316 NOTES AND QUERIES. [us. vi. OCT. 19,1912.
some very sarcastic rhymes on the affair, which, like all the sarcastic rhymes of the time, were shown about and copied, and soon got into print:
He showed them Guy's pot, but he gave them no soup,
No scent would his Lordship allow,
Unless they had gnawed the blade bone of the Boar,
Or the rib of the famous Dun Cow."
Mr. Fitzgerald adds:
"This is certainly undignified; but it must be recollected that these lines were merely written as a joke for his own amusement, and that of his friends. The Earl was perfectly unconscious of his offence, having sent some message which had not been delivered."
The date of this incident is put at circa 1759.
Willoughby Maycock.
[Mr. W. H. Peet also thanked for reply.]
The Twelve Cæsars in Government House, Calcutta (11 S. vi. 205).—Mr. Wilmot Corfield at the above reference conjectures that these may be part of the spoil from Chandernagore, 1757. If he will turn to 'The Life of Sir Stamford Raffles,' by his widow, he will find that on 22 June, 1813, Lord Minto acknowledges receipt of these spoils, "formerly in the Government Hall of the Dutch Governor-General at Batavia, and sent by Mr. Raffles to Lord Minto." Lord Minto says:—
"Your Twelve Cæsars are placed on handsome pedestals in the marble hall at Calcutta, and you would be pleased to see how well they suit that fine room, and how ornamental they are in it."—Vol. i. pp. 198-9.
James Ryan.
"Pomander" (11 S. vi. 149, 213, 251).—'Of making Pomanders for Bracelets' is the title of chap. xvi. of Lib. V. of "Polygraphice: or The Arts of Drawing, Engraving, … Beautifying and Perfuming, by William Salmon, Professor of Physick, living at the Blew Balcony by Fleet-Ditch, near Holborn-Bridge," London. 5th ed., 1685, p. 432. The title of Lib. V. is 'An Idea of the Arts of Beautifying, Perfuming, Alchemy and Chiromancie.'
There are ten receipts. I give the first and the last.
"Take Orrice powder, Cloves, Mace, Cinnamon, of each half an ounce, yellow Sanders, Styrax, sweet Assa of each two drachms, Ambergrise, Musk of each one drachm, Balsam of Peru, oil of Rhodium of each one scruple, Civet two drachms, all being in fine powder (except the Balsam and oil) mix together, and make into paste with the Mucilage aforesaid, of which form Beads, drying them in the shade for use."
The receipt for "the Mucilage aforesaid" is apparently, "Dissolve Gum Tragacanth in Rose-water, so that it may be as thick as Gelly" (p. 430).
The tenth receipt is:—
"Take strong Mucilage of Gum Tragacanth in Rose-water, which make into paste with Musk and Ambergrise in fine powder, of each a like quantity, then anointing your palm and fingers with oil of Musk, or some other sweet Oil, as of Lavender or the like, form them into round little Balls or Beads, which put upon a string, and dry them between two papers, being dryed, keep them close from the Air, till you have occasion to use them."
As in receipts 1, 2, 3, and 10 only is mention made of beads, bracelets, or little balls, I am inclined to think that the other six receipts, and perhaps all the ten, were available for the large pomanders.
In seven out of the ten receipts given by Salmon labdanum is one of the ingredients. In Hannah Woolley's receipt, quoted ante, p. 214, laudanum is given. See Prof. Skeat's 'Concise Etymological Dictionary,' s.v. 'Laudanum,' where is found
"'Laudanum, Ladanum, Labdanum, a sweet-smelling transparent gum gathered from the leaves of Cistus Ledon, a shrub, of which they make pomander, it smells like wine mingled with spices;' Blount, 1674."
Robert Pierpoint.
May I remind your querist of the pretty story of "a Pomander Ball" which played a great part in the courtship of one of the young Pastons in mediæval days, as recorded in Gairdner's edition of 'The Paston Letters'? The word often occurs in Herrick's poems. Y. T.
Dick Turpin's Pistol (11 S. vi. 107).—It should be placed on record in 'N. & Q.' that the evidence in favour of the authenticity of "Dick Turpin's pistol," found in taking down the famous Globe Room at "The Reindeer Inn," Banbury, is much stronger than the extract printed from The Times would suggest. The weapon, a double-barrelled horse pistol inlaid with gold, bears the inscription: "Presented to Dick Turpin at the White Bear Inn, Drury lane, 7 Feb., 1735." Messrs. Westley Richards & Co., the famous gun-makers of New Bond Street, state that the pistol was undoubtedly made in or about 1735. Its association with the famous highwayman is, I think, proved by 'The Newgate Calendar.' It is there recorded that after Turpin and his gang had obtained 700l. in the house of a farmer at Rippleside, near Barking, and had committed other robberies in January, 1735, they met, six of them,