Replies.

BOOKS CHAINED TO DESKS IN CHURCHES.

(Vol. viii., p. 93.)

The authority for this ancient custom appears to be derived from an act of the Convocation which assembled in 1562. Strype informs us (Annals, vol. i. c. 27.) that at this Convocation the following injunctions were given:

"First, That a Catechism be set forth in Latin, which is already done by Mr. Dean of Paul's [Dean Nowell], and wanteth only viewing. Secondly, That certain Articles [the Thirty-nine Articles], containing the principal grounds of Christian religion, be set forth much like to such Articles as were set forth a little before the death of King Edward, of which Articles the most part may be used with additions and corrections as shall be thought convenient. Thirdly, That to these Articles also be adjoined the Apology, writ by Bishop Jewell, lately set forth after it, hath been once again revised and so augmented and corrected as occasion serveth. That these be joined in one book; and by common consent authorised as containing true doctrine, and be enjoined to be taught the youth in the Universities and grammar schools throughout the realm, and also in cathedral churches, and collegiate, and in private houses: and that whosoever shall preach, declare, write, or speak anything in derogation, depraving or despising of the said book, or any doctrine therein contained, and be thereof lawfully convicted before any ordinary, &c., he shall be ordered as in case of heresy, or else shall be punished as is appointed for those that offend and speak against the Book of Common Prayer, set forth in the first year of the Queen's Majesty's reign that now is: that is to say, he shall for the first offence forfeit 100 marks; for the second offence, 400 marks; and for the third offence, all his goods and chattels, and shall suffer imprisonment during life."

It is probable that this book found a place in churches as affording a standard of orthodoxy easy of reference to congregations in times not sufficiently remote from the Reformation, to render the preaching of Romish doctrines unlikely. This, if the surmise be correct, would be emphatically to bring the officiating minister to book. In Prestwich Church, the desk yet remains, together with the "Book of Articles," bound up as prescribed with Jewel's Apology (black-letter, 1611), but the chain has disappeared. The neighbouring church of Bingley has also its desk, to which the chain is still attached; but the "Book of Articles" has given place to some more modern volume.

John Booker.

Prestwich.

Mr. Simpson will find some account of the Paraphrase of Erasmus so chained (of which he says he cannot recal an instance) at Vol i., p. 172., and Vol. v., p. 332.

The following list (remains of which more or less perfect, with chains appended, are still extant) will probably be interesting to many of your readers:

J. Eastwood.

In Malvern Abbey Church is a copy of Dean Comber's Companion to the Temple, chained to a desk, and bearing a written inscription to the effect that it should never be removed out of the church; but should remain chained to its desk for ever, for the use of any parishioner who might choose to come in and read it there.

N. B. I have mislaid my copy of this inscription: and should feel greatly obliged to any of your correspondents who may be residing in or near Great Malvern, for a transcript of it. As it may be thought somewhat long for your pages, perhaps some correspondent would kindly copy it out for me, and inclose it to Rev. H. T. Griffith, Hull.

University Club.

EPITAPHS.

(Vol. vii. passim.)

A goodly collection of singular epitaphs has appeared in "N. & Q."; but I believe it yet lacks a specimen of the following tomfoolery—an initial epitaph. Green, in his History of Worcester, gives the following inscription from a monument under the north-west window of St. Andrew's Church in that city:

Green adds the following explanation of this riddle:

"In full measure it would have stood thus: 'Here Lieth The Body Of Richard Weston, In Hopes Of A Joyful Resurrection. Anno Domini 1780. Aged 63.'"

Richard Weston was a baker, and the "Short of weight" gives the clue to the nature of his dealings, and also to the right reading of the epitaph.

The following is from Ombersley Churchyard, Worcestershire:

From the churchyard of St. John, Worcester:

From the churchyard of Cofton Hackett, Worcestershire, are the two following:

"Here lieth the body of John Galey, sen., in expectation of the Last Day. What sort of man he was that day will discover. He was clerk of this parish fifty-five years. He died in 1756, aged 75."

The next is also to a Galey. Your correspondent Pictor (Vol. viii., p. 98.) gives the same epitaph, slightly altered, as being at Wingfield, Suffolk:

From Alvechurch, Worcestershire; to a man and wife:

"He, an honest, good-natured, worthy man; she, as eminent for conjugal and maternal virtues during her marriage and widowhood, as she had been before for amiable delicacy of person and manners."

