Good Friday was the day appointed for the blessing of the rings. They were often called "medijcinable rings," and were made both of gold and silver; and as we learn from the household books of Henry IV. and Edward IV., the metal they were composed of was what formed the king's offering to the cross on Good Friday. The following entry occurs in the accounts of the 7th and 8th years of Henry IV. (1406): "In oblacionibus Domini Regis factis adorando Crucem in capella infra manerium suum de Eltham, die Parascevis, in precio trium nobilium auri et v solidorum sterlyng, xxv s.

"In denariis solutis pro eisdem oblacionibus reassumptis, pro annulis medicinalibus inde faciendis, xxv s."

The prayers used at the ceremony of blessing the rings on Good Friday are published in Waldron's Literary Museum. Cardinal Wiseman has in his possession a MS. containing both the ceremony for the blessing the cramp rings, and the ceremony for the touching for the king's evil. At the commencement of the MS. are emblazoned the arms of Philip and Mary: the first ceremony is headed, "Certain prayers to be used by the quenes heignes in the consecration of the crampe rynges." Accompanying it is an illumination representing the queen kneeling, with a dish, containing the rings to be blessed, on each side of her. The second ceremony is entitled, "The ceremonye for ye heling of them that be diseased with the kynges evill;" and has its illumination of Mary kneeling and placing her hands upon the neck of the diseased person, who is presented to her by the clerk; while the chaplain, in alb and stole,

kneels on the other side. The MS. was exhibited at a meeting of the Archæological Institute on 6th June, 1851. Hearne, in one of his manuscript diaries in the Bodleian, iv. 190., mentions having seen certain prayers to be used by Queen Mary at the blessing of cramp rings. May not this be the

identical MS. alluded to?

But, to come to W. C. T.'s immediate question, "When did the use of these blest rings by our sovereigns cease?" The use never ceased till the change of religion. In addition to the evidence already given of the custom in the fifteenth century, may be added several testimonies of its continuance all through the sixteenth century. Lord Berners, when ambassador to the Emperor Charles V., writing "to my Lord Cardinal's grace" from Saragossa, June 31, 1518, says, "If your grace remember me with some crampe ryngs, ye shall doo a thing muche looked for; and I trust to bestowe thaym well with goddes grace." (Harl. MS. 295. f. 119. See also Polydore Virgil, Hist. i. 8.; and Harpsfield.) Andrew Boorde, in his Introduction to Knowledge, mentions the blessing of these rings: "The kynges of England doth halow every yere crampe rynges, yo which rynges worne

on one's finger doth helpe them whych hath the crampe:" and again, in his Breviary of Health, 1557, f. 166., mentions as a remedy against the cramp, "The kynge's majestie hath a great helpe in this matter, in halowing crampe ringes, and so given without money or petition."

A curious remnant or corruption of the use of cramp rings is given by Mr. G. Rokewode, who says that in Suffolk "the use of cramp rings, as a preservative against fits, is not entirely abandoned. Instances occur where nine young men of a parish each subscribe a crooked sixpence, to be moulded into a ring, for a young woman afflicted with this malady." (History, &c., 1838, Introd. p. xxvi.) CEYREP.

TURNER'S VIEW OF LAMBETH PALACE.

(Vol. vii., p. 15.)

hibited by the late J. M. W. Turner, R. A. The L. E. X. inquires respecting the first work exstatement of the newspaper referred to was correct. The first work exhibited by Turner was a waterpresented by him to a gentleman of this city, long colour drawing of Lambeth Palace, and afterwards since deceased. It is now in the possession of that gentleman's daughter, an elderly lady, who attaches Turner, when young, was a frequent visitor at her no little importance to it. The fact is, that Mr. father's house, and on such terms that her father

lent Mr. Turner a horse to go on a sketching tour through South Wales. This lady has also three Turner,-one a view of Stoke Bishop, near Bristol, or four other drawings made at that time by then the seat of Sir Henry Lippincott, Bart., which he made as a companion to the Lambeth Palace; of course when a youth. As the early indications another is a small portrait of Turner by himself, of so great an artist, these drawings are very curious and interesting; but no person that knows anything of the state of water-colour painting at Girtin, and others began to shine out in that new that period, and previous to the era when Turner, colour works to their present style of splendour, and glorious style, that has since brought waterexcellence, and value, will expect anything approaching the perfection of latter days.

