Page:Notes and Queries - Series 12 - Volume 1.djvu/147

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12 S. I. Feb. 19, 1916.]
NOTES AND QUERIES.
141

LONDON, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 1916.


CONTENTS.—No. 8.

NOTES:—Contributions to the History of European Travel, 141—Children's Books in "the Thirties," 144—Inscriptions in St. John's Church, St. John's Wond Road, 145—'La Perouse'—'Book of Almanacs,' 146—Hieremias Drexelius: his Translator's Words—"Hic"—Currency Notes—Tavern Signs: King John—Album Lines by J. Sheridan Knowles, 147.
QUERIES:—Synodal Statutes of Bishop Fulk Basset of London—Author of Quotation Wanted—Romans in Kent—William Dunlap—York Minster: Religious Dances—Warren Hastings—Chantrey's Bust of Sir Isambard Brunel—Newcome's School, Hackney, and Lord Chancellors Hardwicke, 148—Sir Donald Stewart's Afghan Adventure—Chimney-Sweeps: "Lucifer" Match Factories—The Mass: Famous Englishman's Change of View—'Pinafore' and Tennis—"Terra rodata"—"Pedestres," 149—"Hackney"—The "Fly": the "Hackney"—Female Novelists—Biographical Information Wanted—Louisa Parr—Ralph Lambert, Bishop of Meath—'Lines to a Watch'—P. B. Translator of Minucius Felix—Novel of the Seventies, 150—"Blighty"—"Burd"—George Whitefield—Allsworth, Artist, 151.
REPLIES:—Maria the Jewess, 151—Queen Anne's Three Realms, 152—The Two Ryhopes, co. Durham—Sticking-Plaster Portraits—Contributions to the History of European Travel: Busino—'Observations on the Defence of Great Britain,' 153—Folk-Lore at Sea—Peter Joye—The Shades, London Bridge, 154—'The Ladies of Castellmarch'—Marquess of Carnarvon—Female Novelists, 155—"Dringer" at Harrow—Stuart, Count d'Albanie—Col. John Pigott—Allen and Ferrers, 156—Dr. Johnson on Fishing—Death Warrants, 157—Richard Wilson—Biographical Information Wanted—Methods of Waking a Sleeper—J. G. Le Maistre, Novelist—Regimental Nicknames—Heraldry, 159.
NOTES ON BOOKS:—'Survey of London: The Parish of Hammersmith'—'The Study of Shakespeare.'
OBITUARY:—Canon Ellacombe.
Notices to Correspondents.





Notes.

CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE HISTORY
OF EUROPEAN TRAVEL.

(See ante, pp. 61, 101.)

III.

Lady Catherine Whetenall.

Lady Catherine Whetenall travelled with her husband from Brussels into Italy in 1649-50. The journey, a honeymoon trip, ended tragically. On the return journey her ladyship contracted fever at Padua, and died there. The Whetenalls were accompanied by Richard Lassels, a Catholic divine and an experienced traveller; and, at Lady Catherine's request, a journal was kept by him, which is preserved at the British Museum (Add. MS. 4217), and has not been published. Lassels is best known by his interesting and curious 'Voyage of Italy,' published in 1670, two years after his death. He acted as tutor to several persons of distinction, with whom he made various journeys in France, Italy, Flanders, Germany and Holland. For further particulars concerning him see 'D.N.B.' and 'N. & Q.,' 3 S. iv. 516.

From his 'Voyage of Italy' (ii. 433) we learn that Lady Catherine was a "daughter of the late Earl of Shrewsbury," and that she was buried in the Church of the Oratorians, called the Church of St. Thomas of Canterbury, at Padua, "in a vault made for the nonce covered with a white marble stone." Her epitaph was written by her husband.

Lady Catherine Whetenall and her husband were married at the church of the English nuns at Louvain, on Sept. 5, 1649. Husband and wife then proceeded to Mechlin, which they found to be a neat, level, and wellpaved town, where was " a great begginage, or house of Beggins, woemen liveing together without being religious and without vows." They then proceeded to Antwerp, which is described as one of the handsomest towns in Europe, well fortified against attack by the "strong hands of nature, arte, and the King of Spayne." The ramparts, planted with six rows of high trees, were so broad that six coaches could drive on them abreast. The travellers visited the great Church of Our Lady, with its vast white steeple, seen all over the country, the Jesuits' Church, the Imprimery of Plantin, and the Bourse. Lassels was much impressed by the fine streets, but seems to regret that so much of the town should be given over to trade; and he had no taste for the national beverage, for "in all this fine towne," he writes, "the best of the people are but Marchands, the best of their language but Dutch, and the best of their drinke but beere." Ghent was reached next. A hundred years before, the town had risen against Charles V., and in return was forced to pay an indemnity, and to send its magistrates with ropes round their necks to ask pardon. Now the people were kept in order by a castle (citadel), built at the back of the town, "like the rodd at the back of the child." Bruges is described as an ancient and well-built town, famous at that time only for its fat capons—a speciality which had been noticed by Roger Ascham a hundred years earlier. At Nieuport the Governor, Don Antonio Pimentallis, was visited, and is described as "the most civill and sweet behaved man that ever I saw of his nation." Here the travellers obtained passes, and having added a drummer to their retinue (the country being very unsafe at that time), they proceeded