Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 10.djvu/67

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ii s. x. JULY 25, 1914. i NOTES AND QUERIES.


61


LONDON, SATURDAY, JULY t5, 191%.


CONTENTS.. No. 239.

NOTES : A Note on Sheridan, 61 Rectors of Upham and Durley, 63 Alexander Pope the Elder and Binfield, 65 Shakespeare Criticisms : " The extreme parts of time " " Every man has his price "Muffins, 66 Burning oi the Houses of Parliament Dr. Nicholas Sander Bunt- lark. 67.

QUERIES : West Norfolk Militia Liberalism, 67 Arms in Hatbersage Church Page Huguenot Regiments in English Service Library Wanted Biographical Informa- tion Wanted Medallic Legends, 68 J. J. Park Authors of Quotations Wanted Johnston Family Black-Letter Testament Wiest Family, 69 Last King of Naples "The Poor" as Godparents Dwarkanauth Tagore Indian galloping to the Sea "Mr. Good "=George II. St. Katherine's-by-the-Tower Voltaire in London, 70.

REPLIES : Chapel House, 71 ' To One in Paradise ' Octopus : Venus's Ear Bathos in French Verse : Rostand, 72 Callipedes-Ice : its Uses, 73 Condamine, 74 Ralph Carr Wall-Papers Wanless Rixham Fair and Matthew Prior, 75 Old Etonians Child Family West Indian Families Palm the Bookseller, 76 Heart - Burial 41 There's some water where the stags drown " Balnes : Littlyngton Semaphore Signalling Stations, 77 Folk- Lore Queries" The weakest goes to the wall," 78.

NOTES ON BOOKS : ' The Place of the Reign of Edward II. in English History ' ' The Antiquary.'

Booksellers' Catalogues. Notices to Correspondents.


JElofcs.


A NOTE ON SHERIDAN.

I PURCHASED in 1913 from Messrs. Simmons & Waters of Leamington Spa a copy of the first edition (1825) of Thomas Moore's ' Memoirs of Richard Brinsley Sheridan.' It was extra-illustrated by William Linley (1771-1835), the youngest brother of the first Mrs. Sheridan, and given, by him to his niece Elizabeth Tickell, to whom he ulti- mately bequeathed his property. Betty Tickell, the only daughter of Mary Linley, became, through her marriage with an Indian civil servant, mother of John Arthur Roe- buck (1801-79), the politician. Her aunt, Mrs. Sheridan, in an informal will of 1792, desired that " the picture of my dear Mary " should be

41 unset, and one copied of me joined to it, and the hair blended, and this, I trust, Mrs. Tickell {Betty's stepmother] will permit my dearest Betty to wear in remembrance of her two poor Mothers."

W. Linley has inserted twenty-two por- traits, woodcuts, and mezzotints of persons mentioned in the text, including Mrs. Sheridan, Rogers, Byron, Whitbread, Moira,


Grey, Burke, Pitt, Parr, Moore, &c. But the most interesting is a charming drawing in water-colours by Jane Ireland (1827), sister of the forger of Shakespeare MSS., of Richard Tickell, Betty's father, the pam- phleteer and dramatist, copied from the original miniature by Cosway. There are also inserted three of the original tickets issued to Sheridan for the trial of Warren Hastings. The first of these is for the thirty-second day of the trial, and upon it is written, in, I think, Sheridan's own hand, "Mr. Sheridans first day, 3d June, 1788," which was a Tuesday. The ticket is signed and sealed by " Rodney." Admiral Lord Rodney had been at Harrow School more than thirty years earlier than Sheridan. The second ticket is for the thirty-fourth day, viz., Tuesday, the 10th "Mr. Sheridan's third day " whereon the proceedings were interrupted by his sudden indisposition. The ticket is signed and sealed by " Strange." John, fourth Duke of Atholl, had been created in 1786 a peer of Great Britain as Earl Strange. The third ticket is for the thirty-fifth and last day of the trial, Fri- day, the 13th, "Mr. Sheridans fourth day." It is signed and sealed by "Cholmondeley." George James, fourth Earl, was created first Marquess of Cholmondeley in 1815.

At the end of the book Linley has inserted some twenty-eight pages of matter illus- trative of the contents. These are all in MS. of his own handwriting, save the first item, which is in print. It is a poem of twenty-four lines : ' On seeing a Cast of Sheridan's Countenance, taken after Death,' by W. L. B., 18 May, 1826. The initials, no doubt, indicate William Lisle Bowles.

The next insertion is the following : Copy of a Letter to Thos. Moore, Esqre. Furnivals Inn Chambers.

Novr. 7th, 1825. MY DEAR MOORE,

Having compleated the perusal of your delight- ful work, it becomes my pleasing duty to thank you for the high, and interesting distinction you have attached to the character and acquirements of my belov'd and lamented Sister.

Would I had your own eloquence to describe in adequate language how grateful I feel, not only for the lustre you have spread round her memory, but for the flattering and, what I more cordially feel & value, the friendly manner in which you have been pleased to honor my own humble name : indeed the delicacy with which you have mentioned every branch of our family, and the circumstances connected with it, evinces as strongly the urbanity as it does the benevolence of your disposition. I can only repeat my warmest & sincerest acknowledgements.

Allow me now to indulge myself with a few remarks though they may not be of sufficient