第1章

Contents：

TotheViscountessWolseleyPrefaceElzevirsBalladeoftheRealandIdealCuriositiesofParishRegistersTheRowfantBooksToF。L。

SomeJapaneseBogie-booksGhostsintheLibraryLiteraryForgeriesBibliomaniainFranceOldFrenchTitle-pagesABookman\'sPurgatoryBalladeoftheUnattainableLadyBook-loversTOTHEVISCOUNTESSWOLSELEY

Madame，itisnomodishthing，Thebookman\'stributethatIbring；

Atalkofantiquariesgrey，Dustuntodustthismanyaday，Gossipoftextsandbindingsold，Offadedtype，andtarnish\'dgold！

Canladiescareforthisto-doWithPayne，Derome，andPadeloup？

Cantheyresigntherout，theball，Forlonelyjoysofshelfandstall？

Thecriticthus，serenelywise；

Butyoucanreadwithothereyes，Whosebooksandbindingstreasuredare\'Midstmingledspoilsofpeaceandwar；

ShieldsfromthefightstheMahdilost，AndtrinketsfromtheGoldenCoast，AndmanythingsdivinelydoneByChippendaleandSheraton，AndtrophiesofEgyptiandeeds，Andfans，andplates，andAggreybeads，Pomanderboxes，assegais，Andsword-hiltsworninMarlbro\'sdays。

Inthispell-mellofoldandnew，Ofwarandpeace，myessays，too，Forlonginserialstempest-tost，Arelandednow，andarenotlost：

Nay，onyourshelfsecuretheylie，Asintheambersleepsthefly。

\'Tistrue，theyarenot"richnorrare；"

Enough，forme，thattheyare——there！

A。L

PREFACE

Theessaysinthisvolumehave，forthemostpart，alreadyappearedinanAmericanedition（Combes，NewYork，1886）。TheEssayson\'OldFrenchTitle-Pages\'and\'LadyBook-Lovers\'taketheplaceof\'BookBinding\'and\'BookmenatRome；\'\'Elzevirs\'and\'SomeJapaneseBogie-

Books\'arereprinted，withpermissionofMessrs。Cassell，fromtheMagazineofArt；\'CuriositiesofParishRegisters\'fromtheGuardian；\'LiteraryForgeries\'fromtheContemporaryReview；\'LadyBook-Lovers\'fromtheFortnightlyReview；\'ABookman\'sPurgatory\'

andtwoofthepiecesofversefromLongman\'sMagazine——withthecourteouspermissionofthevariouseditors。Allthechaptershavebeenrevised，andIhavetothankMr。H。Tedderforhiskindcareinreadingtheproofsheets，andMr。CharlesElton，M。P。，forasimilarservicetotheEssayon\'ParishRegisters。\'

ELZEVIRS

TheCountryman。"Youknowhowmuch，forsometimepast，theeditionsoftheElzevirshavebeenindemand。Thefancyforthemhasevenpenetratedintothecountry。Iamacquaintedwithamantherewhodenieshimselfnecessaries，forthesakeofcollectingintoalibrary（whereotherbooksarescarceenough）asmanylittleElzevirsashecanlayhishandsupon。Heisdyingofhunger，andhisconsolationistobeabletosay，\'IhaveallthepoetswhomtheElzevirsprinted。Ihavetenexamplesofeachofthem，allwithredletters，andalloftherightdate。\'This，nodoubt，isacraze，for，goodasthebooksare，ifhekeptthemtoreadthem，oneexampleofeachwouldbeenough。"

TheParisian。"Ifhehadwantedtoreadthem，IwouldnothaveadvisedhimtobuyElzevirs。Theeditionsofminorauthorswhichthesebooksellerspublished，eveneditions\'oftherightdate，\'asyousay，arenottoocorrect。Nothingisgoodinthebooksbutthetypeandthepaper。YourfriendwouldhavedonebettertousetheeditionsofGryphiusorEstienne。"

ThisfragmentofaliterarydialogueItranslatefrom\'EntretienssurlesContesdeFees，\'abookwhichcontainsmoreofoldtalkaboutbooksandbooksellersthanaboutfairiesandfolk-lore。The\'Entretiens\'werepublishedin1699，aboutsixteenyearsaftertheElzevirsceasedtobepublishers。Thefragmentisvaluable：first，becauseitshowsushowearlythetasteforcollectingElzevirswasfullydeveloped，and，secondly，becauseitcontainsverysoundcriticismofthemania。Already，intheseventeenthcentury，loversofthetinyElzevirianbookswaxedpatheticoverdates，alreadytheyknewthata\'Caesar\'of1635wastheright\'Caesar，\'alreadytheywerefondofthered-letteredpassages，asinthefirsteditionofthe\'Virgil\'of1636。Asearlyas1699，too，theParisiancriticknewthattheeditionswerenotverycorrect，andthatthepaper，type，ornaments，andFORMATweretheirmainattractions。TothesewemustnowaddtherarityofreallygoodElzevirs。

ThoughElzevirshavebeenmorefashionablethanatpresent，theyarestillregardedbynovelistsasthegreatprizeofthebookcollector。Youreadinnovelsabout"pricelesslittleElzevirs，"

aboutbooks"asrareasanoldElzevir。"Ihavemet，intheworksofaladynovelist（butnotelsewhere），withanElzevir\'Theocritus。\'ThelateMr。HepworthDixonintroducedintooneofhisromancesaromanticElzevirGreekTestament，"worthitsweightingold。"CasualremarksofthiskindencourageapopulardelusionthatallElzevirsarepearlsofconsiderableprice。Whenamanisfirstsmittenwiththepleasantfeverofbook-collecting，itisforElzevirsthathesearches。Atfirsthethinkshimselfinamazingluck。InBooksellers\'RowandinCastleStreethe"picksup，"forashillingortwo，Elzevirs，realorsupposed。Tothebeginner，anybookwithasphereonthetitle-pageisanElzevir。Forthebeginner\'sinstruction，twocopiesofspheresareprintedhere。Thesecondisasphere，anill-cut，ill-drawnsphere，whichisnotElzevirianatall。Themarkwasusedintheseventeenthcenturybymanyotherbooksellersandprinters。Thefirst，ontheotherhand，isatrueElzeviriansphere，fromaplayofMoliere\'s，printedin1675。Observethecomparativelyneatdrawingofthefirstsphere，andbenotledawayafterspuriousimitations。

Beware，too，ofthevulgarerroroffancyingthatlittleduodecimoswiththemarkofthefoxandthebee\'snest，andthemotto"Quaerendo，"comefromthepressoftheElzevirs。ThemarkisthatofAbrahamWolfgang，whichnameisnotapseudonymforElzevir。

