I have been favoured by a friend, who visited Italy last year, with the perusal of a small guidebook, which has afforded me much amusement, and from which I send you a few extracts for the gratification of your readers. The title runs thus:

"Description of the front and interior of the Cathedral of Milan the first edition corrected, and increased with interesting things Milan by the printer Luigi di Giacomo Pirola M.DCCC.XLVI."

The Preface is as follows:

"In presenting to the learned and intelligent Publick this new and brief Description of the Cathedral of Milan, i must apprise that i do not mean to emulate with the works already existing of infinite merit for the notions they contain, and the perspicuity with which they are exposed. My idea only was to make an extract of them, not forgetting the principal things of observation, with the names of the most distinguished artists, and not to deprive them of all the digressions and explanations required by the Scientificals, or those skilled in the art, so that it might be contained in a Pamphlet, and of little expence, to be offered to the amateurs of fine arts, who come to visit this unique and magnificent Edifice. Therefore i have not failed to include in it, all that has been done subsequently to the publishment of the above works, with some other little trifles worthy to be seen, and in them not mentioned. Such has been my sole design, no other pretention has induced me to it, and with a similar premise, i hope to be pardoned by the indulgent Reader for all the errors in which i might have involuntarily incurred.

G. P."

In the introductory portion, giving a general account of the building, "G. P." says:

"Under the direction of honest, intelligent and active Administrators, and by the pious munificence of our Gracious Sovereign, who bestowes an annual generous donation for completing the building of the Cathedral of Milan, one perceives tending with the greatest celerity to the perfection of this magnificent Edifice, founded by a special vow in 1386 by the duke of Milan Giovanni Galeazzo Visconti. It is of fine white statuary marble, extracted from the quarry of mount Gandolia, which among many gifts was expressly regaled for the building by its generous founder the duke Visconti above mentioned."

In describing the "fore-front" he gives a catalogue of the "bass-riliefs," from which a few extracts are made:

"1st. the Tobiolo assisted by the Angel in his jounrey to Rages, ... the second is the Angel that expells Adam and Eve from the Eden, by Carlo Maria Giudici. The two in the second order are: Daniel in the lake of the lions by the above Carabelli, and Job on the dunghill, by the above Giudici. The two upper Statues that figure Saint Bartholomew and Saint James Junior, are works by Buzzi Donelli and Buzzi Giuseppe. The Bass-Riliefs that follow aside of the Pilaster is God appearing to Moses in the ardent-brambles.... Over the great windout the Bass-Rilief representing Samuel while he oints Saul king of Israel is by Carlo Maria Giudici, and Angelo Pizzi a milanese, carved the vision of Jacob on the side of the following Pilaster. In sight of the same Moses who makes the water gush from the mountain is by Giuseppe Buzzi, and the other Bass-Rilief that is placed above, represents the prophet Elia presenting to the afflicted mother the resurrection of her Son, by Grazioso Rusca. By Canaillo Pacetti is the Statue of Saint James senior.... The Bass-Rilief over the great window represents the prophetess Debora providing captain Barach with arms.... Ornamented is the rest of the front with a great number of Statues managed with skill by intelligent Authors, and aside of the door are the Apostles Peter and Paul of ancient work and unknown Author ... as also of unknown chisel is Saul who tempts to kill David.... The Angel who assures Sampson's Father that his Wife, believed to be sterile, will generate the strongest of Israel's sons.... On reaching the fourth door one perceives in the frontispiece the Bass-Rilief that adorns it, which is by Lasagni; representing Givele that with a nail kills captain Sisara.... EsaÙ renouncing the primogeniture to his brother Jacob.... Over the great window is painted Agar dying with thirst, with the son of Ismael in the desert, while an Angel appears indicating a fountain to her.... The first of the other four Bass-Riliefs in view figure Gedeone preparing to fight the Madianites, and the second Sampson suffocating the lion.... The Saints Philip and Thomas placed upwards are by the egregious Pompeo Marchesi ... the second is by Ribossi, representing Absatom suspended by his hair to a tree and pierced through by Jacob."

In describing the interior, "G. P." is rather more instructive, but not quite so entertaining: however, a number of the peculiar expressions already quoted are repeated with the same confiding simplicity. A few extracts will suffice for this portion:

"The ornaments of the five doors are the designment of Fabio Mangone, ... the surprising vault a chiaro-scuro, drawn and painted in part by our milanese Felice Alberti, who in the year 1827 was ravished from the living by a fatal misfortune in the flower of his age ... in the inward columns on both sides are two very fine Statues sitting in a very melancholy action, which represent military Peace and Virtue ... under the tomb-stone is another small and genteel Bass-Rilief representing the Saviour afflicted, sustained by two little Angels.... The Altar of Santa Tecla, which is part of the left arm of the cross, or form of the Church, as is mentioned above, representing the Saint in a seraglio of wild beasts, is by the Sculptor Carlo Beretta."

