446 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



[No. 110. 



It is then narrated that there are (in Hungary) : 

 " Catholics, Latin and Greek - - 4,750,000 



Greek Church 1,150,000 



Calvinists 1,050,000 



Lutherans 650,000 



Unitarian Christians ... 46,000 



Various small Christian Sects, and 



persons of the Jewish faith - - 200,000. " 



But this work contains no summary of the total 

 amounts of its own enumerations. 



A Hermit at Hamfstead. 



KOTAL LIBRART. 



(Vol. iii., p. 427.; Vol. iv., pp. 69. 154.) 



Your correspondent J. H. M. remarks (Vol. iv., 

 p. 69.) : " In justice to King George IV., the letter 

 which he addressed to the late Earl of Liverponl, 

 on presenting the books to his own subjects, should 

 be printed in your columns." Heartily concurring 

 in this opinion, I have much pleasure in supplying 

 your readers with a transcript of the same. I 

 copied it some years back from the original, then 

 in the possession of a noble friend : 



" Dear Lord Liverpool, — The king, my late revered 

 and excellent father, having formed, during a long 

 period of years, a most valuable and extensive library, 

 consisting of about one hundred and twenty thousand 

 volumes, I have resolved to present this collection to 

 the British nation. Wliilst I have the satisfaction by 

 this means of advancing the literature of my country, 

 I also feel that I am paying a just tribute to the 

 memory of a parent, whose life was adorned with every 

 public and private virtue. I desire to add, that I have 

 great pleasure, my lord, in making this communication 

 through you. Believe me, with great regard, your 

 sincere friend, G. R. 



"Pavilion, Brighton, 15th of January, 182.3." 



Edward F. Rimbault. 



Your correspondent C. says, " the whole story 

 of the projected sale to Russia is absolutely un- 

 founded." He seems to consider that, because the 

 Princess Lieven never heard a syllable about the 

 matter, the whole story was unfounded — that 

 is, that when a part of a story is untrue tlie whole 

 must be untrue. AVliat is really the truth I do 

 not positively know; but I will give you the story, 

 as I heard it at the time, from one who had good 

 means of information. George IV. disliked the 

 expense of keeping up the Royal Library; he was 

 also occasionally out of temper at the claims m.ide 

 or insinuated by some members of the family, that 

 as the library had not been bequeathed, they had 

 all an equal property in it. To ged rid of the 

 expense and the claims he resolved to dispose of 

 it, and said something about this wish at liis own 

 dinner-table. This was, perhaps, in the presence 

 of the Russian ambassador, or some distinguished 

 Russian, or at least came to his ears ; and he 



spoke to Lord Liverpool upon the subject, ex- 

 pressing a desire to purchase. Lord L. imme- 

 diately waited upon the king, and remonstrated in 

 the strongest terms against allowing such a library 

 collected by a king of England to be sent out of 

 the country ; and went so far as to say that he 

 would resign his office if the measure was per- 

 sisted in. The king then resolved to relieve himself 

 from all annoyance about the matter by presenting 

 it to the nation. Such I believe to be the out- 

 line of the truth : the minute details I did not 

 " make a Note" of at the time, and will not trust 

 mj memory to relate them. Griffin. 



DAMASKED LINEN. 



(Vol. ii., p. 199.; Vol. iii., pp. 13. 229.) 



In the subjoined account of some old patterns, I 

 have, for the sake of brevity, enclosed in brackets 

 the descriptions of the several objects represented, 

 beirinnins with the hijihest and most distant. The 

 words enclosed within inverted commas are the 

 inscriptions. 



No. I. 

 [Two horsemen, with steel-caps, riding away at 

 speed.] 

 [Crown.] 

 " pvrsv'd by men. preseev'd bt god." 

 [Crown.] [Crown.] 



[Oak branches surrounding a head surmounted 

 with a low-crowned hat and flowing wig.] 

 I may mention that this bears the mark of an 

 ancestor of its present possessor, who was about 

 forty years of age at the time of the Restoration, 

 and died in 1707. 



No. II. 



" SISTE SOL IN GIDEON ET LVNA IN VALLE lAALON." 



[Sun] "bis" [Moon] " sel." 



[Fortified town.] 



[Mortal's throwing shells into the town.] 



[Tents and cannon.] 



[Trophy] " EGENivs." [Trophy.] 



[Ecpiestrian figure holding a baton.] 

 Can any of your readers be so good as to explain 

 the allusion of the above ungainly and somewhat 

 profane compliment to Prince Eugene? 



No. III. 



" STAD ANT 

 WERPEN." 



[City gate.] 

 [Water with ships.] 



" DER HERTZOG VON MARLBORVK." 



[Equestrian figure in the proper costume, holding 

 a baton.] 

 The above probably commemorates the surren- 



