Monday, June 2. This morning at six o'Clock, the Yeoman Porter (a naturalised Frenchman or Swiss, who had been a servant of Lord Shipbrook, General Vernon's brother, the L' governour of the Tower) found great fault with Bouguet, the Warder, for permitting me to walk upon the Leads. N.B. I have now been this day at noon, 17 days & nights in close custody, without any hint or conjecture what action or crime can be laid to my charge. I read for 24 week 138. 4d. government maintenance of a prisoner; so that they have at last found out a method to make me a pensioner against my will. F. Vaughan visited me 5th time. He had received from According to the Encycl.' he brought forward this H£50. He gave me £20 & will give F. Wild-motion on 1 December, 1789, at the same time that he man to pay Mrs. Hart £10 due to her the 1st of May, proposed that all offenders and criminals should be 1794. N.B. Mr. Tooke gave my girls £10 10 May 24. punished in precisely the same manner, no matter what Two new Warders, Finney, L Cornwallis's servant, their rank or station. But, according to Sanson, this Lockit, Abp. (?) Cornwallis's cook. last motion was brought forward on 28 November, and was carried on 1 December, 1789; whilst the other motion was not proposed till 21 January, 1790, as I have stated above. See vol. iii. pp. 387, 388.

exécutions multiples, à cause de la fatigue des épées sujettes à s'ébrécher ou à perdre leur fil."

Besides which, when several criminals had to be executed successively, the last ones to suffer would be so overcome by the sight of the blood of the others that they would not all of them be even able to maintain themselves in a suitable position. From these and other considerations, there-recorded in my last note, was submitted to fore, Sanson came to the conclusion that it was indispensable to adopt some machine "qui fixât le patient dans la position horizontale, pour qu'il n'eût plus à soutenir le poids de son corps, et qui permit d'opérer avec plus de précision et de sûreté que la main de l'homme n'en peut avoir."

his neck should come precisely where the sharp
edge of the knife would fall. The difficulty was
conquered, the problem solved. Schmidt had at
last discovered the means of decapitating a criminal
in a horizontal position, without its being possible
for him to make the slightest movement.
It was this drawing of Schmidt's which, as I
Louis XVI. by Dr. Antoine Louis, and in which
the king substituted a straight edge set slantingly
for the crescent drawn by Schmidt. This crescent
Schmidt had apparently borrowed from some old
engraving, perhaps that of Aldegrever mentioned
by M. CHATEAU (last reference). And according
to the same correspondent the knife in Bocchi's
engraving has a straight edge, so that Louis XVI.
did not originate this; but probably the edge was
horizontal, and not set slantingly as Louis drew
it.*

Dr. Guillotin was entirely of Sanson's opinion, and he went several times to Sanson's house to see whether they could devise together a machine which should meet every requirement. But they could hit upon nothing. They examined three German engravings by Pentz, Aldegreder (the On 7 March, 1792, five days after Louis XVI. Encycl.' has Penez and Aldegrever), and Lucas had altered Schmidt's drawing, Dr. Louis preCranach, as well as an Italian engraving by sented his report to the Assembly, and recomAchille Bocchi, this last of the Mannaia," mended Louis XVI.'s modification, with the prowhich the Encycl.' tells us was used as early as viso that if, upon trial, a knife of any other form the thirteenth century. They examined also the should be found to work better, it should be instrument used earlier still in Persia, the "Scotch adopted. Experiments were made upon three maiden," and an instrument that had been used in dead bodies on 17 April, 1792. The slanting edge 1632 at Toulouse for the execution of the Maréchal was used in two cases, the horizontal edge in one. de Montmorency, and had previously been in In both its cases the former was successful; in its use in that part of the country. But all these one case the horizontal edge failed, and thus the machines had the one capital defect that the slanting edge (called by Sanson "la lame oblique," criminal was made to kneel and could not be so P. 406) was adjudged to have gained the day, and securely fastened as to be altogether incapable of eight days later, on 25 April, 1792, a highway making any movement. The question, was, how-robber, named Pelletier, was executed by the first ever, quickly to be solved, and that in a very un- guillotine made. The name given to it was at expected way. first either Louison or Louisette (from Dr. Louis), but this last name finally prevailed, probably from or Guillotine (from Dr. Guillotin) indifferently; its being regarded as less familiar‡ and more euphonious.

