freight, or of carriage, is not so in the northern parts of France. At Havre the word is frêt, the same as our freight, the German fracht, viz. that which is carried or ferried, and, by metonyme, as before, the price of carriage.

J. Sh.

Bombay.

Minor Notes.

Smith's Obituary.—One of the publications of the Camden Society for the year 1849 is the Obituary of Richard Smyth (extending from 1627 to 1674), edited by Sir Henry Ellis. It is printed from a copy of the Sloane MS. in the Brit. Mus., No. 886., which is itself but a transcript, later than Smyth's time. The editor states that "where the original manuscript of the obituary is deposited is not at present known."

I am glad at being able to supply the information here wanted. The original manuscript is in the University Library at Cambridge, marked Mm. 4. 36. It consists of twenty-nine leaves, foolscap folio; and, except that the edges and corners of the leaves are occasionally worn by frequent perusal, is otherwise in excellent condition. It is well and clearly written, but the latter part of it marks the alteration of the hand by the advancing years of the writer. There are many variations in

the orthography, and some omissions, in the Camden Society's publication, but perhaps not more than may be accounted for by supposing the Sloane copy to have been made by a not very careful transcriber.

Here again is seen the valuable use which might be made of your excellent publication. Had a "Hue and Cry" been made in the "Notes and Queries" after the original MS. of this obituary, information might have been immediately given which would have added greatly to the value of this number of the Camden Society's publications.

Gastros.

Cambridge, Oct. 28. 1850.

George Wither the Poet, A Printer.—In the "Premonition to the Reader" prefixed to George Wither's Britain's Remembrancer, 12mo. 1628, the author acquaints us with some circumstances relative to his work which are not generally known. While craving some apology for his writing, Wither observes:

"It is above two years since I laboured to get this booke printed, and it hath cost me more money, more pains, and much more time to publish it, than to compose it, for I was faine to imprint every sheet thereof with my owne hand, because I could not get allowance to doe it publikely."

Edward F. Rimbault.

Corruption of the Text of Gibbon's "Decline and Fall."—A corruption, which seems to have arisen from an attempt at emendation, has crept into Note 17. on the 55th chapter of Gibbon's History. Root is twice printed instead of roof in the later editions, including, Mr. Milman's. "What comes from the roof," may not be very intelligible; still roof is the word in the original edition of Gibbon, where it corresponds to toit in Gibbon's authority, Fleury, and to tectum in Fleury's authority.

J. E. B. Mayor.

Traditional Story concerning Cardinal Wolsey.—In David Hughson (Dr. Pugh's) Walks through London and the surrounding Suburbs, 12mo. 1817, vol. ii. p. 366., I find the following:—

"Passing on to Cheshunt: here is a plain brick edifice, in which Cardinal Wolsey is said to have resided. It has been nearly rebuilt since his time, but is still surrounded by a deep moat. In the upper part of this house, called Cheshunt House, is a room, the door of which is stained with blood: the tradition is—an unfortunate lady became a victim to the Cardinal's jealousy, and that he dispatched her with his own hand. If so, it is unaccountable that the murderer should have suffered those marks of his violence to have remained."

Is there any old authority for this charge against the Cardinal?

Edward F. Rimbault.

Queries.

EARLY SALE OF GEMS, DRAWINGS, AND CURIOSITIES.

At the risk of showing my ignorance, I wish to have it removed by answers to my present Queries.

I have before me a printed catalogue of a collection of antiques, drawings, and curiosities, which were to be sold by auction not far from a century and a half ago. It is upon a sheet of four pages, rather larger than foolscap, which it entirely fills. It seems to me a remarkable assemblage of valuable relics, and it is thus headed:—

"A catalogue, being an extraordinary and great collection of antiques, original drawings, and other curiosities, collected by a gentleman very curious ... will be sold by auction at Covent Garden Coffee House, in the Little Piazza, on Wednesday next, being the 9th instant June, 1714."

This is the oldest English catalogue of the kind that I happen to have met with, and my first question upon it is, is there any older? Next, if the fact be known, who was the "gentleman very curious" who owned the collection?

We are farther informed by the auctioneer (whose name is not given), that "The antiques are all in precious stones, most of them engraved by the greatest masters of the old Greeks and Romans; the drawings are of the oldest and the best Italian masters;" and it is advertised, besides, that "the aforesaid rarities may be seen on Monday the 7th, Tuesday the 8th, and Wednesday till the time of sale, which will begin at 11 o'clock in the morning for the antiques, and at 6 o'clock in the evening for the drawings." After a statement that the "conditions of sale are as usual," we come to the list of the gems, under the heads of "Names of the Jewels," and "What they represent." There are fifty-one lots of those that are "set in silver for seals," and they are upon cornelian, beril, sardonix, jasper, &c. For the purpose of identification (if possible) I will quote two or three:—

To these succeed twelve lots of "stones not set," including a "Head of Christ," a "Gadetian Droll," the "Entry of Severus, the Emperor, into Britain," &c. Then we come to 22. "Camejus, for the most part modern;" and to 10. "Other extraordinary Rarities," including

The "antiques set in gold, being rings or seals," are thirty-seven in number; among them

The Drawings come last, and are divided into seven Porta Folios, containing respectively 21, 23, 30, 23, 24, 26 and 42 specimens. In the first two no names of the masters are given: in the third, they are all assigned to various artists, including Emskirk (I spell names as I find them), Paulo Veronesa, Raphael,