w*s. iv. AUG. 26.1905.] NOTES AND QUERIES. 167 years ; it fell so last time on two successive years, viz., 1895 and 1896. But this will not be the case next time, Easter Day in 1907 falling by the Julian calendar five weeks after its date by the Gregorian. W. T. LYNN. Blackheath. MODERN ALCHEMY : MAKING DIAMONDS.— Now and anon comes an announcement from Paris or another learned centre that a savant has at last discovered a method for the trans- mutation of a base metal, such as lead, into silver or gold. Has the literature of these attempts ever been made the subject of bibliographic investigation 1 The mere pos- sibility (i) of such a discovery being made is profoundly suggestive of many sociological problems. Of indirect bearing on the same topic is the production of genuine diamonds by artificial processes. On this a few refer- ences follow :— The Making of Diamonds.—Chambers'* Journal, •whole vol. bmx. ; series 6, vol. v. (1901-19O2): 724-6. Perkin, F. M. A New Method of making Dia- monds.— Public Opinion, xxix., No. 4 (26 Jnly, 1900): 112. Originally appeared in Nature, London. Sherard, Robert H. How Real Diamonds are mads out of Sugar.—Pearson's Magazine, ix. 'J60-4. lllnitrated. There is said to be an article on the same subject in The Anglo-American Magazine, iii. 28, to which I have not access at this writing. EUGENE F. McPiKE. Chicago, U.S. 3ow THE ENGLISH PRESS OBTAINED COPIES OF THE TREATY OF PEACE, 1815.—In a book jist published by H. Bouillant, Paris, entitled •Mory & Cie., 1804-1904,' by Henri Mory, aa interesting account is given of this. It appears that Nicolas Alexandra Toussaint Wory, who founded the firm at Calais, was
- orresponding clerk to the English Post
Office, and had the exclusive privilege of the iransmiasion of English journals to the Con- iinent, as well as the forwarding of foreign lournals to England. The text of the treaty ippeared in the Monittur of the 26th of November. Mory at once started a courier, who reached Calais on the following morning at ten o'clock. The wind was favourable, and he arrived in London at nine the same evening, having accomplished the journey in thirty-three hours. The treaty appeared the following morning in all the London papers, where the French ambassador read it for the first time. _It was not until the same day that the official news was received at Calais. JOHN C. FRANCIS. WE must request correspondents desiring in- formation on family matters of only private interest to affix their names and addresses to their queries, in order that answers may be sent to them direct. ORIGINAL REGISTERS SOUGHT. — Je serais tres-reconnaissant a qui voudra bien me donner des renseignements aux trois ques- tions suivantes. 1. Ou se trouve le manuscrit original de Jean Stillingflete "de nominibus fundatorum Hospitalis S. Johannis Jerusalem in Anglia," dpnt une copie du XVII" siecle se trouve a la bibliotheque du College of Arms a Londres 1 2. Ou se trouvent les chartes concernant le Temple publie'es par Dugdale "ex autograph" in turri beatseManseEbor"'] Ya-t-il quelqu'un a York qui puisse me rechercher ces chartes et me les photographier 1 3. Ou se trouve le registre de Guillaume Grenefeld, archeveque d'York. dont des extraits concernant le concile d'York en 1311 ont ete publies dans les ' Concilia Magnae Britannia;' (London, 1737), ii. pp. 393-4011 LE MARQUIS D'ALBON. Paris, VII., 17, Rue Vaneau. GEORGE III.'s DAUGHTERS.—Where can be be found any biographical information about the different daughters of George III., espe- cially Princess Sophia and Princess Amelia, in historical works, private memoirs, pub- lished or unpublished, portraits or engrav- ings, &c. 1 F. REBOUL. 2, Avenue Victor Hugo, Nogent-sur-Marne. WHEEL AS A SYMBOL IN RELIGION. — Can any one say in what way is the wheel a symbol of religion ? I have been referred to Scribner's Magazine, vol. xxii. p. 733, and cannot find it. I shall be glad if any one can supply me with the explanation given in Scribner. JAS. MATTHEWS. Public Library, Newport, Mon. [The wheel of the sun-god's chariot becomes an emblem of the sun himself. The spokes of the wheel constitute a species of cross. The subject is inexhaustible. See Grimm, ' Deutsche Mythologie,' ii. 585; H. Gaidoz, ' Le Dieu Gaulois du Sqleil et le Symbolisme de la Roue'; Bevue Archeologique, III. Serie, iv. pp. 14 sgq. ; and the writings of Mann- hardt, Frazer, &c. ] GIBBON, CH. LVI. NOTE 81.— Can any of your readers say where an explanation is to be found of aorpon-eAeKvs (Anna Comnena, 'Alexias,' iii. 10)? Gibbon seems to accept the meaning "flash of lightning"; but this does not seem to afford any sense in the passage, and Gibbon only speaks of himself as groping out a meaning for the sentence in which the word occurs. I do not find the