TherearethreesortsofElzevirpseudonyms。First，theyoccasionallyreprintedthefulltitle-page，publisher\'snameandall，ofthebooktheypirated。Secondly，whentheyprintedbooksofa"dangerous"sort，Jansenistpamphletsandsoforth，theyusedpseudonymslike"Nic。Schouter，"onthe\'LettresProvinciales\'ofPascal。Thirdly，therearerealpseudonymsemployedbytheElzevirs。JohnandDaniel，printingatLeyden（1652-1655），usedthefalsename"JeanSambix。"TheElzevirsofAmsterdamoftenplacedthename"JacquesleJeune"ontheirtitle-pages。Thecollectorwhoremembersthesethingsmustalsoseethathispurchaseshavetherightornamentsattheheadsofchapters，therighttail-piecesattheends。Twoofthemostfrequentlyrecurringornamentsaretheso-called"TetedeBuffle"andthe"Sirene。"MoreorlessclumsycopiesoftheseandtheotherElzevirianornamentsarecommonenoughinbooksoftheperiod，evenamongthoseprintedoutoftheLowCountries；forexample，inbookspublishedinParis。

AbriefsketchofthehistoryoftheElzevirsmayherebeuseful。

Thefounderofthefamily，aFlemishbookbinder，Louis，leftLouvainandsettledinLeydenin1580。HeboughtahouseoppositetheUniversity，andopenedabook-shop。Anothershop，oncollegeground，wasopenedin1587。Louiswasagoodbookseller，averyordinarypublisher。Itwasnottillshortlybeforehisdeath，in1617，thathisgrandsonIsaacboughtasetoftypesandothermaterial。Louisleftsixsons。Twoofthese，MatthewandBonaventure，keptonthebusiness，datingexofficinaElzeviriana。

In1625BonaventureandAbraham（sonofMatthew）becamepartners。

The"gooddates"ofElzevirianbooksbeginfrom1626。ThetwoElzevirschoseexcellenttypes，andafternineyears\'endeavoursturnedoutthebeautiful\'Caesar\'of1635。

Theirclassicalseriesinpetitformatwasopenedwith\'Horace\'and\'Ovid\'in1629。In1641theybegantheirelegantpiraciesofFrenchplaysandpoetrywith\'LeCid。\'ItwasworthwhilebeingpiratedbytheElzevirs，whoturnedyououtlikeagentleman，withfleuronsandredletters，andaprettyfrontispiece。Themodernpiratedressesyouinrags，printsyoumurderously，andbindsyou，ifhebindsyouatall，insomehideousexampleof"clothextra，"allgilt，likearchaicgingerbread。BonaventureandAbrahambothdiedin1652。

Theydidnotdepartbeforepublishing（1628），ingrandformat，adesirableworkonfencing，Thibault\'s\'Academiedel\'Espee。\'ThisTibbaldalsokilledbythebook。JohnandDanielElzevircamenext。

Theybroughtoutthe\'Imitation\'（ThomaeaKempiscanoniciregularisord。S。AugustiniDeImitationeChristi，libriiv。）；IwishbytakingthoughtIcouldaddeightmillimetrestothestatureofmycopy。In1655Danieljoinedacousin，Louis，inAmsterdam，andJohnstayedinLeyden。Johndiedin1661；hiswidowstruggledon，buthersonAbraham（1681）letallfallintoruins。Abrahamdied1712。

TheElzevirsofAmsterdamlastedtill1680，whenDanieldied，andthebusinesswaswoundup。Thetype，byChristopherVanDyck，wassoldin1681，byDaniel\'swidow。Sictransitgloria。

Afterhehaslearnedallthesematterstheamateurhasstillagreatdealtoacquire。HemaynowknowarealElzevirfromabookwhichisnotanElzeviratall。Butthereareenormousdifferencesofvalue，rarity，andexcellenceamongtheproductionsoftheElzevirianpress。Thebookstallsteemwithsmall，"cropped，"dingy，dirty，batteredElzevirianeditionsoftheclassics，NOT"ofthegooddate。"Ontheseitisnotworthwhiletoexpendacoupleofshillings，especiallyasElzeviriantypeistoosmalltobereadwithcomfortbymostmoderneyes。No，letthecollectorsavehismoney；avoidlitteringhisshelveswithwhathewillsoonfindtoberubbish，andlethimwaitthechanceofacquiringareallybeautifulandrareElzevir。

Meantime，andbeforewecometodescribeElzevirsofthefirstflight，letitberememberedthatthe"taller"thecopy，thelessharmedandnippedbythebinder\'sshears，thebetter。"Menscarcelyknowhowbeautifulfireis，"saysShelley；andwemaysaythatmostmenhardlyknowhowbeautifulanElzevirwasinitsuncutandoriginalform。TheElzevirswehavemaybe"dear，"buttheyarecertainly"dumpytwelves。"Theirfairproportionshavebeendockedbythebinder。AttheBeckfordsaletherewasapearlofabook，a\'Marot；\'notanElzevir，indeed，butabookpublishedbyWetstein，afolloweroftheElzevirs。Thisexquisitepairofvolumes，boundinbluemorocco，wasabsolutelyunimpaired，andwasasighttobringhappytearsintotheeyesoftheamateurofElzevirs。Therewasagracioussvelteeleganceaboutthesetomes，anappealingandexquisitedelicacyofproportion，thatlingerlikesweetmusicinthememory。IhaveacopyoftheWetstein\'Marot\'myself，notabadcopy，thoughmurderouslyboundinthatecclesiasticalsortofbrowncalfantique，whichgoeswellwithhymnbooks，andremindsoneofcakesofchocolate。Butmycopyisonlysome128millimetresinheight，whereastheuncutBeckfordcopy（ithadbelongedtothegreatPixerecourt）wasatleast130millimetreshigh。BesidetheuncutexampleminelookslikeCinderella\'splainsisterbesidethebeautyofthefamily。

NowthemoralisthatonlytallElzevirsarebeautiful，onlytallElzevirspreservetheirancientproportions，onlytallElzevirsareworthcollecting。Dr。LemuelGulliverremarksthattheKingofLilliputwastallerthananyofhiscourtbyalmostthebreadthofanail，andthathisaltitudefilledthemindsofallwithawe。Well，thePhilistinemaythinkafewmillimetres，moreorless，intheheightofanElzevirareoflittleimportance。Whenhecomestosell，hewilldiscoverthedifference。Anuncut，oralmostuncut，copyofagoodElzevirmaybeworthfiftyorsixtypoundsormore；

anordinarycopymaybringfewerpence。Thebindersusuallyparedownthetopandbottommorethanthesides。Ihavea\'Rabelais\'ofthegooddate，withtheredtitle（1663），andsomeofthepageshaveneverbeenopened，atthesides。Buttheheightisonlysome122

millimetres，ameredwarf。Anythingover130millimetresisveryrare。ThereforethecollectorofElzevirsshouldhaveoneofthoseusefulivory-handledknivesonwhichtheFrenchmeasuresaremarked，andthushewillatoncebeabletosatisfyhimselfastotheexactheightofanyexamplewhichheencounters。

