2nd §, No 12., Mar. 22. 756. ] 
Relic of John Bunyan (2"¢ §S. i. 170.) — The 
following was noted by me on the flyleaf of The 
Pilgrim’s Progress, but from where extracted I 
cannot now recollect : 
‘*« At a public sale which took place lately in the city of 
London, the Bible which John Bunyan preached from was 
bought by Mr. Whitbread, Member of Parliament, for 
201.” 16th July, 1814. 
In an old Biography of Bunyan, it is said, that 
“yeturning to London he was entertained by one 
Mr. S , 4 grocer on Snow Hill, with all the 
kind endearments of a loving friend,” in whose 
house he died, August 17, 1688, in the fifty-ninth 
year of his age. “His funeral was performed 
with much decency in the new burying-ground 
by Moorfields.” 
Is anything known farther of the history of his 
hospitable friend, and of Bunyan’s grave? G.N. 
[ Bunyan’s hospitable friend was Thomas Stradwick (or 
Strudwick), a grocer, at the sign of the “ Star” on Snow 
Hill, and cousin of our amusing diarist Samuel Pepys, 
who thus notices him: “ Noy. 25,1668. Merry at dinner; 
and I carried Roger Pepys to Holborn Conduit, and there 
left him going to Stradwick’s, whom we avoided to see, 
because of our long absence.” Again, “ Mar. 9, 1669. 
With my wife and Bab., and Betty Pepys, and W. Hewer 
to my cozen Stradwick’s, where I have not been since my 
brother Tom died, there being some difference between 
my father and them; and I am glad of this opportunity 
of seeing them, they being good and substantial people, 
and kind.” John Bunyan was interred in Mr. Stradwick’s 
vault in Bunhill Fields, which was opened as a burial- 
ground in 1666. The Struggler calls it “ Finsbury burying- 
ground, where many London Dissenting ministers are 
laid.” The inscription upon Bunyan’s tomb was engraven 
many years after his funeral. It is not contained in the 
list of inscriptions published in 1717.] 
Dole Fields. — Whence their name, and what 
is its signification ? J.B. 
[Dole field has probably the same meaning as Dole 
meadow, which Phillips (ew World of Words) says is 
@ meadow wherein divers persons have a share. 
Replies, 
ANDREA FERRARA 
(1* S. x. 224,; 277. i. 140. 204.) 
F. says “It seems to be agreed that no sword 
manufacturer of this name has been discovered,” 
and asks whether “ Ferrara” may not be 
merely an abbreviation of ferra rara? As for 
the etymological suggestion, “‘ ANDREA” positively 
forbids its adoption; and for the other I will 
uote a sentence from the curious History of the 
bellion of 1745, by John Ray of Whitehaven, 
who was one of the Duke of Cumberland’s volun- 
teers. Mr. Ray had secreted his weapons at the 
“ Angel,” at Macclesfield, but they were dis- 
NOTES AND QUERIES. 
235 
covered by the chambermaid. His pistols and 
sword, he thus describes: 
“She found my Highland pistols, which were a piece 
of curious workmanship, the stock, lock, and barrel, being 
of polished steel, engraved and inlaid with silver; and on 
sweeping under the bed, she found my sword, which was 
also of the Highland mahe, by that curious workman An- 
drew Ferrara.” 
This author gives a good’ deal of curious in- 
formation respecting the manners and customs of 
the Highlanders at the time of his visit. B. H.C. 
Mr. Bernuarp Smirn and Mr. G. S. Tayror 
will see that the Farrara blades in their possession 
much resemble mine, which is a two-grooved 
blade, with the following marks in both grooves : 
xSxSx  anpRera x Sx Sx 
x SxS x. Farara x Sx S x 
the same on both sides. I believe that all genuine 
Farrara blades are of nearly the same date, having 
been forged by one of two brothers, natives of 
Farrara, in Italy ; Andria’s blades being the best. 
The other marks mentioned by Mr. Smirn, 
“ Farara,” with a sun or orb, is, I believe, the 
mark of the brother, and often of more modern 
imitators. 
I think this statement is nearly correct, al- 
though I have unfortunately lost some notes of 
reference on this subject. ‘The Ailt of the sword 
is no criterion of its age; the blades were con- 
sidered of such value that they were put into 
whatever style of hilt prevailed at the time. They 
were in high repute at the times of the "15 and ’45, 
and were then frequently taken out of the original 
hilt, and put into that of the ordinary claymore. 
During the last war, if not now, they were often 
worn by the officers of our Highland regiments, 
being put into the regimental basket hilt. My 
own blade has the simple cross hilt of the time of 
James I. It has been damaged by rust and hard 
wear; but I° believe that a genuine Andrea, in 
perfect condition, would not only beat the very 
questionable specimens of sword cutlery too often 
worn by our officers, but also stand the test of 
Mr. Wilkinson's proof ; the fact of a solitary blade 
being tried and found wanting would be no 
criterion. The undoubted superiority of the cele- 
brated blades of Ferrara, Toledo, and Damascus, 
over anything that had been forged till within the 
last forty years, is unquestioned: since that time 
much has been accomplished, but the secret of the 
extraordinary qualities possessed by some of these 
blades has never been discovered; the length of 
time taken in the manufacture, and the qualities of 
the water used, were supposed to have something to 
do with it. If I remember rightly, the identical 
workmen employed at Toledo, when removed to a 
place not very far off, but where the water was 
different in quality, were unable to produce out of 
Ist gr. 
2nd gr. 