For some time a German of the name of Schmidt, a maker of harpsichords, but also well acquainted with mechanics, had been in the habit of coming in to Sanson's in the evening, and Sanson had often spoken to him about the fix in which Dr. Guillotin and himself then were. One evening, when Schmidt was playing on the harpsichord and Sanson on his violin or violoncello (for it was especially their mutual passion for music, though also the purchase by Sanson of certain musical instruments from Schmidt, which had created the intimacy), Sanson's thoughts once more reverted to that other instrument which was to him a matter of such serious concern, and he let fall a few words about it. Schmidt at once exclaimed in his broken French," Attentez, che crois que ch'ai fotre affaire, ch'y ai bensé," and seizing hold of a pencil, with a few rapid strokes he made a drawing: "C'était la Guillotine!" Yes, there it was, the guillotine with its knife raised up on high between two posts and set in motion by a cord with its tilting board ("planche à bascule ") which with the subject fastened at full length upon it

There were six factors concerned, therefore, in the production of the guillotine, viz., Guillotin,

forms an acute angle which would enter into the right * This edge, which starts upwards from right to left, side of the neck (see the engraving in Webster, 3.0. "Guillotine "), and so secure a deep entrance from which the incision would be carried right across, whereas the horizontal edge might fail to obtain a sufficient entrance the neck, called by anatomists the "ligamentum in consequence of the strong ligament of the back of nucha."

=

†This guillotine was constructed by a carpenter of the name of Guidon, and cost 5,500 francs. only a diminutive of a Christian name, and, indeed, a And yet Guillotin, like Louison and Louisette, is double diminutive. For Guillotin probably Guille (our Will)+ the two diminutive endings of and in, and, if so, is much the same as little Billie (Billee). Larchey, indeed, will not allow that Guille represents more than the first half of Guill (e)aume, but Pott (third about Liège family names (p. 203), has "Guillaume dit edition, p. 192) agrees with me, and Body, in his book

Sanson, the old engravings of antecedent machines, Schmidt, Dr. Louis, and Louis XVI. Schmidt is commonly looked upon as the most important of these; but he would not have produced the machine without the very important assistance of Sanson, who told him what modifications in the old machines were required, whilst Louis XVI.'s improvement was of great value.

The account given by the 'Encyl. Brit.' accords, as I have said, pretty nearly with what I have narrated, and yet the writer of the article did not consult Sanson's 'Mémoires.' As, however, among the books quoted I notice one by Louis Dubois, entitled 'Recherches Historiques et Physiologiques sur la Guillotine et Détails sur Sanson,' I am inclined to believe that the writer of the article was almost as much indebted to Sanson as I have been. As for J. W. Croker's book, I have not seen it; but, to judge from the numerous quotations I have seen from it in N. & Q.,' the information given can scarcely be remarkable for its accuracy.

In conclusion, I may say that the guillotine which is exhibited in the Chamber of Horrors at Madame Tussaud's is stated to be the very one which served for the execution of Louis XVI. Now, this latter guillotine was removed as early as 30 April, 1793, from the Place de la Révolution (now the Place de la Concorde), where it had been standing ever since the 21st of the preceding January (the date of the king's execution), and a new one was substituted for it, in which many modifications deemed necessary by Sanson for the successful performance of several successive executions had been carried out under his direction (see vol. iv. p. 82). It is, therefore, quite possible that the Tussaud family really did obtain possession of the original machine, for I believe that they already had an exhibition at Paris at the time of, and indeed some time before, the death of Louis XVI. And as but few heads had fallen under the knife* of that guillotine, one would expect to see it in good condition. Sydenham Hill.

