Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 3.djvu/473

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9 th S.


in. JUNE 17,


NOTES AND QUERIES.


467


not pitched upon that had no other mean- ings. A person unacquainted with com- mercial travelling, if he heard one person isk another, " In what line do you travel ? " would think it meant " what line of rail- way." What is the origin of the word ?

I may mention, by the way, that Good Lines has a list of British and Irish towns with their market and early-closing days, which, nevertheless, would be far more useful in 'The A B C,' as suggested in 'N. & Q.,' 8 th S. xi. 405. RALPH THOMAS.

[Is not a "line" originally the line in the tra- veller's note-book to be copied and sent off by post ? A line of a dozen first-class locomotives would be a good one. We have seen in very remote days a single line representing over a thousand pounds.]

DEAN SHERLOCK. The following curious anecdote, contained in one of the original MS. note-books (now in my possession) of the Rev. John Lambe, of Clare Hall, Camb., M.A., rector of Ridley, co. Kent, written ap- parently about 1723, has, in all probability, not hitherto been printed, and will doubtless prove interesting to your readers :

Dr. Sherlock, Dean of St. Paul's, sometimes invited the Singing Men to his table, a thing his wife did not approve of, who grudged at the meat and wine he gave them so much, that she was ready to quarrel with him often about it. One day when they were at dinner she had given private orders to the Servant to fill the glasses very sparingly for them. The Doctor soon called for a Glass, and drank to one of them, a witty fellow and a favourite of his. The Servant filled his Master a fair glass, but when he brought the Singing man a glass there was scarce half a spoonfull in the bottom of it. As soon as the Singing man received it, he held it up a little while seeming to look at it with a great deal of care.

1 Mr. ,' said the Doctor's Lady, ' is there any

thing in the Glass more than should be ? ] (thinking there might be a flie or the like in it.) 'No, Madam,' said he, ' Not so much.' "

This Wm. Sherlock, D.D., born in or about 1641, was of Peterhouse, Carnb., B.A., 1660 ; M.A., 1663 ; Dean of St. Paul's, 1691, succeed- ing Tillotson, and died 1707. W. I. R. V.


WE must request correspondents desiring infor- mation on family matters of only private interest to affix their names and addresses to their queries, in order that the answers may be addressed to them direct.

THE REPUTED MARRIAGE OF CARDINAL BEATON. Many of the older writers who have treated upon the subject speak of Cardinal Beaton as haying been really married to Marion Ogilvie, the mother of certain of his children. Thus Sir Robert Douglas, in his 'Peerage of Scotland' (ed.


1764), under the Airly peerage, describes the lady in question as "said to have been marriea to David Bethune," &c., going on to relate that several children were born of this union " before he entered Holy Orders." The Rev. James Carruthers also, in his ' Histor3 r of Queen Mary's Reign' (p. 41, note), styles the cardinal a widower when he took Holy Orders. These statements must have had some foundation. The fact of Marion Ogilvie surviving Beaton has led more modern writers to scoff at such statements. The second edition of Douglas's ' Peerage,' accord- ingly, was amended to suit the changed views ; it now relates that Marion " is said to have been the mother by David Bethune," &c. Certain circumstances, never hitherto brought to notice, have recently come to my knowledge through a careful study of this subject ; they tend to make the view of an actual marriage perfectly tenable, in spite of all the objections hitherto raised against it. Can any of your readers help me towards obtaining evidence as to the celebration of such a marriage? HISTORICUS.

" To RIDE GIMLAGUE." I am told that this phrase means in Yorkshire to ride with a woman behind on a pillion. Can any one corroborate this statement, and tell me in what part of Yorkshire the phrase is used 1 A. L. MAYHEW.

Oxford.

POETS AND THE TENDER PASSION. Has there ever been such an avowal as that of Alexander Sergeievich Pushkin, the centen- ary of whose birth is in process of commemo- ration in Russia ? Writing in May, 1830, to Princess V. F. Viazemski, the author of ' Ruslan and Ludmila ' remarks :

" Le premier amour est toujours une affaire de sentiment ; plus il fvit bete, et plus il laisse de souvenir delicieux. Le second est une affaire de volupte, voyez-vous? On ppurrait pousser le parallele beaucoup plus loin, mais je n'en ai guere le temps. Mon mariage avec Natalie [Goncharov] (qui, par parenthese, est mon cent-troisieme amour) est decide/' &c.

The parenthetic admission is astounding. FRANCIS P. MARCHANT. Brixton Hill.

ENGRAVING. I shall be thankful if a correspondent will give me the names of painter and engraver of a picture ; the sub- ject appears to be the elopement of Helen. Paris, with face turned toward Helen, points with nude right arm extended, palm open and fingers spread, toward the bow of a boat, in the left-hand lower corner. In the boat are three oarsmen seated : the foremost, under