(Vol. vii., p. 536.)

I have been travelling so much about in the country since I left England, that I have not always the opportunity of seeing your "N. & Q." until long after the publication of the different Numbers. I have in this way seen some Queries put to me about matters connected with the history of the Danish settlements in England. But as I have had no particular information to give, I have not thought it worth while to write to say that I know nothing of any great consequence.

Just when I left Copenhagen, some days ago, a friend of mine showed me that Mr. Taylor, of Ormesby in Norfolk, asked some questions regarding the Danish names of places in Norfolk.

In answer to them I beg to state, that all the names terminating in -by unquestionably are of Danish origin. Mr. Taylor is perfectly right in supposing that several of these names of places contain the names of the old Danish conquerors. But I do not think that Ormesby originally has been Gormsby. Gorm certainly is the same as Guthrum; but both of these names are distinctly different from the name "Orme" or "Orm," which, in our old language, signifies a serpent, and also a worm. (The famous ship, on board of which King Olaf Tryggveson was killed in the year 1000, was called "Ormen hin lange," i.e. the long serpent.) I have observed that several English families (undoubtedly of old Scandinavian descent) at this day have the family-name "Orm" or "Orme."

Among the other names of places quoted by Mr. Taylor, Rollesby most probably must be derived from the name "Rollo" or "Rolf;" but I regard the origin of the other names as being much more doubtful. If we had the original forms of these names, it might have been easier to decide upon it. As the names are now, I do not see anything purely Scandinavian in them, except the termination -by. It is not at all unlikely that the name Ashby or Askeby might have been called so from "Ash-trees" (Danish "Ask eller Esk"), but I dare not venture into conjectures of this kind.

I should be very happy if I in any other way could be of any service to Mr. Taylor in his researches about the Danish settlements in East Anglia. His remarks upon the situation of the villages with Danish names are most interesting and instructive. I always sincerely wish that inhabitants of the different old Danish districts in the North and East of England would, in the same way, take up the question about the Danish influence, as I feel fully convinced that very remarkable and important elucidations might be gained to the history of England during a long and hitherto very little known period.

J. J. A. Worsaae.

CLEANING OLD OAK.

(Vol. vii., p. 620.; Vol. viii., p. 45.)

Having been so frequently benefited by the instruction, especially photographic, issuing from your most useful periodical, I feel myself almost bound to contribute my mite of information whenever I may chance to have the power of doing so; consequently, should you not get a better method of assisting Mr. F.M. Middleton out of his difficulty of softening old paint, as describe in the "N. & Q.," No. 191., I beg to offer him the following, and from experience I can vouch for its certainty of leading him to the desired result.

Some years since, having had occasion to enter a lumber-room of an old building, I was struck with the antiquated appearance of an arm-chair, which had, in days long gone by, been daubed over with a dirty bluish paint. Finding, on inquiry, that its owner set no particular value on it, I met with but little difficulty in inducing him to make an exchange with me for a good mahogany one. Soon after its being brought into my house, one of my domestics discovered that it positively swarmed with a species of lice, issuing from innumerable minute worm-holes and crevices, which of course rendered it in its present state worse than useless. Determined not to be deprived of my prize, I resolved on attempting to rid it of this troublesome pest by washing it over with a strong solution of caustic soda, made by mixing some quick-lime with a very strong solution of the common washing soda (impure carbonate of soda), and pouring off the clear supernatant liquid for use. This proceeding, much to my satisfaction, not only succeeded in entirely getting rid of the vermin, but on my servant's scrubbing the chair with a hard brush and hot soap and water, I found that the caustic soda had formed a kind of soap, by chemically uniting with the oil contained in the old paint, thereby reducing it to such a state of softness, that by a few vigorous applications and soakings of the above-named solution, and subsequent scrubbings, my new favourite was also freed from its ugly time-worn jacket of dirty paint, discovering underneath a beautifully carved and darkly coloured oaken surface.

After being perfectly dried and saturated with linseed oil, it was frequently well rubbed, and the chair stands to this day, like some of the valuable discoveries made by the alchemists when in search of the Elixir VitÆ, or the Philosopher's Stone, an example of a fortunate and unexpected disclosure made when not directly in search of it. I have since learnt that a fluid possessing the above-named detergent qualities, is to be purchased at some of the oil and colour shops, the formula for its preparation being kept a secret.

Henry Herbert Hele.

Ashburton, Devonshire.

P. S.—In making the solution on a caustic alkali, perhaps I should have said that the common carbonate of potass of commerce will do as well as the common carbonate of soda, if not better, from the probability of its making a stronger solution.

The following recipe for taking paint off old oak is from No. 151. of The Builder:

"Make a strong solution of American potash (which can be bought at any colour-shop, and resembles burnt brick in appearance); mix this with sawdust into a kind of paste, and spread it all over the paint, which will become softened in a few hours, and is then easily removed by washing with cold water. If, after the wood has dried, it becomes cracked, apply a solution of hot size with a brush, which will bind it well together and make it better for varnishing, as well as destroy the beetle which is often met with in old oak, and is erroneously called the worm."

