convinced from a close examination during the past fort- tences. Voltaire, objecting to the manner in which night, both of the actual brase on the floor of the chancel that death-scene was played, cried out, in accents and also of a rubbing. In the first place the engraver, of scathing scorn: "Cramer, you lived like a in working the upper line of the distich, made his words, and even letters, so far apart from each other, that when prince during the four preceding acts, but at the he came to the end of the line he had not room for all fifth you die like a bookseller." Tronchin, being the words, and so, making a hash of it, cut out a piece present, could not help, in kindness, interfering. of the brass matrix [sic] and supplied it by another, on "Monsieur Voltaire," said he, deprecatingly, "can which he placed the letters as close as possible. Then he roughly fitted it to the mutilated piece, and left the you expect to have gentlemen to be at the expense traces of his bad workmanship only too glaring. In the of dresses, and fatigue of getting up such long parts, next place, this same engraver neither knew Latin, nor the if you thus upbraid them? On the contrary, I ordinary contractions of Latin words in medieval times; think they all deserve the greatest encouragement so that his copy of what was furnished him, when read at your hands; and as to my friend Cramer, I as he left it, becomes absolute nonsense. The inscription declare that, so far as I am a judge, he dies with before it was versified ran, I venture to think, thus: Voltaire raised his Johannes Flambardus modo marmore tumulatur ordine the same dignity he lived." Numinis. Numinis quoque verbere hic tueatur de flumine head, and glanced defiantly at Tronchin. "Doctor," Stygis. Or in English dress thus: John Flambard is he cried, "when you have kings to kill, kill them now buried in marble by the ordinance of God. By your own way; let me kill mine as I please." God's stripes also may be saved from the river of Hell.' This was now turned into a leonine distich as follows:John Modo marmore Numinis ordine Flam tumulatur Bard quoque verbere flumine de Stygis hic tueatur. This mode of dividing a person's name, whether Christian or surname, or indeed both, is common enough in epitaphs of the period temp. Richard II., and need cause no difficulty. But the blunders that follow have made such nonsense of the whole inscription that it is no wonder if those who looked upon the text as correct have abandoned the attempt to make sense of it. The brass now reads : ་ Jon medo marmore Numinis ordine flam tumulat Jon now appears for 'John,' medo for modo,' tumulat &c." He When, on the following day, Casanova repeated his visit, the great man was not accessible. Madame Denis received him, and was most cordial. tells us that this much misunderstood woman possessed a good deal of wit, sense, and taste. She was learned without pretension, and bore an invincible dislike to the King of Prussia, whom she called "a villain." The correspondence which was at that time passing between Voltaire and Frederick the Great may possibly have caused this antipathy, for Madame Denis was of a jealous nature, and did not wish her idol to be suffocated by the incense which the king so freely burned. Only two months had passed since Frederick the Great had thus expressed his opinion of Voltaire, and its remembrance was still fresh in her mind : "Radeberg, 21 Jain, 1760. "J'estime en vous le plus beau génie que les siècles aient porté ; j'admire vos vers, j'aime votre prose, surtout ces petites pièces détachées de vos mélanges de littérature. Jamais aucun auteur avant vous n'a eu le tact aussi fin, ni le goût aussi sûr, aussi délicat que vous l'avez. Vous êtes charmant dans la conversation; vous savez instruire et amuser en même temps. Vous êtes la créature la plus séduisante que je connaisse, capable de vous faire aimer de tout le monde, quand vous le voulez. Vous avez tant de grâces dans l'esprit, que vous pouvez offenser et mériter en même temps l'indulgence de ceux qui vous connaissent. Enfin vous seriez parfait si vous n'etiez pas homme." It must be admitted that such adulation would be hard to beat; and on a nature like Voltaire's its effect must have been tremendous. When, at about five o'clock, the great man appeared, he asked Casanova's opinion of several Italian men of letters, among others of Goldoni. "Goldoni is the Molière of Italy," was the reply. "Why does he style himself poet to the Duke of Parma?" inquired Voltaire. "Doubtless in order to prove that a man of genius can be as weak as a fool. The duke is probably ignorant of the pretension. Goldoni also styles himself an