442 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



[No. 293. 



seventy pages, apparently by the same Thomas 

 Williams, on the Late Amazhig PhcEnomena in the 

 Heavens, dated July 3, 171.6. By far the greater 

 portion of the MSS. are by Thomas Cowper : but 

 the extent to which I have gone forbids me to 

 trespass farther upon your space on this subject. 



B. H. C. 



The Life and Wi-iiings of Dean Swift. — Mr. 

 Murray would feel greatly obliged by permission 

 to communicate with any gentleman who pos- 

 sesses, or has access to, manuscripts, original 

 letters, or other documents illustrative of Swift's 

 Life and Works., whether printed hitherto or not. 



50. Albemarle Street, London. 



The KertcJi Museum. — The following account 

 of the Museum at Kertch may interest many 

 lovers of antiquities, and lead them to inquire 

 why the keepers of such treasures were favoured 

 with notice to remove them to a place of safety ! 



" Le musee de Kertch merite d'occuper une place dana 

 ces courtes descriptions : il est au musee de The'odosie ce 

 qu'est un musee d'ltalie a une collection fran9aise ou alle- 

 niande. Ici quelques morceuux precieux, espece de larcin 

 dont s'enorgueillit le possesseur exotique ; la, richesse et 

 profusion. Les vases etrusques de Kertch, trouves dans 

 Ibs sepultures, me'riteraient seuls un memoire archeolo- 

 gique; leurs ravissants dessins appellent un burin liabile 

 qui fasse participer I'Europe h, ces nobles decouvertes. 

 Que dire aussi de ces riches cenotaphes de marbre, retires 

 complets de la fosse obscure oil ils ont ete deux mille ans 

 ensevelis? Le dessin mou et un peu lourd des figures, la 

 delicatesse plus heureuse des ornements, ne rappellent-ils 

 pas bien la colonie grecque oil les artistes qui excellaient 

 dans le plus difficile des arts n'avaient envoye que des 

 el^ves? Nous n'essaierons pas de denombrer les pierres 

 tumulaires de toutes les epoques qui encombrent ce beau 

 musee. Depuis le grec pur jusqu'aux dialectes les plus 

 eloignes de la belle langue primitive, les e'pitaphes em- 

 ploient tous les langages. Sur ces pierres, qui ne re- 

 couvrent plus leurs morts, vous voyez languir et dis- 

 paraitre la Jangue du vieil Homfere. Ainsi s'en va d'echo 

 en echo quelque noble chant de guerre ! Plus d'une pierre 

 avec son inscription grecque represente cependant un 

 ■« eritable Tatar a clieval avec ses armes, h, peu prfes telles 

 qu'on les retrouverait aujourd'hui. Une suite d'armoires 

 vitrees contient des objets precieux, des medallions, des 

 vases en cristal, des cliaines, des bagues, des medailles 

 sans nombre : tels sont les tresors secrets caches aux pro- 

 fanes, et que I'aimable complaisance de notre guide, M. le 

 sous-directeur du musee, confia h, notre admiration. La 

 tenue du musee est excellente. L'ordre chronologique y 

 est respecte autant que I'a permis le volume des objets. 

 Chaque inscription curieuse, ct Uieu en sait le nombre ! 

 porte avec elle sa traduction, faite avec un soin rare dans 

 les langues russe et fran9ai3e." — Anatole de Demidoff, 

 1840. 



Bolton Cornet. 



Thomas a Kempis : " De Imitatione Christi," 

 libri iv. — Mr. D'Israeli the other day, in the 

 House of Commons, having mentioned the doubt- 

 ful authenticity of the work generally ascribed to 



Thomas k Kempis, he was rather hastily contra- 

 dicted by Mr. Phillimore. 



Perhaps the inclosed translation of Brunei's 

 condensed note on the subject may be acceptable 

 to many of our country gentlemen. (Manuel du 

 Libraire, vol. ii.) 



" Who is the true author of the Imitatio ? Two cen- 

 turies of dispute on this subject have not been able to in- 

 form us ; and more than one hundred and twenty works, 

 written to throw light on the question, have only served 

 to render the solution more difficult. 



" The more ancient testimonies appear favourable to 

 Jean Gerson, Chancellor of the Church of Paris ; but on 

 the other hand Thomas h Kempis counts numerous par- 

 tisans. The defenders of these two competitors have 

 triumphantly refuted those persons who have wished to 

 bring forward Jean Gersen, Abb^ of Verceil, who lived in 

 the thirteenth century, as the author of the Imitatio : and 

 after that we cannot admit this last combatant. 



" Such is moreover the opinion of Mr. Gence, an indus- 

 trious scholar, who has made a particular study of every- 

 thing which relates to this subject, and who has pub- 

 lished ' Considerations on the Question relative to the 

 Author of the Imitation,^ at the end of the learned dis- 

 sertation of Mr. Barbier on the Sixty French Translations 

 of the Imitation. Paris, 1812." 



Anon. 



Heraldic Inaccuracy in " Ivanhoe." — 



" The knight obeyed ; and Prince John placed upon its 

 point a coronet of green satin, having around its edge a 

 circlet of gold, the upper edge of which was relieved by 

 arrow points and hearts placed interchangeably, like the 

 strawberry leaves and balls upon a ducal crown." 



Is not a duke's coronet set with strawberry leaves 

 alone ? And is not the coronet alluded to above 

 worn by a marquis ? K. V. T. 



History of the Post-office. — Ts there any col- 

 lection of the Notices and Regulations issued at 

 various times by the Post-office authorities ? The 

 English of such documents is sometimes very 

 laughable. Take as a specimen the last notice to 

 the public respecting stamped publications (No. 65, 

 1854). 



I inclose the original of an early " Notice to 

 the Public," which, if you can print as it runs, 

 you will perhaps gratify some inquirer : 



Hese are to give Notice, That from the 25th of 

 this Instant June, The Post will pass thrice a 

 week betwixt England and Ireland, and in like 

 manner betwixt Dublin and the severall Post-Stages in 

 the Country, The two Posts will continue on the same 

 days they now are, And the third to set out on Thursday 

 Night, and to return hither on Wednesday Morning in 

 every week. These are farther to Signilie tliat from the 

 said '25th Instant the Post-Office will be kept at the place 

 where it formerly was in High-Street. Whether \_sic'] all 

 persons concern'd are required to bring in their Letters, 

 and dispatches by Eleven of the Clock one \_sic'] every 

 Post Night, 



" In Dublin this 15th of Jane, 1683. 



" George Warhurton." 



James Graves. 



Kilkenny. 



T 



