30
NOTES AND QUERIES. [12 s. m. JAN. is. 1917.
CARDINAL GALLI : PORTRAIT BY VELAS-
QUEZ. In an account of the King of
Rumania's collection of pictures given in
The Times of Dec. 8, 1916, at p. 7, it is
stated that "There are two, if not three,
works by Velasquez, one a splendid portrait
of Cardinal Galli." This was presumably
Marco, Cardinal Galli, who died July 24,
1683.
When was this portrait painted and where ? Has any reproduction of it been published ? If so, where and by whom ?
What was the precise relationship between this Cardinal Galli, and the more famous Tolomeo, Cardinal Galli, Secretary of State to Gregory XIII. ? As to this latter see 11 S. xi. 279. I am anxious to know whether any portrait of Tolomeo, Cardinal Galli, is in existence. JOHN B. WAINEWRIGHT.
' REMINISCENCES OF A SCOTTISH GENTLE- MAN.' In 1 861 there was published by Arthur Hall, Virtue & Co. the very interesting ' Reminiscences of a Scottish Gentleman,' by " Philo Scotus." The author was Philip Barrington Ainslie, who was born in Edin- burgh in 1785.
The ' Reminiscences ' are brought down to 1825, when the author, then engaged in business in Liverpool, concludes : -
" If that which I have related meets with approval, I will proceed forward, and resume the relation of interesting public events, and much connected with my personal comfort and experi- ence during my subsequent residence of twenty- four years in Scotland."
I am anxious to know if the promised second instalment of these ' Reminiscences ' has ever seen the light. F. G. B.
WHITE HART SILVER, DORSET. Can any of your readers kindly tell me whether the White Hart Silver (a fine imposed by Henry III. on Dorset) is still paid into the Exchequer as it was in his day ? Any in- formation regarding this query will be 'wel- come. (Miss) M. CRAIG.
22 Taylor Road, Wallington, Surrey.
^ WASP - STINGS. When in the United States in 1910 I was seriously informed by a credible person that, so long as a person holds his breath, a wasp cannot sting him. My informant declared that he had put this to the test on several occasions and had never been stung, saying that he had seen the sting of the wasp slipping off his finger when the insect attempted to sting him. He admitted that he had not tried handling a wasp without holding his breath, to find out whether the wasp could then sting him.
Many kinds of stinging insects are in Amarica
popularly called wasps. Of course in this
country wasps may safely be allowed to
crawl on one with little chance of their
stinging unless they are ill-treated. I should
be glad of information on the foregoing
subject. ALFRED S. E. ACKERMANN.
WALL STREET, NEW YORK. I am told that the name of this well-known financial district came from a wall constructed in the early days against intrusion by Indians. I should like to know if this is so, and some details of the matter.
J. LANDFEAR LUCAS.
Glendora, Hindhead, Surrey.
JOHN CAMDEN HOTTEN. Not the least curious of Hotten's publications was a well- printed and bound volume of 120 pp. :
" Ah, Happy England. A forecast of a general lament, a Poem in 5 acts, by Empson Edward Middleton, Poeta Deo, Author of [&c.j. London (For the Author) John Camden Hotten, Piccadilly, 1871."
I do not think it was ever included in Hotten's printed list of publications, but the following samples of its author's riming powers may show that it was something of a literary curiosity :
Poets and princes own a common P.
But cross and crook must form the Poet's T. She faints ; attendants or some ancient toad eh ? Remove her quickly, leaving you the goad eh ?
Is any other instance known of Hotten publishing " for the Author " ?
W. B. H.
' THE MESSIAH ' : FIRST PERFORMANCE, DUBLIN. Can any reader give the composi- tion of the orchestra which played ' The Messiah ' at the first performance in Dublin in 1742 ? I have been told that only two or three brass instruments were used, while the wood instruments, especially the oboe and bassoon, were employed in large numbers. ARCHIBALD SPARSE,
CITY GATES. 1. When and by whom was the gate of Calais, which appears in Hogarth's well-known picture, built and removed ?
2. Why were churches at city gates (as at Bishopsgate, Aldgate, and Aldersgate, London) dedicated to St. Botolph ?
H. C. FANSHAWE. 72 Philbeach Gardens, S.W.
SILHOUETTES. I have several by Miers of opposite Exeter Change, Strand. What was the process of production ? And are they now obtainable ? H. T. BARKER.
Ludlow.
'