LetusnowassumethattheamateurquiteunderstandswhataproperElzevirshouldbe：tall，clean，wellboundifpossible，andofthegooddate。Butwehavestilltolearnwhatthegooddatesare，andthisismatterforthestudyandpracticeofawell-spentlife。WemaygossipaboutafewofthemorefamousElzevirs，thosewithoutwhichnocollectioniscomplete。OfallElzevirsthemostfamousandthemostexpensiveisanoldcookerybook，"\'LePastissierFrancois。\'Whereinistaughtthewaytomakeallsortsofpastry，usefultoallsortsofpersons。Alsothemannerofpreparingallmannerofeggs，forfast-days，andotherdays，inmorethansixtyfashions。Amsterdam，Louys，andDanielElsevier。1665。"Themarkisnottheold"Sage，"butthe"Minerva"withherowl。NowthisbookhasnointrinsicvalueanymorethanaTauchnitzreprintofanymodernvolumeoncooking。The\'Pastissier\'ischerishedbecauseitissoveryrare。Thetractpassedintothehandsofcooks，andthehandsofcooksaredetrimentaltoliterature。Justasnurserybooks，fairytales，andthelikearedestroyedfromgenerationtogeneration，soithappenswithbooksusedinthekitchen。The\'Pastissier，\'tobesure，hasagoodfrontispiece，asceneinaLowCountrykitchen，amongthedeadgameandthedainties。Thebuxomcookismakingagamepie；apheasantpie，decoratedwiththebird\'sheadandtail-feathers，isalreadymade。{1}

Notforthesecharms，butforitsrarity，isthe\'Pastissier\'

coveted。Inanearlyeditionofthe\'Manuel\'（1821）Brunetsays，withafeignedbrutality（forhedearlylovedanElzevir），"TillnowIhavedisdainedtoadmitthisbookintomywork，butIhaveyieldedtotheprayersofamateurs。Besides，howcouldIkeepoutavolumewhichwassoldforonehundredandonefrancsin1819？"Onehundredandonefrancs！IfIcouldonlygeta\'Pastissier\'foronehundredandonefrancs！ButourgrandfatherslivedintheBookman\'sParadise。"Iln\'estpasjusqu\'auxAnglais，"addsBrunet——"theveryEnglishthemselves——haveatasteforthe\'Pastissier。\'"TheDukeofMarlborough\'scopywasactuallysoldfor1pound4s。ItwouldhavebeenmoneyintheducalpocketsofthehouseofMarlboroughtohavekeptthisvolumetillthegeneralsaleofalltheirportablepropertyatwhichourgenerationisprivilegedtoassist。Nowonderthe\'Pastissier\'wasthoughtrare。Berardonlyknewtwocopies。

Pietiers，writingontheElzevirsin1843，couldciteonlyfive\'Pastissiers，\'andinhis\'Annales\'hehadfoundoutbutfivemore。

Willems，ontheotherhand，enumeratessomethirty，notincludingMotteley\'s。Motteleywasanuncultivated，untaughtenthusiast。HeknewnoLatin，buthehadaFLAIRforuncutElzevirs。"Incomptiscapillis，"hewouldcry（itwasallhislore）ashegloatedoverhistreasures。TheywereallburntbytheCommuneintheLouvreLibrary。

Afewexamplesmaybegivenofthepricesbroughtby\'LePastissier\'

inlaterdays。Sensier\'scopywasbut128millimetresinheight，andhadtheoldordinaryvellumbinding，——infact，itcloselyresembledacopywhichMessrs。EllisandWhitehadforsaleinBondStreetin1883。TheEnglishbooksellersasked，Ithink，about1，500

francsfortheircopy。Sensier\'swassoldfor128francsinApril，1828；for201francsin1837。ThenthebookwasgloriouslyboundbyTrautz-Bauzonnet，andwassoldwithPotier\'sbooksin1870，whenitfetched2，910francs。AttheBenzonsale（1875）itfetched3，255

francs，and，fallingdreadfullyinprice，wassoldagainin1877for2，200francs。M。Dutuit，atRouen，hasatallercopy，boundbyBauzonnet。Lasttimeitwassold（1851）itbrought251francs。TheDucdeChartreshasnowthecopyofPieters，thehistorianoftheElzevirs，valuedat3，000francs。

AboutthirtyyearsagonofewerthanthreecopiesweresoldatBrighton，ofallplaces。M。QuentinBaucharthadacopyonly127

millimetresinheight，whichheswoppedtoM。Paillet。M。

Chartener，ofMetz，hadacopynowboundbyBauzonnetwhichwassoldforfourfrancsin1780。Wecallthistheageofcheapbooks，butbeforetheRevolutionbookswerecheaper。Itisfairtosay，however，thatthisexampleofthe\'Pastissier\'wasthenboundupwithanotherbook，Vlacq\'seditionof\'LeCuisinierFrancois，\'andsowentcheaperthanitwouldotherwisehavedone。M。deFontainedeResbecqdeclaresthatafriendofhisboughtsixoriginalpiecesofMoliere\'sboundupwithanoldFrenchtranslationofGarth\'s\'Dispensary。\'Theonefainthopelefttothepoorbookcollectoristhathemayfindavaluabletractlurkingintheleavesofsomeboundcollectionoftrash。IhaveanoriginalcopyofMoliere\'s\'LesFascheux\'boundupwithatreatiseonpreciousstones，butthebooksellerfromwhomIboughtitknewitwasthere！Thatmadeallthedifference。

But，toreturntoour\'Pastissier，\'hereisM。deFontainedeResbecq\'saccountofhowhewooedandwonhisowncopyofthisillustriousElzevir。"Ibeganmywalkto-day，"saysthishaunterofancientstalls，"bythePontMarieandtheQuaidelaGreve，thepillarsofHerculesofthebook-huntingworld。Afterhavingviewedandreviewedtheseremotebooks，Iwasgoingaway，whenmyattentionwascaughtbyasmallnakedvolume，withoutastitchofbinding。I

seizedit，andwhatwasmydelightwhenIrecognisedoneoftherarestofthatfamedElzevircollectionwhoseheightismeasuredasminutelyasthecaratsofthediamond。Therewasnoindicationofpriceontheboxwherethisjewelwaslying；thebook，thoughunbound，wasperfectlycleanwithin。\'Howmuch？\'saidItothebookseller。\'Youcanhaveitforsixsous，\'heanswered；\'isittoomuch？\'\'No，\'saidI，and，tremblingalittle，Ihandedhimthethirtycentimesheaskedforthe\'PastissierFrancois。\'Youmaybelieve，myfriend，thataftersuchapieceofluckatthestart，onegoeshomefondlyembracingthebelovedobjectofone\'ssearch。

ThatisexactlywhatIdid。"

