III. MARCH IS, 1905.] NOTES AND QUERIES.
BUENS'S LETTERS TO GEORGE THOMSON
(10 th S. iii. 148). Lord Dalhousie was the
Eurchaser on 17 November, 1852 of the stters from Burns to George Thomson, dated between 16 September, 1792, from Dumfries, and 12 July, 1796, from Brow. They are preserved (with the exception of a very important one, dated 7 April, 1793, which is in the British Museum, and noted as having been purchased at Pickering's sale, 13 December, 1854) at Brechin Castle.
The letters from Thomson to Burns form no part of the Dalhousie collection, but were communicated to Dr. Currie after the poet's death by his family.
For a reprint of the entire correspondence, and many other details, see vol. vi. of the Paterson edition of the ' Works,' Edinburgh, 1877-9. ALDOBRAND OLDENBUCK.
Fairport.
" THE NAKED BOY AND COFFIN " (10 th S. iii. 67, 156). It seems worth while to note that the idea of connecting the "naked man" with that of the garments which he pro- poses to wear is at least as old as 1542, when Andrew Boorde dedicated ' The Fyrst Boke of the Introduction of Knowledge ' to the Princess Mary.
This famous work begins with a woodcut of a naked man, with a hat on his head, and some cloths loosely borne on his right arm. In his left hand he holds a huge pair of shears, ready for cutting the cloth ; and the first two lines run thus : I am an English man, and naked I stand here, Musyng in my mynde what rayment I shall were, &c.
I think this woodcut explains the whole matter. WALTEE W. SKEAT.
This clothier's sign brings to my mind the advertisement of a well-known clothier of Boston, America, as my wife remembers it. In my opinion it is one of the best of its class, and may be worthy of production in 'N.&Q.':-
He sure is not the happiest man
Who for himself alone does plan,
But he who for the people toils
Is sure to win the richest spoils,
And can lie down and sweetly rest,
Thinking how many he has blest.
'Tis thus George Fenno life enjoys
Because he clothes so many boys
With hats, coats, shoes, and pants complete,
Corner of Beach and Washington Street.
H. A. ST. J. M.
JOSEPH WILFRED PARKINS (10 th S. iii. 108, 157). The obituary notice in The Gentleman s Magazine, 1840, vol. ii. p. 549, states that ex-Sheriff Parkins made two unsuccessful attempts to represent the city of Carlisle.
Sis first contest was in 1818, and, speaking:
'rorn memory, I think the second was in
1825. There is evidence to corroborate the-
- estimony of Sylvanus Urban with regard
to his charity, for I have seen reports in jontemporary newspapers that he distributed! joup to the poor. On the other hand, while- Sheriff of London he provided bread and water for the judges. At one period of his ,ife he does not appear to have been anxious- to dissipate the rumour that he was the illegitimate son of the Duke of Norfolk, and lie was always fond of boasting of his- familiarity with that nobleman. Tradition- says that he had a very amorous tempera- ment. Certainly, a young woman named Hannah White caused him a good deal of trouble, while scandal declared him more than a friend to the famous "Princess Olive." He was also a correspondent of the notorious- "Mother Bang," the "Corinthian Kate" of Pierce Egan's 'Life in London.' Parkin* behaved in a very truculent manner to poor Fauntleroy, the banker (hanged for forgery on 30 November, 1824), but he had some reason for resentment, as, owing to the bankruptcy of the Berners Street firm, a, private document came into the hands of Harmer, the solicitor, who used it to defeat the ex-Sheriff in an action at law (The King: v.Hicks,13September, 1824V Moreover,in con- sequence of his evidence at this trial, Parkins was indicted for perjury. On 5 April, 1825, he lost also another case, Byrne v. Parkins. It was during April, 1823, that he assaulted Mr. Thwaites, of The Morning Herald; and he had pugilistic encounters with a Major Mounsey and Horatio Hprton. In The Mowing Post (1824-5, jmssim) will be found numbers of his letters, and wonderful docu- ments they are. For other information re Parkins, v. Gentleman's Magazine, (1819) vol. i. p. 648, vol. ii. pp. 365, 454; (1820) vol. i. pp. 558-9, vol. ii. p. 368 ; (1822) vol. ii. p. 37 ; (1823) vol. ii. p. 174 ; (1829) vol. i. p. 361 ; and Pierce Egan's 'Account of Fauntleroy/ In Harmer's paper, The Weekly Dispatch, 3 October and 14 November, 1824, the "Renowned XXX. Sheriff" is handled very roughly. HORACE BLEACKLEY.
See further E. S. Ferguson's ' Cumberland and Westmorland M.P.s ' (1871), pp. 233-4.
Q. V.
ENGLISHMEN HOLDING POSITIONS UNDER. FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS (10 th S. iii. 87, 129). To the very interesting list of natives of these islands who have distinguished them- selves in service under foreign governments- should be added the name of George Dawson.
