Read Ebook: Notes and Queries Number 236 May 6 1854 A Medium of Inter-communication for Literary Men Artists Antiquaries Genealogists etc. by Various

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JOHN MURRAY, Albemarle Street.

Notes.

AN ENCYCLOPAEDIA OF VENTILATION.

Aware of the abilities and celebrity of many of the writers on this subject--from Whitehurst and Franklin to Reid and Gurney--I must ward off the imputation of self-conceit by expressing my belief that the errors of those who have failed should be chiefly ascribed to excessive cleverness; to unadvised attempts at outwitting nature! I hope to escape that snare. In the execution of my humble task, I shall entirely rely on common sense and common experience.

Architects, however, seldom provide for the ventilation of rooms otherwise than as they provide for the admission of light. Now the properties of light and air, with reference to our domestic requirements, differ in some important particulars--of which it may not be amiss to give a brief enumeration.

An attentive consideration of the above circumstances leads me to certain conclusions which I shall now state aphoristically, and proceed to describe in more detail.

A room designed for a numerous assemblage of persons--as a reading-room, a lecture-room, or a school-room--should be provided with apertures, adapted to admit spontaneous supplies of fresh air, in such variable quantities as may be required, on at least two of its opposite sides, and within three feet from the floor; also, with apertures in the ceiling, or on a level therewith, to promote the exit of the vitiated air. The apertures of both descriptions may be quite distinct from those which admit light.

Suppose a room to be twenty-four feet square, and sixteen feet in height, with two apertures for light on each side, each aperture being three feet wide by eight feet in height, and rising from the floor. There are not many rooms constructed on a plan so favourable to the admission of fresh air--but it has some serious defects. 1. The air would enter in broad and partial currents. 2. It would not reach the angular portions of the room. 3. The vitiated air might rise above the apertures, and so accumulate without the means of escape.

It being thus established that the same apertures can never effectually serve for light and ventilation, I propose with regard to reading-rooms, lecture-rooms, and school-rooms, which require accommodation for books, maps, charts, and drawings, rather than a view of external objects, that the windows should be placed in the upper part of the room--that the admission of fresh air should be provided for by ducts near the floor--and the escape of the vitiated air by openings in, or on a level with, the ceiling.

The number of windows, and their size, must depend on the size of the room. If windows are to admit light only, a smaller number may be sufficient, and they may not be required on more than one side; a circumstance which recommends the plan proposal, as we can seldom have windows on each side of a room, or even on two of its opposite sides, but may devise a method of so admitting air.

The escape of the vitiated air requires less consideration. If the ceiling of the room be flat, with another room above it, the upper part of each window, in the shape of a narrow slip, might be made to act as a sort of safety-valve; but if the windows are on one side only, corresponding openings should be made on the opposite side, so that there would almost always be, more or less, a leeward opening. A vaulted ceiling, without any other room over it, seems to be the most desirable form, as the vitiated air would rise and collect towards its centre, where there could be no counter-current to impede its egress.

It is the union of those two objects, the admission of fresh air and the riddance of the vitiated air, skilfully and economically effected, which forms the circle of the science of ventilation.

A vast increase of reading-rooms, lecture-rooms, and school-rooms, may be safely predicted, and as the due ventilation of such rooms is a project of undeniable importance, I hope this note, eccentric in form, but earnest as to its purpose, may invite the remarks of others more conversant with architecture and physics--either in correction, or confirmation, or extension, of its general principles and details.

BOLTON CORNEY.

The Terrace, Barnes, 28th April, 1854.

THE HOUSE OF RUSSELL, OR DU ROZEL.

At a time when the readers of "N. & Q.," and the world at large, have been hearing of the gift of a bell to a village church in Normandy, so pleasantly and readily made by the princely house of Russell, far exceeding the modest solicitation of the cur? for assistance by way of a subscription, in remembrance of the Du Rozels having left their native patrimony in France to share the fortunes of the Conqueror in Old England, the following particulars may not be uninteresting.