F. CHANCE.

LAW STATIONER.-The Century Dictionary' has this description: "A stationer who keeps on sale the articles required by lawyers, such as parchment, tape, foolscap, brief-paper, &c., and who sometimes, in England, takes in drafts or writings to be fairly copied or engrossed for lawyers." I disagree with this; it should be "one who in England takes in drafts or writings to be either fair copied or engrossed for lawyers, and who sometimes keeps on sale," &c.

Though only a change in the order of the sentences, the difference in the description is great, in fact the difference between right and wrong.

* It would almost seem, from what is said in pp. 77, 78, that the knife which cut off Louis' head was never used

Mr. Whitney writes "fairly copied." You would never hear such a thing in a lawyer's office nor in a law stationer's. It may be bad grammar, but lawyers always say, "Take that to be fair copied," or, "Make a fair copy by such a time." Again, Mr. Whitney says, fairly copied or engrossed," as if they were the same thing; but they are not. If I say, "Take this to the stationer to be fair copied," it comes back fair copied on paper, as a draft to be reread and finally corrected. I then send the fair copy as a draft to the stationer to be engrossed; it then comes back better and more carefully written and ready for signature.

I have left in the words "in England but I imagine they would not be necessary for a dictionary published in England. Why has Mr. Whitney been so particular? Are there no law stationers in America? I understand there will not be any or many left in England soon, as the type-writer is improving them off the face of the earth. So, then, to "go with the times," the law stationer now sets up as a type-writer, and starts a shop and sells things, as per Mr. Whitney's description (which in times to come will probably be more accurate than mine), and then in his shop window adds cycles (generally ladies') to the other miscellaneous articles.

Under "Engross "The Century' has a correct description, with what I contend is an incorrect or misleading illustration from the Tale of a Tub.' Swift says, "Jack had provided a fair copy of his father's will, engrossed in form upon a large skin of parchment." With the word "fair," "" the description is overdone; omit it and then the sentence will read correctly, and as I believe Swift would have written it had he been acquainted with the practice of English lawyers (i.e. solicitors). I should think it must have been a rather exceptional thing even in Swift's time to have a will engrossed on parchment for signature by a testator. It would be interesting to know when the practice (if it ever was one) ceased. I never saw a will on parchment, though I never saw a "probate" of a mistake from always seeing the parchment probates will on anything else.* I think Swift has made a of wills. Parchment was much more commonly used in early days; no doubt it was even thirty years ago more used than now. I have searched in all sorts of books, but can find nothing upon the subject of parchment wills. RALPH THOMAS.

AN ANOMALOUS PARISH.-Baker mentions in his 'History of Northamptonshire' (A.D. 1822-36) that Stotesbury, or Stottesbury, near Brackley, presents the singular anomaly of a parish without

*Original wills are not handed about like deeds, but are lodged in the registries, unless, indeed, they relate solely to realty, in which case they are the same as deeds: they do not require probate, which is only given

As regards the word "bug," the New Eng. Dict.' quotes Coverdale's version of Psalm xcii. 5: "Thou shalt not nede to be afrayed for eny bugges by night." It also refers to the expression "To swear by no bugs" as meaning to take a genuine oath, not a mere pretence.

in prose it means twilight. The word "humbug," is a strange little slip, more strangely endorsed by therefore, means twilight bug, twilight goblin. Peter Cunningham. Since that," writes WalIn England twilight was formerly regarded as pole, "I went to see an old house [at Wingfield] malignant or unkindly.* It was the time when built by Secretary Naunton." The description ghosts trooped forth. that follows of the house and the church is very interesting to any one who knows them, bat Wingfield should of course be Letheringham Priory, near Wickham Market, Suffolk. The Priory still stands; but Cunningham's note asserts that "the house has long been level with the ground-the church destroyed by churchwarden renewals and alterations, and the Wingfield and Naunton monuments shamefully scattered. When I visited Wingfield, in 1852, I discovered part of Secretary Naunton's monument in a farm-wall building." Ample collections were made by the late Capt. The history of Letheringham has yet to be written. Brooke, and are still in the library at Ufford.

