gownes, The gamesters from his purse drew all his crownes. fashion. The first game was the best, when free from crime, The courtly gamesters all were in their Prime. The Compleat Gamesters' of 1721, 1725, and 1726 purport to describe Primero. But beyond stating that it is a Spanish game something like Hombre, presumedly played with the same pack (forty cards) by hands of six cards instead of nine, they give little information. The account even so far, however, is misleading, as the methods of Primero and Hombre are entirely different. The Hon. Daines Barrington, in describing (1785) a painting by Zuccaro depicting Lord Burleigh (1520-98) and three others play. ing a game of cards (supposed to be Primero), states that the game was Spanish, and * Query "gay." This, with the eighth line, would indicate that the game was played with the full pack. Probably the Seven, Six, and a Court card of the same suit. surmises that it was introduced into England by Philip of Spain when he came over to marry Queen Mary in 1554. He was aware from the Sydney Papers' that the game was played by Queen Elizabeth with Lord North and others; and that Shakespeare made Henry VIII. a'so a player; but he was puzzled as to where Shakespeare got his authority. He informs us that Primero continued to be played by the gentry up to the time of the Restoration (1660), when Hombre succeeded it.† The Rev. John Bowle, in a supplementary paper to Barrington's papers in Archæologia, vol. viii., quotes from the 'Dictionary of Madrid (no edition or date given)‡ that Primero "is played by dealing four cards to every one: the Seven is worth 21 points, the Six_18, the Ace 16, the Deuce 12, the Trey 13, the Four 14, the Five 15, and the Figures§ 10. The best chance, and which wins everything, is the Flush, which is fair cards of one sort, after the fifty-andfive, which is composed precisely of Seven, Six, and Ace of one suit, after the Quinola or Primera, which are four cards of each sort. If there are two which have a Flush, he gains it who holds the largest; and the same happens with him that has the Primera, but if there is nothing of this, he wins who has most Points in two or three. cards of one suit." This demonstrates that Primero, at the time, was played in Spain with the Hombre pack. Joseph Strutt, in Sports and Pastimes of the People of England' (1801), gives the same particulars as Barrington, evidently of his errors. Barrington, in quoting Duchat, quoting from him, as he reproduces two translated seize " (sixteen) as the same, and carreau (diamonds) as "hearts." of Hearts, but Duchat wrote the Knave of No doubt the usual Quinola was the Knave Diamonds. 66 66 S. 0. Finally, some particulars are given in Let the cardes come to me, for I deale Nares's Glossary (1822), where, although them; one, two, three, foure; one, two, three, the game is not described, two helpful dialogues are set out, and here reproduced. The first is from John Florio's Second Frutes (1591), as follows: Go to, let us plaie at Primero, then. foure. M. Passe. R. Passe. L. Passe. I must of force see it, deale the cards. S. Yea, sir, doo not you see they have clubbs, spades, dyamonds, and hearts? he sets. R. See here my rest, let every one be in. 4. Let us agree of our game, what shall we plaie for? A. Agreede, goe to, discarde. A. Yea, sir, I hold it, and revie it, but despatch. Faire and softly, I praie you. matter I cannot have a chiefe carde. A. And I have none but coate cardes. Tis a great A. I am foure and fiftie ;† and you? S. O filthie luck, I have lost it by one ace.‡ In the above dialogue there are just two players, probably playing with the Hombre pack and a dealt hand of six cards, two of which are discarded to reduce it to four cards. The vying is not clear, and it is difficult to reconcile the hands shown with the previous statements of the players, unless these statements were made for the express purpose of deceiving. The other extract is from John Minsheu's 'Pleasant and Delightful Dialogues in Spanish and English' (1599), as follows : O. Now, to take away all occasion of strife, I will give a means and let it be Primero. M. You have said very well, for it is a mean M. I was a small Prime. I am Flush. M. I would you were not. L. Is this good neighborhood? M. Charitie well placed doth first beginne with oneself. O. I made five and fiftie with which I win his Prime. L. R. I Flush, whereby I draw. I play no more at this play. In Minsheu's dialogue there are four players playing with the Hombre pack. As in the show-cutting a Court card turns out to be lower than a Four, it is evident that the small cards have ten points added to their pips. Each puts his stake of two shillings into the pool. Two cards are dealt round, and all go out upon them except the dealer. The dealer playing either obliges the others to stake their rests respectively, or gives them the liberty to do so. The remainder of the cards are dealt round, and it would seem that discarding was allowed from the completed dealt hand, cards being taken in accordingly. M. is the only player who adopts this course. The method of vying is obscure. M. and L. show their hands, and the others retire. L. wins the pool. Prima-Vista, already mentioned, was very likely just Primero with some distinguishing variation in it. Some authors state that the games were identical. John Florio, in SINGLE SPEECH HAMILTON IN DUBLIN. THE following extracts, transcribed into an old MS. book, are from letters written by Mr. Thomas Waite, Under-Secretary in Dublin Castle, to Sir Robert Wilmot in the Irish Office in London. Robert Wilmot of Osmaston, Derby, was for more than thirty years Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland; he was created a baronet 15 Sept., 1772, and died the same year. The first letter is undated, but was probably written in the spring of 1763 (see 'D.N.B.,' 8.v. William Gerard Hamilton). DEAR SIR ROBERT, I will send to you before 7. There is a mistake in one of the Pensions which I desire may be rectified at any hazard, as I was the occasion of it. It is not William Birt who is to have a Pension of £300 per an upon the Primate's list, but Edmund Burke. Thursday. (Private and to be burnt.) 