2ai S. Vi. 144., Oct. 2. '58.] 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



265 



ever received from him, written two months be- 

 fore his death (which took place Dec. 17, 1857), 

 acknowledged my communication of this " amus- 

 ing link in our two life threads," as he called it. 

 It is highly characteristic of his brevity of style 

 that he apologised for the " length of this scrib- 

 ble," — three sides of note-paper, widely written. 



A. De Mokgan. 



fiHtnor SotcS. 



The Electric Telegraph Foretold. — In Lord 

 Bacon's New Atlantis (Bohn's edition, p. 303.), 

 the Father of Solomon's house, in narrating the 

 wonders of that imaginary college, among others, 

 says, 



"We have engine-houses where we prepare engines 

 and instruments for all sorts of motions. There we imi- 

 tate and practise to make swifter motions than any you 

 have, out of your muskets or any engine you have." 



This " swifter motion " than that of a ball from 

 a musket or a cannon may not be sufficiently in- 

 dicated to satisfy the mere matter-of-fact man, 

 but clearly intimates our great philosopher's con- 

 ception of the lightning's speed. But another 

 prediction of a more recent date is more precise 

 and inductive. 



About the year 1816, a party of country gentle- 

 men were dining at Alfoxton Park in the western 

 part- of Somersetshire. A casual expression from 

 one of the company aroused the, hitherto, most 

 silent person of the party, a shy, but intellectual- 

 looking man, who appeared even younger than he 

 was ; and rising into enthusiasm, he proceeded to 

 describe the power of electricity, and the range of 

 its influence. At length their startled attention 

 was fixed by his solemnly pronouncing the follow- 

 ing remarkable words : — ■ " I prophesy that by 

 means of the electric agency we shall be enabled 

 to communicate our thoughts instantaneously with 

 the uttermost parts of the earth ! " This an- 

 nouncement was received as a wild chimera. 

 Yet, absurd as the idea was then deemed, the 

 most of the party have lived to witness the fulfil- 

 ment of those prophetic words, uttered two-and- 

 forty years ago. 



Tiie person who thus foretold the electric tele- 

 grapli was Andrew Crosse, then unknown to the 

 scientific world. James Elmes, C. E. 



Remarhible Coincidence. — On Friday, Sept. 20, 

 1754, the Earl of Druuilanrig, eldest son to the 

 Duke of Queensberry, was on his journey from 

 Scotland with the Duke his father in one post- 

 chaise, an<l the Duchess his mother with Lady 

 Druinlanrig in another ; and, being tired with rid- 

 ing in the chaise, got on horseback. Soon after- 

 wards liis pistol accidentally went off, and killed 

 hjm on the s[)0t (London Mwj^iizine, xxiii. 477.). 



On Friday, Aug. (i, 185«, the Marquis of 



Queensberry, at his seat, Kinsmount, Dumfries- 

 shire, went out with his gun to shoot rabbits, and 

 was found dead from his gun having gone off, and 

 shot him from the left breast through to the back. 



Curious Svpj)ressio7i. — There is a book which 

 I first know of as The British Ch?-onologist, 2nd 

 ed., London, 3 vols. Svo., 1789. It afterwards ap- 

 pears as The Chronological Historian, by W. 

 Toone, Esq., of which the second edition is Lon- 

 don, 2 vols. 8vo., 1828. It is a series of events in 

 chronological order, from Cjesar downwartls ; and 

 in modern times gives very unimportant events, as 

 executions, duels, fires, &c. It gives the history 

 of the proceedings against Charles I. from a very 

 royalist point of view ; and not only omits the 

 visit of the king to the House of Commons for the 

 purpose of seizing the five members, but sub- 

 stitutes another event in its place. This event 

 took place Jan. 4, 1641-42, a day which is blank 

 in both the editions above-named. But we are 

 informed that, on Jan. 3, " the king went to the 

 Common Council of London, and demanded the 

 five members ord of the city." I suppose this book 

 is still in circulation. M. 



Placing the Pen behind the Ear. — The practice 

 of thus 7-esting the pen, when not in actual use, 

 a mancEuvre performed by clerks with such pro- 

 fessional rapidity, and such unerring regularity 

 and ease, as if it were really " the right thing in 

 the right place," has at least antiquity to recom- 

 mend it. According to Mr. AVilkinson, the scribe 

 of ancient Egypt would clap his reed pencil be- 

 hind his ear, when listening to any person on 

 business ; as the painter was also in the habit of 

 doing when pausing to examine the effects of his 

 painting. F. Phillott. 



German Divisions of Men. — The Germans di- 

 vide mankind into Gefilhlsmenschen and Verstands- 

 menschen. By which divarication they mean that 

 the first act according to the dictates of their feel- 

 ings, men of feeling ; and the other class, accord- 

 ing to the dictates of their understanding, under' 

 standiiuf men. James Elmes. 



ca tinted. 



Fairfax's "tasso," first edition (1600). 



Both Mr. Knight and Mr. Singer profess to 

 take the first edition of Fairfax's Tasso (1600) 

 for the text-book of their respective re|)rints. 

 But the opening stanza (Book or Canto i. stanza 

 1.) of Mr. Knight's editions (1817, 1844,) is to- 

 tally different from that in Mr. Singer's edition of 

 1817; both editors professedly re[)rinting the 

 same edition, viz. the first (of 1600). 



Mr. l.ieigh Hunt has not noticed this strange 

 discrepancy between the copies of the first edi- 