One would like to see reports from other parts of the country about Hummer and Hummer Nick. S. O. ADDY.

PORTRAIT OF ROBERT HARLEY, EARL or OxFORD.-On a recent visit to the British Museum, at the top of a case near the Print Room, I saw a fine portrait in oils, half length, of a statesman wearing a long flowing wig, and in the right hand holding a white wand of office. On inquiry from the curator of the Department he was unable to tell me whom it represented. The portrait much needed cleaning, and I am inclined to believe that it is engraved in Lodge's 'Portraits,' and depicts Robert Harley, Earl of Oxford and Mortimer, Baron Harley of Wigmore, the first peer of that line, who died in 1724, and to have been painted by Sir Godfrey Kneller. In a list of portraits prefixed to vol. vii. Cabinet Edition of Lodge's 'Portraits,' "No. 4" is said to be that of "Robert Harley, Earl of Oxford, from the collection in the British Museum." If my surmise is correct, it is worthy of a better position than it at present occupies. JOHN PICKFORD, M.A.

Newbourne Rectory, Woodbridge.

ROUSSEAU AND 'HUDIBRAS.'-Unless a common original can be traced, Rousseau would seem to have borrowed from 'Hudibras.' In verses entitled 'L'Allée de Sylvie,' published in 'L'Ami des Muses' in 1759, he says :—

On me verra par jalousie
Prêcher mes caduques vertus,
Et souvent blamer par envie

Les plaisirs que je n'aurai plus,

He may have seen Towneley's French translation of Hudibras,' published in 1758, but if so the borrowing must have been from the English text, also given by it, for Towneley's rendering of the famous couplet "Compound for sins" is very feeble :

Paris.

Ce qui leur plaft est légitime,
Et ce qui leur déplaît, un crime,

J. G. ALGER.

LETHERINGHAM PRIORY.-In the Letters of Horace Walpole' (ed. 1891), vol. ii. p. 463, there

* "Maligna lux, uel dubia, tweonulleoht."-Wright.

FRANCIS HINDES GROOME.

'TOM BROWN'S SCHOOLDAYS.'-In a catalogue of Tabart's "Juvenile Library" (157, New Bond Street), appended to their Children's Book of Trades,' 1805, the following title occurs :—

and Adventures of Tom Brown on his First Going to
"First going to School, or a History of the Feelings
School, with Letters to his Sisters, adorned with beauti
ful Engravings, price 2s."

Has this ever been pointed out as a strange pre
cursor of our ever delightful 'Tom Brown's School.
days'? One suspects that the only resemblance
is in the title-pages; still, Tom Hughes may have
had a reminiscence of the little work quoted in
taking the name of Tom Brown. Letters to his
sisters is rather suggestive of namby-pambiness,
and it will be recollected that Tom particularly
warns Arthur, on their first night in Gray's study:
talk about home, or your mother and sisters."
"Don't you say you can sing; and don't you ever

St. Petersburg.

H. E. M.

EVENING SERVICES IN WESTMINSTER ABBEY.— Services on Sunday evenings have been for many years at stated seasons held in the nave or choir seemed a very great mystery why this great. of Westminster Abbey, and to many people it has

temple of reconciliation" should not be open all! the year round. Dean Stanley, in his 'Memorials of Westminster Abbey,' told us that "much assuredly remains to be done to place it on a level! with the increasing demands of the human mind and with the changing wants of the Englishɩ people." Changes to meet these requirements have from time to time been made; increased light and a complete system of warming were introduced,. and the usefulness of this "fortress of the Church of England" has become greater than it ever was before. The prayer used at the installation of a dean and canon, in which it is asked "that those.