2nd s. V. 126., May 29. '58.] 



NOTES AND QUEBIES. 



437 



eccentric manners and of extreme politics, but of 

 refined taste, — talented, learned, and communi- 

 cative. Multitudes of his original letters must be 

 in existence, scattered through many hands. lie 

 is at present unnoticed by the writer in the Suf- 

 folk Chronicle, who signs " Silverpen," and who is 

 doing something to wipe out the unfortunate alli- 

 terative prefix " Silly " from the name of this 

 county, by furnishing sketches of " Suffolk Wor- 

 thies and Persons of Note." In truth, Capel 

 Lofft deserves a more honourable niche than is 

 to be found in the ephemeral " supplement " to a 

 provincial newspaper. Who will collect Mr. Lofft's 

 correspondence, and write his life, before all these 

 remains are destroyed, and all who knew him per- 

 sonally are gone off the stage ? S. W. Rix. 

 Beccles, 



The Straloch MS. — In the sale catalogue of 

 George Chalmers's library, part iii. (sold by Evans 

 in 1842), occurs the following lot (No. 1642.) : — 



" An Playing Booke for the Lute. Wher in ar con- 

 tained Many Currents and other Musical Things. At 

 Aberdin Netted and Collected by Robert Gordon, in the 

 year of our Lord 1C27 In Februarie. On the reverse of 

 the title is a drawing of a person playing on a lute." 



This interesting MS. belonged to Dr. Burney, 

 the musical historian, to whom it was presented 

 in 1781 by Dr. Skene, Professor of Humanity at 

 Aberdeen. The collector, and probably the writer, 

 of the MS., was R. Gordon of Straloch, the first 

 person who received the degree of M.A. at the 

 College of Aberdeen. It contains many curious 

 tunes, a detailed account of which is given in the 

 late Mr. Dauney's Ancient Scotish Melodies, p. 368. 

 et seq. 



Dr. Burney's musical library was sold by auc- 

 tion in August, 1814, when Triphook became the 

 purchaser of the Straloch MS. for two shillings ! 

 At Chalmers's sale an incognito collector carried 

 off the prize for three shillings ! I am very anx- 

 ious to make the acquaintance of the present pos- 

 sessor of the MS., and hope this notice may meet 

 his eye. Edward F. Rimbault. 



Deaf and Dumb ; Method of Teaching. — In my 

 National School is a boy who labours under this 

 afiliction. He is very intelligent, and has learned 

 to write very quickly. But we experience much 

 difficulty in making him understand that the word 

 he writes is the sign of the object which has been 

 shown to him. When pictures are used, the 

 difficulty seems to arise from the name of the ob- 

 ject depicted being in Roman type instead of in 

 the written character. As neither of his parents 

 can read, his only instruction must be from the 

 village school. I should therefore be much ob- 

 liged to any one who would give me instruction 

 how to overcome this difficulty; or, indeed, for 

 any information as to the best way of instructing 

 deaf-mutes, the various books to be used, with 



their prices, &c. At present I have iio farther 

 knowledge than is derived from a very interesting 

 article on the subject in the Penny Cyclopedia. 



E. G. R. 

 Neapolitan Earthquake, Dec. 16, 1857. — I have 

 not seen recorded in any journal that this terrible 

 convulsion was felt, though providentially very 

 slightly, in England : but it certainly was at the 

 Hartford Bridge Limekilns, near Norwich. The 

 workmen there, when they find a vein of chalk 

 which suits their purpose, excavate galleries or 

 caves through the surrounding marl to obtain it. 

 On the evening in question they experienced such 

 a rocking of their cottages that they rose up in 

 alarm (they had just retired early to bed), fearing 

 that their works had fallen in. But they found 

 them just as they had left them. I believe that 

 the great earthquake of Lisbon was felt more on 

 the chalk than any other part of England. Earth- 

 quakes in South America are usually attended by 

 a wet season, and we had much rain after the 

 Dublin shock four or five years ago. Has there 

 been much rain this year in Naples ? Here, I need 

 scarcely say, we have had very little. E. G. R. 



Sir John Wolley, Knt. — I wish very much to 

 obtain information respecting Sir John Wolley, 

 Knt., of Pirford, Surrey, Chancellor of the Order 

 of the Garter, and Secretary to Queen Elizabeth. 

 He is buried in St. Paul's Cathedral. His only 

 son, Sir Francis, bequeathed a part of his property 

 to his cousins William and Elizabeth Mintern. 

 From this I am led to think that Sir John must 

 have been of the family of Wolley settled at Leigh, 

 Dorset, one of whom (Margaret) married John 

 Mintern of Newland. C. J. Robinson. 



Pair of Curols ; Pitancie. — One of the former 

 holders of my living is said to have been rated in 

 1595 to send one pike furnished ; and also, to raise 

 onQ pair of curols.* So, in 1427, a house is de- 

 clared to pertain to the pitancie of St. Katerine. 

 Would some one of your learned readers be kind 

 enough to explain what is meant ? C. 



Quotation by Sir James Oraham. — In the course 

 of his speech in the House of Commons, May 20, 

 1858, Sir James Graham said: "Although he could 

 not pretend to give the words themselves, he 

 would remind the House of what was said by one 

 of the wisest of mankind, that it is not safe to 

 confiscate a man's property unless you are also 

 prepared to deprive him of his life — a son cordd 

 bear with great complacency the death of his father, 

 while the loss of his inheritance might drive him to 

 despair." I would be glad to know the name of 

 the author from whom Sir James quotes this 

 aphorism ; the more especially as it seems to be 

 the original whence the thought has been derived 

 which Mr. Taylor has placed in the mouth of one 



L* See also «N. & Q." !»' S, iv. 101.] 



