146 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



[Aug. 25. 1855. 



Persian Ambassador. — During the year 1819, 

 Mirza Aboul Hassan Khan was sent to this 

 country as an envoy from the King of Persia, for 

 the purpose of cultivating or cementing friendly 

 relations between the two empires. Being at the 

 same period despatched on a similar mission to 

 the French capital, he remained there for some 

 time, but ultimately quitted it, without having 

 even presented his credentials at the Tuileries. 



The reason assigned for this was, that — 



" The Mirza expected the king to stand up in his 

 presence, and, in that posture, receive the letter with 

 which he was intrusted from his master. This the king 

 could not do, being ill at the time with gout. His excel- 

 lency next insisted that he must sit beside his Majesty, 

 or at least in front of him, otherwise he should have his 

 head cut off on his return. As neither of these points of 

 etiquette could be complied with, and the French Court 

 had no desire to be accessory to his decapitation, it was 

 resolved that the simplest way to avoid difficulties was 

 to dispense with the interview altogether." 



The Mirza then proceeded to the British Court, 

 where he was charged with a precisely similar 

 mission, and of course had the same modest punc- 

 tilio to conserve. I find, however, that the Regent 

 was firmly seated on his throne during the recep- 

 tion which followed ; but am totally at a loss to 

 discover whether or not the Mirza was then ac- 

 commodated with a chair beside his Royal High- 

 ness. 



Perhaps some of your older correspondents may 

 remember whether the objections taken at the 

 French Court were again urged here, and if so, 

 how the scruples of the Mirza came to be recon- 

 ciled. David Forsyth. 



Edinburgh. 



Charles Masterton. — Can you give me any 

 account of Charles Masterton, author of the fol- 

 lowing works ? The Seducer, a tragedy, Svo., 

 1811 ; Amyntor and Adelaide, or the Tale of Life, 

 a romance of poetry, in three cantos, 12mo., 1816 ; 

 JBentivoglio, and The Ster7i Resolve, tragedies, 

 1824, A gentleman of the name of Charles Mas- 

 terton was British Consul at La Paz, in Peru, a 

 few years ago, but I am not certain whether he is 

 the author of the works above named. R. J. 



Lands held hy Tenure. — Would any of your 

 correspondents furnish me with a list of those 

 lands, &c., which were formerly, or are now, held 

 by tenure ; and also give briefly the particulars 

 of each tenure ? A. C. Moore, 



Bohvn. — 1. Humphrey (Barbatus) de Bohun 

 is mentioned as " Kinsman and Companion of the 

 Conqueror." Perhaps some correspondent could 

 mention his exact degree of relationship ? 2, Who 

 was the Earl of Ewe, whose daughter Maud 

 married Humphrey, created Earl of Essex by 

 Henry III. ? L. M. M. 



No. 304.] 



Opal, its Origin. — How charmingly told in the 

 following lines ! By whom were they written ? 



" A dew-drop came, with a spark of flame 

 He had caught from the sun's last ray. 

 To a violet's breast, where he lay at rest, 

 Till the hours brought back the day. 



" The rose look'd down, with a blush and frown. 

 But she smiled all at once to view 

 Her own bright form, with its colouring warm, 

 Reflected back by the dew ! 



" Then the stranger took a stolen look 

 At the sky so soft and blue. 

 And a leaflet green, with a silvery sheen, 

 Was seen by the idler too. 



" A cold north wind, as he thus reclined, 

 Of a sudden raged around, 

 And a maiden fair, who was walking there, 

 Next morning an opal found." 



Malta. 



w. w. 



Beckett Pedigree. — Perhaps Mr. Ferguson, or 

 some other genealogical correspondent, could tell 

 an inquirer, 1st, Where to find a previous pedi- 

 gree of the Beckett family mentioned by Mr. F. 

 at Vol. xii., p. 31.? Also, 2nd, Who was Maud 

 de Valois, the wife of Hubbart Walter, in same 

 pedigree? and 3rd, If anything is known about 

 Nicholas de Vardon, whose daughter Roesia 

 married Hubbart's grandson ? L. M. M. 



The Martyr-Philosopher. — In the Diary of a 

 late Physician is a paper having this title, in which 

 so decided an attempt is made to give a character 

 of reality, that passages are given which purport 

 to be quotations from reviews attacking Mr. 



E the philosopher. Has any person been 



supposed to be the original of this character ? I 

 take it for certain that in the next generation 

 some one or more of our day will be fixed upon. 

 Such a Query as mine, whether answered or not, 

 may possibly prevent an idle dispute in time to 

 come. M. 



Author of " Gravity and Levity." — Who is the 

 author of Gravity and Levity, 12mo., 1818 ? The 

 volume is dedicated to the Rev. J. Stanier Clarke. 

 In his preface the author alludes to the favourable 

 reception which some of his former essays had 

 met with. R. J. 



William Gardiner and Rev. C. W. Chalhlen. — 

 Can you oblige me with a short account of the 

 two following authors? — 1. William Gardiner, 

 who was at one time master of a school at Lydney, 

 near Gloucester, and who is the author of The 

 Sultana, a tragedy, Congo in Search of a Master, 

 and many other works. I think there is a narra- 

 tive of his life written by his daughter, in a vo- 



