226
NOTES AND QUERIES. [9 th s. i. MAR. 19,
interesting brick-stamp, which may add fur-
ther facts to those already known. We have
now, therefore, by far the most perfect
example of a Koman dwelling-house in this
city, not even excepting the far better-built
and better - decorated house of Germanicus
on the Palatine; moreover, one which will
run no risk of destruction at the hands of
the modern speculative builder, though it
may eventually become advisable to take
precautions against pressure of the church
upon the excavated spaces below it. It was
not a little impressive while wandering by
taper-light, and taking note of these dark,
long-hidden chambers, pertaining to two
members of an unidentified family of Chris-
tians (who were certainly martyred in their
own dwelling*), to catch the deep monotonous
chanting of the Passionist monks in the
mediaeval basilica above.
ST. CLAIR BADDELEY.
SIR JOHN GAYER, GOVERNOR OF BOMBAY. In his biographical notice of this unfortunate man, in ' The Diary of William Hodges ' (ii. cxxxvii-clv), the late Sir Henry Yule could only say that he died before 1716. The ' Dictionary of National Biography ' (xxi. 93), however, states that "he was certainly released by 5 October, 1710. On that day he made his will in Bombay Castle, and died there, probably in the following year (' Pro- bate Act Book/ P.C.C. 1712, f. 64) His
first wife, a Miss Harper, had died in India, and he desired, should he himself die there, to be buried in her tomb. His will was proved at London by his second wife, Mary, on 17 April, 1712 (registered in P.C.C. 70 Barnes)." That Sir John Gayer died in 1711 is doubtless the fact; but that his death took place in India appears to be questionable. At any rate, in the ' Press List of Ancient Kecords in Fort St. George,' No. 9, 1710-1714, I find entered under date 12 March, 1711, the copy of a letter from the Governor, &c., at Surat, to the Governor and Council, Fort St. George, informing the latter, int. al., of " the despatch of the Fleet frigate, the New George and the Tankerville with cargo for England, and the departure of Sir John Gayer and family." Again, in the same list is recorded the copy of a letter, dated 8 May, 1711, from the Governor and Council, Bombay Castle, to the Governor and Council of Fort St. George, in which is mentioned, among other matters, the despatch for England of the Blenheim and the aforesaid three ships, "and the
- " In Monte Celio sunt Martyres loannes et
Paulus in sua domo, quae facta est ecclesia post eorum roarty num. "William of Malmesbury.
departure of Sir John and his family on the
New George." It would seem, therefore, that
Sir John Gayer died, not in India, but at sea,
where he was possibly buried. As I can find
no later reference to him, however, this is
merely a surmise. Mr. Forrest's very meagre
1 Alphabetical Catalogue of the Contents of
the Bombay Secretariat Kecords (1630-1780)'
throws no light on the subject.
DONALD FERGUSON.
Croydon.
"!T BLOWS RAYTHER THIN!" A south- easterly wind in winter is cold, and folk hereabout, when the wind is there, say, " It blows rayther thin !" meaning keen, biting, cutting, like the keen edge of a knife.
THOS. RATCLIFFE.
Worksop.
A PSEUDO-SHAKSPEARE RELIC. The fol- lowing item offers its temptation in the catalogue of a Holborn bookseller :
"Shakespeare. One Hair of Shakespeare's Head, mounted on a 4to. sheet of paper, in gilt frame, glazed, 2 guineas. This is one of Ireland's unique and interesting, but impudent impostures. It is now from the collection of Capt. Bernhard Smith, Eaton Square, and its whole history is succinctly given on the quarto sheet before us. ' Shakespeare's Hair enclosed in a letter from S. Ireland, Junr., to Mr. Bindley, Commissr. of the Stamp Office, and sold by Mr. Evans at Mr. Bindley's sale, Tues- day, 8th Aug., 1820.' Below is the visiting card of John E. Hussey Taylor, Esq., its second owner, asking Capt. Bernhard Smith to kindly accept it ; and above, the words 'Given to me Aug. 24th. 1866, by J. E. H. Taylor, Esq. W. J. Bernhard Smith.' "
If a hair known not to be Shakespeare's is expected to bring in two guineas, what would a genuine plume of the poet command in the curio market 1 One or two short ones are, perhaps, in existence attached to the mask at Darmstadt. ST. SWITHIN.
JEWS' COVERING AT GRACE. The intro- duction of new varieties of old customs is worth noting in these pages. I therefore send you the following from the Jewish Chronicle of 28 Jan. :
"Freemasonry. The Installation Meeting of the ' Israel ' Lodge (205) was held on Monday even- ing, at the Holborn Restaurant. A novel feature at the banquet was the presentation to each guest by the manager of a neat black paper cap to be worn during the saying of the Jewish grace, thereby obviating the unseemly practice of covering their heads with their serviettes. Some thousands of these caps have been bought by the management of the Holborn Restaurant for the use of Jewish diners. The Chief Rabbi has expressed to the manager his approval of the novel idea."
WILLIAM GEORGE BLACK. Glasgow.
