gnd §, No 18, May 3.’56.] 
NOTES AND QUERIES. 
359 
The following extract from Tyrwhitt’s Intro- 
ductory Discourse to the Canterbury Tales, will 
answer the Query respecting the text, “ Jesus 
autem transiens per medium illorum ibat :” 
« The first considerable coinage of gold in this country 
was begun by Edward III. in the year 1343, and accord- 
ing to Camden [in his Remains, art. “Money” ], ‘the 
Alchemists did affirm, as an unwritten verity, that the 
Rosenobles, which were coined soon after, were made by 
Paection or multiplication Aichemical of Raymond 
ully in the Tower of London.’ In proof of this, ‘ besides 
the tradition of the Rabbies in that faculty,’ they alledged 
* the Inscription; Jesus autem per medium eorum transiens 
ibat ;? which they profoundly expounded, as Jesus passed 
invisible and in most secret manner by the middest of Pha- 
risees, so that gold was made by invisible and secret art 
amidst the ignorant. But others say, ‘that Text was the 
only amulet used in that credulous warfaring age to es- 
cape dangers in battles.’ Thus Camden. I rather believe 
it was an Amulet or Charm, principally used against 
Thieves, upon the authority of the following passage of 
Sir John Mandevile, ch. x. p. 137.: ‘And an half myle 
fro Nazarethe is the Lepe of Oure Lorp: for the Jewes 
ladden Him upon an highe roche for to make Him lepe 
down and have slayne Him: but Jesu passed amonges 
hem, and lepte upon another roche; and yit ben the 
steppes of His feet sene in the roche where He allyghte. 
And therfore seyn sum men whan thei dreden hem of 
Thefes on ony weye, or of Enemyes, Jesus autem transiens 
per medium eorum ibat: that is to seyne; Jesus forsothe 
passynge be the myddes of hem He wente: in tokene and 
mynde,|that Oure Lorp passed thorghe out the Jewes 
crueltee, and scaped safly fro hem; so surely mowe men 
passen the perile of Thefes.’ (See also Catal. MSS. Harl., 
n. 2966.) It must be owned that a spell against Thieves 
was the most serviceable, if not the most elegant, In- 
scription that coud be put upon Gold Coin.” 
R. F. L. 
Dublin. 
COAL IN ENGLAND. 
(24 §, i. 293.) 
Your correspondent Mr. D. Stevens, of Co- 
lumbus, Ohio (U.S.), inquires for some statistics 
of coal. Being myself an anxious observer of all 
matters affecting so important an item in relation 
to our country’s welfare, I forward an extract 
from an elaborate article on the subject in my file 
of the Mining Journal (April 14, 1855), and from 
which I will, at my leisure, select others. I have 
a distinct recollection of an article, giving an ac- 
count of the several estimates of the probable 
duration of the coal-fields of England, but cannot 
this moment remember the date. Perhaps Mr. 
Stevens will return the compliment by forward- 
ing some statistics respecting the coal of America. 
“The area of the coal-fields of the British Isles had 
been estimated as extending over nearly 10,000 square 
miles, while those of Belgium do not exceed 600, and the 
fields of France occupy only about 1719 square miles, 
Considerable difficulty has arisen in estimating the exact 
quantity of coal produced in the British Isles, arising 
y from the dislike of some coal proprietors to allow 
© annual produce of the pits to be known. From a 
visit paid to the various coal-fields, Mr. Hunt was satis- 
fied that this feeling of hesitation was dying away, but 
accouuts were not kept in many small collieries supply- 
ing the towns in their immediate vicinities. Data have 
been obtained for estimating our coal produce with a 
greater degree of exactness than has been as yet reached, 
but the computation will occupy some considerable time. 
The estimates of Mr. Thomas Young Hale and Mr. Dick- 
inson may, however, be given as showing a close agree- 
ment, although they are both above that made by Mr. 
Thomas John Taylor, which was as follows — 
Tons. Tons. 
For household purposes about - 19,000,000 
For iron-works - - - 13,000,000 
For steam, gas, and coking coal - 9,000,000 
Export - - - - - 4,000,000 =45,000,000 
Scotland has been estimated as 
producing - - - . - - 7,000,000 
Total - - - - - 52,000,000 
Mr. Young Hale’s estimate is — 
Northumberland and Durham - 13,300,000 
Cumberland - - - - 1,000,000 
Lancashire and North Wales - 10,000,000 
Staffordshire, Shropshire, and 
Worcestershire - - - 8,000,000 
Yorkshire, Derbyshire, Notting- 
hamshire, Leicestershire, and 
Warwickshire - - - 7,000,000 
South Wales, Monmouthshire, 
Dean Forest, and Bristol Fields 10,000,000 
Scotland - - - - - 7,250,000 =56,550,000 
Mr. Dickinson’s estimate is — 
Northumberland, Durham, and 
Cumberland - - - - 11,000,000 
Lancashire, Cheshire, and North 
Wales - - - - - 10,000,000 
Staffordshire, Shropshire, and 
Worcestershire - - - 8,000,000 
Yorkshire, Derbyshire, &c. - 7,500,000 
South Wales, Monmouthshire, 
Gloucestershire, &c. - - 10,000,000 
Scotland - - - - - 7,500,000 =54,000,000 
In producing this quantity of coal, we have about 
233,650 workmen employed underground, and at least 
50,000 on the surface. Mr. Hall has been at considerable 
trouble to estimate the quantity of coal remaining in the 
Northumberland and Durham coal-fields, and this he 
considers to be equal to 1,251,232,504 Newcastle chal- 
drons of 53 ewts. each. By this estimate, at the present 
rate of demand, these coal fields will be exhausted in 
331 years.” 
ApoLPHeE Benoit. 
Upper Clapton. 
DOLLY PENTREATH. 
(i §. xii. 407.) 
Mr. Festive no doubt satisfied Mr. Fraser 
(1* S. xii. 500.) that “ Poor Dolly ” was in myth, 
and his account of the origin of the epitaph, sub- 
sequently transcribed by Mr. Dunkin (2™* S. 
i. 17.) is correct; but not so its attribution by the 
latter gentleman, as the real author was Mr. John 
Scaddon, schoolmaster, Penzance, and the follow- 
ing additional particulars may not only be ac- 
