Nov. 3. 1855.] 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



345 



Florence, St. Ouen and the cathedral at Rouen, 

 Notre Dame at Paris, and many others, the 

 pavement of the church is even throughout. In 

 Milan, St. Etienne at Caen, and others, there is 

 only the rise of one step between nave and choir. 

 How long has it been the custom to erect a 

 bishop's throne in a cathedral? And do any 

 examples of this exist out of England ? If not, 

 .why was the practice adopted here ? 



G. BfilNDiEY ACWORTH. 



SUr Hill, Rochester. 



Bronze Mortar. — An acquaintance of mine 

 has what seems to be a druggist's mortar, cast in 

 bronze, with two handles, which I take to be rude 

 representations of dolpluns. Round the top part 

 runs the following inscription : 



"LOF . GOD . VAN . At, . ANNO . 1648." 



I take this to be Dutch, and I suppose it may 

 mean, — 



" Love God above all." ' 



Am I right? Is anything known of vessels of 

 this description ? For all I know they may be 

 very common, and of little value. 



C. Mansfield Inglebt. 

 BirmiDgham. 



The Locust Tree. — On Cobbett's return to 

 England from America in the year 1800, he 

 brought with him a sapling acacia, or locust tree, 

 a wood he was desirous of seeing grown in this 

 country, with a view to its employment in naval 

 architecture. This sapling was planted in the 

 grounds adjoining a residence near Southampton, 

 where it grew into a tree, and remained until 

 some six or seven years back, when it was cut 

 down in order to effect some improvements. It 

 was intended that its remains should have formed 

 some part of a vessel then building, in order that 

 the fitness of the wood for such a purpose might 

 be tested, but its use was objected to by the sur- 

 veyors, it being a wood not included in their list 

 as allowed. Still its applicability to the use lor 

 which Cobbett designed it is somewhat evident, 

 from its being now as sound as ever, after having 

 lain exposed since the date of its being cut down. 



R. W. Hackwood. 



" Widow " and " Relict:' — Will any of your 

 legal readers describe what the legal distinction 

 is in the usage of these two words ? Q. 



Brasses, Armour, SfC, from Streatham Church. 

 — In the year 1825, when the old parish church 

 was pulled down, several sepidchral brasses were 

 removed from the walls ; and some old armour, 

 which was suspended above the eihgy of a knight 

 of the fourteenth century, was taken away. 

 These have never been restored, nor have I been 

 able to ascertain what has become of them. Of 

 course the natural conclusion is that some saci'i- 



No. 314.] 



legions churchwarden lias sold them to the 

 highest bidder ; but as it is possible they may 

 still be in existence, will you kindly afford me 

 this means of putting the inquiry ? There also 

 formerly hung in the chancel the arms of Edward 

 Apjolm, in a curious old frame ; the crest was a 

 man's head, with a serpent entwined round the 

 neck. Any information respecting this wdl be 

 gratefully received. F. \V, 



Streatham. 



Herzen and Russian Serfdom. — Mr. Herzen, 

 in his Exile in Siberia, vol. ii. p. 203. note, saya 

 that some specimens of the Countess of Soltikof'a 

 cruelty to her serfs have been cited by him in a 

 pamphlet about "Russian Serfdom," translated 

 in The Leader, 1853. 



I remember three letters of his that year in- 

 serted, but nothing of the point and circumstance 

 alluded to. 



Can any of your readers refer me to the 

 number or page of that year's volume of The 

 Leader, referring to the point in question ? Or 

 is Herzen's own reference to the year 1853 

 wrong ? Walter Jacques BellaxMib. 



Rare Book on the Round Towers of Kerry. — la 

 O'Daly's Catalogue of Oct., 1855, the lollowing 

 appears : 



" 105. Kerry — De Antiquitate Turrum Belanarum 

 Pagana Kerriensi, et de Architectura iion Caiupaiiilis 

 Ecclesiasticae, par T. D. Coicagiensi Hiberno, small 4to. 

 old calf, with numerous woodcut Engravings of liound 

 Towers interspersed tbrougli the text, 10/. Lovauii, ItilO. 



" I never saw another copy of this curious old book." 



Is this book known to be in any public or pri- 

 vate library ? I should be glad to obtain a de- 

 scription of it. So far as my recollection of Dr. 

 Petrie's book on the Round Towers goes, he does 

 not seem to have been acquainted witli it. 



James Ghaves. 



Kilkenny. 



Round Towers of Kerry. — I have some sus- 

 picion as to the genuineness of the book meniioned 

 in the following cutting, from John O'Daly's last 

 Catalogue (No. 10., Oct. 1855), 9. Anglesea Street, 

 Dublin : 



"105. Kerry. — De Antiquitate Turrum Belanarum 

 Pagana Kerriensi, et de Architectura non Cam|)aniliB 

 Ecclesiasticae, par T. D. Corcagiensi Hiberno, small 4to. 

 old calf, witli numerous woodcut Engravings of Kound 

 Towers interspersed througli the text, 10/. Lovanij, 

 1610. 



" I never saw another copy of this curious old book." 



Can any one tell me if such a book has ever 

 been printed at Louvain or elsewhere, and if so, 

 where a copy may be seen ? I suspect there is 

 some hoax in the matter ; if there is, every book 

 lover should cry shame on its originator, whoever 

 he may be. I believe there were never more 



