Fur.,' 852-3. But, as in so many cases with Burton, the obvious source is not the true one.

The two lines of Seneca were adopted by Gaulmin (lib. vi. p. 244), and that Burton took them from him is at once evident when we read what follows: Diuites

Blue Boar and Grapes, Aldersgate Street.
Adam and Eve, Jewin Street.
Star, Aldersgate Street.
King's Arms, ditto.

Castle and Falcon, ditto.

macti.'

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This passage, like the other quotations, is found for the first time in the third edition of the Anatomy,' the earliest after the publication of Gaulmin's book.

EDWARD BENSLY.

University College, Aberystwyth.

SIGNS OF OLD LONDON.

(See 10 S. vi. 45, 424; vii. 445; viii. 288; ix. 228.)

THE following list of Aldersgate signs is taken from a presentment of the Wardmote Inquest bearing date 1837. Notwithstanding the comparative modernity of the references, I have ventured to include them under the above heading, if only because many of the signs have as much vanished as if they had belonged to "Old London " proper--the London before the Great Fire.

The Ward Within.

Fountain, Foster Lane.

Bell, Noble Street.

Royal Mail, Noble Street.

Mourning Bush, St. Martin's-le-Grand.

Bull and Mouth, ditto.

Queen's Head, ditto.

The Ward Without.

Cock and Crown, Little Britain.
Swan and Horseshoe, ditto.
Rose and Crown, ditto.

White Horse, ditto.

Old Parr's Head, Aldersgate Street.

Owain Glwnda (sic), ditto.
Ben Johnson (sic), ditto.

Albion Tavern, ditto.

Coach and Horses, ditto.

Old White Bear, ditto.
Portland Arms, Long Lane,

Red Lion Inn, Aldersgate Street.
White Horse, Fann Street.
Three Cups, Aldersgate Street.
White Bear, Barbican.
"The Still," ditto.

WILLIAM MCMURRAY.

The following list, taken from the official narrative of the Rye House Plot, may be of interest. The places named were haunts of the conspirators.

Mitre Tavern, within Aldgate.

Dolphin Tavern, in Bartholomew Lane, behind the Royal Exchange.

Salutation Tavern, in Lombard Street.
Sun Tavern, behind the Royal Exchange.
Fortune Tavern, at Wapping.
Horseshoe Tavern, on Tower Hill.
King's Head Tavern, in Atheist Alley,.
near the Royal Exchange.

Angel Tavern, near the Old Exchange.
George Tavern, on Ludgate Hill.

Sign of the Sugar-Loaf, near the Devil' Tavern.

S. +T

This is Bagnigge

Hovse neare

The Pinder a

Wakefeilde

1680.

Has this stone been preserved?

JOHN T. PAGE. Long Itchington, Warwickshire.

DR. JOHNSON'S ANCESTORS AND

CONNEXIONS.

(See 10 S. viii. 281, 382, 462; ix. 43, 144, 302, 423; x. 44, 203, 343, 465.) Dr. Johnson's Early Visit to Trysull (continued). I think the foregoing account of the descent of the Barnesley estate at Trysull will convince any one that it was at the Manor House that Mrs. Harriotts lived, and that to it the infant Johnson was brought by his mother. There can, moreover, be little doubt that Johnson visited Mrs. Harriotts when he was older, else he could scarcely have claimed that nowhere else had he seen a "regular family." The Johnsons evidently saw a good deal of Mrs. Harriotts, and we know that she left Mrs. Johnson 40l. and some useful domestic articles. The Doctor remembered of his father that, mentioning her legacy in the humility of distress, he called her our good Cousin Harriots." Trysull is not very far from Lichfield-scarcely twenty miles as the crow flies-and from Stourbridge, where Johnson was sent to school in 1725, it is distant but seven miles.

William Barnesley, who six years earlier had married Dr. Johnson's great-aunt.

Desiring to settle the identity of "Dr. Atwood, an oculist of Worcester," whom Mrs. Harriotts brought to Trysull to examine Johnson's eyes, I wrote to Mr. T. A. Carless Attwood, M.A., F.S.A., of Sion Hill, Wolverley, near Kidderminster, who has devoted much care to the Attwood pedigree. He tells me that he knows of but one medical Attwood connected with Worcester at that period. This was Dr. Thomas Attwood, of Beverè, in the parish of Claines, and of Powick, both quite close to Worcester, who died an old man in 1765. I find an obituary notice of him in The Gentleman's Magazine for that year (p. 491): "[Sept.] 30. Dr. Atwood, a physician at Worcester, aged 83."

Mr. Attwood tells me that he was a prominent Roman Catholic in his neighbourhood, and is frequently mentioned in papers of the period relating to that body. His age is understated rather than overstated in the obituary, for Mr. Attwood says that his next younger brother, Peter Attwood, was born in 1682. In 1711, when he examined Johnson's eyes, Thomas must have been close on thirty years of age.

