Notes and Queries, Number 62, January 4, 1851

"When a spider is found upon our clothes, we use to say, some money is coming towards us. The moral is this: such who imitate the industry of that contemptible creature may, by God's blessing, weave themselves into wealth and procure a plentiful estate."—Worthies, p.58. Pt. 2. ed. 1662.

Omens of death and misfortune are also drawn from the howling of dogs—the sight of a trio of butterflies—the flying down the chimney of swallows or jackdaws; and swine are sometimes said to give their master warning of his death by giving utterance to a peculiar whine, known and understood only by the initiated in such matters. Gaule, in his Mag-astromancers Posed and Puzzled, Lond. 1652, p. 181, ranks among evil omens "the falling of swallows down the chimney" and "the grunting of swine."

    T.S.

MINOR NOTES

Kentish Town in the last Century—

"Thursday night some villains robbed the Kentish Town Stage, and stripped the passengers of their money, watches, and buckles. In the hurry they spared the pockets of Mr. Corbyn, the druggist; but he, content to have neighbour's fare, called out to one of the rogues, 'Stop, friend, you have forgot to take my money'."—Morning Chron. and Land Advertiser, Jan. 9. 1773.

Murray's Hand-book for Devon and Cornwall.—The author does not mention Haccombe Chapel or the Oswell Rocks, both near Newton; the latter is a most picturesque spot, and the view near and far most interesting!—A notice of the tiles, and of the 2ft. 2in effigy at Haccombe, appears in the Arch. Journal, iii. 151. 237.—The monuments are in fine preservation up to the last of the "Haccombes" ante 1342, which is perfect. The chapel would be improved by the removal of the two pews and of the family arms from the velvet cloth on the communion-table!—Tavistock Church has an east window by Williment; pattern, and our Saviour in the centre.—The church by Dartmouth Castle contains a brass and armorial gallery; the visitor should sail round the rock at the harbour entrance, it's appearance from seaward is fine.—Littleham Church has a decorated wooden screen, very elegant.—A work on the Devonshire pulpits and screens would be valuable.

    A.C.

Judges Walk, Hampstead.—A friend of mine, residing at Hampstead, has communicated to me the following information, which I forward to you as likely to instruct your readers.

He states that the oldest inhabitant of Hampstead, Mr. Rowbotham, a clock and watchmaker, died recently, at the age of ninety. He told his son and many other persons, that in his youth the Upper Terrace Avenue, on the south-west side of Hampstead Heath was known by the name of "The Judges' Walk," from the circumstance of prisoners having been tried there during the plague of London. He further stated, that he had received this information from his grandmother.

    C.R. WELD

Somerset House.

Gray's Alcaic Ode.—A question asked in Vol. i., p. 382, whether "Gray's celebrated Latin Ode is actually to be found entered at the Grande Chartreuse?" is satisfactorily answered in the negative at p. 416. of the same volume, and its disappearance traced to the destructive influence of the first French Revolution.

It may not, however, be without interest to some of your readers to know, that this elegant "Alcaic" was to be found at the Chartreuse not very long before the outbreak of that great political tempest, proof of which will be found in the following extract taken from the 9th volume of Malte-Brun's Annales des Voyages, Paris, 1809. It is found in a paper entitled "Voyage à la Grande Chartreuse en 1789. Par M. T*******," and is in p. 230:

"L'Album, ou le grand livre dans lequel les étrangers inscrivent leurs noms, présente quelquefois une lecture intéressante. Nous en copiâmes quelques pages. Le morceau le plus digne d'être conservé est sans doute l'Ode latine suivante du célèbre poëte anglais Gray. Je ne crois pas qu'elle ait été publiée encore."

Then follows the ode, as usually printed, excepting that in the third line,

"Nativa nam certe fluentia,"

the words "nam certe" are transposed.

    G.B.

Fleet Marriages.—The General Evening Post, June 27-29, 1745, contains the following singular Note of a Fleet Marriage:—

"Yesterday came on a cause at Doctors' Commons, wherein the plaintiff brought his action against the defendant for pretending to be his wife. She in her justification pleaded a marriage at the Fleet the 6th of February, 1737, and produced a Fleet certificate, which was not allowed as evidence: she likewise offered to produce the minister she pretended married them, but he being excommunicate for clandestine marriages, could not be received as a witness. The court thereupon pronounced against the marriage, and condemned her in 28l., the costs of the suit."

    Y.S.

QUERIES

HISTORIE DES SÉVARAMBES

The authorship of Gaudentio di Lucca has recently been discussed by some of your correspondents, and it has been shown that this Voyage Imaginaire was written by Simon Berington, a Catholic priest, and the member of a family resident for many years in Herefordshire. The following Query will relate to another work of the same class, but of an earlier date.

The Histoire des Sévarambes is a fictitious account of a nation in the Southern Ocean, visited by a supposed navigator named Siden. It's first appearance was as an English work, with this title:

"The History of the Sevarites or Sevarambi, a nation inhabiting part of the third continent, commonly called Terræ Australes Incognitæ; with an account of their admirable government, religion, customs, and language. Written by one Captain Siden, a worthy person, who, together with many others, was cast upon those coasts, and lived many years in that country. London: printed for Henry Brome, at the Gun, at the west end of St. Paul's Churchyard, 1675. 12mo. pp. 114." No preface.

There is a second part, "more wonderful and delightful than the first," published in 1679 (pp. 140.). The licence by Roger Lestrange bears date Feb. 25. 1678/9. There is a short preface, without signature, arguing that the country of the Sevarites is not fabulous.

A copy of the original edition of these two parts is in the British Museum.

Shortly after its publication in England, this work appeared in France with the following title:—

"Histoire des Sévarambes, peuples qui habitent une partie du troisième continent ordinairement appellé Terre Australe, contenant un compte exact du gouvernement, des mœurs, de la réligion et du langage de cette nation, jusques aujourd'hui inconnue aux peuples de l'Europe. Traduite de l'Anglois." First Part, Paris, 1677. 2 vols. 12mo. Second Part, 1678-9. 3 vols. 12mo.

Both parts are dedicated to Monsieur Riquet, Baron de Bonrepos; and the dedications are both signed with the initials D.V.D.E.L.

The British Museum contains no French edition of this work earlier than an Amsterdam reprint of 1716. The above account of the early French edition is taken from the Dictionnaire Historique of Prosper Marchand (La Haye, 1758), tom. i. p. 11., art. ALLAIS. This article (which may be cited as a model of bibliographical research) attributes the authorship of the Histoire des Sévarambes