90 



NOTES AND QUEBIES. 



[2«<J S. N° 109., Jan. 30. '58. 



1C93." 12mo. It is dedicated to Sir Robert Sibbald, of 

 Kipps, M.D., and was published " in compliance with his 

 desire." Then follows an Address to the Reader, con- 

 taining a biographical notice of the author, James 

 Wallace, minister of Kirkwall, who had made consi- 

 derable attainments in philosophy, theology, history, and 

 mathematics. Ho designed " a complete History of these 

 Isles from the first planting of them, and had' prepared 

 some materials, but was, anno 1688, unfortunately taken 

 away in a fever in the flower of his age. He left behind 

 him in manuscript, besides Sermons and manj' miscel- 

 laneous pieces, The Harmony of the Evangelist.'!, folio ; 

 two large quartos of Common Places, extracted (with his 

 observations) from what he collected in his reading; A 

 Treatise of the Ancient and Modern Church Discipline; 

 and he was writing a refutation of some Popish tenets 

 when his last illness seized him."] 



Bates's " Mysteries of Nature and Art. ^* — I have 

 a curious old book which I should like to know some- 

 thing more about. The date and publisher's name 

 have been torn ofF the title-page ; but the author 

 speaks of having " accidentally passed by, imme- 

 diately after the late fire that was upon the bridge, 

 anno 1633." So that I presume it was published 

 not many years subsequent to that date. The 

 following is the title : — 



" The Mysteries of Nature and Art. In Toure severall 

 parts. The first of Water works. The second of Fire 

 works. The third of Drawing, Washing, Limning, Paint- 

 ing, and Engraving. The fourth of sundry Experiments. 

 The second Edition ; with many additions unto every 

 part. By John Bate." 



This book wants several leaves in some parts ; 

 but Avhat there is, is rather interesting, and con- 

 tains many very curious engravings. I should 

 like to know something more about it, and whe- 

 ther or not it is scarce. H. M. R. 



[The iirst edition of this curious work was published 

 in 1G34, 4to., with the author's initials, J. B. It has an 

 engraved title, and " Imprinted for Ralph Mab." The 

 second edition has the figure of a green man fiintastically 

 liabited, flourishing a polo which "vomits fire like veric 

 furies." " London, printed by Thomas Harper for Ralph 

 Map, 1635," 4to. The third edition, with many additions, 

 has the same engraved title as the first edition : " Printed 

 for Andrew Crooke," 1654, 4to. We cannot discover any 

 particulars of the author.] 



Old Parchment. — Can you inform me how to 

 restore the writing on old parchment. I have in 

 my possession a very old epitaph on parchment, 

 which appears to have been nailed to a church 

 wall. One half of it has been rendered quite ille- 

 gible from exposure to the damp, and a portion of 

 the parchment itself has rotted away. Before 

 coming into my care it has been for some years 

 folded up, and is now so dry and brittle that it 

 will scarcely bear to be handled. I wish to re- 

 store it so that the inscription can be read, and the 

 creases taken out, and shall be glad if you will 

 show me how that is to be done. My idea is to 

 slightly damp it, and then nail it flat to a board, 

 lining the back with thick cartridge paper, where 

 the parchment has been torn and rotted off, 



and then to wash the surface with some solution 

 that will have the effect of bringing the writing 

 again into sight. Most likely you will be able to 

 suggest a better plan. H. M. R. 



[Manuscripts affected bj"- damp maj'be strengthened by 

 the use of size; but writing effaced by damp is bej-ond 

 revival. Where anj' trace of writing remains, it may be 

 rendered legible by a judicious use of hydro-sulphate of 

 ammonia, laid upon the spot with a soft brush. The 

 operation should be performed in some spot where the 

 effluvium arising from this liquid would be confined to 

 the operator alone, as it is far from being agreeable. An 

 infusion of galls has been used by some for this purpose, 

 but the Cottonian charters in the Museum afford unhappy 

 proof that such a remedy is worse than the disease, the 

 writing being entirely obliterated, and the appearance of 

 the document spoiled by the too liberal application of the 

 infusion. The hydro-sulphate evaporates speedily, and 

 leaves not a trace behind. The parchment spoken of by 

 II. IM. R. should be allowed to soak in clear spring water, 

 into which a small quantity of spirits of wine has been 

 previously infused, until it is rendered soft and pliable, 

 then let it be carefully removed, laid upon a clean napkin, 

 and the superficial damp removed with a sponge, taking 

 care that no friction is allowed. Then take some .strips of 

 card-board or thick paper, lay the parchment upon a 

 board, and placing the strips along the margins, nail it 

 securely, stretching it smooth, with care, at the same time. 

 Allow it to drj' gradually, and it may be then removed 

 and inlaid or framed as the operator desires.] 



Two rare Boohs. — 1 . Blind Harry s Wallace. 

 I possess a copy of this book, printed by "James 

 Brysson at Edinburgh, a little above the Kirk 

 Style, at the signe of the Golden Angel, 1G40, 

 8vo." This edition is not mentioned by Lowndes, 

 and was not in the libraries of Bindley, Hibbert, 

 nor Ileber. Will any of your correspondents say 

 if it is a good edition, and what may be its value ? 

 The condition is good. 



2. I lately invested (that is the now phrase) 

 the sum of sixpence in a copy of Boccaccio's Amcto, 

 printed at Treviso in 1479, by Mich. Manzolo, 

 4to. The signatures run in 8tbs. The work ter- 

 minates on r, 5, with the words Laus Deo ; but sig. 

 K. has only six leaves. Is this correct ? 



J. Gibson. 



Maidstone. 



[The edition of Wallace, 1640, is not in the British Mu- 

 seiun nor the Bodleian, and what is more remarkable was 

 unknown to Pinkerton and Dr. Jamieson, both of whom 

 seem to have paid some attention to its bibliography. 

 The earlier editions noticed bv these writers are those of 

 1570, 1594, 1601, 1620, 1630, 1648, 1665, 1673, and 1G99. 

 Pinkerton, speaking of the editions of the eighteenth cen- 

 tury, has the following significant passage: "There are 

 many editions of the present [18th] century, but bad. 

 Theverj' worst is that of Edinburgh, 1758, 4to., which 

 the printer very expertly reduced to modern spelling, and 

 printed in black letter, and in quarto; being exactly, in 

 every point, the very plan which he ought not to have 

 followed. The same sagacious personage gave Bar- 

 bour's Poem in the same waj'; and neither selling (how 

 could the}'?) the booksellers sometimes tear out the title, 

 and palm them upon the ignorant as old imjiressions." 

 List of Scot. Poets, xc. xci. — We have before us Boccac- 

 cio's Ameto, 1479, in which sig. k has only six leaves.] 



