216 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



[No. 14{>. 



seemed incompatible with the theoretic division of 

 the legislative from the executive — and indeed 

 only by blending the two in fact, and preserving 

 the division in words and appearance, was this 

 effected : — and even now the practicability of 

 governing the empire with and by a perfectly free 

 and freely elected parliament, remains to be de- 

 monstrated." 



Pepi/s. — Vol, li. (Correspondence), p. 71.: " Cedria, 

 citria, cedar." 



Coleridge. — " That lady of masculine intellect, 

 with all the woman's sense of beauty (Mrs. Emer- 

 son, was that the name ? but long a botanical cor- 

 respondent and contributor to Nicholson's Phil. 

 Magazine, v. Mrs. Ibbetson), believed herself to 

 Lave discovered the principle of this precious 

 citrine wood, and the means of producing it. And 

 I see no reason for doubting it, though of her 

 phytological anatomy, by help of the solar micro- 

 scope, I am sceptical. The engravings instantly 

 called up in my mind the suspicion of some ka- 

 leidoscope delusions, fi-ora the singular symmetry 

 of all the forms. But she was an excellent and 

 very remarkable woman, and her contributions in 

 the Phil. Magazine worth studying, even for the 

 style." 



Pept/s. — Vol. il. (Correspondence), p. 7.3. Burnet's 

 Theory of the Earth. " The whole hypothesis so in- 

 genious and so rational, that I both admire and believe 

 it at once." 



Coleridge. — " ! Strange ! Burnet's book is a 

 grand Miltonic romance; but the contrast between 

 the Tartarian fury, and Turbulence of the Bur- 

 netian, and the almost supernatural tranquillity of 

 the Mosaic, Deluge, is little less than comic." 



Pepys. — Vol. ii. (Correspondence), p. 198. Second 

 sight, so called in Scotland. " She's a handsome lady 

 indeed," said the gentleman, " but I see her in blood," 

 &c. 



Coleridge. — " It would have been necessary to 

 cross-examine this Scotch Deuteroptis, whether he 

 had not seen the duplicate or spectrum of other 

 persons in blood. It might have been the result 

 of an inflammatory condition of his own brains, or 

 a slight pressure on the region of the optic nerves. 

 I have repeatedly seen the phantasm of the page I 

 was reading, all spotted with blood, or with the 

 letters all blood." 



The above is a literal transcript of S. T. Cole- 

 ridge's Marginalia ; and whether we agree or differ 

 with the opinions expressed, I cannot but think 

 some of your readers may be pleased to see the 

 written thoughts of such a man (whether anta- 

 gonistic to, or agreeing with his later conclusions) 

 prevented from perishing, by being inserted in a 

 book of such world- circulation as " N. & Q." 



BONSALL. 



FOLK rORE. 



A Worcestershire Legend in Stone (Vol. v., p. 30.). 

 — A correspondent refers to the "\Vorcestershire 

 legend of John of Horsill, which he says is as 

 follows : 



" Hunting one day near the Severn, he started a fine 

 buck, which took the direction of the river : fearing to 

 lose it, he discharged an arrow, which, piercing it 

 through, continued its flight, and struck a salmon, 

 which had leaped from the surface of the water, with 

 so much force as to transfix it. This being thought a 

 very extraordinary shot (as indeed it was), a stone 

 carving representing it was fixed over the west door of 

 Ribbesford Church, then in course of erection." 



Now, I have always heard a not less extra- 

 ordinary, but more poetical version of the legend ; 

 which is, very briefly, as follows : — The great lord 

 of that part of the country had but one child, a 

 daughter, who was passing fair to see, and who was 

 beloved by a young hunter, who seems to have had 

 nothing but his handsome face and bow to depend 

 upon. She returned his love with all the passion- 

 ate fervour of, &c. &c., and they often contrived ta 

 meet In secret in one of those romantic spots on 

 the Severn's banks, where doubtless, according to 

 established custom, they mingled their tears, and 

 said soft nothings, and abused the maiden's pater- 

 nity. For papa was inexorable, and had no notion 

 that his daughter, for whose hand belted knights 

 had pleaded In vain, should be wedded to this 

 poaching, penniless young hunter. And so they 

 lifted up their voices and wept. But one day In 

 came the maiden and said that she had lost the 

 ring that her father had given her : and as it was 

 a magical ring, that possessed a complete pharma- 

 copoeia of virtues and healing properties, and had 

 been a family relic for many generations, papa was 

 so concerned about its loss that he caused a pro- 

 clamation to be issued, that whoever should bring 

 him back the ring might claim the hand of his 

 daughter, and thus be " handsomely rewarded for 

 his trouble." Every one searched for the ring, 

 and every one confessed that their search was hope- 

 less ; and the handsome young hunter laughed In 

 his sleeve, and went on his way to the great lord's 

 castle, to beg his acceptance of a fine Severn sal- 

 mon, which he had just shot. Not that the Wal- 

 tonlans of that day killed their salmon In that 

 manner, but according to the young hunter's 

 accovmt he had been walking on the west bank of 

 the river, when a fine stag had suddenly started up 

 on the eastern bank, and that he had shot an arrow 

 at It ; that when his arrow had got about half way 

 over the river, it pierced the salmon, which had 

 chosen that unlucky moment for his last summer- 

 set; and that thereupon the young hunter had 

 waded into the water, and secured his unlooked- 

 for prey. In consideration of its being killed in 

 such a singular manner, he begged his lord's accept- 