16th Jan 1764. It looks as if all apprehension about Mr. H's being dismiss'd was blown over. Mr. H. walked in the procession this day as Principal Secretary to His Exc (Lord Northumberland) and is invited to dinner with the rest of the Privy Council. I fancy that hard expostulations and tart words passed between His Exc and Mr. H. last week; but I am apt to think it will all end in verbal abuse and scolding, and that they will squabble on to the conclusion of the Session. From what I hear and can collect every indignity has been and will be put upon Mr. H. to provoke him to resign, but he will put all that in one pocket so long as he is allowed to pocket the Salary of Secretary, and he will not resign. with it slightly. It is come to that pass that my Lord Lt will not ask him to write an office letter, but sends his orders to me to do it. There is a great appearance of fresh storms about Barracks in the House of Commons, and it is thought some attempt will be made to renverse the Treasurer Comptroller and Architect to the Board of Works, and to declare that Power in the Patent of creating new Officers to be dangerous. 18th Feb. 1764. This is called the Primate's administration. You may know it by the length of the Resolutions and addresses about the Insurrections all which are the happy produce of his pen without any kind of communication with my Master Hamilton, who remains in statu quo. 1st March 1764. It is reported that Lord Newtown made some discoverys last week in consequence of which we had it all over the town that a separation was to take place immediately but I believe the report is without foundation. Mar. 1st 1764. P.S. Yesterday morning Colonel Molesworth brought a challenge to Mr. Hamilton from Lord Newtown; a negotiation ensued betwixt the Colonel and Mr. Hamilton, and I fancy it will be made up on terms to be complied with by Mr. H. I have not heard what. It is suspected that Mr. H's going away will be the principal one, which I think Mr. H. will never comply with. The admission of a negotiation looks as if His Ldp. had no real stomach for fighting, and I dare say the whole will end as disadvantageously to his Ldp's Honor as the former affair did. But pray burn this and say nothing. Since writing this I hear His Ldp has consented to make up the affair upon Mr. H's writing his Ldp a letter declaring upon his honor that her Ladyship is innocent. Did you ever hear of any thing like it? Surely his Ldp must be out of his senses to expose himself in this manner. 4 March 1764. I cannot send you any further intelligence about Lord Newtown's affair. It is confidently said His Ldp is so fond of his wife, that he is persuaded of her innocence, and will probably be reconciled to her in a day or two. She is at present confined in a garret in his house in Dublin. It remains totally undetermined whether Mr. H. is to write a letter declaring her innocence, or to make a verbal declaration in the presence of a chosen company to that purpose, or what is to be done to satisfy his Lordship. Colonel Molesworth has been engaged in a Court Martial for these three days past, and has not been able to see Lord Newtown. The town is brimfull of this affair, and in great wrath against Mr. H. How it will end I cannot say but probably much to the discredit of Lord N. Pray burn this directly. 6th March 1764. in contemporary writings as Donne, Dunn, Dunne, Dun, and Done. The 'Dunn" of the Diary' was evidently an official in the Navy, employed, at the time of the King's home-coming, on special service as a bearer of dispatches. Later (20 Aug., 1660) he goes to sea, and we find him sending Pepys back the clothes which he had left in his cabin. On 14 July, 1662, he is back in London, and calls on Pepys, and stays to dinner with him and some other friends. He was apparently, then, more than a mere messenger," and there is no evidence for identifying him with Thomas Danes, of the Admiralty. Last July the writer of this note was, by the courtesy of the Librarian, spending a Mr. Hamilton has written a letter to happy morning in the Pepys Library at Colonel Molesworth declaring Lady N's Magdalene College, Cambridge, and, on entire innocence and his perfect regard for opening at random the first volume of the the Noble Familys of Belvedere and Lanes-Diary,' chanced to see his own name. borough and so I apprehend this whole This led to the discovery of the mistake in affair will end. transcription. S. G. DUNN. The Lady Newtown herein mentioned was Lady Jane Rochfort, only daughter of the first Earl of Belvedere. She was born 30 Oct., 1737, and married, 26 June, 1754, Brinsley Butler, Lord Newtown (born 4 March, 1728), afterwards second Earl of Lanesborough. They had two sons and six daughters. On the death of her brother the last Earl of Belvedere (13 May, 1814) she inherited the Belvedere estates, which passed to her grandson Lord Lanesborough. R. USSHER. Westbury, Brackley. 