"Histoire du Pays d'Auge et des Ev?ques Comtes de Lisieux, contenant des Notions sur l'Arch?ologie, les Droits, Coutumes, Franchises et Libert?s du Bocage et de la Normandie; Vire, Adam, 1832."

JOHN MACRAY.

Oxford.

I subjoin his pedigree:

It is rather a singular circumstance, that the Duchess of Parma should have been the wife of the hereditary heir to the throne of England, and the sister of the hereditary heir to the throne of France,--her husband, the Duke of Parma, having been the representative of the House of Stuart,--and her brother, the Count de Chambord, being the representative of the House of Bourbon.

E. S. S. W.

ORIGINAL ENGLISH ROYAL LETTERS TO THE GRAND MASTERS OF MALTA.

To the most eminent Prince, the Lord Nicholas Cotoner, Grand Master of the Order of Malta.

Most eminent Sir,

Formerly your eminence was pleased to make some scruple of my command as admiral, which I humbly conceive your highness is fully satisfied in, since you received the last letter from the King of Great Britain.

Most eminent Sir, Your highness' most humble And faithful Servant, JOHN NARBROUGH.

On board His Majesty's Ship Henrietta, Malta, October 17, 1675.

"Thus wee, th' 'Assistance,' and the new Sattee, Doe steare our course poynt blanke for Trypoly; Our ship new rigged, well stord with pigg, and ghoose a, Henns, ducks, and turkeys, and wine cald Syracoosa."

The Rev. Mr. Teonge, having returned to Malta on the 11th of January, 1675-6, thus continues:--

"This morning wee see the famous island of Malta; coming under Goza, a small island adjoyning to Malta, wee discover a sayle creeping closse to the shoare; we hayle her with a shott--she would not budge; we sent a second, and then a third, falling very neare her; then the leiuetenant cam aboard us, and payd for the shott; it proved a pittifull Frenchman."

On the 29th January, 1675-6, the reverend writer again returned to Malta, and made under this date the following note:--

The great length of this communication prevents my taking other extracts from a "Diary" which contains much interesting information, and is written in a quaint and humorous style.

WILLIAM WINTHROP.

La Valetta, Malta.

Minor Notes.

"August, 1719. Sir Christopher Hales being jilted by a lady who promised him marriage, and put him off on the day set for their marriage, gave her a good whipping at parting. Remember the story."

Is there any corroboration of this?

E. D.

LEYTON.

Nilbud.

"Mr. Gillamour.--I pray you be entreated to lend my wife what silver you think fittest upon this or other bookes to supplie our present wants, soe as I may have them againe when I restore it to you; you shall doo mee a greate curtesie, and I shall be very thankfull to you.

Yours to his power to be coanded, JOHS' WALTON, Cler."

I have no information as to either party, and no date is affixed to the request.

E. D.

E. W. J.

Crawley.

"Then was the chancery so empty of causes, that Sir Thomas More could live in Chelsea, and yet very sufficiently discharge that office; and coming one day home by ten of the clock, whereas he was wont to stay until eleven or twelve, his lady came down to see whether he was sick or not; to whom Sir Thomas More said, 'Let your gentlewoman fetch me a cup of wine, and then I will tell you the occasion of my coming;' and when the wine came, he drank to his lady, and told her that he thanked God for it he had not one cause in chancery, and therefore came home for want of business and employment there. The gentlewoman who fetched the wine told this to a bishop, who did inform me."

ABHBA.

"Que le Roy ne povoit avec son honneur bailler aide et assistence a icelluy son bon frere et cousin a l'encontre du Roy de Naples, qui estoit son confrere et allye, veu et considere qu'il avoit prise et recue l'ordre de la garretiere. Et si le roi autrement faisoit, ce seroit contrevenir au serment qu'il a fait par les statuz du dit ordre."

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