28. Trinity Street, Bristol.

J. WALTER, Marine Painter.

Whether or not the work deemed by L. E. X. to be the first exhibited by Turner may have been in water-colours, or be still in existence, I leave to other replicants, availing myself of the occasion to ask him or you, whether in 1787 two works of W. Turner, at Mr. G. Turner's, Walthamstow, "No. 471. Dover Castle," "No. 601. Wanstead House," were not, in fact, his first tilt in that arena of which he was the champion at the hour of his

as

death? Whether in the two following years he appeared at all in the ring; and, if not, why not? although in the succeeding 1790 he again threw down the glaive in the "No. 644. The Archbishop's Palace, Lambeth," being then set down "T. W. Turner;" reappearing in 1791 as "W. Turner, of Maiden Lane, Covent Garden," with "No. 494. King John's Palace, Eltham;" "No. 560. Sweakley, near Uxbridge." In the horizon of art (strange to say, and yet to be explained!) this luminary glows no more till 1808, when he had "on the line" (?) several views of Fonthill, as well as the "Tenth Plague of Egypt," purchased of course by the proprietor of that princely mansion, as it is found mentioned in Warner's Walks near Bath to be that same year adorning the walls of one of the saloons. J. H. A.

ETYMOLOGICAL TRACES OF THE SOCIAL POSITION OF OUR ANCESTORS.

(Vol. vii., p. 13.)

I was preparing to answer your correspondent E. S. TAYLOR by a reference to the conversation between Gurth and Wamba, Ivanhoe, chap. i., when a friend promised to supply me with some additional and fuller information. I copy from a MS. note that he has placed in my hands :

"Nec quidem temerè contigisse puto quod animalia viva nominibus Germanicæ originis vocemus, quorum tamen carnem in cibum paratam originis Gallicæ nominibus appellamus; puta, — bovem, vaccam, vitulum, ovem, porcum, aprum, feram, etc. (an ox, a cow, a calf, a sheep, a hog, a boar, a deer, &c.) sed carnem bubulam, vitulinam, ovinam, porcinam, aprugnam, ferinam, etc. (beef, veal, mutton, pork, brawn, venison, &c.) Sed hine id ortum putaverim, quod Normanni milites pascuis, caulis, haris, locisque quibus vivorum animalium cura agebatur, parcius se immiscuerunt (quæ itaque antiqua nomina retinuerunt) quam macellis, culinis, mensis, epulis, ubi vel parabantur vel habebantur cibi, qui itaque nova nomina ab illis sunt adepti."-Preface to Dr. Wallis's Grammatica Linguæ Anglicana, 1653, quoted by Winning, Comparative

Philology, p. 270.

Temple.

C. FORBES.

If your correspondent E. S. TAYLOR will refer to the romance of Ivanhoe, he will find in the first chapter a dialogue between Wamba the son of Witless, and Gurth the son of Beowulph, wherein the subject is fully discussed as to the change of names consequent on the transmutation of live stock, under the charge of Saxon herdsmen, into materials for satisfying the heroic appetites of their Norman rulers. It would be interesting to know the source from whence Sir Walter Scott derived his ideas on this subject: whether from

In answer to Mr. LIVETT's Query, as to the marks or letters employed by the Goldsmith's Company to denote the year in which the plate was "hall-marked," I subjoin a list of such as I am acquainted with, and which might with a little trouble be traced to an earlier period: I have also added a few notes relating to the subject generally, which may interest many of your readers.

In the year 1596, the Roman capital A was used; in 1597, B; and so on alphabetically for twenty years, which would bring us to the letter U, denoting the year 1615: the alphabet finishing every twenty years with the letter U or V. The next year, 1616, commences with the Old English letter A, and is continued for another twenty years in the Old English capitals. In 1636 is introduced another alphabet called Court alphabet.

From 1656 to 1675 inclusive, Old English capitals. 1676 to 1695 Small Roman letters. 1696 to 1715 The Court alphabet. 1716 to 1735 Roman capitals. 1736 to 1755 1756 to 1775

Small Roman letters. Old English capitals. Small Roman letters. Roman capitals. Small Roman letters. Old English capitals.

