2n'i S. N« no., Feb. G. '58.] 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



115 



by Miss Elizabeth Lloyd, a lady living in Philadel- 

 phia ! See Milburn's Lectures (of New York), 

 p. 101., London edition, 1857. The poem, how- 

 ever, deserves preservation in " N. & Q." E. D. 



Milton s Autograph (2"'^ S. iv. 287.) — I beg to 

 say that I have in my possession a very old copy 

 of Montaigne's Essays, by John Florio, translated 

 from the French by him, dedicated to Queen 

 Anne, date 1613. And which, on the top corner 

 of the title-page, has the signature of John Milton 

 {plain John) ; and it has also another signature, 

 on which, if any of your readers can give me a 

 clue, I shall feel much obliged. It is a rather un- 

 common name in this neighbourhood ; in fact I 

 do not remember to have seen if, but still it might 

 not be uncommon in those days: it is Anthony 

 pEMnuuGE. I have not the least doubt about 

 both the signatures being genuine, and shall feel 

 much obliged if you can throw any light as to 

 whether it is likely to have been in the possession 

 of the great poet ? Leodiensis. 



Likeness of Milton (2"*^ S. iv. 459.) — I possess 

 an ivory medallion of this great poet : to me it is 

 the only satisfacto7'y lilieness that has come under 

 my ken. Query, Are such medallions of Milton 

 common ? S. Wmson. 



WORDS IN THE EYES (2"'* S. IV. 434) : INDUS- 

 TRIOUS FLEAS. 



Many of the impostures practised on the public 

 pass without exposure simply because the few 

 who detect the fraud do not think it worth while 

 to undeceive the many, who believe just what 

 they are told to believe. Thus it has happened in 

 the case of the child exhibited some years ago, 

 and alluded to by your correspondent Centurion. 

 The tissue of the human iris is made up of a mul- 

 titude of fibres,* interlaced one with the other, 

 and interspersed with minute dots and tufts of a 

 dark-coloured substance, termed "pigment," which 

 varies very much in different persons,'^both as to 

 colour and quantity. Those who have a light 

 grey or bluish iris often exhibit irregular mark- 

 ings near the edge of the pupil, which a lively 

 imagination may easily resolve into letters. S.uch 

 I suppose to have been the case with the French 

 child. Wondering spectators wei'e told they were 

 to see "Napoleon Empereur" written on the 

 eyes, and accordingly they did see it. I do not 

 know whether the eyes were always viewed 

 through a glass, or a tube of any kind : if through 

 the latter, a little ingenuity would suffice to make 

 printed letters, reflected in a concealed mirror, 

 appear to the spectator to be actually upon the sur- 

 face of the eye. While on this subject, I may 

 say a few words on another deception, which had 



surprising success in London and elsewhere; I 

 allude to the exhibition of the so-called Industri- 

 ous Fleas. The proprietors of these creatures 

 published a description of the labour incurred in 

 training and educating them, and then the aston- 

 ished spectators were shown the fleas, engaged in all 

 kinds of intelligent occupations ; drawing buckets 

 from a well, playing in an orchestra, drawing 

 a carriage, &c., &c. Now, as far as the fleas them- 

 selves are concerned, anybody with a little patience 

 may get up such an exhibition in a few hours. 

 Take, for instance, the flea drawing a bucket from 

 a well. The little model being provided, and a 

 fihe silver thread arranged to represent the chain, 

 a stout flea is to be glued by his back to a fixed 

 point. Of course, he struggles to release himself, 

 and kicks vigorously. If the thread be placed 

 so that his legs just scratch against it, it will be 

 drawn down over, the little pulley, and the tiny 

 bucket will ascend. The carriage was moved by 

 the struggles of several fleas glued to the little 

 stem which represented the pole ; and so on with 

 the other tricks. No doubt it requires patience and 

 neatness of hand to fasten the fleas in their proper 

 positions, Snd to fabricate the apparatus; but a 

 Geneva watchmaker would smile at the notion of 

 such work being really difficult. The public be- 

 lieved, and no doubt believe to this day, that the 

 fleas were really tamed and taught ; and I have 

 heard sensible people gravely bring forward the 

 exhibition of the " Industrious Fleas" as an in- 

 stance of what human ingenuity and patience can 

 accomplish. Jaydee. 



FISHING ON THE COAST. 



(2"'i S. V. 48 



t 



I can refer G. R. L. to a vWj early and curious 

 tract on this subject which I had some time ago 

 in my possession : — • 



" Britaine's Busse, or a Compvtation as well of the 

 Charge of a Busse or Herring-Fishing Ship : As also of 

 the gaine and prolit thereby. With the States Procla- 

 mation Annexed vnto the same, as concerning Her- 

 ring-Fishing. By E. S. London : printed by William 

 laggard for Nicholas Bourne, and are to be sold at his 

 Shop at the South Entry of the Royal Exchange. 1615." 



The preface invites attention to the profits 

 made by the Dutch, and the expediency of build- 

 ing large fishing vessels to compete with them. 

 Allusion is also made to other treatises on the 

 same subject. One is called the BriltisJi Monarchy, 

 printed 1576; another, Hitchcock's 2Vew-Fea?-e'* 

 Gift, about 1586; a third is named EnglancVs 

 Way to Win Wealth, and to encrease Ships and Mar- 

 riners, 1613, written by a Yarmouth Man, "very 

 expert both in Navigation and Fishing;" and a 

 fourth is styled the Trade's Increase, written about 

 the same time as Britaine's Busse. Gre.at Yar- 

 mouth, it appears, had already taken the lead in 