Canthistalebetrue？Issuchluckgivenbythejealousfatesmortalibusaegris？M。deResbecq\'sfindwasmadeapparentlyin1856，whentroutwereplentyinthestreams，andrarebooksnotsoveryrare。TomyownknowledgeanEnglishcollectorhasboughtanoriginalplayofMoliere\'s，intheoriginalvellum，foreighteenpence。Butnoonehassuchluckanylonger。Not，atleast，inLondon。Amoreexpensive\'Pastissier\'thanthatwhichbroughtsixsouswaspricedinBachelin-Deflorenne\'scatalogueat240

pounds。Acuriousthingoccurredwhentwouncut\'Pastissiers\'

turnedupsimultaneouslyinParis。OneofthemMorgandandFatoutsoldfor400pounds。Cleverpeoplearguedthatoneofthetwinuncut\'Pastissiers\'mustbeanimitation，afacsimilebymeansofphotogravure，orsomeotherprocess。Butitwastriumphantlyestablishedthatbothweregenuine；theyhadminutepointsofdifferenceintheornaments。

M。Willems，thelearnedhistorianoftheElzevirs，isindignantatthesuccessesofabookwhich，asBrunetdeclares，isbadlyprinted。

Theremustbeatleastfortyknown\'Pastissiers\'intheworld。Yes；

butthereareatleast4，000peoplewhowouldgreatlyrejoicetopossessa\'Pastissier，\'andsomeofthesedesirousonesareverywealthy。Whilethisstateofthemarketendures，the\'Pastissier\'

willfetchhigherpricesthantheothervarieties。AnotherextremelyrareElzeviris\'L\'IllustreTheatredeMons。Corneille\'

（Leyden，1644）。Thiscontains\'LeCid，\'\'LesHoraces，\'\'LeCinna，\'

\'LaMortdePompee，\'\'LePolyeucte。\'Thename，\'L\'IllustreTheatre，\'appearingatthatdatehasaninterestofitsown。In1643-44，MoliereandMadeleineBejarthadjuststartedthecompanywhichtheycalled\'L\'IllustreTheatre。\'Onlysixorsevencopiesofthebookareactuallyknown，thoughthreeorfourarebelievedtoexistinEngland，probablyallcoveredwithdustinthelibraryofsomelord。"Hehasaverygoodlibrary，"Ionceheardsomeonesaytoanobleearl，whoseownlibrarywasfamous。"Andwhatcanafellowdowithaverygoodlibrary？"answeredthedescendantoftheCrusaders，whoprobably（beingayouthlight-heartedandcontent）

wasignorantofhisowngreatpossessions。Anexpensivecopyof\'L\'IllustreTheatre，\'boundbyTrautz-Bauzonnet，wassoldfor300

pounds。

AmongElzevirsdesirable，yetnothopelesslyrare，isthe\'Virgil\'

of1636。Heinsiuswastheeditorofthisbeautifulvolume，prettilyprinted，butincorrect。ProbablyitishardtocorrectwithabsoluteaccuracyworksintheclearbutminutetypewhichtheElzevirsaffected。Theyhavewonfamebytheeleganceoftheirbooks，buttheirintentionwastosellgoodbookscheap，likeMichelLevy。Thesmalltypewasrequiredtogetplentyof"copy"intolittlebulk。NicholasHeinsius，thesonoftheeditorofthe\'Virgil，\'whenhecametocorrecthisfather\'sedition，foundthatitcontainedsomanycoquilles，ormisprints，astobenearlythemostincorrectcopyintheworld。Heynesays，"Letthe\'Virgil\'beoneoftherareElzevirs，ifyouplease，butwithinithasscarcelyatraceofanygoodquality。"Yetthefirsteditionofthisbeautifullittlebook，withitstwopassagesofredletters，issodesirablethat，tillhecouldpossessit，CharlesNodierwouldnotprofanehisshelvesbyany\'Virgil\'atall。

Equallyfineisthe\'Caesar\'of1635，which，withthe\'Virgil\'of1636andthe\'Imitation\'withoutdate，M。WillemsthinksthemostsuccessfulworksoftheElzevirs，"oneofthemostenviablejewelsinthecasketofthebibliophile。"Itmayberecognisedbythepage238，whichiserroneouslyprinted248。Agoodaverageheightisfrom125to128millimetres。Thehighestknownis130millimetres。

Thisbook，likethe\'Imitation，\'hasoneoftheprettyandingeniousfrontispieceswhichtheElzevirsprefixedtotheirbooks。Sofarewell，andgoodspeedinyoursport，yehuntersofElzevirs，andmayyoufindperhapstherarestElzevirofall，\'L\'AimableMeredeJesus。\'

BALLADEOFTHEREALANDIDEAL（DOUBLEREFRAIN）

Ovisionsofsalmontremendous，Oftroutofunusualweight，OfwatersthatwanderasKendoes，YecomethroughtheIvoryGate！

Buttheskiesthatbringnevera"spate，"

Butthefliesthatcatchupinathorn，Butthecreelthatisbarrenoffreight，Throughtheportalsofhorn！

OdreamsoftheFatesthatattendusWithprintsintheearlieststate，Obargainsinbooksthattheysendus，YecomethroughtheIvoryGate！

Butthetomethathasneveramate，Butthequartothat\'statteredandtorn，Andbereftofatitleanddate，Throughtheportalsofhorn！

Odreamsofthetonguesthatcommendus，Ofcrownsforthelaureatepate，Ofapublictobuyandbefriendus，YecomethroughtheIvoryGate！

Butthecriticsthatslashusandslate，{2}

Butthepeoplethatholdusinscorn，Butthesorrow，thescathe，andthehate，Throughtheportalsofhorn！

ENVOY。

Fairdreamsofthingsgoldenandgreat，YecomethroughtheIvoryGate；

Butthefactsthatarebleakandforlorn，Throughtheportalsofhorn！

CURIOSITIESOFPARISHREGISTERS

Therearethreeclassesofpersonswhoaredeeplyconcernedwithparishregisters——namely，villains，antiquaries，andthesedulousreaders，"parishclerksandothers，"ofthesecondor"agony"columnoftheTimes。Villainsareprobablythemostnumerousofthesethreeclasses。Thevillainoffictiondearlylovesaparishregister：hecutsoutpages，insertsothers，intercalatesremarksinadifferentcolouredink，andgenerallymanipulatestheregisterasaGreekmanageshishandatecarte，orasaHebrewdealerinMoabitebric-a-bractreatsasynagogueroll。Wewellrememberonevillainwhohadlockedhimselfintothevestry（hewasdisguisedasanarchaeologist），andwhowasenjoyinghiswickedpleasurewiththeregister，whenthevestrysomehowcaughtfire，therustykeywouldnotturninthedoor，andthevillainwasroastedalive，inspiteofthedisinterestedeffortstosavehimmadebyallthevirtuouscharactersinthestory。Letthefateofthisbold，badmanbeawarningtowickedearls，baronets，andallotherswhoattempttodestroytherecordofthemarriageofahero\'sparents。Fatewillbetoostrongfortheminthelongrun，thoughtheybribetheparishclerk，orcarryoffinwhitewaxanimpressionofthekeysofthevestryandoftheironchestinwhicharegistershouldrepose。

