138 
NOTES AND QUERIES. 
[No. 9, 
You are probably aware that this St. Michael’s 
Church was nearly destroyed by fire not many 
weeks since; that a committee is established to 
arrange its restoration. 
Would it not be worth while that some inquiry 
should be made about the fate of this picture ? 
Dec. 17. 1849. R. O. 
P.S.—I may add, that there was affixed to the 
bottom of the frame of the picture a board, on 
which was painted, in conformably large letters — 
« Lorp, remember David and all his trouble.” 
Psalm exxxii. 1. 
The italics in part of the Note above quoted 
are mine. 
Autograph Mottoes of Richard Duke of Glou- 
cester, and Henry Duke of Buckingham.—In the 
volume of the Cottonian MSS. marked Vespasian 
F. xi, at fol. 53., is a slip of parchment, upon 
which is written, by the hands of Richard Duke 
of Gloucester, and Henry Duke of Buckingham, 
the following couplet : — 
‘“ Loyaulte me lie 
Richard Gloucestre 
«« Souente me souéne 
Harre Bokingh*m,” 
A fae-simile is engraved in Autographs of 
Royal, Noble, Learned, and Remarkable Personages 
in English History, engraved by C.J. Smith, and 
edited by Mr. John Gough Nichols, 1829, 4to., 
where the editor suggests that this slip of parch- 
ment was “perhaps a deceitful toy,” or it may 
have been attached to some present offered by the 
Duke of Gloucester to his royal nephew Edward 
the Fifth. ‘The meaning of Gloucester’s motto is 
perfectly free from misapprehension; but he as- 
serts his fidelity to the crown, which he soon so 
flagrantly outraged -—‘ Loyalty binds me.” In the 
work above mentioned, the motto of Buckingham 
is interpreted by these words, in modern French: 
-—“Souvent me souviens.” This does not appear 
to me perfectly satisfactory; and I have to request 
the opinions of such as are conversant with old 
manuscripts, whether the true meaning, or even 
the true reading, of the Duke of Buckingham’s 
motto has as yet been ascertained ? 
NOTES IN ANSWER TO QUERIES. 
Lord Ershine’s Brooms.—“ G. B.” informs us, 
that the anecdote about Lord Erskine’s brooms, 
and the apprehension of his servant for selling 
them without a license, will be found in his Life 
by Lord Campbell (Lives of the Chancellors, vol. 
vi. p- 618.). Erskine himself attended the ses- 
sions to plead the man’s cause, and contended that 
the brooms were agricultural produce, or, as he 
jocosely observed, “came under the sweeping 
clause.” The when is about 1807, and the where, 
an estate in Sussex, which proved rather an un- 
profitable speculation to its owner, as it produced 
nothing but birch trees, and those but stunted 
ones. To which information “ W. J.” adds, that 
about the same period Lord Erskine printed, for 
private circulation, An Appeal in favour of the 
agricultural Services of Rooks; a production pro- 
bably scarce now, but full of humanity, and very 
characteristic. 
Scarborough Warning. —In a postscript to a 
letter written from court on the 19th January, 
1603, by Toby Matthew, Bishop of Durham, to 
Hutton, Archbishop of York, I find the term 
Scarborough warning. Can any of the corre- 
spondents of your valuable paper inform me of the 
origin and prevalence of this saying? ‘The post- 
script is — 
“ When I was in the middest of this discourse, I 
received a message from my lord chamberlaine, that it 
was his majesty’s pleasure that I should preach before 
him upon Sunday next; which Scarborough warning 
did not only perplex me, but so puzzel me, as no mer- 
vail if somewhat be pretermitted, which otherwise I 
might have better remembered.” 
Quoted in Cardwell’s Conferences, p. 166. 
W. M. C. 
[ Narss tells us, that Ray, on the authority of Fuller, 
states that this saying took its origin from “ Thomas 
Stafford, who, in the reign of Mary, a.p. 1557, with a 
small company, seized on Scarborough Castle (utterly 
destitute of provision for resistance), before the towns- 
men had the least notice of their approach;” but shows 
that it was probably much older, as, in a ballad written 
by J. Heywood on the taking of that place by Stafford, 
the following more probable origin is given to the 
proverb: — 
“ This term Scarborow warning grew (some say), 
By hasty hanging for rank robbery theare, 
Who that was met, but suspect in that way, 
Straight he was trust up, whatever he were.” 
This implies that Scarborough imitated the Halifax 
gibbet law. Is any thing known of such a privilege 
being claimed or exercised by the men of Searborough? 
We should be glad to hear from any local antiquary 
upon this point. ] 
Gray's Elegy.—In answer to your corre- 
spondent, J. F. M. (p. 101.), who asks for informa- 
tion respecting the competition for the best 
translation of Gray’s Elegy, in which Dr. Sparke 
was a candidate, I would beg to refer him to the 
satirical poem attributed to Mr. T. J. Mathias, 
formerly Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge, 
entitled The Pursuits of Literature, in which a 
ludicrous account is given of the affair. It does 
not appear who offered the prize, but Mr. Nares, 
the editor of The British Critic, was the judge, 
and the place of meeting “ The Musical Room in 
