118 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



[No. 68. 



name — the real possessor of wbich died in October, 

 1817 — was assumed, and poor Bruce was traves- 

 tied very cleverly, but most unjustly. The real 

 author has not been ascertained ; but at one time 

 it was believed to have been James Grahame, 

 afterwards a Scotch barrister, and author of a 

 poem of much beauty, called The Sabbath. Cir- 

 cumstances which came to my knowledge, coupled 

 with the exceedingly loveable character of 

 Grahame, render this belief now incredible ; but 

 undoubtedly he knew who the real author was. 

 The copy in my library is in two volumes : the 

 Jirst, said to be the second edition, " considerably 

 enlarged, and ornamented with twenty explanatory 

 engravings from original designs," is entitled 

 Gulliver Revived : or the Vice of Lying properly 

 exposed, and was printed for the Kearsleys, at 

 London, 1793. The second volume is called A 

 Sequel to the Adventures of Baron Munchausen, 

 and is describe<l as " a new edition, with tv/enty 

 capital copperplates, including the Baron's por- 

 trait ; humbly dedicated to Mr. Bruce, the 

 Abyssinian traveller," was published by II. D. 

 Symonds, Paternoster Row, 1796. I 'had for 

 years sought for an original copy of this very sin- 

 gular work, and I at last was so successful as to 

 purchase the one above described, which had been 

 picked up by a bookseller at the sale of some books 

 originally forming part of the library at Hoddam 

 Castle. 



On looking over a copy of Sir John Mandcville, 

 " Printed for J. Osborne, near Dockhead, Soutli- 

 wark ; and James Hodges, at the Looking Glass, on 

 London Bridge: " 



I observe he gives — at least there — no account 

 whatever of his peregrinations to the polar regions; 

 and the notion of ascribing to him the story of tlie 

 frozen words is preposterous. I have not in my 

 library, but have read, the best edition of Sir 

 John's 'Iravels (I don't mean the abominable re- 

 print), but I do not remember anything of the kind 

 there. Indeed Sir John, like Marco Polo, was 

 perfectly honest, though some of tlieir informants 

 may not have been so. J. Me. 



iSliitor CElitciic^. 



The Witches Prayer. — Can you inform me 

 where I can find the epigram alluded to by Addi- 

 son, in No. Gl. of tlie Spectator, as " Tlie Witches' 

 Prayer," which falls into verse either way, only 

 that it reads "cursing" one way, and "blessing"" 

 the other ? Or is the epigram only a creation of 

 the pleasing author's fertile imagination ? 



Doubtful. 



St. John's Wood. 



Water-buckets given to Sheriffs. ■ — Can any of 

 your readers inform me the origin of the delivery 

 of water-buckets, glazed and painted with the city 



arms, given to the sheriffs of London and Middle- 

 sex at the expiration of the^^ear of their shrievalty ? 



J. B. K. 

 Temple. 



A Cracoiv Pike. — Can any of your readers tell 

 me what a Cracoiv pike is ? I have searched 

 Meyrick's works on Ancient Armour without 

 finding any notice of such a weapon ; but as those 

 works have no indexes one cannot be certain that 

 there may not be some mention of it. I shall be 

 obliged by a description of the Cracow pike, or a 

 reference to any authorities mentioning it, or its 

 use. I. H. T. 



Meaning of Waste Book. — Can you or any of 

 your readers inform me the origin of the term used 

 in book-keeping, viz., " Waste " book f 



I am the book-keeper and cashier in an exten- 

 sive firm, and I know there is very little wasted 

 that goes into our books bearing that name. 



One who often kuns for the Great Ledger. 



MacheWs MS. Collections for Westmoreland and 

 Cumberland. — In the library of the dean and 

 chapter at Carlisle, are preserved six volumes 

 in folio, which purport to be Collections for the 

 History of Westmoreland and Cumberland, made in 

 the Reign of Charles II., by the Reverend Thomas 

 Machell. Have these collections been carefully 

 examined, and their contents made use of in any 

 topographical publication ? 



Edward F. Himbault. 



Decking Churches at Christmas. — Does the 

 custom of dressing the churches at Christmas with 

 liolly, and other evergreens, prevail in any country 

 besides England ? L. 



Coinage of Germany. — I should wish to be re- 

 ferred to the names of the principal works on the 

 coinage of Germany; not merely the imperial, but 

 that of sovereign prelates, abbeys, &c., that struck 

 money. A. N. 



Titles of Peers who are Bishops (Vol. iii., 

 p. 23.). — Why is Lord Crewe always called so, and 

 not Bishop of Durham, considering his spiritual 

 precedency? Was not Lord Bristol (who was an 

 Earl) always called Bishop of Derry ? Cx. 



At Sixes and Sevens. — Shakspeare uses the 

 well-known adage — " at sixes and sevens ; " Ba- 

 con, Hudibras, Arbnthnot, Swift, all use the 

 proverb. Why shoiild sixes and sevens be more 

 congruous with disorder than "twos and threes?" 

 and whence comes the saying ? D. C. 



Shaking Hands. — What is the origin of the 

 custom of shaking hands in token of iriendship ? 

 And were the clasped hands (now the common 

 symbol of Benefit Clubs) ever used as a signet, 

 prior to their adoption as such by the early Chris- 

 tians in their wedding rings ; or, did these rings 