The following, which is probably not to be surpassed, appeared in one of the earliest numbers of Household Words. It is from the churchyard of Pewsey, Wiltshire:

"Here lies the body of Lady O'Looney, great-niece of Burke, commonly called the Sublime. She was bland, passionate, and deeply religious: also, she painted in water-colours, and sent several pictures to the Exhibition. She was first cousin to Lady Jones: and of such is the kingdom of heaven."

Cuthbert Bede, B.A.

If epitaphs of recent date are admitted in "N. & Q.," perhaps the following, upon an editor, which lately appeared in the Halifax Colonist, may not be out of place in your publication:

W. W.

Malta.

The above lines, written on a tablet in a church at Exeter, were composed by Mr. Tuckett, tallow-chandler, to the memory of his wife. An old subscriber of "N. & Q." thinks this epitaph more strange and curious than any which has yet appeared in the columns of that valuable publication.

Anon.

PAROCHIAL LIBRARIES.

(Vol. vii., p. 507.)

I copy the following from the fly-leaf of A Treatise of Ecclesiastical Benefices and Revenues, by the learned Father Paul, translated by Tobias Jenkins, 8vo., Westminster, 1736:

"Bibliotheca de Bassingbourn in Com. Cant. Dono dedit Edvardus Nightingale de Kneeseworth Armiger Filius et Hares Fundatoris. Feb. 1^mo, 1735^to."

How the volume got out of the library I know not: it was purchased some years since at a sale in Oxford.

Y. B. N. J.

To the list of parochial libraries allow me to add that of Denchworth, near Wantage, Berks. In a small apartment over the porch, the parvise, I recollect, some years since, to have seen a very fair collection of old divinity, the books being, all of them, confined by chains, according to the ancient usage, an instance of which I never saw elsewhere.

At St. Peter's Church, Tiverton, there is also a collection of books, mostly the gift of the Newtes, Richard (rejected in 1646 and restored in 1660), and John his son, rectors of the portions of Tidcombe and Clare in that church. The books are preserved in a room over the vestry.

Balliolensis.

Another venerable archdeacon now living permitted the churchwardens of Swaffham to give him a fine copy of Cranmer's Bible belonging to the church library.

S. Z. Z. S.

Add to the list Finedon, in Northamptonshire, where there is a collection of upwards of 1000 volumes in the parvise over the porch.

E. H. A.

"UP, GUARDS, AND AT THEM!"

(Vol. v., p. 426.; Vol. viii., pp. 111. 184.)

The authority for the Duke of Wellington having used these words at the battle of Waterloo is Capt. Batty, of the Grenadier Guards, in a letter written a few days after the battle, published in Booth's Battle of Waterloo, and illustrated by George Jones, Esq., R.A., who is believed to have superintended the whole publication. I append the extract:—

"Upon the cavalry being repulsed, the Duke himself ordered our second battalion to form line with the third battalion, and, after advancing to the brow of the hill, to lie down and shelter ourselves from the fire. Here we remained, I imagine, near an hour. It was now about seven o'clock. The French infantry had in vain been brought against our line and, as a last resource, Buonaparte resolved upon attacking our part of the position with his veteran Imperial Guard, promising them the plunder of Brussels. Their artillery and they advanced in solid column to where we lay. The Duke, who was riding behind us, watched their approach; and at length, when within a hundred yards of us, exclaimed 'Up, guards, and at them again!' Never was there a prouder moment than this for our country or ourselves," &c.—Second Letter of Capt. Batty, Grenadier Guards, dated June 22, 1815, from the village of Gommignies; his First Letter being dated Bavay, June 21, 1815.

This circumstantial account, written so few days after the battle, detailing affirmatively the command to the guards as heard by one of themselves, will probably countervail the negative testimony of C. as derived from the Duke's want of recollection: as well as the "Goodly Botherby's" of Mr. Cuthbert Bede. As an instance of the Duke's impressions of the battle, I may add, that he stated that there was no smoke, though Mr. Jones told me, that when he was on the ground two days afterwards the smoke was still hanging over it.

Frank Howard.

PHOTOGRAPHIC CORRESPONDENCE.

Mr. Muller's Process.—Mr. Sisson inquires for any one's experience in the use of the above formula, and I beg to say I remember when it was published I tried it, but gave it up. It is an excellent plan, but requires improvement. The following were my objections:

If the objects are not well illuminated by the sun, the image is not sharp. The skies taken are singularly the reverse of the iodide-of-potash method, as they are almost transparent.

The solutions of iron are a constant trouble by precipitating.