Thereisanotherandmoreprosaicdangerinthewayofvillains，ifthenewbill，entitled"TheParishRegistersPreservationAct，"everbecomeslaw。Thebillprovidesthateveryregisterearlierthan1837shallbecommittedtothecareoftheMasteroftheRolls，andremovedtotheRecordOffice。NowthecommonvillainoffictionwouldfeelsadlyoutofplaceintheRegisterOffice，whereamorewatchfuleyethanthatofacomicparishclerkwouldbekeptonhisproceedings。Villainsandlocalantiquarieswill，therefore，usealltheirparliamentaryinfluencetoopposeanddelaythisbill，whichiscertainlyhardontheparisharchaeologist。Themenwhogrubintheirlocalregisters，andslowlycompileparishorcountyhistory，deservetobeencouragedratherthandepressed。Mr。

ChesterWaters，therefore，hassuggestedthatcopiesofregistersshouldbemade，andthecomparativelylegiblecopyleftintheparish，whilethecrabbedoriginalisconveyedtotheRecordOfficeinLondon。Thusthelocalantiquarywouldreallyhavehisworkmademoreeasyforhim（thoughitmaybedoubtedwhetherhewouldquiteenjoythatcondescension），whilethevillainofromancewouldbefoiled；foritisuseless（asanovelofMr。ChristieMurray\'sproves）toaltertheregisterinthekeepingoftheparishwhentheoriginaldocumentissafeintheRecordOffice。Butpreviousexamplesofenforcedtranscription（asin1603）donotencourageustosupposethatthecopieswouldbeveryscrupulouslymade。Thus，aftertheReformation，theprayersforthedeadintheoldregisterswereomittedbythecopyist，whoseemedtothink（asthecontractorfor"sandwichmen"saidtothepoorfellowswhocarriedtheletterH），"Idon\'twantyou，andthepublicdon\'twantyou，andyou\'renousetonobody。"Again，whenLaurenceFletcherwasburiedinSt。

Saviour\'s，Southwark，in1608，theoldregisterdescribedhimas"aplayer，theKing\'sservant。"Buttheclerk，keepinganote-book，simplycalledLaurenceFletcher"aman，"and（in1625）healsostyledMr。JohnFletcher"aman。"Now，theoldregistercallsMr。

JohnFletcher"apoet。"TocopyalltheparishregistersinEnglandwouldbeaveryserioustask，andwouldprobablybebutslovenlyperformed。Iftheywerereproduced，again，byanyprocessofphotography，theolddifficultcourthandwouldremainashardasever。Butthisisaminorobjection，forthelocalantiquaryrevelsintheoldcourthand。

FromthelittlevolumebyMr。ChesterWaters，alreadyreferredto（\'ParishRegistersinEngland；\'printedfortheauthorbyF。J。

Roberts，LittleBritain，E。C。），weproceedtoappropriatesuchmattersofcuriosityasmayinterestmindsneitherparochialnordoggedlyantiquarian。Parishregistersamongthecivilisedpeoplesofantiquitydonotgreatlyconcernus。ItseemscertainthatmanyPolynesianraceshavemanagedtorecord（inverse，orbysomerudemarks）thegenealogiesoftheirchiefsthroughmanyhundredsofyears。Theseoralregistersareacceptedasfairlytruthfulbysomestudents，yetwemustrememberthatPindarsupposedhimselftopossessknowledgeofatleasttwenty-fivegenerationsbeforehisowntime，andthatonlybroughthimuptothebirthofJason。NobodybelievesinJasonandMedea，andpossiblythegenealogicalrecordsofMaorisandFijiansareaslittletrustworthyasthoseofPindaricGreece。However，toconsiderthusistoconsidertoocuriously。Weonlyknowforcertainthatgenealogyverysoonbecomesimportant，and，therefore，thatrecordsareearlykept，inagrowingcivilisation。"AfterNehemiah\'sreturnfromthecaptivityinBabylon，thepriestsatJerusalemwhoseregisterwasnotfoundwereaspollutedputfromthepriesthood。"Romehadherparishregisters，whichwerekeptinthetempleofSaturn。Butmodernparishregisterswere"discovered"（likeAmerica）in1497，whenCardinalXimenesfounditdesirabletoputonrecordthenamesofthegodfathersandgodmothersofbaptisedchildren。Whentheserelationsof"gossip，"orGod\'skin（asthewordliterallymeans），werenotcertainlyknown，marriedpersonscouldeasilyobtaindivorces，bypretendingpreviousspiritualrelationship。

ButitwasonlyduringthereignofMary，（calledtheBloody）thatthisruleofregisteringgodfathersandgodmothersprevailedinEngland。HenryVIII。introducedthecustomofparishregisterswheninaProtestanthumour。Bytheway，howcuriouslyhasMadamedeFlamareil（lafemmedequaranteans，inCharlesdeBernard\'snovel）

anticipatedtheverdictofMr。FroudeonHenryVIII。！\'OnaccuseHenriVIII。，\'ditMadamedeFlamareil，"moijelecomprends，etjel\'absous；c\'etaituncoeurgenereux，lorsqu\'ilnelesaimaitplus，illestuait。\'"ThepublicofEnglandmistrusted，inthematterofparishregisters，thegenerousheartofHenryVIII。Itisthefixedconvictionofthepublicthatallnoveltiesinadministrationmeannewtaxes。ThustheCroatianpeasantrywereonceonthepointofrevoltingbecausetheyimaginedthattheyweretobetaxedinproportiontothelengthoftheirmoustaches。TheEnglishbelieved，andtheinsurgentsofthefamousPilgrimageofGracedeclared，thatbaptismwastoberefusedtoallchildrenwhodidnotpaya"trybette"（tribute）totheking。ButHenry，orratherhisminister，Cromwell，stucktohisplan，and（September29，1538）

issuedaninjunctionthataweeklyregisterofweddings，christenings，andburialsshouldbekeptbythecurateofeveryparish。Thecostofthebook（twopenceinthecaseofSt。

Margaret\'s，Westminster）wasdefrayedbytheparishioners。Theoldestextantregisterbooksarethosethusacquiredin1597or1603。Thesevolumeswereofparchment，andentrieswerecopiedintothemoutoftheoldbooksonpaper。Thecopyists，aswehaveseen，wereindolent，andomittedcharacteristicpointsinthemoreancientrecords。

Inthecivilwarparishregistersfellintosomeconfusion，andwhentheclergydidmakeentriestheycommonlyexpressedtheirpoliticalfeelingsinamixtureofLatinandEnglish。Latin，bytheway，wentoutasProtestantismcamein，butthecurateofRotherby，inLeicestershire，writes，"Bellum，Bellum，Bellum，interruption！

persecution！"AtSt。Bridget\'s，inChester，isthequaintentry，"1643。Heretheregisterisdefectivetill1653。ThetymeswereSUCH！"AtHilton，inDorset，WilliamSnoke，minister，enteredhisopinionthatpersonswhosebaptismandmarriagewerenotregistered"willbemadeuncapableofanyearthlyinheritanceiftheylive。