advocate, whereas he is only one in his own imagination. He is a good actor, in the lighter vein of comedy, and nothing more. I am recognized in Venice as his personal friend," added "They tell me that Goldoni is very poor, and that he intends to leave Venice. If he does, it will affect the managers of theatres, for his plays are much in vogue in that city." "That rumour has no foundation," replied Casanova. "People supposed that he would cease to write on receiving his pension." "Cume," said Voltaire, "refused to give Homer a pension, lest every blind man in that city should demand one." Merlin, I will have none of him; and have placed him on my shelf beside the ‘Pucelle' of Chapelain.” "Chapelain," retorted Casanova, "has at least the merit of having rendered his subject agreeable without shocking the modesty or the piety of his readers. That is the opinion of my master, the great Crébillon." "Crébillon ! a good judge, truly," said Voltaire, with some warmth. “But why, let me ask, do you call my friend Crébillon your master?" "Because he taught me in less than two years to speak the French language. In proof of my gratitude, I have translated his 'Rhadamiste' into Italian verse. I am the first who has employed the Alexandrine metre in my language." "You the first!" exclaimed Voltaire, hotly. "I beg your pardon. That honour belongs to my friend Pierre Jacques Martelli." "I regret to say that you are mistaken," was the cool reply. "Indeed! I happen to possess his works, printed at Bologna." Voltaire, who happened to be in a good vein, introduced Casanova to a Jesuit priest residing under his roof. The man's name was Adam. "Ce n'est pas Adam le premier des hommes," he added, laughing. Voltaire amused himself by casting dice with this worthy father, and whenever he lost the small stake for which they played, he had his revenge by throwing box and dice in the "I will not dispute the fact," retorted Casanova. good man's face. At the Dissolution, and con- "I merely deny that Martelli employed that sequent dispersal of the order of Jesuits from metre. His lines are invariably composed of fourFrance, Voltaire, out of pure audacity-and not, teen feet, and the first hemistich is always comas some writers have pretended, out of pity-posed of seven syllables, whereas in French it is selected Father Adam as boon companion and fellow invariably six. Either your friend Pierre Jacques chess-player. The invitation (which was promptly was deaf, or he had a very bad ear." accepted) was couched in the following characteristic terms: "If you can dare to live with a man who professes to have no religion whatever, or, if anything, is a stricter disciple of Confucius than you can be of your humble Master, then come to me.' Under those circumstances it is not surprising Father Adam was forced to eat his pudding, and hold his tongue. He was content to be the butt of Voltaire, and lived a comparatively happy dependant upon his bounty. On the occasion of Casanova's third and last visit to Voltaire he found the great man in a bad humour. During dinner Voltaire expressed his thanks to Casanova for having sent him a book, adding: "You doubtless offered it to me with the best intentions, but I cannot thank you for the praise which you bestowed upon its author, for you are thereby the cause of my having wasted four hours in reading rubbish." Casanova, surprised by so vigorous an attack, was for a moment completely taken aback. But he had the good sense to keep his temper, and contented himself by hinting that, on some future occasion, when Voltaire had gone more carefully into the merits of that poem (the Macaronicon' of Merlin Cocci) he would be compelled to admit the justice of his praise. He then proceeded to cite instances to prove the insufficiency of a single reading in order to form a correct judgment. "That is true," said Voltaire; "but, as to your "You seem to have studied the construction of French verse," said Voltaire. "Can you recite 'Rhadamiste'}" any portions of your "I know the whole poem by heart." "Wonderful memory! I will listen to it with pleasure." Casanova there and then spoke the scene he had recited to Crébillon ten years previously. Voltaire, who appeared to listen with pleasure, said, "I do not perceive the least difficulty in your rendering." He then recited a portion of his 'Tancrède,' which had not yet been published. All would have ended well had not Casanova quoted a line of Horace. Whereupon Voltaire remarked that Horace was a great master, from an histrionic point of view, and that he had uttered precepts that were destined to live for ever. Casanova said that, in his opinion, Horace had only violated one. "What