68
NOTES AND QUERIES.
[2nd s. N 4., JAN. 26. '56.
miner had supposed it to be ; at any rate, that
it was not the remains of some work of a very
ancient date. Within the past three or four years,
however, some more diligent inquiries have been
set on foot, and it has been lately ascertained that
the writer of the Survey of the County Kilkenny
has been " all wrong " in his speculations in " Pe-
lasgic" lore.
A sort of red grit stone has been in use in Ireland for the purpose of making grindstones for the small country mills where oats and other coarse food is ground. In the neighbourhood of the hill mentioned some of this stone has been found. It was conjectured that the letters al- luded to might have been the work of a modern tradesman, having had the appearance of being cut with a tool called a " mill-chisel," an instru- ment well known to all millers, and one which would very quickly effect such indentations on a piece of comparatively soft stone.
The conjecture was fully confirmed by the ob- server reading the letters upsidcdown; and they would stand thus :
"E. CONIC, 1731."
The observer, justly imagining that the person cutting the letters lay flat along the upper sur- face of the slab, and worked with his arms at the edge, thereby inscribing his name as it is read above, and, shall I add, perpetuating its fame for over a century.
On farther pushing this inquiry, some old per- son was found in the neighbourhood who had known, or at least heard of, this " Ned Conic," and who had been told that he and some others had made an appointment to go to the top of the hill to cut some of these mill-stones, but that his party had disappointed him ; and while waiting for them he had filled up his vacant time by thus unconsciously spreading abroad his humble fame, and innocently puzzling posterity for about one hundred and twenty years !
It is quite needless to enlarge on these remarks ; but the circumstance serves as a caution to those who speculate on such matters to withhold their judgment until every test of common sense be brought to bear on the facts at issue. H. H. H.
ILLUSTRATIONS OF MACAULAT.
Capture of Sir John FenwicJt.
Herewith I send you another contribution to your illus- trations of Macaulay's History. It relates to the capture of Sir John Fenwick, and, if not hitherto printed, may be an acceptable addition to your interesting collection.
May it please your Grace,
This day, about nine of the clock in the fore- noone, were apprehended in this towne, att the house of Thomas Ladd, in bed there, two persons,
being gentlemen ; the one is a tall man, being
60 years of age or above, supposed to be S r Jno.
Fenwick, tho' he denyes that name, and says his
name is Thomas Ward, and that his lodgings are
in Chancery Lane, att the house of one Spencer,
near the S' John Babtist Head; and there is in
his company one who is known here to be M r
Robert Webber, an attorney of Clifford's In ..
They pretend to come to survey an estate, late
gr ^ym Goulston's, which they say is to be sold ;
but they have noe pticular, nor can I find any
papers or letter about them, nor in their leather
baggs (for they had both leather baggs beheind
them on their horses, stuffed full of cloths and
linen). The antient gent is doubtless one of those
that, under the notion of merchants, was to be
conveyed to France by Tho. Ladd and Nicho.
Rolfe, of whom I informed M r Vernon, your
Grace's secretary, by my affidavit, and by an
express letter I sent on Monday last to him ; and
they were both seized by Rolfe and his assistants
(whereof a son of mine was one). I have them
under a strong guard att present ; but our goal or
prison is very inconvenient, and M r Mayor of this
towne is gone to a faire eight miles off before the
matter happened, and Ladd, in whose house they
were taken, went out yesterday morning to Can-
terbury, in order to meet the two merchants,
whereof this old is supposed to be one, and Ladd
is supposed to be with the other att Canterbury,
in order to gett him downe this way ; and I doubt
nott but he will secure him if ( he comes in his
company, for he faithfully promised me to appre-
hend them both. I pray your Grace to send
downe officers with a sufficient guard to convey
these prisoners now in custody to such place as
your Grace shall direct, with as much speed as
may be. Here is now in towne one Ensigne
Scroop, belonging to the Duke of Bolton's regi-
ment of foot, who says he thinks verily 'tis S r
John Fenwick that is here. I beg y e favor of
your Grace to acquaint his Maj ties Privy Councill
therewith, and to send me directions and an an-
swer by this bearer who conies on purpose, and
for whose journey and the charge of guarding the
prisoners I hope care will be taken to satisfy for
the same, and am
Y r Grace's
most humble Servant,
Jo. MASCALL.
New Romney,
11 June, 9(>,"
near 12 o'Clock at noone.
The persons that apprehended these two are Nicholas Rolfe. Rob* Mascall, my son. John Brakenbury, constable. Mr. Jo. Randolph. Tho. Dray ; and John Ruwley ;
