Nov. 12. 1853.] 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



467 



and ye Bp himselfe did Excommunicate them in ye 

 Cathedral Church of Lincolne, ye fifth of ye Ides of 

 Aprill following." 



Edward Peacock. 



Bottesford Moors, Kirton-in-Lindsey. 



The Natural History of Balmoral. — Dr. Wil- 

 liam Macijillivray, Professor of Civil and Natural 

 History in the Marischal College of Aberdeen, 

 and who died there Sept. 5, 1852, left an unpub- 

 lished MS. on " The Natural History of Balmoral 

 and its Neighbourhood." This work has been 

 purchased from his executors by His Royal High- 

 ness Prince Albert ; and is to be printed for the 

 use of Her Majesty and the Royal Family, and 

 for circulation among their august relatives. It 

 was the last work on which the distinguished 

 author was engaged, and was only completed a 

 short time previous to his death. It also contains 

 some curious speculations regarding several plants 

 and herbs of that Alpine district, and their uses in 

 a medicinal and domestic point of view, as known 

 to the ancient Caledonians and Picts. Altogether 

 it is a most interesting work. W. 



Shirt Collars. — In Hone's Every-day Book, 

 vol. ii. p. 381., I find the following, which I think 

 is after the present ridiculous fashion of wearing 

 shirt collars, viz. so tight round the neck, and so 

 8tifF, that it is a wonder there are not some serious 

 accidents. 



These collars, at present worn by the fast young 

 men of the day, are called " The Piccadilly three- 

 folds." Now, if this goes on until they get to a 

 " nail in depth, and stiffened with yellow starch, 

 and double wi?-ed" I think it will only be proper 

 to put a heavy tax upon them. 



•' Piccadilly. — The picadil was the round hem, or 

 the piece set about the edge or skirt of a garment, 

 whether at top or bottom ; also a kind of stiff collar, 

 made in fashion of a band, that went about the neck 

 and round about the shoulders ; hence the term 

 'wooden piccadilloes' (meaning the pillory) in Hudi- 

 hras ; and see Nares' Glossary, and Blount's Glosso- 

 graphia. At the time that ruffs and picadils were 

 much in fashion, there was a celebrated ordinary near 

 St. James's, called Piccadilly : because, as some say, it 

 was the outmost, or skirt-house, situate at the hem of 

 the town : but it more probably took its name from 

 one Higgins, a tailor, who made a fortune by picadils, 

 and built this with a few adjoining houses. The name 

 has by a few been derived from a much frequented shop 

 for the sale of these articles ; this probably took its 

 rise from the circumstance of Higgins having built 

 houses there, which however were not for selling ruffs; 

 and indeed, with the exception of his buildings, the 

 site of the present Piccadilly was at that time open 

 country, and quite out of the way of trade. At a later 

 period, when Burlington House was built, its noble 

 owner chose the situation, then at some distance from 

 the extremity of the town, that none might build beyond 



him. The ruffs formerly worn by gentlemen were 

 frequently double wired, and stiffened with yellow starch : 

 and the practice was at one time carried to such an 

 excess, that they were limited by Queen Elizabeth ' to 

 a nayle of a ye.ard in depth.' In the time of James I., 

 they still continued of a preposterous size : so that, 

 previous to the visit made by that monarch to Cam- 

 bridge in 1615, the Vice-chancellor of the University 

 thought fit to issue an order, prohibiting ' the fearful 

 enormity and excess of apparel seen in all degrees, as, 

 namely, strange piccadilloes, vast bands, huge cuffs, shoe 

 roses, tufts, locks, and tops of hair, unbeseeming that 

 modesty and carriage of students in so renowned a 

 luiiversity.' " 



It is scarcely to be supposed that the ladies 

 were de6cient in the size of their ruffs, &c. 



I must conclude this in the words of the im- 

 mortal poet ; 



" ..... New fashions, 



Though they be never so ridiculous, 

 Nay, let them be unmanly, yet are followed." 



. H.E. 



^xxtxiti. 



"days of my youth." 



The following lines are understood to have been 

 written by the late Mr. St. George Tucker of Vir- 

 ginia, U. S. Any information in support of this 

 opinion, or, If It be unfounded, in disproof of it, is 

 requested by T. 



DAYS OF MY YOUTH. 



Days of my youth ! ye have glided away, 

 Hairs of my youth ! ye are frosted and gray ; 

 Eyes of my youth ! your keen sight Is no more ; 

 Cheeks of my youth ! ye are furrow'd all o'er ; 

 Strength of my youth ! all your vigour is gone ; 

 Thoughts of my youth ! all your visions are flown ! 



Days of my youth ! I wish not your recall, 

 Hairs of my youth ! I'm content you should fall ; 

 Eyes of my youth ! ye much evil have seen ; 

 Cheeks of my youth ! bathed in tears have you 



been ; 

 Thoughts of my youth ! ye have led me astray ; 

 Strength of my youth ! why lament your decay ! 



Days of my age ! ye will shortly be past ; 

 Pains of my age ! yet awhile can ye last ; 

 Joys of my age ! In true wisdom delight ; 

 Eyes of my age ! be religion your light ; 

 Thoughts of my age ! dread not the cold sod, 

 Hopes of my age ! be ye fix'd on your God ! 



St. George Tucker, Judge. 



:^in0r ^xitxiti, 



Randall Minshull and his Cheshire Collections. — 

 Of what family was Randall Minshull, who, in the 

 Addenda to Gower's Sketch for a History of 