The letter for the present year, 1853, being §.

In this list it will appear difficult, at first sight, in looking at a piece of plate to ascertain its age,

to determine whether it was manufactured between the years 1636 and 1655, or between 1696 and 1715, the Court hand being used in both these cycles: but (as will presently be mentioned) instead of the lion passant and leopard's head in the former, we shall find the lion's head erased, and Britannia, denoting the alteration of the standard during the latter period.

The standard of gold, when first introduced into the coinage, was of 24 carats fine; that is, pure gold. Subsequently, it was 23 and half alloy; this, after an occasional debasement by Henry VIII., was fixed at 22 carats fine and 2 carats alloy by Charles I.; and still continues so, being

called the old standard. In 1798 an act was passed allowing gold articles to be made of a lower or worse standard, viz., of 18 carats of fine gold out of 24; such articles were to be stamped with = a crown and the figures 18, instead of the lion - passant.

The standard of silver has always (with the exception of about twenty years) been 11 oz. 2 dwts., and 18 dwts. alloy, in the pound: this was termed sterling, but very much debased from the latter end of Henry VIII. to the beginning of Elizabeth's reign. In the reign of William III., 1697, an act was passed to alter the standard of silver to 10 oz. 10 dwts., and 10 dwts. alloy and instead of the usual marks of the lion and leopard's head, the stamps of this better quality of silver were the figure of a lion's head erased, and the figure of Britannia: and the variable letter denoting the date as before. This act continued in operation for twenty-two years, being repealed in 1719, when the standard was again restored.

A duty of sixpence per ounce was imposed upon plate in 1719, which was taken off again in 1757; in lieu of which, a licence or duty of forty shillings was paid by every vendor of gold or silver. În 1784, a duty of sixpence per ounce was again imposed, and the licence still continued: which in 1797 was increased to one shilling, and in 1815 to eighteenpence at which it still remains. The payment of this duty is indicated by the stamp of the sovereign's head.

All gold plate, with the exception of watchcases, pays a duty of seventeen shillings per ounce; and silver plate one shilling and sixpence; watch cases, chains, and a few other articles being exempted.

The letters used as dates in the foregoing list (it must be remembered) are only those of the Goldsmiths' Hall in London, as denoted by the leopard's head crowned. Other Halls, at York, Newcastle, Lincoln, Norwich, Bristol, Salisbury, and Coventry, had also marks of their own to show the year; and have stamped gold and silver since the year 1423, perhaps earlier. Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Dublin have had the same privilege from a very early period: and, more recently, Chester, Birmingham, and Sheffield. Thus it will be seen that four marks or punches are used on gold and silver plate, independent of the makers' initials or symbol, viz.:

EDITIONS OF THE PRAYER-BOOK PRIOR TO 1662. (Vol. vi., pp. 435. 564.; Vol. vii., p. 18.) Since the publication of the professedly imperfect list of various editions of the Prayer-Book, at page 564. of your last volume, which list was compiled chiefly from liturgical works in my own possession, I have had occasion to consult the Catalogue of the British Museum, from which I have gleaned materials for a more full and correct enumeration. All the editions in the following list are in the library of the British Museum; and in order to increase its value and utility, I have appended to each article the press-mark by which it is now designated. In some of these press-marks a numeral is subscript, thus:

C. 25. h. 7. 1

In order to save space I have represented this in the following list thus, (C. 25. h. 7.) 1., putting the subscript numeral outside the parenthesis. 1552. (?) 4to. B. L. N. Hyll for A. Veale. (3406. c.) 1573. (?) fol. R. Jugge. (C. 24. m. 5.) 1. Portion of Prayer-Book. (3406 a.) 1580. (?) 8vo. Portion of Prayer-Book. (1274. b. 9.) 1595. fol. Deputies of Ch. Barker. (C. 25. m. 5.) 2. 1596. 4to. (C. 25. h. 7.) 1.

1584. 4to.

1598. fol. (C. 25. 1. 10.) 1.

1603. (?) 4to. Imperfect. (1275. b. 11.) 1.

