u 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



[July 14. 1855. 



the authority of Junius, but of the Preliminary 

 Essay to Mr. Georjje Woodfall's own edition, it is 

 proved that Mr. George Woodfall was in error 

 when he told Mr. Home that " the proof-sheets 

 were corrected by Junius himself." 



As to the assertion about the two " corrections 

 made by Junius," it is a mere mystification. They 

 were made by Junius ; but not, as the reader 

 might suppose, made by Junius in that particular 

 copy of the edition without date ; but, as shown 

 by your correspondent, in letters to the printer 

 (Nos. 44. and 59.), and with reference to the 

 edition of 1772 ; and, that the reader may not 

 fall into error, I will add, they were made after 

 the work was published — after " the books " had 

 *' come to hand," and in the very letter of Junius 

 which acknowledged their receipt. 



I must, in conclusion, direct attention to a 

 somewhat startling omission in this notice of the 

 " manuscript corrections made by Junius." Mr. 

 Home, on the authority of Mr. George Woodfall, 

 refers to " two." But, as the reader may already 

 have noticed, there were three : (Priv. Let., No. 59.) 

 " in the preface, p. 20. 1. 7.," unreasonable for un- 

 seasonable ; "p. 26. 1. 18.," accurary for accuracy ;" 

 and (Priv. Let., No. 44.) the " woeful mistake," 

 " p. 25.," of your instead of thee. Now the error 

 Tiot referred to is that at p. 26. Why not, it may 

 be asked ? Because there is no such error in the 

 edition without date, — the edition which contains 

 Mr. Home's note, and which could not therefore 

 be the edition referred to by Junius. L. J. 



CHURCH OP DURNESS, SUTHERIiAKDSHIRE. 



The old church of Durness, in the immediate 

 Ticinity of Cape Wrath, is one of the most in- 

 teresting parish churches in Scotland. It bears on 

 one of its doors the date of 1622, and the dust of 

 by-past generations has so accumulated about it, 

 that the churchyard is on the level of the window- 

 sills, and you have to descend three steps to reach 

 the floor of the church. I am not able to guess 

 at the date of the oWer part of the church ; but, 

 as Cape Wrath is often visited by geologists and 

 tourists in search of the picturesque, I do hope 

 that in the course of this year there may be an 

 antiquary among them who will bestow a passing 

 look on Durness kirk, and may have influence 

 enough to prevail on the Duke of Sutherland (the 

 sole heritor of the parish) to preserve it from the 

 fate of immediate destruction that has invariably 

 befallen our old Scotch parish kirks, when, as has 

 been the case in Durness, a new church has been 

 erected. 



The churchyard contains the tombs of many 

 honourable men amongst the old, but now de- 

 cayed, clan of Mackay. A plain slab covers the 

 grave of Robert Mackay, better known as Rob 



No. 298.] 



Don, the most popular of Gaelic poets ; and at a 

 little distance stands a more ambitious tribute to 

 his memory in the shape of an obelisk, with in- 

 scriptions (of little merit) in Greek, Latin, Gaelic, 

 and English. Within the church is the tomb of 

 an earlier hero of the Clan, Donald Macmurrichov 

 (as I believe, Donald the son of Murdoch), a noted 

 caterane, or (as it is politely expressed by a High- 

 land historian) " a gentleman of incoherent trans- 

 actions." This tomb is sculptured with an effigy, 

 which I take to be Donald's, — a " memento mori " 

 piece, of death's head and cross bones ; and in the 

 centre is a blank stone, at the west end of which 

 there is an iron ring, apparently intended to raise 

 the stone. The following is a transcript of the 

 epitaph : 



" Donald Macmurrichov here lyis lo, 

 Vas il to his freind, Var to his fo, 

 True to his maister in veird and vo." 



My communication, I dare say, will inform you, 

 without my own confession, that I cannot pretend 

 to call myself either an ecclesiologist or an anti- 

 quary. But I have some reverence for antiquity, 

 and I dare say I am not the only one of your 

 readers who thinks he may do some service to 

 your better-informed contributors, by venturing, 

 in all humility, an occasional Note. My object is 

 gained, if I can get any person of influence to take 

 an interest in Durness kirk, and be its advocate 

 with the most liberal and excellent nobleman, in 

 whose hands its fate lies. 



If my Note is not already too long, you may 

 perhaps add to your collection of eccentricities, 

 the following epitaphs from a stone in Durness 

 kirkyard. The dates, which I neglected " to make 

 a Note of," are, I think, about 1780 and 1800 : 



On 3Ir. A.'s First Wife. 

 " Ten years the genuine copy of a virtuous wife, 



Clear was the prospect of her landing safely from the 

 storms of life." 



On his Second Wife. 

 " Though mother and stepmother when but scarce nine- 

 teen, 



In both relations she did eminently shine. 



Esteem'd of every rank while maid and wife, 



Now angel bright she quaffs immortal life." 



G. M. S. 



HAY HILL. 



The following elucidation of the history of this 

 part of London may possibly interest some of your 

 antiquarian readers. It appears scarcely con- 

 sistent with what Cunningham says under that 

 head in his Handbook of London. It was found 

 in searching the Records of Chancery for another 

 purpose, 21st June, 1855. J. P. O. 



In Chancer!/. Duke of Grafton v. Hilliaed. 

 (Reg. Lib. 1735. (A.) fol. 384.) 



Whereas by an Order bearing date the 4th instant, for 

 the reasons therein contained, it was ordered that the 



