Smock Marriage in New York.—In a curious old book, entitled The interesting Narrative of the Life of Oulandah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, the African, written by himself, and published in London, by subscription, in 1789, I find the following passage:

"While we lay here (New York, A.D. 1784) a circumstance happened which I thought extremely singular. One day a malefactor was to be executed on a gallows, but with a condition that if any woman, having nothing on but her shift, married the man under the gallows, his life was to be saved. This extraordinary privilege was claimed; a woman presented herself, and the marriage ceremony was performed."—Vol. ii. p. 224.

Perhaps some of your New York correspondents can say whether the annals of that city furnish evidence of so extraordinary an occurrence.

R. Wright.

The broken Astragalus.—Where was the broken astragalus, given by the host to his guest, first used as the symbol of hospitality?

C. H. Howard.

Penardo and Laissa.—Who is the author of a poem (the title-page of which is wanting) called The Historye of Penardo and Laissa, unpaged, in seventeen caputs, with poems recommendatory, by Drummond of Hawthornden and others, small 4to., containing many Scotticisms?

E. D.

St. Adulph (Vol. v., pp. 566, 567.).—Capgrave, quoting John of Tynemouth (?), says:

"Sanctum igitur Adulphum audita ejus fama ad trajectensem ecclesiam in episcopum rex sublimavit."

Query 1. Who is the "rex" here mentioned?

Query 2. "Trajecteasem:" ought this to be applied to "Utrecht" or "Maestricht," or either? Literally, it is "on the other side of the water."

A. B.

St. Botulph (Vol. v., pp. 566, 567.).—Your correspondent C. W. G. says:

"His (St. Botulph's) life was first put into regular form by Fulcard.... Fulcard tells us what his materials were.... An early MS. of this life is in the Harleian Collection, No. 3097. It was printed by Capgrave in the Legenda Nova."

Query: Fulcard's life of the saint, or the life by some other person: John of Tynemouth to wit?

A. B.

Tennyson.—Mr. Gilfillan, in his Literary Gallery, speaking of that fine poem "The Two Voices," says that the following line—

is borrowed from one of the old dramatists. Could you or any of your correspondents tell me what the line is?

As also the Latin song referred to in "Edwin Morris:"

My last Tennyson Query is about the meaning of—

H. J. J.

Liverpool.

"Ma Ninette," &c.—Can any of your French readers tell me the continuation, if continuation there be, of the following charming verses; as also where they come from?

H. J. J.

Astronomical Query.—You style your paper a medium of communication between literary men, &c. I trust this does not exclude one of my sex from seeking information through the same channel.

We have had additions to our solar system by the discovery of four planets within the last few years. Supposing that these planets obey the same laws as the larger ones, they must be at all times apparently moving within the zodiac; and considering the improvements in telescopes within the last seventy years, and the great number of scientific observers at all times engaged in the pursuit of astronomy both in Europe and North America, I am at a loss to understand why these planets were not discovered before.

I suppose we may not consider them as new creations attached to our solar system, because the law of perturbations on which Mr. Herschel discourses at length, in the eleventh chapter of his Treatise on Astronomy, would seem to demonstrate that they would interfere with the equilibrium of the solar system.

Would some of your scientific contributors condescend to explain this matter, so as to remove the ignorance under which I labour in common with, I believe, many others?

Leonora.

Liverpool.

Chaplains to Noblemen.—Under what statute, if any, do noblemen appoint their chaplains? and is there any registry of such appointments in any archiepiscopal or episcopal registry?

X.

"More" Queries.—

I infer from the first lines of this epigram that Sir Thomas More, by his unremitting attention to the business of the Court of Chancery, had brought to a close, in his day, the litigation in that department. Is there any authentic record of this circumstance?

Are there, at the present day, any male descendants of Sir Thomas More, so as to render possible the fulfilment of the prophecy contained in the last two lines?

Henry H. Breen.

St. Lucia.

Heraldic Query.—To what families do the following bearings belong? 1. Two lions passant, on a chief three spheres (I think) mounted on pedestals; a mullet for difference. The crest is very like a lily reversed. 2. Ermine, a bull passant; crest, a bull passant: initials "C. G."

U. J. S.

Sheffield.