1611. 4to. (1276. e. 4.) I.

1612. 8vo. (3406. a.)

1613. 4to. (3406. c.)

is to be presumed that he means a solution of this salt, which is a solid substance as usually sold. What follows is so exceedingly droll, that I can do nothing more than guess at the meaning. How one solution is to be floated on another, and then, after a bath of nitrate of silver, is to be ready for the camera, surpasses my comprehension.

Also, further on, he alludes to iodizing with the ammonio-nitrate (I presume of silver). What does he mean?

GEO. SHADBOLT.

Dr. Diamond's Services to Photography.-SIR, We, the undersigned amateurs of Photography in the city of Norwich, shall be obliged if you will (privately, or otherwise, at your own discretion) convey to DR. DIAMOND our grateful thanks for the frankness and liberality with which he has published the valuable results of his experiments in the pages of "N. & Q." We have profited largely by Dr. DIAMOND's instructions, and beg to express our conviction that he is entitled to the gratitude of every lover of the art. We are, Sir,

[Agreeing, as we do most entirely, with the Photographers of Norwich in their estimate of the skill and perseverance exhibited by DR. DIAMOND in simplifying the collodion and paper processes, and of his liberality in making known the results of his experiments, we have great pleasure in giving publicity to this recognition of the services rendered by Dr. DIAMOND to this important Art.]

Simplification of the Wax-paper Process.-At a late meeting of the Chemical Discussion Society, Mr. J. How read the following paper on this subject:

"The easiest way of waxing the paper is to take an iron (those termed 'box-irons' are the cleanest and best for the purpose) moderately hot, in the one hand, and to pass it over the paper from side to side, following closely after it with a piece of white wax, held in the other hand, until the whole surface has been covered. By thus heating the paper, it readily imbibes the wax, and becomes rapidly saturated with it. The first sheet being finished, I place two more sheets of plain paper upon it, and repeat the operation upon the top one (the intermediate piece serving to absorb any excess of wax that may remain), and so on, sheet after sheet, until the number required is waxed.

"The sheets, which now form a compact mass, are separated by passing the iron, moderately

heated, over them; then placed between folds of bibulous paper, and submitted to a further application of heat by the means just described, so as to remove all the superfluous wax from the surface, and render them perfectly transparent-most essential points to be attended to in order to obtain fine negative proofs.

"I will now endeavour to describe the method of preparing the iodizing solution.

"Instead of being at the trouble of boiling rice, whites of eggs, &c., I simply take some milk quite preparing isinglass, adding sugar of milk and the fresh, say that milked the same day, and add to it, drop by drop, glacial acetic acid, in about the proportion of one, or one and a half drachm, fluid measure, to the quart, which will separate the caseine, keeping the mixture well stirred with a glass rod all the time; I then boil it in a porcelain vessel to throw down the remaining caseine not previously coagulated, and also to drive off as much as possible of the superfluous acid it may contain. Of course any other acid would precipitate the caseine; still I give the preference to the acetic from the fact that it does not affect the after-process of rendering the paper sensitive, that solution. acid entering into the composition of the sensitive

"After boiling for five or ten minutes, the liquid should be allowed to cool, and then be strained through a hair sieve or a piece of muslin, to collect the caseine: when quite cold, the chemicals are to be added.

"The proportions I have found to yield the best results are those recommended by Vicomte Veguz, which I have somewhat modified, both as regard quantities and the number of chemicals employed. They are as follows:

385 grains of iodide of potassium.
of bromide.

60

10

of chloride of sodium in crystals. of resublimed iodine.

"The above are dissolved in thirty-five ounces of the strained liquid, and, after filtration through white bibulous paper, the resulting fluid should be perfectly clear and of a bright lemon colour.

"The iodized solution is now ready for use, and may be preserved, in well-stopped bottles, for any length of time.

"The waxed paper is laid in the solution, in a flat porcelain or gutta percha tray, in the manner described by M. Le Gray and others, and allowed to remain there for from half an hour to an hour, according to the thickness of the paper. It is then taken out and hung up to dry, when it should be of a light brown colour. All these operations may be carried on in a light room, taking care only that, during the latter part of the process,