The following is also from the same Number:

"To make dark oak pale in colour, which is sometimes a desideratum, apply with a brush a little dilute nitric acid judiciously; and to stain light oak dark, use the dregs of black ink and burnt amber mixed. It is better to try these plans on oak of little value at first, as, to make a good job, requires care, practice, and attention."

H. C. K.

F. M. Middleton will find that American potash, soft soap, and warm water, will remove paint from oak. The mixture should be applied with a paint-brush, and allowed to remain on until the paint and it can be removed by washing with warm water and a hard brush.

Getsrn.

BURIAL IN AN ERECT POSTURE.

(Vol. viii., p. 5.)

Your correspondent Cheverells refers to the "tradition" of one of the Harcourt family being buried in an erect posture, and asks, "Is the probability of this being the case supported by any, and what instances?" As this Query has been raised, it may be worth while to mention the following circumstance, as a singular illustration of a remarkable subject; though (as will be seen) the actual burial in an erect posture is here also probably "traditional."

Towards the close of the last century, there lived in Kidderminster an eccentric person of the name of Orton (not that Orton, the friend of Doddridge, who passed some time in the town), but "Job Orton," the landlord of the Bell Inn. During his lifetime he erected his tomb in the parish churchyard, with this memento-mori inscription graven in large characters on the upper slab:

This inscription remains unaltered to this day, and may be seen on the right-hand of the broad walk on the north side of the spacious churchyard. His coffin was constructed at the same time; and, until it should be required for other and personal purposes, was used as a wine-bin. But, to carry his eccentricity even to the grave, he left strict orders that he should be buried in an erect posture: and "tradition" (of course) says that his request was complied with. Your correspondent says that tradition "assigns no reason for the peculiarity" of the Harcourt knight's burial; but tradition has been more explicit in Job Orton's case, whose reason (?) for his erect posture in the tomb was, that at the last day he might be able to rise from his grave before his wife, who was buried in the usual horizontal manner! Job Orton appears to have had a peculiar talent for the composition of epitaphs; as, in his more playful moments, he was accustomed to tell his better-half that if he outlived her he should put the following lines on her tombstone:

He seems, however, to have spared her this gratuitous insult. As a farther illustration of the characters of this singular couple, the following anecdote is told. Esther Orton having frequently declared, that she should "never die happy until she had rolled in riches," Job, like a good husband, determined to secure his wife's happiness. Having sold some land for a thousand pounds, he insisted that the money should be paid wholly in guineas. Taking these home in a bag, he locked his wife up in a room; knocked her down, opened his bag of guineas, and raining the golden wealth upon her, rolled his Danae over and over in the coin. "And now, Esther," said Job Orton, "thee mayst die as soon as thee pleases: for thee'st had thy wish, and roll'd in riches."

Cuthbert Bede, B.A.

LAWYERS' BAGS.

(Vol. vii., p. 557.)

Additional evidence of the fact that lawyers used to carry green bags towards the end of the seventeenth century, is to be found in the Plain Dealer, a comedy by Wycherley.

One of the principal characters in the play is the Widow Blackacre, a petulant, litigious woman, always in law, and mother of Jerry Blackacre, "a true raw squire under age and his mother's government, bred to the law."

In Act I. Sc. 1., I find the following stage directions:

"Enter Widow Blackacre with a mantle and a green bag, and several papers in the other hand. Jerry Blackacre, her son, in a gown, laden with green bags, following her."

In Act III. Sc. 1. the widow is called impertinent and ignorant by a lawyer of whom she demands back her fee, on his returning her brief and declining to plead for her. This draws from her the following reply:

"Impertinent again and ignorant to me! Gadsbodikins, you puny upstart in the law to use me so, you green bag carrier, you murderer of unfortunate causes," &c.

Farther on, in the same scene, Freeman, a gentleman well educated, but of a broken fortune, a complier with the age, thus admonishes Jerry:

"Come, Squire, let your mother and your trees fall as she pleases, rather than wear this gown and carry green bags all thy life, and be pointed at for a tony. But you shall be able to deal with her yet the common way. Thou shalt make false love to some lawyer's daughter, whose father, upon the hopes of thy marrying her, shall lend thee money and law to preserve thy estate and trees."

A. W. S.

Temple.

PHOTOGRAPHIC CORRESPONDENCE.

[By the courtesy of our valued cotemporary The AthenÆum, we are permitted to reprint the following interesting communication, which appeared in that journal on Saturday last.]

"NEW PHOTOGRAPHIC PROCESS.

"Henley Street, July 6.

"Your insertion of the annexed letter from my brother-in-law, Mr. John Stewart, of Pau, will much oblige me. The utility of this mode of reproduction seems indisputable. In reference to its concluding paragraph, I will only add, that the publication of concentrated microscopic editions of works of reference—maps, atlases, logarithmic tables, or the concentration for pocket use of private notes and MSS., &c., &c., and innumerable other similar applications—is brought within the reach of any one who possesses a small achromatic object-glass of an inch or an inch and a half in diameter, and a brass tube, with slides before and behind the lens of a fitting diameter to receive the plate or plates to be operated upon,—central or nearly central rays only being required. The details are too obvious to need mention.—I am, &c.