was that?" inquired Voltaire. "You do not write contentus paucis lectoribus," said Casanova. "Aye, aye; and if Horace had been obliged to slay the hydra of superstition, he would, like me, have written for the whole world." "You might as well give up the struggle," replied Casanova, impudently, " for you will never succeed in killing it." "That which I cannot do, others will succeed in doing, and to me will belong the glory of having commenced it." "Well and good. But, supposing you succeeded "Necessary to its existence!" shouted Voltaire. "Horrible blasphemy! for which future ages will demand justice. I love the whole human race, and wish to see it free and happy like myself. Superstition and liberty are incompatible. Where did you ever find that slavery made people happy?" "You dream, then, of the sovereignty of the people?" "God forbid!" exclaimed Voltaire. "A ruler is necessary to govern the masses. "In that case superstition is necessary, for without it the populace would never obey a man calling himself a monarch." "No monarchs," exclaimed Voltaire. "That word is only another name for despotism, which I detest as much as slavery." "What would you have, then? If the man who governs is alone in his authority, I can only regard him as a monarch." "I desire to see the sovereign ruling a free people; that he be the chief under a compact binding him and his people by mutual consent. That would prevent him from performing any act of despotism." 'Addison has told us that this sovereign, this chief, is an impossibility. I agree with Hobbes : Between two evils choose the least. A people without superstition must be philosophical, and philosophers will never obey any one. opinion, people are only happy when they are in chains under the iron heel of their rulers." In my "Horrible! horrible!" cried Voltaire. "And you yourself are one of the people! If you had read what I have written you would have seen that, in my opinion, superstition is the enemy of kings.' "If I had read you, sir!" said Casanova. "I have not only read, but re-read everything that you have given to the world-aye, even when I could not share your opinions. Love of humanity is your predominant passion. Et ibi peccas. Humanity is not sufficiently prepared to receive the blessings which you desire to bestow upon it. Those blessings would only render the human race more unhappy and perverse. Do not try to destroy the devouring animal of which you spoke just now, for mankind holds that animal in great affection. To my mind nothing in the whole range of literature is more ludicrous than the spectacle of the high-souled Don "Of two evils, the less is always to be chosen."Imitation of Christ.' Quixote doing his utmost to defend himself against the galley-slaves whom he had just liberated." "I am sorry to find that you have so poor an opinion of your fellow creatures," said Voltaire. "By the way, are you happy in your freedom at Venice?" 66 Yes, we are contented." "Even in the prisons of the Piombi ?” "My detention," said Casanova, "was an act of despotism; but the Government, convinced that I had abused the privilege of liberty, was doubtless justified in locking me up without the usual formalities." "And yet you escaped!" “I used my rights, even as they had used theirs.” "Excellent! But in such circumstances no one in Venice has the right to consider himself free." "Possibly; but you will admit that to be free it is enough to consider oneself so." "On that point we cannot agree," said Voltaire. "You and I regard freedom from totally different points of view. In Venice patricians, even members of the Government, are not free. For example, they cannot travel without special permission." Admitted. But that regulation was voluntarily made, in order to preserve the sovereign power. Would you say that a citizen of Berne is not free because he is subject to the laws of his canton, even though he may happen to be one of its legislators." "Very well, then; let every one make his own laws," said Voltaire, and immediately changed the conversation. He asked Casanova whence he came. "I come from Roche," he replied. "I could not leave Switzerland without having seen the celebrated Haller." "Haller doubtless impressed you favourably?" "Yes. I passed with him three of the best days of my life." "That is easily understood," said Voltaire. "One must bow before so great a man." "That is also my opinion, and I am pleased to hear you render him that justice. It is to be regretted that Haller is not equally just towards you." Ah! ah!" said Voltaire; "possibly we are both mistaken." Those present burst out laughing, and, as usual, complimented the great man on his wit. When Casanova returned to his lodgings, he sat up s of the following day, writing his conversations with great portion of that night and nearly the whole Voltaire. RICHARD EDGCUMBE. 