ThisInoteforthesatisfactionofanythatdo："thoughwemaydoubtwhethertheseparishionersfoundtheinformationthusconveyedhighlysatisfactory。

TheregisterofMaid\'sMoreton，Bucks，tellshowthereading-desk（aspreadeagle，gilt）was"doomedtoperishasanabominableidoll；"

andhowthecrossonthesteeplenearly（butnotquite）knockedoutthebrainsofthePuritanwhoremovedit。ThePuritanshadtheirwaywiththeregistersaswellaswiththeeagle（"thevowl，"astheoldcountrypeoplecallit），andlaymentooktheplaceofparsonsasregistrarsin1653。Thebooksfrom1653to1660，whilethisregimelasted，"werekeptexceptionallywell，"newbroomssweepingclean。

ThebooksoftheperiodcontainfeweroftheoldPuritanChristiannamesthanwemighthaveexpected。Wefind，"REPENTEKytchens，"sostyledbeforethepoorlittlethinghadanythingbutoriginalsintorepentof。"FAINTNOTKennard"isalsoregistered，and"FREEGIFT

Mabbe。"

Anoveltywasintroducedintoregistersin1678。Thelawrequired（forpurposesofprotectingtrade）thatallthedeadshouldbeburiedinwoollenwinding-sheets。ThepriceofthewoolwastheoboluspaidtotheCharonoftheRevenue。AfterMarch25，1667，nopersonwastobe"buriedinanyshirt，shift，orsheetotherthatshouldbemadeofwooleonly。"ThuswhenthechildreninalittleOxfordshirevillagelatelybeheldaghost，"dressedinalongnarrowgownofwoollen，withbandagesroundtheheadandchin，"itisclearthattheghostwasmuchmorethanahundredyearsold，fortheact"hadfallenintodisuselongbeforeitwasrepealedin1814。"Butthishaslittletodowithparishregisters。Theadditionmadetothedutiesofthekeeperoftheregisterin1678wasthis——hehadtotakeandrecordtheaffidavitofakinsmanofthedead，totheeffectthatthecorpsewasactuallyburiedinwoollenfabric。Theupperclasses，however，preferredtoburyinlinen，andtopaythefineof5L。WhenMistressOldfield，thefamousactress，wasinterredin1730，herbodywasarrayed"inaveryfineBrusselslaceheaddress，ahollandshiftwithatuckeranddoublerufflesofthesamelace，andapairofnewkidgloves。"

In1694anemptyexchequerwasreplenishedbyataxonmarriages，births，andburials，theveryextortionwhichhadbeenfearedbytheinsurgentsinthePilgrimageofGrace。Thetaxcollectorshadaccesswithoutpaymentoffeetotheregisters。TheregistrationofbirthswasdiscontinuedwhentheTaxationActsexpired。Anattempttointroducetheregistrationofbirthswasmadein1753，butunsuccessfully。Thepublichadtheoldsuperstitiousdreadofanythinglikeacensus。Moreover，thecustomwasdenouncedas"French，"andthereforeabominable。Inthesamewayitwasthoughttellingtocallthecloture"theFrenchgag"duringsomerecentdiscussionsofparliamentaryrules。In1783theparishregisterwasagainmadetheinstrumentoftaxation，andthreepencewaschargedoneveryentry。Thus"theclergymanwasplacedintheinvidiouslightofataxcollector，andasthepoorwereoftenunableorunwillingtopaythetax，theclergyhadadirectinducementtoretaintheirgood-willbykeepingtheregistersdefective。"

ItiseasytoimaginetheindignationinScotlandwhen"bangwentsaxpence"everytimeapoormanhadtwins！OfcoursetheScotchroseupagainstthisunparalleledextortion。Atlast，in1812，"Rose\'sAct"waspassed。Itisstyled"anActforthebetterregulatingandpreservingregistersofbirths，"buttheregistrationofbirthsisaltogetheromittedfromitsprovisions。Byastrokeofthewildestwitthepenaltyoftransportationforfourteenyears，formakingafalseentry，"istobedividedequallybetweentheinformerandthepooroftheparish。"AmorecasualActhasrarelybeendrafted。

Withoutenteringintothemodernhistoryofparishregisters，wemayborrowafewoftheancientcuriositiestobefoundtherein，theblundersandthewaggeriesofforgottenpriests，andcurates，andparishclerks。Inquiterecenttimes（1832）itwasthoughtworthwhiletorecordthatCharityMorrellatherweddinghadsignedhernameintheregisterwithherrightfoot，andthattheringhadbeenplacedonthefourthtoeofherleftfoot；forpoorCharitywasbornwithoutarms。Sometimesthetimeofabirthwasrecordedwithmuchminuteness，thattheastrologersmightdrawamoreaccuratehoroscope。Unluckychildren，withnoacknowledgedfathers，wereenteredinavarietyofoddways。InLambeth（1685），GeorgeSpeedwellisputdownas"amerrybegot；"AnneTwineis"filiauniuscujusque。"AtCroydon，acertainWilliamis"terraefilius"

（1582），anautochthonousinfant。Amongthequeernamesoffoundlingsare"Nameless，""Godsend，""Subpoena，"and"MoysesandAaron，twochildrenfound，"notinthebulrushes，but"inthestreet。"

Therulewastogivethefoundlingforsurnamethenameoftheparish，andfromtheTempleChurchcamenofewerthanonehundredandfourfoundlingsnamed"Temple，"between1728and1755。TheseTemplesaretheplebeiangensofthepatricianhousewhichclaimsdescentfromGodiva。TheuseofsurnamesasChristiannamesislaterthantheReformation，andistheresultofareactionagainsttheexclusiveuseofsaints\'namesfromthecalendar。AnotherexampleofthesamereactionistheuseofOldTestamentnames，and"AnaniasandSapphirawerefavouritenameswiththePresbyterians。"

ItisonlyfairtoaddthatthesenamesarenolongerpopularwithPresbyterians，atanyrateintheKirkofScotland。TheoldPuritanargumentwasthatyouwouldhardlyselectthenameoftoonotoriousascripturalsinner，"asbearingtestimonytothetriumphofgraceoveroriginalsin。"ButinAmericaaclergymanhasbeenknowntodeclinetochristenachild"PontiusPilate，"andnowonder。

Entriesofburialsinancienttimesoftencontainedsomebiographicalinformationaboutthedeceased。Butnothingcouldpossiblybevaguerthanthis："1615，February28，St。Martin\'s，Ludgate，wasburiedananatomyfromtheCollegeofPhysicians。"

