.JSsBPT. 9. 1854.] 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



S09 



Sprightly (No. 240) appeals for " judgment for or 

 against kissing by Avay of civility or salutation," 

 complaining that whereas, before, he " never came 

 in public but he saluted them, though in great 

 assemblies, all around." Now, since " the un- 

 -happy arrival of a courtier," who was content with 

 *' a profound bow," there is " no young gentle- 

 woman has been kissed." The practice seems to 

 have been regarded by foreigners as peculiarly 

 English. Thus Cavendish, in has Life of Wolsey, 

 says, 



" I being in a fair great dining chamber " (in a castle be- 

 longing to "M. Crequi, a nobleman bom"), "I attended my 

 L-ady's coming ; and after she came thither out of her own 

 chamber, she received me most gently, like one of noble 

 estate, having a train of twelve gentlewomen. And when 

 she with her train came all out, she said to me, Foras- 

 much, quoth she, as ye be an Englishman, whose cus- 

 tom is in your country to kiss all ladies and gentlewomen 

 without offence, and although it be not so here in this realm, 

 [France, t. Hen. VIII.] yet will I be so bold to kiss you, 

 and so shall aU my maidens. By means whereof, I kissed 

 my Lady and all her women." 



■ When Bulstrode Wliitelock was at the court of 

 Queen Christina of Sweden, as Ambassador from 

 Cromwell, he waited on her on May-day, to in- 

 vite her to " take the air, and some little collation 

 which he had provided as her humble servant." 

 She came with her ladies ; and " both in supper- 

 time and afterwards," being " full of pleasantness 

 and gaiety of spirits, among other frolics, com- 

 manded him to teach her ladies the English mode 

 of salutation, which after some pretty defences, 

 their lips obeyed, and Whitelock most readily." 

 Hull. H. T. G. 



The custom of salutation by kissing appears to 

 iave prevailed in Scotland about 1637. It is in- 

 cidentally noticed in the following extract from 

 Memoirs of the Life of James Mitchell, of Dyhes, 

 in the Parish of Ardrossan {Ayrshire), written by 

 Himself, Glasgow, 1759, p. 85 ; a rare tract of 

 111 pages : 



" The next business (as I spake of before) was the 

 Lord's goodness and providence towards me, in that par- 

 ticular, with Mr. Alexander Dunlop, our minister, when 

 • he fell first into his reveries and distractions of ground- 

 less jealousy of his wife Avith sundrv gentlemen, and of 

 me in special. First, I have to bless" God on my part he 

 had not so much as a presumption (save his own fancies) 

 ui™-^' "''sbehaviour in any sort ; for as I shall be account- 

 able to that great God, before whose tribunal I must stand 

 and give an account at that great day, I was not only 

 free of all.actual villauy with that gentlewoman his wife, 

 but also of all scandalous misbehaviour either in private 

 or public : yea, further, as I shall be saved at that great 

 day, I did not so much as kiss her mouth in courtesy (so 

 far as my knowledge and memorv serves me") seven vears 

 before his jealousy brake forth :' this was the ground of 

 no small peace to my mind * * ' and last of all, the Lord 

 brought me cleanly off the pursuit, and since he and I has 

 keeped general fashions of common civilitv to this dav, 

 12 December, 1637, 1 pray God may open his eyes and give 

 ami a sight of his weakness and insufficiency both one 



way and other. Now praise, honour, glory, and dominion 

 be to God only wise (for this and all other'his providences 

 and favours unto me) now and ever. Amm. I subscribe 

 with my hand the truth of this, Jatmes Mitchell." 



In a curious work containing much information 

 on the fashions of the time, Intltled, The Ladies 

 Dictionary ; being a General Entertainment for 

 the Fair Sex : London, Printed for John Dunton, 

 at the Eaven, in the Poultrey, 1694," the "Author, 

 N. H.," article " Kissing," thus remarks : 



" But kissing and drinking, both are now grown (it 

 seems) to a gi-eater custom amongst us than in those dayes 

 with the Romans. JSTor am I so austere to forbid the use 

 of either, both which though the one in surfets, the other 

 in adulteries may be abused by the vicious ; yet contra- 

 rily at customary meetings and laudable banquets, they 

 by the nobly disposed, and such whose hearts are fixt 

 upon honour, may be used with much modesty and con- 

 tinence." 



^ This extract would prove that the custom con- 

 tinued down to some years in the reign of William 

 and Mary ; but perhaps soon after, In the more 

 Improved conditions of society, began to decline. 



G. 1^. 



FIRST ENGLISH ENVOT TO BUSSIA. 



(Vol. X., p. 127.) 



In the review of the late embassy to China, 

 Quarterly Review, for 1817, p. 476, your correspon- 

 dent, A. B. will find this notice of the spirited 

 conduct of Sir Jerom Bowes, who was sent as am- 

 bassador from Queen Elizabeth to Jan Vasilovltch. 



" On entering the presence chamber [at Moscow] the 

 ambassador was desired by the Emperor to take his seat 

 at ten paces distance, and to send to him her Majesty's 

 letter and present. Sir Jerom thinking this not reasona- 

 ble, stept forwards towards the Emperor, but was inter- 

 cepted by the chancellor, who would have taken his letters ; 

 to whom the ambassador said, ' that her Majesty had di- 

 rected no letters to him,' and so went forward and delivered 

 theni himself to the Emperor's own hands. In the course 

 of his mission, however, he offended the Emperor, ' be- 

 cause he would not yield to everything he thought fit,' 

 who with a stem and angiy countenance told him ' that 

 he did not reckon the Queen of England to be his fellowJ 

 Upon which, Sir Jerom ' disliked these speeches,' and un- 

 willing to suffer this autocrat to derogate from the honour 

 and greatness of her Majesty, boldly told him to his face, 

 ' that the Queen his mistress Avas as great a prince as any 

 was in Christendom, equal to him that thought himself 

 the greatest, and well able to defend herself against the 

 malice of any whomsoever.' The Emperor on this was 

 so enraged that he declared ' if he were not an ambassa- 

 dor, ho would throw him out of doors.' Sir Jerom replied 

 coolly, ' that he was in his power, but that he had a mis- 

 tress who would revenge any injury done unto him.' The 

 Emperor unable to bear it longer, bade him 'get home,' 

 when Sir Jerom, with no more reverence than such usage 

 required, saluted the Emperor and departed." 



Warrington. W. BeaumoNT. 



The anecdote for which your correspondent, 

 A. B., Inquires may be found in Dr. Collins' Pre- 



