2nd s. No 27., July 6. '56.] 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



17 



WILLIAM CLAPPERTON. 

 (2"'' S. i. 181.) 



In a former number I was able to furnish some 

 particulars relative to this gentleman. I now 

 propose to make an addition to my previous com- 

 munication. 



The late John Ring, Escpi, surgeon, in London, 

 was an excellent scliolar and an enthusiastic ad- 

 mirer of Virgil. Dissatisfied with the previous trans- 

 lations, he published in 2 vols., 8vo., London, 1820, 

 a mosaic edition, partly original and partly altered 

 from the text of Dryden and Pitt. This having 

 fallen into Mr. Clapperton's hands, was anxiously 

 perused and greatly admired by him; so much so, 

 that he was induced to write to Mr. Ring. This 

 led to a correspondence, in the course of which 

 numerous faulty lines were pointed out and 

 amended by Clapperton. Ring felt much grati- 

 fied by the praise and assistance of his correspon- 

 dent, and learning that his circumstances were 

 far from opulent, intimated a wish to recompense 

 him ; this the poet would not listen to, but agreed 

 to accept a pprtrait of his new friend, which was 

 sent without delay, in a handsome frame, and was 

 duly received by Mr. Clapperton, who placed the 

 honoured portrait in the most conspicuous place 

 in his apartment. 



Mr. Ring died in Dec, 1821, an event which 

 retarded the projected new edition. Clapperton 

 nevertheless went on with his translations and 

 emendations, and in 1835 published, by subscrip. 

 tion, the jiEiieid, in two small volumes, 12mo. 

 There were copies, few in number, on large paper: 

 these are now very scarce. The Georgics were 

 not included in this edition, Mr. Clapperton being 

 of opinion that they required very little emenda- 

 tion, and in truth caring nothing about them. 



I had forgotten the greater part of the above 

 legend, when my memory was refreshed by seeing 

 poor Clapperton's highly prized portrait of Ring 

 amongst various paintings exposed for sale by 

 Mr. Nisbet, in his far-famed sale rooms in Edin- 

 burgh. For " Auld lang syne," and out of re- 

 spect to the memory of Ring and Clapperton, both 

 of whom were most excellent and worthy persons, 

 I became, for a small consideration, the purchaser. 

 The painting is an excellent one, and I have no 

 doubt is very like Mr. Ring. It is not improbable 

 that some person • connected with the deceased 

 gentleman can tell me who the painter was, or put 

 me in the way of obtaining that knowledge. 



J. M. (2.) 



PHOTOGRAPHIC CORRESPONDENCE. 



Photographic Portraits. — The Art of Photography is 

 at length taking its place beside that of engraving in the 

 publication of Portraits. We have several specimens 

 now before us. Dr. Diamond has been induced to issue 



some of his Portraits of the Men of the Time ; and we 

 doubt not many an old King's College man will be glad 

 to have the opportunitj' of securing the admirable like- 

 ness which Dr. Diamond has produced of the Rev. Dr. 

 Major, the learned and excellent Master of King's Col- 

 lege School ; while the many friends who appreciate the 

 literary acquirements and social character of the Author 

 of The Handbook of London, will be no less delighted 

 with the genial and characteristic likeness of Mr. Peter 

 Cunningham, which Dr. Diamond has succeeded in 

 catching. These are separate publications. But Messrs. 

 Maull & Polyblank have commenced a work of greater 

 pretension. It is entitled Photographic Portraits of Living 

 Celebrities; and appears monthly, each portrait being 

 accompanied by a Biographical Memoir. The First 

 Number contains Professor Owen, and a more charac- 

 teristic portrait of the " Newton of Natural History " 

 cannot well be imagined. The Second Number furnishes 

 us with a portrait of Mr. Macaulay. The likeness is 

 satisfactory, thoughtful, and characteristic. As a por- 

 trait of the great historian silent, it is indeed admirable — 

 but is deficient in that animation which, when talking, 

 lights up the whole countenance of one who talks so well. 



Hardwich's Photographic Chemistry. — This little vo- 

 lume, indispensable to every photographer, has been 

 thoroughly revised, and now appears in a third edition. 

 Everything has been omitted froWI it which does not 

 possess practical as well as scientific interest. The 

 chapters on Photographic Printing have been entirely re- 

 written, and include the whole of the author's i:nportant 

 investigations on this subject. Lastly, Mr. Hardwick 

 has endeavoured as far as possible to recommend the em- 

 ployment of chemical agents which are used in medicine, 

 and vended by all druggists. How useful this may prove 

 can only be judged bj' those who have suffered from 

 practising photography in remote localities, far from the 

 reach of purely photographic chemicals. 



Vapliti to Mirxav ^ntxlti. 



Bishop Butts (2"^ S. i. 34.) — I observe in your 

 number for Jan. 12, an answer to the Query of 

 K. H. S. respecting Dr. Butts. This bishop was 

 not the only prelate slandered by Cole. Passing 

 by his calumnies, I inform K. H. S. that Bishop 

 Butts was the seventh child of Rev. W. Butts, 

 formerly rector of Hartest, Suffolk : that he was 

 not quite destitute of merit, as Cole asserts, may 

 be inferred from his brother clergymen having 

 elected him as their Convocation Proctor in 1727, 

 he being then rector of Chedburgh ; he was also 

 rector of Ickworth, lecturer of St. Max-y's, Bury 

 St. Edmunds, and chaplain to George II. ; and 

 successively Dean of Norwich, Bishop of Nor- 

 wich, and Bishop of Ely. His first wife was not 

 a daughter of Dr. Eyton, but of Rev. A. Pycher, 

 formerly rector of Hawstead ; and he died, aged 

 sixty-three ; about which age Cole makes him 

 marry a second wife, which he certainly did, but 

 at a much earlier age. He was descended of an 

 ancient family, inheriting a property descending 

 through many generations from before the time of 

 Edward II. to James II., situated at Shouldham 

 Thorp, Norfolk, in the church of which place 