66 PEPYS'S DIARY: AN ERROR IN TRANSCRIPTION.-On 27 May (Lord's Day), 1660, Pepys dined alone in his own cabin, where, among other things, Mr. Dunn brought me a lobster and a bottle of oil, instead of a bottle of vinegar, whereby I spoiled my dinner (Pepys's Diary,' vol. i.). In Mr. Wheatley's edition (vol. i. p. 165, 1893) an error occurs in this passage, and the name of the person responsible for this little tragedy is rendered as Drum." It is difficult to see how the mistake was made, for the word "Dunn" in the original is quite clear, being written, like most of the proper names, in ordinary letters. No 66 ENGLISH GRAVES AT AVIGNON: J. S. MILL AND HIS WIFE.-Just outside the Porte St. the corner, to the right on entering (Avenue Lazare is the municipal cemetery, and in No. 9, Ouest), are several graves of English people. The grave of John Stuart Mill is here, and it bears this inscription, in large lettering, on the prone stone :— To the Beloved Memory of Harriet Mill The dearly loved and deeply regretted Her great and loving Heart Her clear powerful original and As she was the sole Earthly delight [sic] As she was generous and devoted In many of the greatest And will be in those still to come This earth would already become She Died To the irreparable loss of those who survive her Drum is mentioned anywhere in the 'Diary,' but Dunn is mentioned frequently under the varied spellings Dunn, Dunne, Dun, and Donne. That these were all ways of On one side of the stone slab is simply: rendering the same name is well established, for John Donne, the poet, appears variously John Stuart Mill Born 20 May 1806 Died 7 May 1873. Other tombstones near are :— John William Busfield A [?] F. Frere died at Aigle Louisa Sophia Lushington A.D. 1854 Aged 30 years. Cap. Edmund Royds Died Ascension-Day, Mai 21st. 1857. B.A. Trin. Coll. Cambridge Colonel Robert Clifford Lloyd A L'Age de 53 Ans. These are not all of the English graves at Avignon; some are past deciphering. It is said Bishop Colenso is buried here, but I could not find his grave. Perhaps some reader can enlighten me as to this. Avignon. “ 66 J. HARRIS STONE. BUSHES IN LINCOLN'S INN FIELDS, CIRCA 1730.-One of the best of the Besant - Rice London novels, The Chaplain of the Fleet,' contains a wealth of descriptive matter concerning the Fleet market at its most interesting period-the early eighteenth century. The Chaplain, greatest of all the marrying Dr. Shovel," can readily parsons, named be identified as " Dr." John Gaynam, who was active in this work from about 1709 to 1740 (Burn's History of the Fleet Marriages,' first edition, p. 25; second edition, p. 49). Describing the company over whom this worthy presided each evening at "The Bishop Blaize," Besant (?) writes (chap. x.) :— "It was thought the work of a fine fellow, a lad of spirit, to be hidden, with other lads of spirit, in Lincoln's Inn Fields, or some such quiet place, behind the bushes until there might pass by some unfortunate wretch alone and unprotected," &c. We can, from other allusions, place this for date as circa 1730, and the writer is therefore at fault in assuming Lincoln's Inn Fields to be a waste of bushes and undergrowth dense enough to allow of such alarms. Its use for many previous years as a resort for fights, exercising horses, and holding sporting contests is common knowledge. This, and the fact of its being a dumping - place for all manner of refuse, suggest, that then it was nothing but a flat field more mud and filth than grass. In 1735 it was enclosed and beautified with grass and gravel walks (vide Survey of London,' vol. iii., St. Giles in the Fields,' p. 20). There is little margin between the date first mentioned and this definite record of improvement into respectability, but I suggest that even at an earlier period say in 1725 such conditions as the novelist describes would not have been tolerated by the influential occupants of the ALECK ABRAHAMS. surrounding houses. OCTAGONAL MEETING-HOUSES.-It may not be generally known that John Wesley counselled his followers :— "Build all our preaching houses (if the ground will admit) in the octagon form." I presume that this was for the purpose of seating everybody where he could see the preacher; Wesley was not, in all probability, thinking of the symbolic significance of the octagon when he prescribed the form. There is an Octagon Chapel, St. Michael's, in Bath. ST. SWITHIN. "Notice FRANÇOIS CASANOVA.-In the des Tableaux exposés dans les Galeries du Musée National du Louvre....3e Partie. École Française, 11e édition, 1880," by Frédéric Villot, p. 55, is a biographical Therein it is note on François Casanova. asserted that he was born in London in 1730, and that he was reported (“ on a prétendu ") to be a natural son of George II. Unless the Mémoires de Jacques Casanova,' vol. i. chap. i., Rozez and Garnier editions, are wrong, François was born in 1727; and Jean in 1730. Is there any evidence anywhere which would justify the suggestion that George II. was the father of François? According to Jacques, his father Gaëtan and his mother Zanetta Casanova left Venice for London in 1726, where the latter made her début on the stage, and in the following year François was born in London. According to the notice in the Catalogue of the Louvre, he exhibited about 1756-7, at the Luxembourg, a battle picture, which added greatly to his reputation. He exhibited in the Salons of 1763, 1765, 1767, 1769, 1771, 1775, 1779, |