Willis's Current Notes Part 4

SIR,--Allow me to correct a slight error in the communication of your correspondent G. E. S. contained in your "Current Notes" for December last, p. 92. The name of the gentleman who was mainly instrumental in restoring the _Bra.s.s_ with the Effigy of a former Vicar of this Parish, Thomas Codd, was the late _Mr. W. F. Harrison_, not _Hanson_, as printed.

I am, Sir, yours obediently, A SUBSCRIBER AND CONSTANT READER.

Mr. Willis.

CAVENDISH'S LIFE OF WOLSEY.

SIR,--In an anonymous treatise, ent.i.tled, "Who wrote Cavendish's Life of Wolsey?" London, 1814; (usually attributed to the Rev. Joseph Hunter), the writer considers the author to be a George Cavendish, a branch of the Devons.h.i.+re family. But in the valuable collection of my friend Mr.

W. S. Fitch, of this town, there is a well-preserved MS. copy of "The Life and Death of Cardinal Wolsey," by Th. Gainsford. This interesting MS. is a folio volume of 166 pages. It embraces all that is contained in Cavendish's "Life of Wolsey," with a considerable deal of extra matter.

I refer to Lowndes and find that this Gainsford was the author of a Life of Perkin Warbeck, and other works. He printed nothing, it seems, after 1619.

I am, Sir, yours truly, A SUBSCRIBER.

Ipswich, Feb. 6, 1852.

"ROBBED BETWEEN SUN AND SUN."

Jan. 28, 1852.

SIR,--Perhaps the query of "Y. S. N." concerning the expression of

"ROBBED BETWEEN SUN AND SUN,"

(p. 6, of your "Current Notes,") may be derived from the definition of Burglary, in Blackstone's Commentaries, book 4, Public Wrongs, section 2. "The _Time_ must be by Night, and not by Day, for in the Day-time there is no Burglary.... Anciently the Day was accounted to begin only at Sun-rising, and to end immediately upon Sunset."

Therefore, if I was robbed last night, the Burglary was committed between the _Sun_-set of yesterday, and the _Sun_-rise of to-day.

Yours, MERVINENSIS.

Mr. Willis.

"CROMWELL BETWEEN THE PILLARS."

SIR,--I extract the following out of the copy I got from you of "Smeeton's Reprints," which answer one of the queries put by your correspondent in last month's "Current Notes," p. 7, concerning the print of Cromwell.

"The following is a History of this celebrated Print:--

"Faithorne, with his master, Robert Peake, engaged in the King's service, and were both taken prisoners at Basing House, from whence Faithorne was brought to London, and confined in Aldersgate; here resuming his occupation, he produced the exquisite Portrait of the Protector, (known as Cromwell between the Pillars), which pleased the parties then in power so much, that shortly after, it occasioned his being set at liberty, and he retired to France. Copies of the original print have been known to sell as high as 40 pounds!

"Mr. Caulfield in his Chalcographiana, says, Mr. Bull the celebrated Collector, shewed him the original drawing in red chalk from which Faithorne engraved the print; from whom he also learned the face was afterwards altered to William III."

"OGILS."

PRINT OF OLIVER CROMWELL.

SIR,--I have a beautiful impression of the Print alluded to by a "Young Print and Portrait Collector," ("Current Notes" for January, p. 7), with this superscription: "Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector of England, Scotland, France, and Ireland, and the Territories thereunto belonging.

Engraved by Chas. Turner, from the celebrated print by W. Faithorne."

Below the figure of the Protector, on a small ornamental tablet, is "The Emblem of England's distractions, and also of her attained and further expected Freedom and Happiness;" which sufficiently explains the extraordinary allegorical figures which crowd the print.

Yours, S. S.

AUTOGRAPHIC BIOGRAPHY.

SIR,--Perhaps some of the readers of your "Notes," can inform me who is the "Kendall" who signs a doc.u.ment, a fragment only of which I possess, and that without date, which also bears the signatures "Orford," "J.

Houblon," "G. Wharton," "P. Rich," and another I cannot decypher.

Yours, S. S.

AUTOGRAPHIC BIOGRAPHY.--The Marquis de Spinola, mentioned by ELLEN F., in "Current Notes" for January, p. 6, was Amba.s.sador or Minister from Genoa to France. He afterwards came to England on a mission from his Government. I have many of his letters, in some of which he complains of Lord Nelson's proceedings in the Mediterranean.

R. C.

I think p. 8 of your January "Notes," if referred to by your fair Correspondent ELLEN F., may answer her "_Hue and Cry_" after John Bruce, on the 20th May, 1829.

C. P. J.

RING OF MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Your Correspondent T. K.'s notice of Queen Elizabeth's ring, said to have been given to the Earl of Ess.e.x, ("Current Notes," for December last, p. 95), reminds me of another ring, that of Mary Queen of Scots, for using which she was censured on her Murder-trial, in consequence of its having the Arms of England impaled with those of Scotland. I possess a _facsimile_ of that signet ring, procured from a seal engraved in Edinburgh. I should feel particularly obliged if any of your Antiquarian friends can inform me, where the original now is. I was told that it was in the British Museum, and had inquiry made there, but to no purpose. I rather think paste facsimiles may be had at Mr. Wilson's, formerly Ta.s.sie's, in Leicester Square. Mine is an engraving on Amethyst, and I shall seal this letter with it.