2"^ S. N" 110., Feb. 6. '58.] 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



107 



ligencer of Aug. 5, and the English Intelligencer 

 of Aug. 2, both record the flxct tliat, sitting near 

 the wuterside at her house hy the Neat houses * at 

 Chelsea, she fell into the water accidentally and was 

 drowned. 



Touching the exact period of her daughter's 

 death, her biographers have differed, some making 

 this event to happen in 1691, and Oldys among 

 the number ; but I believe I can set the question 

 at rest, for I recently discovered a letter bearing 

 date London, Nov. 15, 1687, which mentions the 

 fact in these words : — " Last Sunday night 

 Madam Gwin dyed and left the Duke of St. Al- 

 bans her executor." So that she expired on 

 Sunday, November 13th, 1687. 



I subjoin a copy of the Receipt of Nell Gwynne's 

 pension, which wa» until very recently in my pos- 

 session : — 



« The 2G'<> die May 1G81. 



Kec^ then on au Ord^ of the xxviij*'> day of March 1G81 

 b3'' vh'tue of his ]Ma*'=' Ires of privy seale dated tlie xi"' of 

 June 1G79 of S'' Thomas Vernon Kn' one of y" Tellers of 

 his Ma'!^' Eeceipt of Excheq"" By me James Eraser As- 

 signee of M" Elianer Gwynn the some of two hundred 

 and fifty poundes in pte of An order of v""' towards the 

 support of herself and Charles Earle of Burford for one 

 Quarter of a yeare ended at y" Feast of the Birth of our 

 L'l God 1G80. I say rec<i 



" ccl" 

 " Two hundred and fifty pound. 



' " Jajii<:3 Fkasek." 



(In dorso.) 



"To Madam Gwynn 

 y" accq' M"". Fraser 

 250" 

 2G die May 1G81. 

 28 May ord-" M Barlow ? " 



Cli. HOPPEB. 



Porlrait of Nell Gwin. — In a letter of William 

 Huddesford, I find the following notice of a por- 

 trait of this frail beauty, and should be glad if 

 any of your correspondents can say where the 

 painting is now preserved : — 



" There was a picture of Nell Gwj'n at the lodgings of 

 Dr. Leyborn, late principal of Alban Hall : probably now 

 it is at Westwell, near Burford, in the possession of Mr. 

 Taj'lor, his nephew. It was, I am told, drawn by a 

 famous flower-painter (my intelligencer forgot the name), 

 whom King Charles forced to draw it. It had a most 

 amazing softness." 



Edward F. Rimbault. 



Minav ^ate^, 

 Vincennes Rifle : Revolvers anticipated. — 



" Advice has been received of an invention to make 

 muskets weighing only 9 lbs., -that will carry a ball 900 

 paces, and fire 15 times in a minute. The inventor's 

 name is Brodier, an Englishman, who carried his secret 



* The Neat houses were on Millbank near th(j wooden 

 bridge called Chelsea bridge or Pimlico. 



to France, and had some of these muskets made at Vin- 

 cennes." — Gerd. Mag., xxix. 344. 



Mackenzie Walcott, M.A. 



Button's Epitaph. — In The Bee (BudgeH'i^) 

 vol. i. p. 43.^ we find the following epitaph " upon 

 Mr. Button, lately deceased, who formerly kept a 

 noted Coflee House near Covent Garden" : — 



" Odds fish and fiery Coals, 

 Are Graves become Button-Holes?" 



W. J. T. 



Apsidal Churches. — Hadleigh, Essex ; Eyncs- 



ford, Kent, both in the vicinity of ancient castles. 



T. H. Pattisos. 

 Curiosity. — 



" The following distich is engraved on a small piece of 

 ivory about an inch square, in the possession of a gentle- 

 man residing in the Market Place, Retford : — 



" * BE : : NOT : : down : : whek : : thov : : art : : I'ooii* 



BUT • STVU • Xnr • hand • and • work • FOR • MORE" ' 



This curiositj' is supposed to be about four centuries old." 



(From the Gainshro' Neics, Nov. 19, 1857.) 



K. P. D. E. 



Restitution. — The following may not be unin- 

 teresting at the present time : — 



" Whereas Jeremiah Snow, late of Lumbard-Street, 

 Goldsmith, now living in Broad Street, did owe divers 

 persons, Anno 1652, Eight thousand Three hundred 

 pounds ; who at his desire did accept of 6225 pounds in 

 full, and gave him Discharges absolute ; which was occa- 

 sioned b}' the failing of two French Merchants, who were 

 at that time indebted to him Three thousand Four hun- 

 dred pounds, but never paid him a Fifth part (as bj' the 

 Testimonials remaining with the Public Notary it may 

 appear), since which time it hath pleased God to bless 

 his Endeavours with some small estate ; He, therefore, 

 in gratitude and justice invites them to receive the full 

 remainder of their Principal monej', excepting such as by 

 his oath he shall affirm to have paid in part, or in whole. 



" And he declares this Publication is not for vain- 

 glorj' (Retribution in this kinde being indispensable), nor 

 to get more credit, but because his Friends have adjudged 

 it conveniently necessary, that his Vindication might be 

 as publick as then Avas the scandal." — London Gaz., 

 March 4, 16G6. 



Richard Hooper, F.S.A. 



White Waltham. 



The Schoolmaster is Ahroad. — This saying ori- 

 ginated with Lord Brougham, and is thus reported 

 in one of his speeches : 



" Let the soldier be abroad, if he will ; he can do no- 

 thing in this age. There is another personage abroad — 

 a person less imposing — in the eyes of some, perhaps, 

 insignificant. The schoolmaster is abroad ; and 1 trust to 

 him, armed with his primer, against the soldier in full 

 military' array." 



His lordship could not have been more happy 

 in his explanation of a schoolmaster's power, in- 

 fluence, and strength in peaceable times ; but his 

 remark that a soldier " can do nothing in this 

 age," is certainly not substantiated, when one re- 