Lest I should have exhausted your patience, as well as that of your readers, I will close with one more quotation, which displays what Mrs. Malaprop calls "a nice derangement of epitaphs:"

"The last altar that was seen not long since on this side was dedicated to the Blessed Virgin, whose image carved in wood dated a remote antiquity, but as to the remnant nothing was found to be appreciable in sort of art."

A. R. X.

Paisley.

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ST. NICHOLAS CHURCH, BRIGHTON.

In matters touching the public weal, the Editor of "N. & Q." always finds space for his correspondents: a few lines are asked for the present subject, as being one on which his pages have already been earnestly devoted.

The rebuilding of Brighton old church has been announced, and those who have frequented the salubrious breezes of that unequalled marine residence have often enjoyed the commanding view of the town and noble sea, which is obtained from the hill on which this venerable fabric stands, and which is about to disappear and perhaps "leave not a wreck behind."

The church is literally lined and flagged with monuments of the dead, more or less noted; but all of whom have passed through the stage of this life away from their native localities, and many falling where they went to seek in vain renovated health.

The tombs in the churchyard, immediately adjoining the church, of Capt. Tettersell, who conveyed King Charles to France after the battle of Worcester; and Phoebe Hassell, who fought under the Duke of Cumberland at Fontenoy, are continually surveyed by the old visitors. In a few months it may be too late to suggest to your friends interested in the preservation of monumental remains, and their inscriptions, to prevent such a similar removal and destruction as has taken place at Lambeth, under the walls of the Archbishop's residence, by the rector, church-wardens, and architects of Lambeth new church.

A notice to those interested in the history of the county of Sussex may be the means of preserving at least the inscriptions, and calling attention of the amiable and respected vicar of Brighton to a consideration of the subject.

K. N.

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KEY TO DIBDIN'S BIBLIOMANIA.

The following key to the characters in the Bibliomania (edit. 1811) has been collected with care, and will no doubt prove acceptable to some of the readers of "N. & Q.":

	Atticus	Richard Heber, Esq.
	Aurelius	George Chalmers, Esq.
	Alphonso	Horne Tooke?
	Archimedes	John Rennie, Esq.
	Bernardo	Joseph Haslewood, Esq.
	Boscardo	James Boswell, Esq.?
	Coriolanus	John Ph. Kemble, Esq.
	Crassus	Watson Taylor, Esq.
	Eumenius	J. D. Phelps, Esq.
(1.)	Gonzalo	John Dent, Esq.
	Hortensius	W. Bolland, Esq.
	Honorio	George Hibbert, Esq.
	Hippolyto	Samuel Weller Singer, Esq.
	Leontes	James Bindley, Esq.
	Lepidus	Dr. Gosset.
	Lysander	Rev. T. F. Dibdin.
	Lorenzo	Sir Mark Sykes.
	Lavinia's Husband	J. Harrison, Esq.
	Lisardo	R. Heathcote, Esq.
	Licius	Francis Freeling, Esq.
	Marcellus	Edmond Malone, Esq.
	Mustapha	W. Gardiner of Pall Mall.
	Menander	Tom. Warton.
	Malvolio	Payne Knight or Townley?
	Menalcas	Rev. Henry Drury.
	Mercurii (III.)	Mr. Henry Foss, Mr. Triphook, and Mr. Griffiths.
	Meliadus	R. Lang, Esq.
	Nicas	G. Shepherd, Esq.
	Narcottus	Rev. J. Jones.
	Orlando	Michael Woodhull, Esq.
	Prospero	Francis Douce, Esq.
	Philemon	J. Barwise, Esq.
(2.)	Phormio	Rev. H. Vernon.
	Portius	Mr. John Cuthill.
	Palmeria	Robert Southey, Esq.
	Philelphus	Geo. Henry Freeling, Esq.
	Palermo	John North, Esq.
	Pontevallo	Duke of Bridgewater?
	Quisquilius	George Baker, Esq.
	Rinaldo	J. Edwards, Esq.
	Rosicrusius	Rev. T. F. Dibdin.
	Sir Tristram	Walter Scott, Esq.
	Sycorax	Joseph Ritson.
	Ulpian	Edw. Vernon Utterson, Esq.
(1.)	Attributed to	Birt Churton brace In Sir Francis Freeling's copy.
(2.)	——
Page 164.
	Right-hand neighbor	Mr. George Nicol.
	Left-hand ditto	Mr. R. H. Evans.
	Opposite ditto	Mr. Thomas Payne.
Page 249.
	Literary friend	Sir Henry Ellis.

W. P.

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PARALLEL PASSAGES.^[1]

"What would be the heart of an old weather-beaten hollow stump, if the leaves and blossoms of its youth were suddenly to spring up out of the mould around it, and to remind it how bright and blissful summer was in the years of its prime?"—Hare's Guesses at Truth, 1st series, p. 244.