33, Tedworth Square, Chelsea. (To be continued.) ACADEMIC HOODS AT SCOTTISH UNIVERSITIES. (See 7th S. xii. 58, 241.)-At the latter reference it was stated that two of the Scottish universities Aberdeen (1895). M.A.-Black silk, lined with white silk. B.Sc.-Black silk, lined with green silk. D.Sc.-Scarlet cloth, lined with green silk. M.B.-Black silk, lined with crimson silk. M.D.-Scarlet cloth, lined with crimson silk. B.L.-Black silk, bordered with pale blue silk. LL.B.-Black silk, lined with pale blue silk. LL.D.-Scarlet cloth, lined with pale blue silk. B.D.-Black silk, lined with purple silk. D.D.-Scarlet cloth, lined with purple silk. These are the hoods worn with the undress black silk gown. For full dress of doctors no hood is worn, but the gown is of scarlet cloth with silk facings of the colour peculiar to the faculty. University Library, Aberdeen. P. J. ANDERSON. THE KU KLUX KLAN.-The following is a list of the principal books and magazine articles dealing with the Ku Klux Klan the anti- negro secret society which came into existence in the Southern United States after the Civil War : The Problem at the South.-Nation, vol. xii., March, 1871, p. 192. An Illustration of Government at the South.-Nation, vol. xii., March, 1871, pp. 212-213. The Force Bill: its Military Features. - Nation, vol. xii., April, 1871, pp. 268-270. Police Duty.-Nation, vol. xii., April, 1871, pp. 284-285. Ku Klux.-Once a Week, New Series, May, 1871, pp. 505-508. Reports of Committees of the House of Representatives for the Second Session of the Forty-second Congress, 1871-72-Vol. ii.. Report No. 22, Pt. 1-13, Report and Testimony on K. K. K. Arnold, S. G., The Ku Klux Conspiracy.-Methodist Quarterly Review, vol. lv., January, 1873, pp. 89-111. didactic, treating the more important events of the Ku Klux Klan movement in the South. With a discussion of the causes which gave rise to it and the social and political issues emanating from it.-Pp. 192, Philadelphia, 1877, 8vo. Wilson, D. L., The Ku Klux Klan: its origin, growth, and disbandment. - Century, vol. xxviii., July, 1884, Pp. 398-410. New Light on the Ku Klux Klan.-Century, vol. xxviii., July, 1884, pp. 461-462. Mackall, R. C., The Ku Klux Klan. Century, vol. xxviii., October, 1884, pp. 948-949. The Ku Klux Klan.-Century, vol. xxviii., October, 1884, pp. 949-950. Lester, J. C., and Wilson, D. L., Ku Klux Klan : its origin, growth, and disbandment.-Pp. 117, Nashville, Penn., 1884, 12mo. ROBERT ALEC. Peddie. DREAD OF THE SPIDER.-When in England, in 1819, Miss Edgeworth, writing from Byrkely Lodge, narrates the following curious incident : -- "I have just heard a true story...... Two stout foxhunters in this neighbourhood, who happened each to have as great a dread of a spider as ever fine lady had or pretended to have, chanced to be left together in a room where a spider appeared, crawling from under a table, at which they were sitting. Neither durst approach within arm's length of it, or touch it even with a pair of tongs; at last, one of the gentlemen proposed to the other, who was in thick boots, to get on the table and jump down upon his enemy, which was effected to their infinite satisfaction."-Life and Letters of Maria Edgeworth,' i. 256. Superstitious fears have been responsible for some strange displays of valour. Helensburgh, N.B. AN OLD DONKEY. THOMAS BAYNE. YORK STREET, WESTMINSTER, is "so called," according to Mr. Wheatley's 'London Past and Present, iii. 541, "after John Sharp, Archbishop of York, whose town house was in 1708 in this street." This statement, which originally appeared in Cunningham's Handbook of London,' was conclusively shown by MR. MACKENZIE WALCOTT The old (2nd S. xi. 329, 376) to be an error. name of the thoroughfare was "Petit France," or Petty France," and under this designation it The Ku Klux Klan. Methodist Quarterly Review," vol. Iv., April, 1873, pp. 353-356. ii. 639; in the Parish Clerks' 1732, p. 356; and so late as 1772 in Entick's edition of Maitland's History of London.' It is not referred to under the name of York Street in any topographical work or map until the end of the century. Between the years 1789 and 1792 Frederick, Duke of York, occupied Dover House, Whitehall, and "in honour of his residence among them the parishioners of St. Margaret's changed the name of Petty France to York Street." The derivation of the name is given correctly in Mr. Walford's Old and New London,' iv. 21, 22. New Remarks,' death. A member of the Gentlemen's Society at