292 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



[Oct. 13. 1855. 



cade of the last century, probably in the year 

 1795. He always wore the gown and cassock ; 

 this was far into the reign of George III. His 

 appearance made so deep an impression on me, 

 then a little child, that it yet stands forth clearly 

 and vividly from amid the dim shadow of other 

 passing events with which I was far more nearly 

 connected. M. Seddon. 



Blackheath. 



PHOTOGBAPHIC CORRESPONDENCE. 



Distilled Water. — I can, to a certain extent, corroborate 

 the statements of M. Gaudin, contained in his letter, 

 of which you have given a translation (Vol. xii., p. 250.) 

 with reference to the employment of common, instead 

 of distilled water. I have not yet tried how common 

 water will succeed when used in the preparation of the 

 silver bath, but I find that for the developing solution of 

 pyrogallic and acetic acid, it answers quite as well as 

 distilled water. I have frequently found that the dis- 

 tilled water that one purchases is contaminated with 

 lead ; this arises from the worm of the still being com- 

 posed of that metal, but I have not found that this 

 produces any injurious effect. When the water is con- 

 taminated with lead, the pyrogallic acid developing solu- 

 tion becomes tinged with a reddish brown colour. 



When water contains a tolerably large amount of 

 chlorine, such as the deep well-waters of London, where 

 it amounts to from eight to ten grains in a gallon, there 

 is no diificulty in separating by a paper filter the chloride 

 of silver formed on the addition of the nitrate ; boiling 

 the water after the addition of the nitrate of silver 

 greatly facilitates the retention of the chloride on the 

 filter. C. 



Viepliti ta Minav ^tierfe*. 



Wood's "AthencB Oxonienses" (Vol.'xii., p. 205.). 

 — Your correspondent, S. E. G., has done well 

 in drawing attention to this matter ; why there are 

 hundreds upon hundreds who would gladly sup- 

 port any respectable publisher who would continue 

 it in uniform style, &G. That the Ecclesiastical 

 History Society is dead, never to rise again, is an 

 unquestionable fact; but why should not Anthony 

 Wood be continued and completed? Doubtless 

 the learned editor is open to a re-engagement 

 for the publication of the second and following 

 volumes. The E. H. S. titles might be as well 

 cancelled as not; it would not be much for an 

 extra title for volume the first to be given with 

 the second. Depend upon it, it would be a safe 

 speculation, only let it be brought out equal to 

 the one already on our shelves. W. P. 



Kidderminster. 



" Calamum temperare'" (Vol. xii., p. 106.). — 

 Will you permit me a few words on this much 

 vexed question, in reply to your learned corre- 

 spondent M. Chasles ? He gives a new turn to 

 the inquiry, and makes the phrase mediasval Latin, 

 quoting, in confirmation, the Italian " temperar 



No. 311.] 



una penna." I submit, first, that an Italian quo- 

 tation does not prove the signification of a Latin 

 phrase. M. Chables should have given a Latin 

 authority. But even if we concede that, in very 

 late Latin, "temperare" was applied to the pen, 

 as your correspondent says, it is not very likely 

 that the idiom would have been confined to the 

 modern Italian alone, had it been used out of 

 Italy. The inference is, that Bede, a British monk, 

 would not have used such an expression in such a 

 sense, but in the classical sense. Now I have 

 shown that the expression " atramentum tempe- 

 rare," was used in Latin by Pliny {Nat. Hist, 

 pp. 27, 28.) ; and it remains for others to produce 

 "calamum temperare" if they can, but I do not 

 believe they can. Tempera, and its derivatives, 

 were constantly used in reference to the consist- 

 ency of fluids. See Stephens's Thesaurus, s. vv. 

 "tempero," &c., or any good dictionary, for illus- 

 trations of this remark. The pen may, the ink 

 must have been tempered. B. H. C. 



''The Foxir Alls" (Vol. xii., p. 185.). — Cen- 

 turion says a public-house at Hammersmith is 

 called " The Four Alls," and he asks the answer 

 to this riddle. The following note in Beloe's 

 Anecdotes of Literature (edit. 1807), explains the 

 mystery : 



"I remember passing, many years ago, through a 

 court in Eosemary Lane, where I observed an ancient 

 sign over the door of an alehouse, which was called • The 

 Four Alls.' There was the figure of a king, and on a 

 label, ' I rule all ; ' the figure of a priest, with the motto, 

 ' I pray for all ; ' a soldier, ' I fight for all ; ' and a yeo- 

 man, ' I pay all.' About two years ago I passed through 

 the same thoroughfare, and, looking up for my curious 

 sign, I was amazed to see a painted board occupy its 

 place, with these words inscribed, ' The Four Awls' " 



Possibly the curious fresco paintings found on 

 the walls and screens of some monastic churches, 

 which seem to have been executed early in the 

 fifteenth century, and of which a favourite sub- 

 ject was the Dance of Death, may have suggested 

 the figures ; but I have not met with an example 

 of any similar mottoes, nor do I find any memo- 

 randa' illustrative of the origin of this quaint 

 tavern sign. W. S. G. 



Tynemoiith. 



[See an explanation of the Five Alls, "N. & Q.," 

 vol. vii., p. 602.] 



" Sincere" (Vol. viii., p. 195., &c.). — A hymn to 

 St. Katherina has the following two verses, which 

 convey an etymological truth or fiction : 



" Virgo vera, 

 Tu favus mellis sine cera." 



And lower down, she is thus addressed : 



" Ave sponsa Christi vera, 

 Ave mitis et sincera." 



B. H. C. 



