APRIL 13. 1850.] NOTES AND QUERIES. 391
found it out. In chap. 47. (and see note 26.), Gibbon was too happy to make the most of the murder of the female philosopher Hypatia, by a Christian mob at Alexandria. But the account which he gives is more shocking than the fact. He seems not to have been familiar enough with Greek to recollect that (
Greek characters) means killed. Her throat was cut with an oyster-shell, because, for a reason which he has very acutely pointed out, oyster-shells were at hand; but she was clearly not "cut in pieces," nor, "her flesh scraped off the bones," till after she was dead. Indeed, there was no scraping from the bones at all. That they used oyster-shells is a proof that the act was not premeditated. Neither did she deserve the title of modest which Gibbon gives her. Her way of rejecting suitors is disgusting enough in Suidas.
Public Libraries.—In looking through the Parliamentary Report on Libraries, I missed, though they may have escaped my notice, any mention of a valuable one in Newcastle-on-Tyne, "Dr. Thomlinson's;" for which a handsome building was erected early last century, near St. Nicholas Church, and a Catalogue of its contents has been published. I saw also, some years ago, a library attached to Wimborne Minster, which appeared to contain some curious books.
The Garrison Library at Gibraltar is, I believe, one of the most valuable English libraries on the continent of Europe. W. C. T.
Edinburgh, March 30. 1850.
NOSCE TEIPSUM, AN EXCEPTION. (From the Chinese of Confucius, or elsewhere.") I've not said so to you, my friend and I'm not going You may find so many people better worth know- ing. RUFUS. MISCELLANEOUS. NOTES ON BOOKS, CATALOGUES, SALES, ETC. Mr. Thorpe is preparing for publication a Col lection of the Popular Traditions or Folk Lore of Scandinavia and Belgium, as a continuation of his Northern Mythology and Superstitions, now ready for the press. Mr. Wykuham Archer's Vestiges of Old / of which the Second Part is now before us. main- tains its character as an interesting record of localities fast disappearing. The contents of the piv>.-nt number arc, the " House of Sir Paul Pin- dar, in Hisliopgate Without," once the residence of that merchant prince, and now a public-house bearing his name; "Remains of the Easl (iate, Ucrmondscy Abbey ;" which is followed by a hand- some staircase, one of the few vesticres still remain ng of "Southampton House," the residence of the Wriothesleys, Earls of Southampton. A plate of " Street Monuments, Signs, Badges, &c.," gives at once variety to the subjects, and a cuiious illus- tration of what was once one of the marked fea- tures of the metropolis. " Interior of a Tower belonging to the wall of London," in the premises of Mr. Burt, in the Old Bailey, presents us with a curious memorial of ancient London in its forti- fied state ; it being the only vestige of a tower belonging to the wall in its entire height, and with its original roof existing. The last plate exhibits some "Old Houses, with the open part of Fleet Ditch, near Field Lane ;" and the letter-press illustration of this plate describes a state of filth and profligacy which we hope will soon only be known among us as a thing that hag been. We have received the following Catalogues : Messrs. Williams and Norgate's (14. Henrietta Street) German Catalogue, Part I. comprising Theology, Ecclesiastical History, and Philosophy ; John Petheram's (94. High Ilolborn) Catalogue, Part CX. No. 4. for 1850, of Old and New Books ; John Miller's (43. Chandos Street) Catalogue, Number Four for 1850 of Books Old and New; and E. Palmer and Son's (18. Paternoster Row) Catalogue of Scarce and Curious Books. BOOKS AND ODD VOLUMKS WANTED TO PURCHASE. (In continuation oj Lists informer Not.) DF.AN MM.NFH'S LIFE OF JOSFPH MILNEH. PECK'S CATALOGUE OF THE DISCOURSES WRITTEN BoTy FOB AND AGAINST 1'OPERY IN THE TlMt OK JAMFS II. 4lO. 173.Y LETTER TO SIR JAMES M'lNioH in Kei'ly to some Ob-ervatlons made in the House of Commons on the Duel between Sir Alexander Boswell and James Stuart, Esq.. of Uunearn. Odd Volume*. PARISH CHURCHES, by BRANDON. Parts 1. and 2. H..MERI OI-EKA. Glasgow, 1814, Vol. IV. Large paper uncut. MOYEN A.B MoNUMENTALB B M. CHAPUY. Pri8, 1H4I, &C. (C. W. B. wishes to complete his set.) % Letters, stating particular! and lowest price. , fifi?**' to be sent to MR BELL. Publisher of " NOTES AN QUERIES," 186. Fleet Stn-et. NOTICES TO CORRESPONDENTS. W. R. F. and T. P. are assured thnt the omissions of which they complain hate arisen ntitltrr from want of courtesy nor want of attention, as they would be outte satisfied if they knew all the circumstances of then respec- tive cases. NOTES AND QucRiES may be procured by the Trade at noon on Friday : *,, thnt our country Subtcr.bers ouo/.t ,..,-,,,/, nee no difficulty in rtctinng it rnjularly. MUsJf of the country Booksellers are jnolMj not yet this arrangement, which enables them to receive OjNM " their Saturday parcels. Part V. is now ready. Frratum. By a provoking accident, some few rople, of 'the last r,- worked -II before the words" Saxoni*. ' Sax- '. , 55 ".-uulactes," in p. 36-5. coL 2. were co. , ***** and " au.iacter."