Dr. Thomas Attwood was a man of good family, eldest son of George Attwood, of Beverè, Esq. (died 17 Feb., 1732, aged 80), by Winifred his wife (died 14 Dec., 1714, aged 77), daughter and heir of the Hon. Thomas Petre, fifth son of William, second' Lord Petre. There is a mural monument in Claines Church to George and Winifred Attwood (Nash's Worcestershire,' vol. ii. Supplement, p. 19); on which is also recorded the death (on 17 Feb., 1707, aged 76) of Mrs. Attwood's sister, Ann Petre, who, Mr. Attwood tells me, in her will of 1706/7, mentions her nephew Dr. Thomas Attwood.

The will of Thomas Attwood, of Powick, co. Worcester, gent., dated 18 Jan., 1763, was, I find, proved on 3 Jan., 1766, in P.C.C. (1 Tyndall), by Thomas Hornyold, of Blackmore Park, Esq., one of the executors, power being reserved to the others, who were the testator's wife Frances, and Robert Berkeley, Esq., of Spetchley, co. Worcester. In it he leaves 50%. apiece to his nieces Ursula and Mary Attwood: and 100l. to John Hunter

66

prentice to Asene the Carpenter in Worcestcr." To his dear wife Frances he leaves 3007., as well as the contents of his house in Powick; and makes her residuary legatee. To Mr. Thomas Hornyold, of London, packer, and to Mr. John Hornyold, of Longbirch, Staffs, he leaves 500l. each; and a like sum

to Robert Berkeley. Each of his servants is to have a year's wages; and Mr. Henry Berrington, of Cowarne, co. Hereford, 100%. James Smith and George Newman witness the will.

There was a Thomas, son of Anthony Attwood, of Elmbridge, co. Worcester, gent., who matriculated at Oriel College, Oxford, on 2 April, 1690, aged 15, and took his B.A. degree in 1693. Mr. Attwood tells me that this Thomas has been described as an M.B.; but he lived at Chaddesley Corbett, where he died in 1718, and seems to have had no connexion with Worcester.

There is no reason for doubting that it was Dr. Thomas Attwood, of Powick, by

Worcester, who attended the infant Johnson. Worcester is some twenty-five miles south of Trysull.

"Parson Ford. Since writing my previous note on the "Parson" (10 S. ix. 44) I have come across what is apparently another reference to him. In Nichols's Literary Anecdotes of the Eighteenth Century (vol. i. pp. 223-7) is given a letter written from St. John's College, Cambridge, on 6 May, 1722, by Vere Foster, a Fellow of the College, a good scholar, and of great wit and humour," to James Bonwicke, son of Ambrose Bonwicke, in which is quoted a humorous poem entitled 'Mr. Prior'st Lamentation for the Loss of Mrs. Joanna Bentley,' described as having been a long time the vogue at every tea-table in college.' In this poem occur the lines :

66

But, O! the lordly haughtiness of mien, And all the father in the daughter seen! That unaffected modesty of mind, Which nor in Green nor Ford improv'd we find. After the poem is given a series of notes upon it, intended to explain some of the allusions and develope the humour, among which is the following::-

"The characters of Green and Ford, you are well enough acquainted with; only observe the compliment."

Nichols adds a foot-note on Ford :

"The latter, we imagine, was the same Mr. Ford who was afterwards as well known by his being Chaplain to Lord Chesterfield as by his abandoned, unclerical character, and of whom it is recorded,

* John, son of Thomas Attwood, of Chaddesley, co. Worcester, gent., matriculated at Magdalen Hall, Oxford, on 9 March, 1725 6, aged 16; and took his B.A. degree on 13 Feb., 1729/30.

+ Edward Prior, of Trinity.

Joanna was a daughter of the celebrated Richard Bentley, Master of Trinity. She married Denison Cumberland, and was mother of the well-known Richard Cumberland (1732-1811)..

that, on his being refused the same appointment in Ireland, when his noble Patron was Lord Lieutenant, being told that it was owing to his want of one answered 'Hypocrisy.'"* vice; and wondering what that vice could be, was

It does seem extremely probable that the poet's irony was directed against Dr. Johnson's cousin, who in that case must have acquired some reputation for being selfappreciative. As recorded in my book John's College in 1710, and taken his B.A. (p. 158), Cornelius Ford had entered St. had taken from Peterhouse in 1720. Mr. degree in 1713; while his M.A. degree he R. F. Scott, the Master of St. John's, who the personal history of those connected with his College, tells me that there was no other Cambridge graduate of the name of Ford about that time except Thomas Ford, who took his B.A. degree from Christ's College in 1691, and his M.A. in 1697, and who, as Mr. Scott says, hardly fits in with the other The names mentioned in the poem.† "Green" who is bracketed with Ford was, Mr. Scott thinks, probably one Richard Green, who took his LL.B. degree from Peterhouse in 1722, and who would therefore be more or less a contemporary of Cornelius Ford's. According to Nichols, the person alluded to was supposed to be the learned Dr. John Green, who died Bishop of Lincoln in 1779." This identification would be more interesting, as it was John Green who, on leaving Cambridge, went to Lichfield as assistant master under the Rev. John Hunter, and there made the acquaintance of Johnson and Garrick ; but his dates seem to me to destroy his claim. Mr. Scott clinches this argument by stating that John Green did not enter St. John's until 10 June, 1724, his age being then given as past 17."