Spalding. Elected Fellow of the Royal Society on 26 January, 1737/8. He afterwards lived in Gloucester Street, St. George-the-Martyr, London, and acted as foreign secretary of the Royal Society from 29 August, 1748, until 20 November, 1751 (Thomson, 'Hist. of Royal Soc.,' p. 14). Emigrat ing to Kingston, Jamaica, he died there in March, 1756. His will was proved in London by his widow, Sarah Stack, on 21 January, 1757, and is registered in the P.C.C. 31, Herring. Stack's letters to Sir Hans Sloane, 1728-1743, are in the British Museum. GORDON GOODWIN. The following suggestion is offered for the consideration of the Post Office and the London County Council. The Duke of York is surely sufficiently commemorated by the column which dominates Waterloo Place, and there are several other York Streets in the metropolis. Why not, therefore, revert to the name which has been consecrated by the memory of Milton, and, although the house in which the poet lived no longer exists, once more allow "Petty France a place in the directories of London? W. F. PRIDEAUX. Kingsland, Shrewsbury. " "ON SEA OR LAND."-It is becoming so common to write (with or without quotation marks) "the light that never was on land or sea," that it seems well to call attention to the fact. One of the most recent examples of the risky haphazard reference is in Prof. Saintsbury's " Nineteenth Century Literature,' p. 81. Speaking of Byron, Mr. Saintsbury says, "The light is not that which never was on land or sea; it is that which is habitually just in front of the stage." This formidable antithesis need not, meanwhile, be discussed for the theory it embodies, but it may be permissible to draw attention to the Wordsworth reference. Prof. Saintsbury, it is true, does not profess to quote, but the allusion, no doubt, is to the great line in the Elegiac Stanzas suggested by a Picture.' "Land or sea " sounds more open, buoyant, and free than "sea or land," but it labours under the disadvantage of not being what the poet wrote. This is the quatrain (it is the fourth in a poem of fifteen such stanzas): Ah! Then, if mine had been the Painter's hand, To express what then I saw; and add the gleam, The light that never was, on sea or land, The consecration, and the Poet's dream. The punctuation of the famous line should be noted, as a factor in deepening its significance. THOMAS BAYNE. Helensburgh, N.B. THOMAS STACK, M.D.-An Irishman and a protégé of Dr. Mead, with whom he resided for a while in Ormond Street. According to Nichols (Lit. Anecd.,' vi. 113), he translated the 'Medica Sacra' of Dr. Mead, and was the author of one of the lives of his patron published after Dr. Mead's LORD JOHN RUSSELL.-Few persons who remember the political career of this statesman would guess that he essayed the role of poet when he was pupil of Dugald Stewart, whose merits he thus eulogized : 'Twas he gave laws to fancy, grace to thought; Taught virtue's laws, and practised what he taught. No doubt the writer thought that he was treading in the steps of Pope or Dryden; but this last line reminds us more of Tate and Brady's description of pious men : Who know what's right, not only so, But always practise what they know : lines familiar to the ears of all church-goers before hymns superseded 'The Metrical_Version of the Psalms.' E. LEATON-BLENKINSOPP. NICHOLAS STONE, MASON.-It has long been known that Nicholas Stone, mason, the builder (and probably the architect also) of Cornbury House, Wilts, and the carver (if not the designer) of the water-gate to York House, Strand, resided in Long Acre, but the precise spot where he lived has not hitherto been identified. Nicholas Stone had a son Henry, who succeeded to his father's business; and it appears from a survey made in 1650, in connexion with proceedings taken by the Duke of Monmouth and the Mercers' Company to recover possession of certain property which was believed to have belonged to Charles I., and had been confiscated by Parlia ment, that Henry Stone occupied a yard on the south side of Long Acre, between Rose Street and Conduit Court, at the rear of the houses DOW numbered 12 to 16, Long Acre. The premises are described in the survey as "All that yard adioining to y East pt of the last menconed Tenem used for a Stone Cutters yard conteyning in length 72 foote and in breadth 50 foote and a Garden adioning to the North pt thereof in the occupscon ef Henry Stone worth per ann. x'." The yard is shown upon Horwood's 'Map of London,' dated 1819, and the dimensions corre spond with those given in the survey of 1650. I think there can be little doubt that this w where Nicholas Stone, the mason, carried on his business. JNO. HEBB |