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Read Ebook: Notes and Queries Number 227 March 4 1854 A Medium of Inter-communication for Literary Men Artists Antiquaries Genealogists etc. by Various
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iter of at least some portions of the volume."
It is stated at the beginning to be in part derived from early document and traditional statements.
E. J. M.
Hastings.
NAPOLEON'S SPELLING.
The question as to Napoleon's spelling may seem, at first sight, to be one of little importance; and yet, if we will look at it aright, we shall find that it involves many points of interest for the philosopher and the historian. During a residence of some years in France, I had heard it remarked, more than once, by persons who appeared hostile to the Napoleon dynasty, that its great founder had, in his bulletins and other public documents, shown an unaccountable ignorance of the common rules of orthography: but I had never seen the assertion put forth by any competent writer until I met with the remarks of Macaulay, already quoted by me, Vol. viii., p. 386.
From all this it must be taken for granted, as, indeed, it has never been denied, that Napoleon's spelling is defective; but the question to be considered is, whether that defectiveness was the effect of ignorance or of design. That it did not arise from ignorance would seem probable for the following reasons.
Nay more: he was a man of the highest order of genius. Between the possession of genius, and a knowledge of orthography, there is, I admit, no necessary connexion. The humblest pedagogue may be able to spell more correctly than the greatest philosopher. But neither, on the other hand, does genius of any kind necessarily preclude a knowledge of spelling.
HENRY H. BREEN.
MEMOIRS OF GRAMMONT.
The Grammont family had been so enriched and ennobled by its repeated marriages with the heiresses of great families, that, like many noble houses of our own times, members of it hardly knew their own correct surname: thus, in the famous declaration of the parliament of Paris against the Peers in 1717, on the subject of the Caps, it was said:
"The Grammonts have determined on their armorial bearings, and hold to those of the house of Aure. The Count de Grammont said one day to the Marshal, What arms shall we use this year?"
The Grammonts in the male line are descended from Sancho Garcia d'Aure, Viscount de l'Arboust. Menaud d'Aure, his lineal representative, married Claire de Grammont, sister and heiress of Jean, Seigneur de Grammont, and daughter of Francis, Seigneur de Grammont, and Catherine d'Andoins his wife.
Philibert, who was styled Philibert de Grammont and de Toulongeon, Count de Grammont and de Guiche, Viscount d'Aster, Captain of fifty men at arms, Governor and Mayor of Bayonne, Seneschal of Bearne, married on Aug. 7, 1567, Diana, better known as "La belle Corisande" d'Andouins, Viscountess de Louvigny, Dame de Lescun, the only daughter of Paul Viscount de Louvigny; who, although a Huguenot, was killed at the siege of Rouen, fighting under the command of the Duke de Guise. They had two children: Antoine, subsequently the first duke, and Catherine, who married Francois Nompar de Chaumont, Count de Lauzun, the ancestor of the celebrated Duke de Lauzun, who was first introduced at court by his relative the Marshal de Grammont.
The Duchy Peerage was created on Dec. 13, 1643. Antoine, the first duke, married, firstly, on Sept. 1, 1601, Louise, eldest daughter of the Marshal de Roquelaure; she died in 1610, leaving Antoine, subsequently the Marshal Duke de Grammont, and Roger, Count de Louvigny, killed in a duel in Flanders on March 18, 1629. The Duke de Grammont married, secondly, on March 29, 1618, Claude, eldest daughter of Louis de Montmorency, Baron de Boutteville; and had Henri, Count de Toulongeon, who died unmarried on Sept. 1, 1679; Philibert, the celebrated Chevalier de Grammont, who was born in 1621; and three daughters.
Probably this will be as much as you can afford space for at present, and I will therefore reserve any farther communications for a future Number.
W. H. LAMMIN.
Fulham.
THE MYRTLE BEE.
As regards the Query touching the possibility of my memory being treacherous respecting the colour of the bird, after a lapse of twenty-five years, more faith will be placed therein on my stating that I am an old fly-fisher, making my own flies: and that no strange bird ever came to hand without undergoing a searching scrutiny as to colour and texture of the feathers, with the view of converting it to fishing purposes. No such use could be made of the Bee. In a former Number I described the tongue of the Myrtle Bee as round, sharp, and pointed at the end, appearing capable of penetration. I beg to say that I was solely indebted to accident in being able to do so, viz. the tongue protruded beyond the point of the bill, owing to the pressure it received in my dog's mouth; the dog having brought it out enveloped in dead grass, from the foot of the myrtle bush.
CHARLES BROWN.
CELTIC ETYMOLOGY.
E. C. H.
PHOTOGRAPHIC CORRESPONDENCE.