is an earnest student of all that concerns

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In the same volume (p. 221) Nichols gives some account of "Dr. Christopher Anstey, fellow of St. John's, for some time a tutor in that college," who, as mentioned in my

which is fully discussed in my book (pp. 160-61). *This is a lame version of Cibber's original story, And the reference should be to the Hague, not to Ireland. Lord Chesterfield was Lord Lieutenant of Ireland from July, 1745, to April, 1746, some fourteen years after "Parson" Ford's death.

+ Mr. Scott says that "Brathwait," the "gentleman of Catharine hall; an elegantly-made man," was no doubt Mark Brathwayt, LL.B. 1723 and LL.D. 1728-the "gentleman" showing that he was not yet a graduate. "Grim Thornton," introduced to us as "a gentleman of Trinity, junior bachelor, who lately shook hands with learning, and now professes gallantry," he identifies with Jonathan Thornton B.A. 1721/2, and M.A. 1725.

book (p. 159), was "Parson" Ford's tutor and surety. His son, another Christopher Anstey (1724-1805), became famous as the author of the New Bath Guide.'

ALEYN LYELL READE. Park Corner, Blundellsands, near Liverpool. (To be continued.)

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THE LIQUID N IN ENGLISH.-By the liquid n" I mean the sound of the gn in poignant, mignonette, and champignon; these seem to be the only words in which the symbol gn has its old meaning. It is worth inquiring into the history of the sound and of the symbol gn generally.

I would first of all put aside such words as opinion, union, and the rest, in which the symbol gn was never used, at any rate in English, though the sound is the same. TheN.E.D.' notes the rare spellings oignion and ingyeon for the modern onion, from F. oignon.

The chief examples of E. ni from (or equivalent to) F. gn are minion, companion, pinion, poniard; we may also add munnion, trunnion, with nni, and Shakespeare's ronyon, a scurvy creature, from F. rogne. The ni in bunion answers to the gn in Ital. bugnone, explained by Florio as "a push, a bile, a blane, a botch."

In some words (whatever they were once) the g and n are now separated; as in regnant, malignant, repugnant, stagnant, pregnant.

There is at least one curious result. It seems to be certain that the final gn in campaign, arraign, deign, feign, reign, benign, condign, sign, design, ensign, assign, impugn (or in most of these), was formerly pronounced with the gn in poignant; and that the same is true of some words now spelt with a simple n, such as disdain (i.e., disdeign), complain (see N.E.D.'). Note especially coin, join, and loin; also coign.

It is clear that English people much disliked this final sound, and reduced it to simple n. The M.E. for sign was sig-nè (dissyllabic), pronounced somewhat like

E. buni-on); ionyon, to join; sonyon, to essoin or excuse; kuny, a coin.

This liquid n is common in Middle Scotch; Barbour, for example, has cunyhe, a coign, a corner; renye, a rein for a horse; derenye. to darraign, Chaucer's darrayne, &c. The most remarkable thing of all is the change of this final gn to ng in writers like Sir David Lyndesay, as in ring, to reign. He actually rimes signis, signs, with thyngis, things(The Monarche,' 1. 5450). WALTER W. SKEAT.

BRITISH MUSEUM LIBRARY CATALOGUE.It may seem ungrateful in an old reader who has reaped so many benefits from the great library in Bloomsbury to find fault with the arrangements, and if I stood alone in this complaint, I would retain my isolation; but the grievance is ventilated by many. In the first place, I and J are treated as the same letter, as U and V are. That was all right when the Catalogue was begun, and was in manuscript; but now the obsolete fashion of cataloguing Jones that printing has superseded handwriting, and Ives under the same letter, or Vale and Unwin as having the same initial, might be discontinued and the modern usage adopted.

In the second place, anonymous works are catalogued according to a bewildering system, the object of which seems to be to hide the identity of the work. Take the case of a valuable little book with the following title: An Account of the Origin of Steam-Boats, in Spain, Great Britain, and America, and of their Introduction and Employment upon the River Thames between London and Gravesend to the Present Time,' i.e. 1831. A pencil note on the title-page is "by R. P. Cruden," the historian of the Port of London. One would think that it would be catalogued under Steam Boats,' that being the main subject; but no, it is catalogued under

Spain.' I am told the rule is to take the first proper name. In this case it is misleading, because no one studying the history of steam navigation on the Thames would think of looking under Spain.

That rule, however, is not applied in the next case. A well-written little book published in 1907 is entitled 'Devon, the Shire of the Sea Kings.' 'Devon' would seem to be the natural heading, but no-in the Catalogue it will be found under Great Western Railway.'

I could give other instances, but these must suffice. A. RHODES.