Man，woman，orchild，sinnerorsaint，weknownot，onlythat"ananatomy"foundChristianburialinSt。Martin\'s，Ludgate。Howmuchmorefullandcharacteristicisthis，fromSt。Peter\'s-in-the-East，Oxford（1568）：\'TherewasburiedAlyce，thewiffofanaughtyfellowwhosenameisMatthewManne。\'ThereisimmortalityforMatthewManne，andthereis，inshort-hand，thetragedyof"Alycehiswiff。"ThereaderofthisrecordknowsmoreofMatthewthanintwohundredyearsanyoneislikelytoknowofuswhomoraliseoverMatthew！AtKyloe，inNorthumberland，theintellectualdefectsofHenryWatsonhave，likethenaughtinessofManne，securedhimameasureoffame。（1696。）"Henrywassogreatafooll，thathenevercouldputonhisownclose，norneverwentaquarterofamileoffthehouse，"asVoltaire\'sMemnonresolvednevertodo，andasPascalpartlyrecommends。

WhathadMaryWoodfielddonetodeservethealiaswhichtheCroydonregistergivesherof"QueenofHell"？（1788。）Distinguishedpeoplewereburiedineffigy，inallthedifferentchurcheswithwhichtheywereconnected，andeachshamburialservicewasenteredintheparishregisters，asnareandstumbling-blocktothehistorian。

Thiscuriouscustomisveryancient。ThuswereadintheOdysseythatwhenMenelausheardinEgyptofthedeathofAgamemnonherearedforhimacenotaph，andpiledanemptybarrow"thatthefameofthedeadmanmightneverbequenched。"ProbablythisoldusagegaverisetotheclaimsofseveralGreekcitiestopossessthetombofthisorthatancienthero。Aheroictomb，asofCassandraforexample，severaltownshadtoshow，butwhichwasthetruegrave，whichwerethecenotaphs？QueenElizabethwasburiedinalltheLondonchurches，andpoorCassandrahadherbarrowinArgos，Mycenae，andAmyclae。

"Adrynkyngforthesoul"ofthedead，a[Greektext]orfuneralfeast，wasascommoninEnglandbeforetheReformationasinancientGreece。JamesCooke，ofSporle，inNorfolk（1528），leftsixshillingsandeightpencetopayforthis"drynkyngforhissoul；"

andthefuneralfeast，whichlongsurvivedinthedistributionofwine，wafers，androsemary，stillenduresasaslightcollationofwineandcakeinScotland。Whatafuneralcouldbe，aslateas1731，Mr。ChesterWatersprovesbythebillfortheburialofAndrewCard，seniorbencherofGray\'sInn。Thedeceasedwasbraveina"superfinepinkedshroud"（cheapat1L。5S。6D。），andtherewereeightlargeplatecandle-sticksonstandsroundthedais，andninety-sixbuckramescutcheons。Thepall-bearersworeAlamodehatbandscoveredwithfrizances，andsodidthedivineswhowerepresentatthemelancholybutgorgeousfunction。Ahundredmeninmourningcarriedahundredwhitewaxbranchlights，andtheglovesoftheportersinGray\'sInnwereash-colouredwithblackpoints。

Yetthewinecostnomorethan1L。19S。6D。；a"dealofsack，"bynomeans"intolerable。"

Leavingthefunerals，wefindthattheparishregistersometimesrecordsancientandobsoletemodesofdeath。Thus，martyrsarescarcenow，buttheregisterofAllSaints\'，Derby，1556，mentions"apoorblindewomancalledJoanWaste，ofthisparish，amartyr，burnedinWindmillpit。"ShewascondemnedbyRalphBaynes，BishopofCoventryandLichfield。In1558，atRichmond，inYorkshire，wefind"RichardSnell，b\'rnt，bur。9Sept。"AtCroydon，in1585，RogerShepherdprobablyneverexpectedtobeeatenbyalioness。

Rogerwasnot，likeWyllyamBarker，"acommondrunkardandblasphemer，"andwecannotregardtheCroydonlioness，liketheNemeanlion，asamiraculousmonstersentagainstthecountyofSurreyforthesinsofthepeople。Thelioness"wasbroughtintothetowntobeseenofsuchaswouldgivemoneytoseeher。He"

（Roger）"wassorewoundedinsundryplaces，andwasburiedthe26thAug。"

In1590，theregisterofSt。Oswald\'s，Durham，informsusthat"Duke，Hyll，Hogge，andHoliday"werehangedandburnedfor"therehorribleoffences。"ThearmofoneofthesehorribleoffenderswaspreservedatSt。Omerastherelicofamartyr，"amostprecioustreasure，"in1686。ButnooneknewwhetherthearmbelongedoriginallytoHoliday，Hyll，Duke，orHogge。Thecoals，whentheseunfortunatemenwereburned，costsixpence；theotheritemsintheaccountoftheabominableexecutionare，perhaps，toorepulsivetobequoted。

AccordingtosomecriticsoftheBritishgovernment，wedonottreattheEgyptianswell。ButourconducttowardstheFellahshascertainlyimprovedsincethisentrywasmadeintheregisterofSt。

Nicholas，Durham（1592，August8th）：\'Simson，Arington，Featherston，Fenwick，andLancaster，WEREHANGEDFORBEING

EGYPTIANS。\'Theywere，infact，gypsies，orhadbeenconsortingwithgypsies，andtheysufferedunder5Eliz。c。20。In1783thisstatutewasabolished，andwasevenconsidered"alawofexcessiveseverity。"Forevenahundredyearsago"thepulingcantofsicklyhumanitarianism"wasmakingitselfheardtotheinjuryofoursturdyoldEnglishlegislation。Tobekilledbyapoetisnowanunusualfate，buttheSt。Leonard\'s，Shoreditch，register（1598）mentionshow"GabrielSpencer，beingslayne，wasburied。"Gabrielwas"slayne"byRareBenJonson，inHoxtonFields。

Theburningofwitchesis，naturally，notanuncommoniteminparishregisters，andissetforthinabold，business-likemanner。OnAugust21（1650）fifteenwomenandonemanwereexecutedfortheimaginarycrimeofwitchcraft。"Agrave，forawitch，sixpence，"isaniteminthemunicipalaccounts。AndthegravewasacheaphavenforthepoorwomanwhohadbeencommittedtothetendermerciesofaScotchwitch-trier。Cetewayo\'smedicine-men，who"smeltout"

witches，wereonlysometwocenturiesintherearofourcivilisation。ThreehundredyearsagoBishopJewell，preachingbeforeElizabeth，wasquiteofthemindofCetewayoandSaul，astothewickednessofsufferingawitchtolive。Aslateas1691，theregisterofHolyIsland，Northumberland，mentions"WilliamCleugh，bewitchedtodeath，"andthesuperstitionisalmostaspowerfulaseveramongtheruralpeople。BetweenJuly13andJuly24（1699）thewidowComon，inEssex，wasthriceswumforawitch。Shewasnotdrowned，butsurvivedherimmersionforonlyfivemonths。A

singularhomicideisrecordedatNewingtonButts，1689。"JohnArrisandDerwickFarlininonegrave，beingbothDutchsoldiers；onekilledtheotherdrinkingbrandy。"Butwhoslewtheslayer？Theregisterissilent；but"ofteneatingashoulderofmuttonorapeckofhastypuddingatatimecausedthedeathofJamesParsons，"atTeddington，inMiddlesex，1743。Parsonshadresistedtheeffectsofshouldersofmuttonandhastypuddingtilltheageofthirty-six。

