Nov. 17. 1855.] 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



38a 



of secret writinrj, of which, he says, it is impossible 

 to discover the key. I imagine the following work 

 refers to this cipher : 



"An Answer to the Challenges given by VV. Blair, Esq., 

 respecting a cypher of his own invention, by M»Gage, 

 8vo., 1809." 



As I am unable to obtain a sight of this book, 

 perhaps some of your correspondents will be able 

 to furnish me with the key. P. C. 



[We find the space required to comprehend Mr. Gage's 

 Key and Solution to Blair's Specimen is more than we 

 can well spare. It is probable that some of the Norwich 

 booksellers may have the pamphlet among their stock. 

 It is entitled "An Extract taken from Dr. Rees's New 

 CydopcBdia, on the article Cipher, lately invented by 

 \V. Blair, Esq. ; to which is added, A Full Discovery of 

 the Principle. By M, Gage." J, W. H. Payne, Norwich, 

 1809, pp. 26.] 



Edward Holmes. — In the obituary of the 

 Monthly Magazine for November, 1799, the fol- 

 lowing notice occurs : 



"Died at Scorton, Edward Holmes, M.A., Master of the 

 Grammar School of Scorton, in the parish of Catterick, 

 formerly Fellow of Magdalen College, Cambridge, and 

 Under-Master of Harrow School. He declined ofSciating 

 in the church on account of the worship, it being his 

 opinion that Christians should not pray to Jesus Christ, 

 but to God only. He drew up a reformed Liturgy in 

 agreement with his sentiments, and printed it at New- 

 castle. He was generally allowed to be an excellent 

 scholar and critic in the learned languages." 



I should be much obliged to any reader of 

 " N. & Q." who would give me some further in- 

 formation respecting this learned person and his 

 work. U. U. 



[A long notice of Edward Holmes is given in the 

 Gentleman's Magazine, vol. Ixix. pt. ii. pp. 720. 1014. He 

 published An Attempt to prove the Materiality of the Soul 

 by Reason and Scripture : with an Appendix, showing 

 the Influence of this opinion upon the Faith and Practice 

 of Christians, 8vo., 1789, 1790.] 



Ells and Lee Families. — What are the arms of 

 Ells, CO. Bucks, and Lee, co. York ? F. G. L. 



[We find no arms for Ells. The arms of Lee, of Pinch- 

 inglhorpe, co. York, were respited for proof at the Heralds 

 Visitation in 1666.] 



Heraldic Queries. — What are the names of the 

 families bearing the following coats ? 



1. Sa. A griffin passant, ar. a chief ermine. 

 Crest, a griffin's head collar'd between two win^s. 



2. Az. 3 lions ramp, impaling a lion ramp. 

 (Anno 1753.) 



3. Sa. A chevron between 3 spear-heads ar. 

 Crest, a dragort's head between 2 (dragon's) wings. 



4. Az. 3 demi lions ramp, erased. Crest, a 

 demi lion erased holding between the paws a 

 chaplet. 



5. On a chevron engrailed between 3 cinqfoils 

 as many martletts. 



6. Quarterly. 1. quarterly . . and . . . , in 

 No. 316.] 



the first quarter an eagle displayed. 2. A chev. 

 between 10 mullets. 3. A lion ramp, doubly 

 queue. 4. A fesse dancetto between 6 billets. 



7. Quart. 1 and 4. A saltire engrailed. 2 and 

 3., a griffin segreant. Crest, a talbot's head erased, 

 seme of roundles. 



No. 5. was used on ^ seal by a family of Best, 

 about a hundred years ago, but I do not find any 

 arms at all like these assigned to the name of 

 Best in the heraldic dictionaries. 



8. What were the arms borne by Wm. Wal- 

 dron, Esq., High Sheriff for Worcestershire, circa 

 1791 ? C. J. D. 



[We have endeavoured to answer our con'espondent 

 from such sources as came readilv to hand : 1. Short of 

 London. 2. Unknown. S.Williams. 4. Harrison of co. 

 of York, 1666. 6. Unknown. 6. Quarterings of Sir Wil- 

 liam Phelips, Lord Bardolph, K.G. 7. Unknown. 8. Un- 

 known. ] 



Ralph Brooke or Brook. — Can any of your 

 readers inform me where I can learn something of 

 Ralph Brooke or Brook, York Herald in the reign 

 of Queen Elizabeth and King James I. ? 



F. a. L. 



[Biograpliical notices of Ralph Brooke, whose real 

 name was Brookesworth, will be found in Noble's College 

 of Arms ; Archceologia, vol. i. p. xix. ; Strype's edition of 

 Stow's Survey, vol. i. book i. c. xxiii. ; Gentleman's Ma- 

 gazine, vol. Ixiii. pt. I. p. 312. ; and Chalmers's and Rose's 

 Biographical Dictionaries. For an account of his quarrej 

 with Camden, see D'Israeli's Quarrels of Authors.'] 



HepTtci. 



8C0TT AND THE " WAVEBLEY jrOVBM. 



(Vol.xli., p.371.) 



The question which has been raised through the 

 medium of " N. & Q.," relative to the assistance 

 given to Sir Walter Scott in the composition of 

 the Waverley Novels, is one of the most important 

 that has yet been mooted in your interesting 

 pages. Literary persons wait with impatience for 

 the appearance of the information which Mr, 

 Francis Ballantyne believes he may be able to 

 afford us in about a fortnight, proving a negative 

 to the acute suggestions and presumptions of 

 Mr. W. J. Fitz-Patrick. This information, it 

 is hoped, may not be longer delayed than the 

 period stated ; but, in the mean time, it may be 

 well to say, that the subject includes a far more 

 extended prospect than the settlement of author- 

 ship ; for if the circumstances detailed by ]Mr. 

 Fitz-Patrick are not explained by irrefragable 

 evidence, not only is the late Sir Walter guilty of 

 literary deception, but he lies under the odium of 

 robbing a brother of his laurels, appropriating the 

 wreath to the adornment of his own brow, and 

 of abusing the public confidence by one of the 