In DR. DIAMOND'S directions for the calotype, he gave a formula for the addition of bromide of potassium to the iodide of potassium, but did not speak with much certainty as to the proportions. Will he kindly say whether he has made farther trials; and if so, whether they confirm the proportions given by him, or have led him to adopt any change in this respect? and will he likewise say whether the iodizing solution which he recommends for Turner's paper, is suitable also to Whatman's?
In albumenizing paper, I have not found it desirable to remove the paper very slowly from the solution. Whenever I have done so, it has invariably dried with waves and streaks, which quite spoiled the sheet. A steady motion, neither too slow nor too quick, I have found succeed perfectly, so that I now never spoil a sheet. I have used the solution with less albumen than recommended by DR. DIAMOND. My formula has been.--
Albumen 8 oz. Water 12 oz. Muriate ammon. 60 grs. Common salt 60 grs.
And this, I find, gives a sufficient gloss to the paper; but that of course is a matter of taste.
I have not either found it essential to allow the paper to remain on the solution three minutes or longer, as recommended by DR. DIAMOND. With Canson paper, either negative or positive, a minute and a half has been sufficient. I have used two dishes, and as soon as a sheet was removed, drained, and replaced, I have taken the sheet from the other dish. In this way I found that each sheet lay on the solution about one and a half minutes, and with the assistance of a person to hang and dry them , I have prepared from forty to forty-five sheets in an hour, requiring of course to be ironed afterwards.
I have tried a solution of nitrate of silver of thirty grains to one ounce of distilled water, to excite this paper, and it appears to answer just as well as forty grains. I send you two small collodion views, takes by me and printed on albumenized paper prepared as mentioned, and excited with a 30-grain solution of nitrate of silver.
C. E. F.
C. E. F.
It is possible also that there may be a gradual decomposition of the zyloidin itself, and consequent liberation of the iodide by this means, with formation of nitrate of potassa or ammonia; but the most probable cause I consider to be the following. The ether gradually absorbs oxygen from the atmosphere, being converted into acetic acid; this, by its superior affinities, reacts on the iodide present, converting it into acetate, with liberation of hydriodic acid; while this latter, under the influence of the atmospheric oxygen, is very rapidly converted into water and iodine.
I am satisfied by experiment that this is one of the causes of the separation of iodine, and I think it is the only one, for the following reason; neither bromised nor chlorised collodion undergo the slightest change of colour, however long they may be kept. Now, if the former agencies were at work, there is no reason why bromine should not be liberated from a bromide as well as iodine from an iodide; but on the latter supposition, could take place, the affinities of acetic acid being insufficient to displace hydrobromic acid.
I can hardly imagine that the increased sensitiveness mentioned by MR. HENNAH is really due to the free iodine which he introduces. Such a result being so contrary to all my experience, I would venture to suggest that there must be some other cause for its beneficial action; for instance, commercial iodide of potassium is generally alkaline, owing to impurities present; the tincture of iodine in this case would render the collodion neutral, and unless a very large excess of iodine were introduced, its good effects would be very apparent. This, however, involving the employment of impure chemicals, is a very improbable explanation of a phenomenon observed by so excellent an operator as MR. HENNAH: there is most likely some local cause which would be overlooked unless expressly searched for.
In the above I have endeavoured as much as possible to avoid technicalities, in order to make it intelligible to amateurs; but if there be any part which may be considered obscure, on its being pointed out to me, I will endeavour to solve the difficulty.
WILLIAM CROOKES.
Hammersmith.
FOUR PHOTOGRAPHIC READERS.
Replies to Minor Queries.
A CONSTANT READER.
F. H.
JAMES SPENCE HARRY.
"Tell me not, sweet, I am unkinde, That from the nunnerie Of thy chaste breast and quiet minde, To warre and armes I flie.
"True, a new mistresse now I chase, The first foe in the field; And with a stronger faith imbrace A sword, a horse, a shield.
"Yet this inconstancy is such, As you too shall adore; I could not love thee, deare, so much, Loved I not honour more."
To the honour of Kent be it remembered that Lovelace was CANTIANUS.
"The Memorialls of Margaret de Valoys, first Wife to Henry the Fourth, King of France and Navarre; compiled in French by her own most delicate and Royal hand, and translated into English by Robert Codrington, Master of Arts: London, printed by R. H. 1661."
It is dedicated to "To the true lover of all good learning, the truly honourable Sir Charles Cotterell, Knight, Master of the Ceremonies," &c. On the fly-leaf of it is written, "Frances Cottrell, her booke, given by my honor'd grandfather Sir Cha. Cottrell." This edition is not mentioned by Lowndes; he only speaks of one of the date of 1662, with a title slightly different.
C--S. T. P.
The latter part of the description is very applicable to this article.
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