286 
NOTES AND QUERIES. 
[No. 18. 
the disparagement of one of the greatest ornaments 
of English literature. As one “note” naturally 
produces another, I hope your sense of justice, 
Mr. Editor, will admit this, in order to counter- 
balance the effect of the former one; appearing, 
as it did, in a periodical of considerable circu- 
lation, which, I am glad to hear, is soon to be very 
much improved. J. 1. 
Queen's Bagnio (No. 13. p. 196). — The 
Queen's Bagnio in Long Acre was on the south 
side, nearly opposite to the door of Long Acre 
Chapel. The Duke’s bath I have always heard 
was in Old Belton Street, now Endell Street; the 
fourth house from Castle Street on the west side. 
It has been new fronted not long since; but at 
the time that 1 frequented the baths there — the 
exterior had pilasters, and a handsome cornice in 
the style of Inigo Jones, —all being built in dark 
red brick. Within there was a large plunging 
bath, paved and lined with marble, the walls being 
covered by small tiles of blue and white, in the 
Dutch fashion. The supply of water was from a 
well on the premises. 
There were several apartments for warm- 
bathing, having the baths and pavements of 
marble, and to several of these were attached 
dressing-rooms. 
The house is now, I believe, occupied by a 
carpenter; but the baths remained, though in a 
dilapidated condition, a short time since, and pro- 
bably are there still. Ate Nike 
A Flemish Account. — In illustration of a query 
in your first Number on the origin of the expression 
“a Flemish Account,” unless you think it too late 
for insertion, [ send the following extract from an 
old volume in the Cathedral Library at Salisbury. 
It is entitled, “The Accurate Accomptant or 
London Merchant, &e.; by Thomas Brown, Ac- 
comptant : composed for the Use and Benefit of 
the poor Blew-Coat children educated in Christ's 
Hospital, &e. London, printed by William Godbid, 
sen. 1669. fol.” 
The book consists almost entirely of examples 
of the best methods of keeping accounts, from 
which I select the following instance : — 
“ London, August 10th, 1668. 
To Roger Pace, Factor, &e., for 10 Pieces cont. 746 
Ells Fl. at 10 S. Flem. per Ell. is $373. Flem. 
Exchange at 35 S. makes 
Sterling Money 213/. 2s, 10d.” 
The above extract strongly confirms the explana- 
tions of the expressions given by your corre- 
spondents “ Q.Q.” and “ Mr. Bourton Corney,” in 
No. 5. p. 74., as it proves both the necessity and 
early practice of accurately distinguishing in com- 
mercial dealings between English and Flemish 
methods of reckoning. i. A.D. 
[The following is a curious illustration of the use of 
the phrase. 
* A person resident in London is said to have had 
most of Caxton’s publications. He sent them to 
Amsterdam for inspection, and, on writing for them, 
was informed that they had been destroyed by accident. 
‘I am very much afraid,’ says Herbert, ‘my kind 
friend received but a Flemish account of his Caxtons.’” 
— Typ. Antiq., p. 1773.] 
La Mer des Histoires.—TI find I have a note on 
that handsome old French work, La Mer des His- 
toires, which is commonly attributed to Johannes 
de Columna, Archbishop of Messina; but upon 
which Francis Douce, while taking notice of its 
being a translation of the Rudimentum Noviciorum 
ascribed to Mochartus, observes that it is a different 
work from the Mare Historiarum of Johannes de 
Columna. Douce also informs us, that there were 
several works passing under this title. Columna 
is mentioned by Genebrard as the author of a 
book, Cujus titulus est Mater Historiarum. Query? 
What is known of the work, which is really Co- 
lumna’s ? Joun SANsom. 
On Passages in Milton. 
« And every shepherd tells his tale 
Under the hawthorn in the dale.” 
Milton's L’ Allegro. 
I used to suppose the tale told was a love tale. 
Now [I take it to mean, that each shepherd ¢edls the 
tale, that is, counts the number of his sheep. Is 
there any doubt on this point ? 
Milton (Paradise Lost, b. v_), speaks of “ silent 
night with this her solemn bird;”. that is, the 
nightingale. Most readers take “ solemn” to mean 
“ pensive ;” but I cannot doubt that Milton (who 
carries Latinism to excess) used it to express 
habitual, customary, familiar, as in its Latin form 
sollemnis. BEEK 
NOTES ON BOOKS, SALES, CATALOGUES, ETC. 
The lovers of accurate and painstaking topo- 
eraphy, the students of genealogical history, and, 
though last not least, those who like to see the 
writings of Shakspeare illustrated in a congenial 
spirit, will read with pleasure the announcement, 
in our advertising columns, that the fellow- 
townsmen of Joseph Hunter, the Historian of 
“ Hallamshire” and “ The Deanery of Doncaster,” 
and the Illustrator of the Life and Writings of 
Shakspeare, have opened a Subscription for the 
purpose of placing a full-length portrait of that 
gentleman in the Cutlers’ Hall, Sheffield. 
When we announced Mr, Archer’s projected 
work, entitled Vestiges of Old London, a Series of 
Jinished Etchings from Original Drawings, with 
Descriptions, Historical Associations, and other Re- 
JSerences, we spoke of it as one likely, we thought, 
to prove of especial interest. The appearance of 
the first Number justifies to the fullest our anti- 
cipation. The pictorial representations are replete 
ee 