"J. F. W. Herschel.

"Pau, June 11.

"Dear Herschel.—I sent you some time ago a few small-sized studies of animals from the life, singly and in flocks, upon collodionised glass. The great rapidity of exposition required for such subjects, being but the fraction of a second, together with the very considerable depth and harmony obtained, gave me reason to hope that ere this I should have been able to produce microscopic pictures of animated objects. For the present, I have been interrupted. Meantime, one of my friends here, Mr. Heilmann, following the same pursuit, has lighted on an ingenious method of taking from glass negatives positive impressions of different dimensions, and with all the delicate minuteness which the negative may possess. This discovery is likely, I think, to extend the resources and the application of photography,—and with some modifications, which I will explain, to increase the power of reproduction to an almost unlimited amount. The plan is as follows:—The negative to be reproduced is placed in a slider at one end (a) of a camera or other box, constructed to exclude the light throughout. The surface prepared for the reception of the positive—whether albumen, collodion, or paper—is placed in another slider, as usual, at the opposite extremity (c) of the box, and intermediately between the two extremities (at b) is placed a lens. The negative at a is presented to the light of the sky, care being taken that no rays enter the box but those traversing the partly transparent negative. These rays are received and directed by the lens at b upon the sensitive surface at c, and the impression of the negative is there produced with a rapidity proportioned to the light admitted, and the sensibility of the surface presented. By varying the distances between a and c, and c and b, any dimension required may be given to the positive impression. Thus, from a medium-sized negative, I have obtained negatives four times larger than the original, and other impressions reduced thirty times, capable of figuring on a watch-glass, brooch, or ring.

"Undoubtedly one of the most interesting and important advantages gained by this simple arrangement is, the power of varying the dimensions of a picture or portrait. Collodion giving results of almost microscopic minuteness, such negatives bear enlarging considerably without any very perceptible deterioration in that respect. Indeed, as regards portraits, there is a gain instead of a loss; the power of obtaining good and pleasing likenesses appears to me decidedly increased, the facility of subsequent enlargement permitting them to be taken sufficiently small, at a sufficient distance (and therefore with greater rapidity and certainty) to avoid all the focal distortion so much complained of,—while the due enlargement of a portrait taken on glass has the effect, moreover, of depriving it of that hardness of outline so objectionable in a collodion portrait, giving it more artistic effect, and this without quitting the perfect focal point as has been suggested.

"But there are many other advantages obtained by this process. For copying by engraving, &c. the exact dimension required of any picture may at once be given to be copied from.

"A very small photographic apparatus can thus be employed when a large one might be inconvenient or impracticable, the power of reproducing on a larger scale being always in reserve. Independent of this power of varying the size, positives so taken of the same dimension as the negative reproduce, as will be readily understood, much more completely the finer and more delicate details of the negatives than positives taken by any other process that I am acquainted with.

"The negative also may be reversed in its position at a so as to produce upon glass a positive to be seen either upon or under the glass. And while the rapidity and facility of printing are the same as in the case of positives taken on paper prepared with the iodide of silver, the negatives, those on glass particularly, being so easily injured, are much better preserved, all actual contact with the positive being avoided. For the same reason, by this process positive impressions can be obtained not only upon wet paper, &c., but also upon hard inflexible substances, such as porcelain, ivory, glass, &c.,—and upon this last, the positives being transparent are applicable to the stereoscope, magic lantern, &c.

"By adopting the following arrangement, this process may be used largely to increase the power and speed of reproduction with little loss of effect. From a positive thus obtained, say on collodion, several hundred negatives may be produced either on paper or on albumenised glass. If on the latter, and the dimension of the original negative is preserved, the loss in minuteness of detail and harmony is almost imperceptible, and even when considerably enlarged, is so trifling as in the majority of cases to prove no objection in comparison with the advantage gained in size, while in not a few cases, as already stated, the picture actually gains by an augmentation of size. Thus, by the simultaneous action, if necessary, of some hundreds of negatives, many thousand impressions of the same picture may be produced in the course of a day.

"I cannot but think, therefore, that this simple but ingenious discovery will prove a valuable addition to our stock of photographic manipulatory processes. It happily turns to account and utilises one of the chief excellencies of collodion—that extreme minuteness of detail which from its excess becomes almost a defect at times,—toning it down by increase of size till the harshness is much diminished, and landscapes, always more or less unpleasing on collodion from that cause, are rendered somewhat less dry and crude.

"A very little practice will suffice to show the operator the quality of glass negatives—I mean as to vigour and development—best adapted for reproducing positives by this method. He will also find that a great power of correction is obtained, by which overdone parts in the negative can be reduced and others brought up. Indeed, in consequence of this and other advantages, I have little doubt that this process will be very generally adopted in portrait taking.

"Should your old idea of preserving public records in a concentrated form on microscopic negatives ever be adopted, the immediate positive reproduction on an enlarged readable scale, without the possibility of injury to the plate, will be of service.

"I am, &c. "John Stewart."