10 
fair friend, that, if in the course of the ensuing 
year of 1856,— which is leap-year — she should so 
far forget herself as to suggest a union between 
herself and a bachelor acquaintance, who should 
be uncivil enough to decline her proposals, she 
could, thereupon, demand from him the gift of a 
new silk dress. But, to claim this dress with pro- 
priety, she must, at the time of asking, be the 
wearer of a scarlet petticoat ; which, or the lower 
portion of which, she must exhibit to the gentle- 
man, who, by the law of leap-year, is compelled 
to present to the lady the dress, that shall cover 
the petticoat, and assuage her displeasure at the 
rejection of her proposals. 
This item of feminine folk lore may prove ex- 
ceedingly useful to the male readers of “ N. & Q.,” 
in putting them upon their guard during the 
forthcoming leap-year. For, it is not, probably, 
without a determined significancy, that the wear- 
ing of scarlet petticoats is made one of the chief 
novelties in ladies’ dresses for this winter season. 
Indeed, it may reasonably be inferred, that the 
ladies’ law of leap-year is about to be inflicted upon 
the gentlemen in its most expensive silk-dress 
form ; and, that the assumption of these scarlet 
petticoats is merely the initiatory step to a sterner 
process. 
From a careful consideration of the various 
dangers (arising from this feminine folk lore) that 
will beset me, and all other bachelors, during the 
next twelve months, I am inclined to think that 
Mr. Meagles’ advice with regard to beadles, is 
worthy of imitation; and that whenever we see 
a young lady, “in full fig,” with a scarlet petticoat 
coming down a street, we shall show our best dis- 
cretion by turning and running away. 
CuruBert Bepr. 
Burying a Parish. — 
“ The sexton of Cullompton, in Devonshire, who died 
afew days since, had buried upwards of 4000 persons, 
while the population of the town is only 3655. It is said 
that the sextonship has been in his family for a period of 
200 years.” — Saunders’ News-Letter, Dec. 6, 1855. 
ABHBA, 
Over Door Inscriptions. — The words “Non 
NoBIS” are inscribed above the door of one of the 
houses in the College of Durham Cathedral. Some 
eighty years ago, or more, a commercial traveller, 
on leaving the cathedral, where he had attended 
the afternoon prayers, sauntered through the col- 
‘lege, and observed the above inscription ; which, 
from ignorance of the Latin language, he was 
unable to comprehend; and seeing one of the 
vergers (a well-known eccentric character), called 
to him to come and expound the unknown words. 
The verger, thinking he was a stranger, waiting 
and hoping for an invitation from the doctor in 
residence (which, in days gone by, was usually 
given to strangers who attended morning and 
evening prayers in the cathedral), dryly answered 
NOTES AND QUERIES. 
[224 8. No 1, JAN. 5. 56. 
him: “The words, Sir, mean, ‘ Nobody comes 
here but ourselves.’ ” Fra. Mrewpurn. 
Mendelssohn's “ Elijah.” —A curious perversion 
of a text from the Book of Isaiah occurs in the 
concluding chorus of this celebrated Oratorio. 
The passage will be found in chap. lviii. v. 8., 
which in the authorised version runs thus: “ Then 
shall thy light break forth as the morning, and 
thine health shall spring forth speedily : and thy 
righteousness shall go before thee (shall be thy 
vanguard), the glory of the Lord shall be thy 
rereward (rearward).” In the Oratorio the last 
phrase of the text is translated “ and the glory of 
the Lord shall ever reward you.” 
H. J. Gauntrerr. 
8. Powys Place, Queen Square. 
ueries. 
UNPUBLISHED LETTERS OF CHARLES I., AND WHAT 
HAS BECOME OF CHARLES’S LETTERS TO THE 
EARL OF GLAMORGAN? 
“Notes anp Queries,” and your correspon- 
dent Mr. Witton (1% S. xii. 219.), have brought 
to light a curious and important collection of 
Letters of Charles I. On reading the first of 
them, as published (1% S. xii. 219.), I suspected 
its genuineness; but a sight of the whole col- 
lection, with the inquiries I haye been led to 
make, preparatory to bringing the volume under 
the notice of the Council of the Camden So- 
ciety, have fully satisfied me that the manuscript 
is unquestionably what it pretends to be. Its 
publication will be a feather in the cap of 
“N. & Q.;” a valuable addition to the Series of 
the works of the Camden Society, as well as to 
the historical materials for the most interesting 
period in our annals; and a memorial of the 
good fortune of Mr. Witton as a purchaser of 
MSS., and of his judicious liberality in the use 
of them. It is the intention of the Camden 
Council to publish the book as soon as possible; 
T hope within a few weeks. 
The inquiries into which I have been drawn in 
connexion with this MS., have brought before me 
another subject on which I request permission to 
say a few words. 
Every body is more or less acquainted with the 
dispute, of such great importance in estimating 
the character of Charles I., as to the powers which 
he is said to have given to the Earl of Glamorgan, 
to make peace with the Irish Roman Catholics, 
and to obtain from them the assistance of a con- 
siderable body of men intended to have been em- 
ployed in England against the parliament. Zea- 
lous defenders of Charles I. have disputed the 
authenticity of the documents conferring these 
powers. Carte stigmatises them as undeniably 
