2a<i s. NO 115., MA«. 13. m] NOTES AND QUERIES, 



221 



There is also a picture I painted twelve years since of the 

 Harbour of Devonport, evening at sunset. This was pur- 

 chased by the City of Strassburg from me, and now 

 forms a part of the collection of the City Museum. All 

 these pictures have been publicly exhibited, and it has 

 been remarked of them that they reminded the spectator 

 of the works of Claude. I presume these remarks have 

 not been urged as objections to my pictures ; but if they 

 have, they tell with equal force against Wilson and Tur- 

 ner, whose works afford abundant evidence of their not 

 only having studied, but actually produced, pictures re- 

 markable for some of those qualities that distinguish the 

 productions of Claude de Lorrain. About three weeks since 

 1 brought to this country from Germany three or four pic- 

 tures, of course all from nature, but differing much from 

 each other; should you feel inclined to see them, it will 

 give me much pleasure to show them to you before I re- 

 turn to the continent. Possibly you have already found 

 a place for my picture on your walls ; if so, I would call 

 and look at it on receiving your permission to that effect. 

 " I am, Sir, 



" Yours truly, 



" P. K. EOGERS. 



" \V. D. Haggard, Esq." 

 Mr. Rogers is dead. 



W. D. H. 



Laws and Cobwebs (2°"^ S. v. 146.)— The com- 

 parison of laws to cobwebs, which catch the weak, 

 but which the strong break through, is attri- 

 buted by Plutarch to Anacharsis ; he is supposed 

 to have applied this dictum to the laws of Solon 

 {Vit. Sol, c. 5., repeated by Val. Max., vii. 2. 

 ext. 14.). Diogenes Laertius ascribes the saying 

 to Solon himself (i. 58.) ; Stobaeus gives it to the 

 Locrian legislator, Zaleucus (Serm., xlv. 25.). 

 Plato, the comic poet, versified the idea as fol- 

 lows : — 



" Etlatrii' 'fifuv ol vojiot Tovrowrt TOt(n XeTrrois 

 Apavvtots, av toI<ti toix<"-s V <j>a\a.y^ ixjiaCvei,, 

 Meineke, Fragm. Com. Gr., vol. ii. p. 620. 



L. 



Early Almanacs (2°^ S. iv. 106.; v. 37. 134— 

 136.) — The following is an exact copy of the title- 

 page of an old Almanac in my possession : — 



" Almanac for the year 1386. Transcribed, verbatim, 

 from the original antique illuminated Manuscript in the 

 black letter. Omitting only the monthly Calendars and 

 some Tables. Containing many curious particulars, il- 

 lustrative of the Astronomy, Astrology, Chronology, 

 History, Religious Tenets, and Theory and Practice of 

 Medicine of that age. Printed for the Proprietor by C. 

 Stower, Hackney, 1812. The Manuscript to be disposed 

 of. Apply to the Printer. Entered at Stationers' Hall." 



Tliese are all the particulars respecting this old 

 Almanac that are given by the proprietor and 

 printer. It is in 8vo., and contains two coloured 

 astrological engravings. There is a short account 

 of this book in the Companion to the Almanac for 

 1839, in which the writer says it is the earliest 

 Almanac in English he ever heard of. In the 

 Companion to the Almanac, 1829, 1839, and 1840, 



is much valuable and curious information towards 

 a history of Almanacs. W. H. W. T. 



Somerset House. 



The Ravens Almanacke (2°i S. v. 135.) —The 

 title of this curious pamphlet is as follows : — 



" The Ravens Almanacke. Foretelling of a Plague, 

 Famine, and Civill Warre. That shall happen this pre- 

 sent yeare 1609. With certaine remedies, rules, and re- 

 ceipts, &c. London : printed by E. A. for Thomas Archer, 

 &fc. 1609." 



The dedication is — 



" To the Lyons of the Wood (the yonng Courtiers), to 

 the wilde Buckes of the Forrest (the Gallants and j'ounger 

 Brothers), to the Harts of the field, and to the whole 

 Country that are brought up wisely yet prove Guls, and 

 are borne rich yet dye beggers," &c. 



It is one of Decker's rarest productions, and 

 was evidently intended to ridicule the absurd pre- 

 dictions of the ignorant Almanac-makers of the 

 period. Edward F. Rimbault. 



Psalm-singing by the early Nonconformists (2"** 

 S. V. 147.) — There can be no doubt that the good 

 "brother," being gifted with vocal powers, was 

 appointed to lead the singing. The practice was 

 probably new. About the same time, March 25, 

 1695, the Congregational Church in this town 

 agreed " that they doe put in practice tlie ordin- 

 ance of singinge in the publiq, upon the forenoone 

 and afternoone on the Lord's daies, and that it 

 be between praier and sermon ; and also it was 

 agreed that the New England translation of the 

 Psallmes be made use of by the church at their 

 times of breaking of bread." Some of the early 

 Nonconformists objected to singing hymns, and 

 preferred those metrical versions of the Psalms 

 which agreed the most closely with the original ; 

 some, particularly the Baptists, long regarded 

 singing in public worship as savouring of " apos- 

 tacy, human tradition, prelimited forms, mis- 

 chievous error, carnal worship ;" and there was a 

 dreary period when such an exercise was incom- 

 patible with personal safety. But none of those 

 good men ever went so far in eccentric courses as 

 to appoint a person to "sing the praises of God" 

 as a public solo. S. W. Rix. 



Beccles. 



Burial of Dr. Dodd (2°'^ S. v. 171.)— Dr. Dodd's 

 body was carried from Tyburn to the house of a 

 Mr. Davies, undertaker in Goodge Street, Totten- 

 ham Court Road ; where a hot-bath was ready 

 prepared, and many efforts used by his me- 

 dical friends to revive him, but without effect; 

 though it is imagined, from many circumstances, 

 that, if the excessive curiosity of the crowd had 

 not occasioned great delay, the attempt would 

 have been successful. On the Monday following 

 the execution of the doctor, his corpse was con- 

 veyed to Cowley, in Buckinghamshire, attended by 