Andsotheregistersrunon。Sometimestheytellofthedeathofaglutton，sometimesofaGRACEWYFE（grossefemme）。Nowthebelltollsforthedeceaseofaduke，nowofa"dog-whipper。"

"Lutenists"and"Saltpetremen"——theskeletonoftheoldGermanallegorywhisperstoeachandtwitcheshimbythesleeve。"EllisThompson，insipiens，"leavesChester-le-Street，wherehehadgabbledandscrabbledonthedoors，andfollows"William，fooletomyLadyJerningham，"and"EdwardErrington，theTowne\'sFooll"（Newcastle-

on-Tyne）downthewaytodustydeath。EdwardErringtondied"ofthepest，"andanotheridiottookhisplaceandoffice，forNewcastlehadherregulartownfoolsbeforesheacquiredhersingularlyadvancedmodernrepresentatives。The"aquavityman"dies（inCripplegate），andthe"dumb-manwhowasafortune-teller"（Stepney，1628），andthe"King\'sFalkner，"andMr。GregoryIsham，whocombinedtheprofessions，notfrequentlyunited，of"attorneyandhusbandman，"inBarwell，Leicestershire（1655）。"Thelamechimney-

sweeper，"andthe"Kingofthegypsies，"andAlexanderWillis，"quicalographiamdocuit，"thelinguist，andtheTomo\'Bedlam，thecomfit-maker，andthepanyer-man，andthetack-maker，andthesuicide，theyallfounddeath；or，iftheysoughthim，thechurchyardwheretheywere"hurledintoagrave"wasinterdicted，andpurified，afterafortnight，with"frankincenseandsweetperfumes，andherbs。"

Sometimespeoplediedwholesaleofpestilence，andtheLongboroughregistermentionsafreshwayofdeath，"theswatcalledNewAcquaintance，aliasStoupeKnave，andknowthymaster。"Anothermaladywas\'thepostingswet，thatpostedfromtownetotownethroughEngland。\'Theplagueof1591wasimportedinbalesofclothfromtheLevant，justasBritishcommercestillpatrioticallytriestointroducecholeraincargoesofEgyptianrags。TheregisterofMalpas，inCheshire（Aug。24，1625），hasthisstrangestoryoftheplague：-

"RichardDawsonbeingsickeoftheplague，andperceivinghemustdieatyttime，aroseoutofhisbed，andmadehisgrave，andcausedhisnefew，JohnDawson，tocaststraweintothegravewhichwasnotfarrefromthehouse，andwentandlay\'dhimdowninthesay\'dgrave，andcausedclothestobelay\'dupponandsodep\'tedoutofthisworld；thishedidbecausehewasastrongman，andheavierthanhissaidnefewandanotherwenchwereabletobury。"

AndJohnDawsondied，andRoseSmyth，the"wench"alreadyspokenof，died，thelastofthehousehold。

Oldcustomssurviveintheparishregisters。Scoldingwiveswereducked，andinKingston-on-Thames，1572，theregistertellshowthesexton\'swife"wassettonanewcukking-stoole，andbroughttoTemesbrydge，andtherehadthreeduckingsoverheadanderes，becauseshewasacommonscoldandfighter。"Thecucking-stool，averyelaborateengineofthelaw，cost1L。3S。4D。Menwereduckedforbeatingtheirwives，andifthatcustomwererevivedtheprofessionofcucking-stoolmakerwouldbecomebusyandlucrative。

Penancesofagraversortareonrecordintheregisters。MargaretSherioux，inCroydon（1597），wasorderedtostandthreemarketdaysinthetown，andthreeSundaysinthechurch，inawhitesheet。Thesinimputedtoherwasadreadfulone。"ShestoodoneSaturday，andoneSunday，anddiedthenext。"Innocentorguilty，thisworldwasnolongerafitabiding-placeforMargaretSherioux。Occasionallythekeeperoftheregisterenteredanyeventwhichseemedoutofthecommon。ThustheregisterofSt。Nicholas，Durham（1568），hasthiscontributiontonaturalhistory：-

"AcertaineItalianbroughtintothecittieofDurhamaverygreatestrangeandmonstrousserpent，inlengthsixteenfeet，inquantitieanddimentionsgreaterthanagreatehorse，whichwastakenandkilledbyspecialpolicie，inEthiopiawithintheTurkasdominions。

Butbeforeitwaskilled，ithaddevoured（asiscrediblythought）

morethan1，000persons，anddestroyedagreatcountry。"

ThismusthavebeenadescendantofthemonsterthatwouldhaveeatenAndromeda，andwasslainbyPerseusinthecountryoftheblamelessEthiopians。Collectionsofmoneyarerecordedoccasionally，asin1680，whennolessthanonepoundeightshillingswascontributed"forredemptionofChristians（takenbyyeTurkishpyrates）outofTurkishslavery。"TwohundredyearsagotheTurkwaspretty"unspeakable"still。OfallblunderingDogberries，themostconfusedkept（in1670）theparishregisteratMeltonMowbray：-

"Here[hewrites]isabillofBurtonLazareth\'speople，whichwasburied，andwhichwasandmariedabove10yearsold，forbecausetheclarkewasdead，andthereforetheywasnotsetdownaccordingastheywas，buttheyallsetdownsureenoughoneamonganotherhereinthisplace。"

"Theyallsetdownsureenough，"nordoesitmattermuchnowtoknowwhomtheymarried，andhowlongtheylivedinMeltonMowbray。ThefollowingentrysufficedforthegreatVilliersthatexpired"intheworstinn\'sworstroom，"——"KirkbyMoorside，Yorkshire，1687。

GeorgesvilarisLorddookeofBookingham，bur。17。April。"

"SomuchforBuckingham！"

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SOMEJAPANESEBOGIE-BOOKS

ThereisorusedtobeapoemforinfantmindsofaratherPharisaicalcharacter，whichwaspopularinthenurserywhenIwasayoungster。Itransomethinglikethis：。

IthankmystarsthatIwasbornAlittleBritishchild。

Perhapsthesewerenottheverywords，butthatwasdecidedlythesentiment。LookattheJapaneseinfants，fromthepencilofthefamousHokusai。ThoughtheyarenotBritish，werethereevertwojollier，happiersmallcreatures？DidLeech，orMr。DuMaurier，orAndreadellaRobbiaeverpresentamoredelightfulviewofinnocent，well-pleasedchildhood？Well，theseJapanesechildren，iftheyareintheleastinclinedtobetimidornervous，musthaveanawfultimeofitatnightinthedark，andwhentheymakethateerie"northwestpassage"bedwardsthroughthedarklinghouseofwhichMr。