It has the same disadvantages as other modes on paper from inequality in the strength of the image. The photographic pons asinorum appears however to be got over by the process, viz. taking the picture at once in the camera, and it is very possible that it can be made perfect. A small quantity of chromate of potash, about one grain to three ounces of solution of iodide of iron, gives a little more force to the picture.

I find the nitrate of lead a very useful salt in iodizing paper. Six grains of the salt to the ounce of water, and tincture of iodine added till a pale yellow, will give additional sensitiveness to iodized paper, if the sheets are floated upon the solution. This will shorten the time in the camera nearly five minutes; but it requires care, as it is apt to solarize.

A weak solution of iodide of iron has also the same effect, and, if blotted off at once, it will not blacken by the use of gallic acid.

Weld Taylor.

Bayswater.

Stereoscopic Angles.—When I last addressed you, I fancied I should set the stereoscopic-angle question at rest. It appears, however, that Mr. G. Shadbolt is unconvinced, and as I alone (to the best of my knowledge) have defined and solved the problem in relation to this subject, you will perhaps allow me to offer a few words in rejoinder to Mr. S.'s arguments which, had that gentleman thought more closely, would not have been advanced. This is also requisite, because, from their speciousness, they are likely to mislead such as take what they read for granted. Mr. S. says that when the stereographs are placed at the same distance from the eyes as the focal length of the lens, that 2¼ inches is the best space for the cameras to be apart; and that were this space increased, the result would be as though the pictures were taken from models. To this I reply, that the only correct space for the cameras to be apart is 2½ inches (i. e. the space usually found to be from pupil to pupil of our eyes), and this under every circumstance; and that any departure from this must produce error. As to the model-like appearance, I cannot see the reason of it. Next Mr. Shadbolt says, and rightly, that when the pictures are seen from a less distance than the focal length of the lens, they appear to be increased in bulk. But the "obvious remedy" I pronounce to be wrong, as it must produce error. The remedy is nevertheless obvious, and consists in placing the stereographs at the same distance from the eyes as the focal length of the lens. But, if this cannot be done, it were surely better to submit to some trifling exaggeration than to absolute deformity and error. Mr. S. says also, that as we mainly judge of distance, &c. by the convergence of the optic axis of our eyes (Query, How do persons with only one eye judge?), so, in short or medium distances, it were better to let the camera radiate from its centre to the principal object to be delineated. The result of this must be error, as the following illustration will show. Let the sitter (for it is especially recommended in portraits) hold before him, horizontally, and in parallelism with the picture, a ruler two feet long; and let planes parallel to the ruler pass through the sitter's ears, eyes, nose, &c. The consequence would be that the ruler, and all the other planes parallel to it, would have two vanishing points, and all the features be erroneously rendered. This, to any one conversant with perspective, should suffice. But, as all are not acquainted with perspective, perhaps the following illustration may prove more convincing. Suppose an ass to stand facing the observer; a boy astride him, with a big drum placed before him. Now, under the treatment recommended by Mr. G. Shadbolt, both sides of the ass would be visible; both the boy's legs; and the drum would have two heads. This would be untrue, absurd, ridiculous, and quite as wonderful as Mr. Fenton's twelve-feet span view from across the Thames.

Once more, and I shall have done with the present arguments of Mr. G. Shadbolt. He says that the two pictures should have exactly the same range of vision. This I deny: for, were it so, there would be no stereoscopic effect. Let the object be a column: it is evident that a tangent to the left side of the column from the right eye, could not extend so far to the left as a tangent to the left side of the column from the left eye, and vice versâ. And it is only by this difference in the two pictures (or, in other words, the range of vision) that our conceptions of solidity are created. This is not exactly the test to suit the views of Mr. Shadbolt, as I am quite aware; but I chose it for its simplicity, and because it will bear demonstration; and my desire has been to elicit truth, and not to perpetuate error.

In conclusion, I beg to refer Mr. G. Shadbolt to my definition and solution of the stereoscopic problem—which I then said I believed—but which I now unhesitatingly assert to be correct.

T. L. Marriott.

Ammonio-nitrate of Silver.—The inability of your correspondent Philo-pho. to form the ammonio-nitrate of silver from a solution of nitrate of silver, which has been used to excite albumenized paper, is in all probability owing to the presence of a small quantity of nitrate of ammonia, which has been imparted to the solution by the paper.

Salts of ammonia form, with those of silver, double salts, from which the oxide of silver is not precipitated by the alkalies.

I cannot however explain how it was that the solution had lost none of its silver, for the paper could not in such case have been rendered sensitive.

J. Leachman.

20. Compton Terrace, Islington.