiledg." 



This is doubtless the same Michael Honywood, 