"By Prudence guided," &c.—Can any of the readers of "N. & Q." supply me with the words deficient in the following lines, and inform me from what author they are quoted? I met with them on an old decaying tomb in one of the churchyards in Sheffield:

W. S. (Sheffield.)

Lawyers' Bags.—I find it stated by Colonel Landman, in his Memoirs, that prior to the trial of Queen Caroline, the colour of the bags carried by barristers was green; and that the change to red took place at, or immediately after, the event in question. I shall be glad of any information both as to the fact of such change having taken place, and the circumstances by which it was brought about and accompanied.

J. St. J. Y.

Wellbank.

Master Family.—Can you refer me to any one who may be able to give me information respecting the earlier history of the family of Master or Maistre, of Kent, prior to 1550: and any suggestions as to its connexion with the French or Norman family of Maistre or De Maistre? This being a Query of no public interest, I inclose a stamped envelope, according to the wish expressed by you in a recent Number.

George S. Master.

Welsh-Hampton, Salop.

Passage in Wordsworth.—Can any of your correspondents find an older original for Wordsworth's graceful conceit, in his sonnet on Walton's lines—

than the following:

Dorothy Berry, in a Sonnet prefixed to Diana Primrose's Chain of Pearl, a Memorial of the peerless Graces, &c. of Queen Elizabeth: published London, 1639,—a tract of twelve pages.

M—a L.

Edinburgh.

Govett Family.—Can you inform me for what town or county Sir —— Govett, Bart., was member of parliament in the year 1669, and what were his armorial bearings? His name appears in the list of members given in page 496. of the Grand Duke Cosmo's Travels through England, published in 1821. Is the baronetcy extinct? If so, who was the last baronet, and in what year? Where he lived, or any other particulars, will much oblige.

QuÆro.

Sir Kenelm Digby.—Why is Sir Kenelm Digby represented, I believe always, with a sun-flower by his side?

Vandyke.

Riddles.—It would take up too much of your valuable time and space to insert all the riddles for which correspondents cannot find answers; but will you find means to ask, through your pages, if any clever Œdipus would allow me to communicate to him certain enigmas which puzzle me greatly, and which I should very much like to have solved.

Rubi.

Straw Bail.—Fielding, in his Life of Jonathan Wild, book i. chap. ii., relates that Jonathan's aunt

"Charity took to husband an eminent gentleman, whose name I cannot learn; but who was famous for so friendly a disposition, that he was bail for above a hundred persons in one year. He had likewise the remarkable humour of walking in Westminster Hall with a straw in his shoe."

What was the practice here referred to, and what is the origin of the expression "a man of straw," which is commonly applied to any one who appears, or pretends to be, but is not, a man of property?

Straw bail is, I believe, a term still used by attorneys to distinguish insufficient bail from "justifiable" or sufficient bail.

J. Lewelyn Curtis.

Wages in the West in 1642.—The Marquis of Hertford and Lord Poulett were very active in the West in the year 1642. In the famous collection of pamphlets in the British Museum (113, 69.) is contained Lord Poulett's speech at Wells, Somerset:

"His lordship, with many imprecations, oaths, and execrations (in the height of fury), said that it was not fit for any yeoman to have allowed him from his own labours any more than the poor moiety of ten pounds a-year; and when the power shall be totally on their side, they shall be compelled to live on that low allowance, notwithstanding their estates are gotten with a great deal of labour and industry.

"Upon this the people attempted to lay violent hands upon Lord Poulett, who was saved by a regiment marching in or by at the moment."

What was Lord Poulett's precise meaning? Do we not clearly learn from the above, that the Civil War was due to more than a mere choosing between king and parliament among the humbler classes of the remote country districts?

George Roberts.

Literary Frauds of Modern Times.—In a work by Bishop (now Cardinal) Wiseman, entitled The Connexion between Science and Revealed Religion, 3rd edition, vol. ii. p. 270., occurs the following remark:

"The most celebrated literary frauds of modern times, the History of Formosa, or, still more, the Sicilian Code of Vella, for a time perplexed the world, but were in the end discovered."

Will you, or any of your readers, kindly refer me to any published account of the frauds alluded to in this passage? I have a faint remembrance of having read some remarks respecting the Code of Vella, but am unable to recall the circumstances.

I was under the impression that Chatterton's forgery of the Rowley poems, Macpherson's of the Ossianic rhapsodies, and Count de Surville's of the poems of Madame de Surville, were "the most celebrated literary frauds of modern times." In what respect are those alluded to by Dr. Wiseman entitled to the unenviable distinction which he claims for them?

Henry H. Breen.

St. Lucia.

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