Sept. 9. 1854.] 



NOTES AND QUERIES. ^ 



213 



as of " Clement's Inn, Gentleman," is dated Janu- 

 ary 11, 1749, and is made to Jacob Robinson of 

 Ludgate Street, bookseller, and Robert Dodsley 

 of Pall Mall, bookseller. The witnesses are James 

 Dodsley and George Knapp. The consideration 

 stated is twenty-one pounds and twelve printed 

 copies in sheets, with the cuts of the first impres- 

 sion of the book ; but the receipt endorsed, and 

 which is signed by Paltock, is only for ten guineas, 

 Dodsley's moiety of the purchase-money. The 

 autograph is in a fine, flourishing running-hand. 



Hitherto nothing farther has been discovered 

 with respect to the history or character of the 

 author of Peter Wilkins. Probably a careful 

 search amongst the documents of Clement's Inn 

 might bring something to light. The strong pro- 

 bability is that he was a lawyer ; and it is very 

 unlikely that Peter Wilkins was his only work. 

 I think I have clearly traced his hand in another 

 work of fiction published shortly afterwards, to 

 which, in a future communication, I may draw 

 the attention of the readers of " N. & Q." 



Jas. Cbosslet. 



Parochial Libraries (Vol. ix., p. 186.). — There 

 is the following entry in the old parochial register 

 of this place ; some of the books are still left, in 

 very good condition : 



" These books underwritten with the following letter 

 were sent to the Vicar, December, 1729. 



' To the Reverd. Mr. Walton, Vicar of Corbridge. 

 * Eeverd. S'" December 14*, 1729. 



'1 herewith have sent to your care a small offering of 

 books, being all you were pleas'! to recommend. I have 

 writ upon each one that thej' should not be lent out of the 

 Vestry or Church, but be there in common for every 

 person ; and God grant that they may be of such use to 

 your Parishioners as may answer the desires and inten- 

 tions of your unknown though humb'" serv*.' 



" 1. One Common Prayer Book in fo. 



2. Burkitt's Paraphrase of the Xew Testament in fo. 



3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Six Prayer Books with the Com- 

 munion Service in 8vo. 



9. Nelson's Festivals in Svo. 

 10. 11. Two books, The Whole Duty of Man. Do. 



12. Hole's Exposition of the Church Catechism. Do. 



13. Wheatly's Illustration of the Common Prayer. Do. 



14. Taylor's Worthy Communicant. Do. 



15. Burkitt's Poor Man's Help. Do. 



16. Another of the same. 



17. 18. 19. Three volumnes, Ostervall's Arguments of 

 the Books of the Old and New Testament. 



" N. B. Whereas the above-mentioned books were 

 ordered to be kept in vestry without liberty of lending 

 y" out, application was afterwards made to the Benefacf 

 for liberty of lending y"', on condition that the damage 

 done to them, or the loss which might happen bv that 

 means, should be repaired at the publick expence'of the 

 Parish, and this proposal was not rejected. 



John Walton, ViC". 



"P. S. It appeared (after the death of the person) that 

 M". Alice Coleplts, of Newcastle, widow, was y® Bene- 

 factress." 



J. Eastwood. 



Corbridge. 



Barristers' Gowns (Vol. ix., p. 323.)- — The 

 lapel or piece which hangs at the back of a bar- 

 rister's gown is evidently a hood, retained as an 

 ornament or badge long after the use of it had 

 ceased, and so diminished in size as to have become 

 merely a symbol. 



The following passage from De Caumont's Court 

 d' Antiquites Monumentales, vol. vi., note, p. 382., 

 confirms this view of the case : 



" Le chaperon etait une coiffure en usage pour les 

 hommes, jusqu'au rfegne de Charles VI. Vers cette 

 epoque, les docteurs et les juristes, qui avaient I'habitude 

 de porter le chaperon, le suspendirent sur leur epaule.; 

 bientot ils y substituferent une pifece carr^e d'herniine, qui 

 n'en offrit que le symbole. ' Lorsque I'usage des chape- 

 rons commencja a disparaitre, dit Pasquier, les magistrats, 

 les gens de loi, les docteurs, etc., porterent lors leur cha- 

 perons sur leurs epaules, pour les reprendre tout et tant 

 de fois que bon leur semblerait. Comme toutes choses par 

 traites et successions des temps tombent en non chaloir, 

 ainsi s'est du tout laisse la coutume de ce chaperon, et est 

 seulement demeure pardevant les gens de palais et maitres 

 fes arts, qui encore portent leur chaperon sur les Epaules, 

 et leur bonnet rond sur la tete.' " —V. Millin, Monvmtenta 

 Frangais inedits, 



Edgab MacCulloch. 



Guernsey. 



At Oxford "a lapel or piece" similar to that which 

 hangs from the barrister's gown, is attached to the 

 gowns of noblemen, and also to the "academicals" 

 of the proctors and preachers of the university 

 sermons. In these cases is this piece of cloth " a 

 diminutive representation of the ancient hood," or 

 a badge, by which its wearers may be distinguished 

 from the profanum vulgus ? F, M. Middleton. 



The Paxs Pennies of William the Conqueror 

 (Vol. ix., p. 562.). — Allow me to remove W. M. 

 F.'s objections to a very common type of the 

 pennies of William I. being called the /)ax-type. 



W. M. F. is probably aware that the Saxon w 

 (}>) so nearly approached the p in form, that it is 

 not to be wondered at, if, on coins, they cannot to 

 a certainty be distinguished ; but that the form > 

 is used for both w and p on coins of the Con- 

 queror, may be proved from those of the Ipswich 

 mint, on which the name of the town is given 

 GiPSPi. There can be no question as to the way 

 in which the disjoined letters p.a.x.s. are to be 

 connected and read; as on coins of Edward the 

 Confessor, Harold II., and Henry I., the word 

 PAX is placed straight across the field of the re- 

 verse. The final s of paxs presents a difficulty, 

 and has been the subject of much conjecture. 

 Ruding interprets the legend as " pax subditis," 

 and Mb. Hawkins has suggested "pax sit" as a 

 possible explanation. I am myself inclined to 

 believe that the s is merely a superfluous letter 

 introduced by the moneyer, to fill up what would 

 have been a vacant angle of the cross ; and this 

 view is supported by our finding the word spelt 

 PACx in similar situations, on coins of Canute and 