[And see the converse thought,—

D. M. Moir, quoted in Dubl. Univ. Mag., Oct. 1852.]

5. Boileau, speaking of himself, when set in his youth to study the law, says that his family—

While Pope, in his Epistle to Dr. Arbuthnot, speaks of—

Harry Leroy Temple.

P.S.—At p. 123. of Vol. vi. are inserted some other parallels, noted by me in the course of my reading. For one of these so inserted, that relating to Sylla, I was taken to task (see Vol. vi., p. 208.) by P. C. S. S. Now, the parallel between the two passages ("Parallel, resemblance, conformity continued through many particulars, likeness," Johnson's Dictionary) is this: Both verses endeavour to picture the mingled red and white of the "human face divine" (one satirically, the other eulogistically), by comparing their combined effect to that of the red hue of fruit seen through a partially superfused white medium—meal over mulberries, cream over strawberries. If there is not sufficient "resemblance" or "likeness" in the two (in the opinion of P. C. S. S.) to justify me in placing them alongside of one another (pa??????a), I really cannot help it.

I have now ascertained that the words

are to be found in Langhorne's Plutarch, as a translation of the original Greek quoted by P. C. S. S.

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ANTIQUITY OF THE POLKA: A NOTE FOR THE LADIES.

The description of the lavolta in Sir John Davies's poem on dancing, The Orchestra (1596), shows that it must have closely resembled the dance which we fondly boast of as one of the great inventions of the nineteenth century. It runs as follows:

The "anapÆst" is conclusive; it points exactly to the peculiar nature of the polka, the pause on the third step. Moreover, it appears, that as there is no especial figure for the polka, so there was none for the lavolta; for it is classed among those dances

Who can doubt after that? The polka was certainly danced before Queen Elizabeth!

To this valuable historical parallel I may add that the galliard and coranto also were apparently danced ad libitum (observing only a particular measure), just as our waltz and galop also are:

B. R. I.

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SEVEN SCORE SUPERSTITIOUS SAYINGS.

My common-place books contain a goodly number of superstitious sayings, noted down as heard at different times and in various places, chiefly during the last ten or twelve years. I have made a selection from them, the greater portion of which will probably come under the printer's eye for the first time, should they be considered a fitting addition to the interesting records of Folk Lore in the pages of "N. & Q." I reserve my comment or attempted illustration for future opportunities.

First Score.

1. Adder. "Look under the deaf adder's belly, and you'll find marked, in mottled colours, these words:

(This saying was related to me by a friend, a native of Lewes, Sussex, where it is common.)

2. Adder-skin. "It'll bring you good luck to hang an ether-skin o'er the chimbly [chimney-piece]." (Heard in Leicestershire.)

3. Beanfield. "Sleep in a beanfield all night if you want to have awful dreams, or go crazy." (In Leicestershire.)

4. Chime-hours. "A child born in chime-hours will have the power to see spirits." (A Somerset friend.)

5. Egg-shells. "Always poke a hole through your eggshell before you throw it away."—Why? "If you don't, the fairies will put to sea to wreck the ships." (Somerset. Query, For fairies, read witches?)

6. Eyebrows. "It's a good thing to have meeting eyebrows. You'll never know trouble." (Various places.)

7. Fern-root. "Cut a fern-root slantwise, and you'll see a picture of an oak-tree: the more perfect, the luckier chance for you." (Croydon and elsewhere.)

8. Flowering Myrtle. "That's the luckiest plant to have in your window. Water it every morning, and be proud of it." (Somerset.)

9. Harvest Spider. "The harvest-man has got four things on its back,—the scythe, the rake, the sickle, and [Query the fourth?] It's most unlucky for the reaper to kill it on purpose." (From an Essex man.)

10. Holly, Ivy, &c. "All your Christmas should be burnt on Twelfth-day morning." (London, &c.)

11. Lettuce. "O'er-much lettuce in the garden will stop a young wife's bearing." (Richmond, Surrey.)

12. May-baby. "A May-baby's always sickly. You may try, but you'll never rear it." (Various.)

13. May-kitten. "You should drown a May-kitten. It's unlucky to keep it." (Somerset.)

14. New Moon. "You may see as many new moons at once through a silk handkerchief, as there are years before you will marry." (Leicestershire.)

15. Onions. "In buying onions always go in by one door of the shop, and come out by another. Select a shop with two doorways. These onions, placed under your pillow on St. Thomas's Eve, are sure to bring visions of your true-love, your future husband." (London, &c.)

16. Parsley. "Where parsley's grown in the garden, there'll be a death before the year's out. (London and Surrey.)

17. Ring-finger. "The ring-finger, stroked along any sore or wound, will soon heal it. All the other fingers are poisonous, especially the fore-finger." (Somerset.)

18. Salt. "Help to salt, help to sorrow." (Various.)

19. Three Dogs. "If three dogs chase a rabbit or a hare, they can't kill it." (Surrey.)

20. White Cow. "A child that sucks a white cow will thrive better." (Wilts.)

J. Westby Gibson.

12. Catherine Street, Strand.

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