Chapter C: E. F

_Hockin's Short Sketch._--Mr. Hockin is so well known as a thoroughly practical chemist, that it may suffice to call attention to the fact of his having published a little brochure entitled _How to obtain Positive and Negative Pictures on Collodionized Glass, and copy the latter upon Paper. A Short Sketch adapted for the Tyro in Photography._ As the question of the _alkalinity_ of the nitrate bath is one which has lately been discussed, we will give, as a specimen of Mr. Hockin's book, a quotation, showing his opinion upon that question:

"_The sensitizing agent_, nitrate of silver in crystals, not the
ordinary fused in sticks, is nearly always confessedly adulterated; it
is thus employed:

"_The silver or nitrate bath._--Nitrate of silver five drachms,
distilled water ten ounces; dissolve and add iodized collodion two
drachms.

"Shake these well together, allow them to macerate twelve hours, and
filter through paper. Before adding the nitric acid, test the liquid
with a piece of blue litmus paper; if it remain blue after being
immersed one minute, add one drop of dilute nitric acid[3], and test
again for a minute; and so on, until a claret red is indicated on the
paper. It is necessary to test the bath in a similar manner, frequently
adding half a drop to a drop of dilute acid when required. This
precaution will prevent the fogging due to alkalinity of the bath, so
formidable an obstacle to young hands."

[Footnote 3: "Dilute nitric acid.--Water fifty parts, nitric acid one part."]

_Photographic Society's Exhibition._--The Photographic Society opened their first Exhibition of {17} Photographs and Daguerreotypes at the Gallery of the Society of British Artists, in Suffolk Street, with a _soirée_ on Tuesday evening last. Notwithstanding the inclemency of the weather, the rooms were crowded not only by members of the Society, but by many of the most distinguished literary and scientific men of the metropolis. The Queen and Prince Albert had, in the course of the morning, spent three hours in an examination of the collection; and the opinion they expressed, that the exhibition was one of great interest and promise, from the evidence it afforded of the extraordinary advance made by the art during the past year, and the encouragement it held out to the belief that far greater excellence might therefore still be looked for in it, was a very just one, and embodied that given afterwards by the most competent authorities. We have not room this week to enter into any details, but can confidently recommend our readers to pay an early visit to Suffolk Street.

* * * * *

Replies to Minor Queries.

_"Firm was their faith," &c._ (Vol. viii., p. 564.).--These lines are to be found in a poem called "Morwennæ Statio, hodie Morwenstow," published by Masters in 1846, with the title of _Echoes from Old Cornwall_, and written by the Vicar of Morwenstow. I agree with D. M. in the judgment he has announced as to their merits; but hitherto they have been but little appreciated by the public. A time will come however, when these and other compositions of the author will be better known and more duly valued by the English mind.

SAXA.

These lines were written on "the Minster of Morwenna," May, 1840, and appeared in the _British Magazine_ under the anonymous name _Procul_. Of the eight stanzas of which the poem consists, P. M. has quoted the second. The second line should be read "wise _of_ heart," and the third "_firm_ and trusting hands." With your correspondent, I hope the author's name may be discovered.

F. R. R.

_Vellum-cleaning_ (Vol. viii., p.340.).--In the Polytechnic Institution there are specimens of old deeds, &c., on vellum and paper, beautifully cleaned and restored by Mr. George Clifford, 5. Inner Temple Lane, Temple, London.

J. McK.

Shoreham.

_Wooden Tombs_ (Vol. viii., p. 255.).--In the church at Brading, Isle of Wight--

"There are some old tombs in the communion place, and in Sir William
Oglander's chapel, or family burial-place, which is separated from the
rest of the church by an oak screen. The most ancient legible date of
these monuments is 1567. Two of them have full-length figures in armour
of solid elm wood, originally painted in their proper colours, and
gilt, but now disfigured by coats of dirty white."--Barber's
Picturesque Guide to the Isle of Wight, 1850, pp. 28, 29.

J. McK.

Shoreham.

_Solar Eclipse in the Year 1263_ (Vol. viii., p. 441.).--In the _Transactions of the Antiquarian Society of Scotland_, vol. ii. p. 350., there are "Observations on the Norwegian Expedition against Scotland in the year 1263," by John Dillon, Esq.; and at pp. 363-4, when speaking of the annular eclipse, he says:

"The eclipse above mentioned is described to have occurred between
these two dates [29th July and 9th August]. This being pointed out to
Dr. Brewster, he had the curiosity to calculate the eclipse, when he
found that there was an eclipse of the sun on 5th August, 1263, and
which was annular at Ronaldsvo, in Orkney, and the middle of it was
twenty-four minutes past one."

These "Observations" contain much curious information; but are deformed by the author attempting to wrest the text of the Norwegian writer (at p. 358. and in note I.) to suit an absurd crotchet of his own. Having seen that essay in MS., I pointed out those errors; but instead of attending to my observations, he would not read them, and got into a passion against the friend who showed the MS. to me.

J. McK.

Shoreham.

_Lines on Woman_ (Vol. viii., pp. 292. 350. &c.).--The lines on Woman are, I presume, an altered version of those of Barret (Mrs. Barrett Browning?); they are the finale of a short poem on Woman; the correct version is the following:

"Peruse the sacred volume, Him who died
Her kiss betray'd not, nor her tongue denied;
While even the Apostle left Him to His doom,
She linger'd round His cross and watch'd His tomb."

I would copy the whole poem, but fear you would think it too long for insertion.

MA. L.

[Our correspondent furnishes an addition to our list of parallel
passages. The lines quoted by W. V. and those now given by our present
correspondent can never be different readings of the same poem.
Besides, it has been already shown that the lines asked for are from
the poem entitled _Woman_, by Eaton Stannard Barrett (see antè, pp.
350. 423.).]

_Satin_ (Vol. vii., p. 551.).--In a note just received by me from Canton, an American friend of mine remarks as follows:

"When you write again to 'N. & Q.' you can say that the word _satin_
(Vol. vii., p. 551.), like the article itself, is of Chinese origin,
and that other foreign languages, in endeavouring like the English to
imitate the Chinese _sz-tün_, have {18} approximated closely to it, and
to each other. Of this the answers to the Query given in the place
referred to are a sufficient proof; Fr. _satin_, W. _sidan_, &c. &c."

I suspect that he is right, and that Ogilvie and Webster, whom you quote, have not got to the bottom of the word. I may add that the notion of my Canton friend receives approval from a Chinese scholar to whom I have shown the above extract.

W. T. M.

Hong Kong.

_"Quid facies," &c._ (Vol. viii., p. 539.).--

"BIERVE, _N. Maréchal_, _Marquis de_, a Frenchman well known for his
ready wit and great facetiousness. He wrote two plays of considerable
merit, _Les Réputations_ and _Le Séducteur_. He died at Spa, 1789, aged
42. He is author of the distich on courtezans:

'Quid facies, facies Veneris cum veneris ante?
Ne sedeas! sed eas, ne pereas per eas.'"

--Lemprière's _Universal Biography_, abridged from the larger work, London, 1808.