Fotheringay form a portion of its castle, so long shall that cry go up to heaven, and tell the hapless doom of Mary Stuart!

Cuthbert Bede, B.A.

INEDITED LETTER OF WARREN HASTINGS.

The subjoined letter, believed to be unpublished, is so characteristic of the energy and decision of the great governor-general of India, that I think it worth recording in your publication. It appears to be written and signed by him immediately after, as when it came into my possession the bright sand then in use was adherent more or less to the whole document. Sir Philip Francis and the other signature are in a different ink, and were so awkwardly in their place, that it would indicate that those signatures were previously obtained.

H. W. D.

"To Capt. Robinson, Commander of the Morning Star.

(Secret Department.)

"You are hereby commanded to proceed down the River with this Tide, to seize all the French

pilot vessels and pilots which you may be able to find, and bring them up to Calcutta.

"A pilot will be sent on board you by the Master Attendant, who will furnish you with orders to him to point to you such pilot vessels as may be in the service of the French nation.

"In the execution of this service the utmost secrecy is to be observed.

MEDIÆVAL EMBLEMS OF THE PASSION.

The venerable Priory Church of Great Malvern contains a series of these emblems, among which are some I have never before met with; and as they may be interesting to some of your readers, I have made a note of them. They have evidently been moved from some other part of the church to their present position in St. Anne's Chapel, and as a few of the more usual emblems are wanting, the series has probably been more complete than it is now. The date of the glass is the latter half of the fifteenth century, and consists of a series of demi-angels, each bearing a shield, upon which these emblems are depicted.

On the first are two heads, representing Judas kissing his Master, the head of the Saviour being surrounded by the usual cruciform nimbus.

2. The reed, here drawn as a bulrush with flag leaves, crossed by a mace.

3. The lantern.

4. Christ blindfolded; represented symbolically as having a thin muslin bandage over His eyes, which are seen through it and depicted wide open, as if not at all affected by it.

5. Two hands issuing from the dexter side of the shield, as if in the act of buffeting; from the sinister side issues one hand pulling a beard or lock of hair.

6. The spear of Longinus, with drops of blood and water trickling from it, crossed by the reed and the sponge.

7. The cock that warned St. Peter.

8. The crown of thorns.

9. The cross.

10. The falchion of St. Peter crossed by another mace.

11. The seamless vest.

12. The hammer between two nails only.

13. The purse of Judas overflowing with money, represented as a merchant's gypciere.

14. The ladder.

15. Two scourges or flagelli crossing each other.

16. The sacred monogram, I.H.C.

17. The five wounds.

18. St. Veronica, with the napkin outspread impressed with the sacred head.

19. An impudent repulsive head in the act of spitting.

20. The lower portion of the pillar entwined with the cord.

To this Note I wish to add a Query. Have any of your correspondents ever met with, in similar representations, the instruments I have described as maces in shields 2. and 10.? The first has a round termination, with three triangular-shaped spikes issuing from it, one at the end, and one on each side of the ball; the second has a pointed oval, or egg-shaped end, and is quite studded with spikes, not triangular, but straight like the teeth of a woolcomb; they evidently refer to the "weapons" mentioned in St. John xviii. 3., and I am not aware of the existence of any similar types. I may also state that those mentioned on shields 1. 4. 5. and 19. are by no means usual.

While on this subject I will add a list of the other emblems I have met with not included in this series, and shall be glad to receive from any of your readers any additions to it.

The ear of Malchus; the two swords which they showed the Lord when He said "It is enough;" the three dice; the pincers; the thirty pieces of silver; the pitcher of water which our Saviour used when He washed His disciples' feet; the towel, generally represented hanging from a ring, with which He wiped them; the fire at which St. Peter warmed himself, and the three spice-boxes for embalming. I shall also be glad to hear if the representation of two nails only instead of the usual number of three, occurs in any other instance.

Norris Deck.

Great Malvern.

BOOKSELLING IN CALCUTTA.

Looking over your Queries this morning, my attention was drawn to that now in course of elucidation in your pages—the origin of the phrase "Sending a man to Coventry." I am not about to offer any explanation thereof, but simply to chronicle in your columns, more for the amusement than the edification of your readers, a reminiscence of an eccentric application of a passage in Shakspeare bearing upon this popular dislike to Coventry.

Any of your readers who may have visited the capital of British India will recollect the native kitaub-wallahs, or booksellers, who drive a good trade in the streets of Calcutta by thrusting their second-hand literature into the palanquins of the passers, and their pertinacity and success in fixing master with a bargain. For the information of the untravelled, I may further remark that these flying bibliopoles draw their supplies from

the daily auctions arising out of the migratory habits or the mortality to which the residents in that city are subject; and it would somewhat astonish our Sothebys and Putticks to see the extent of these sales of literary property, and derange their tympanums to hear the clamorous competition among the aforesaid half-naked dealers for lots not catalogued with their bibliographical precision. The books thus purchased, I may further observe, are subject to the overhaul of the better-informed of the tribe before they make their appearance in the streets; when deficiencies are made good, bindings vamped, and lettering attempted: finally, they are placed in the hands of the hawkers, when the following peculiarities are detectable:—where a title or last leaf may have been wanting, these Calcutta editions occasionally display a prophane book with a sacred title; or a pious treatise, for the sake of the word "Finis," made complete by affixing the last leaf of Tristram Shandy or the Devil on Two Sticks! Less intelligent jobbers will open their book, and, finding the first word "Preface," clap it incontinently in gilt letters on the back! I leave the imagination of the reader to fill up the cross-readings which would likely result from such practices, and revert to my anecdote, which I had almost lost sight of.

Some twenty years ago, then, the dingy tribes were startled, and the auctioneer gratified by the appearance of a new face in the bidders' box—a brisk little