A certain person, of a great and rich family well known to me, though I knew not that very person, had lived such a life as young and rich people are generally used to, indulging his earthly sensual pleasures; though he was also not altogether a stranger to the inward work of God upon his soul. This young man had a friend, who still is alive-at least I know nothing to the contrary, and with him he had conversed for several years most familiarly, so that he communicated unto him his greatest secrets. At length finding himself disappointed about an advantageous marriage, and being absent from his friend in another city, so that he could not communicate with him, he fell suddenly into such a sad condition of mind, that he designed to kill himself; and this design, though he was prevented the first time, when he would have drowned himself in a deep water, he performed soon thereafter, if not the self- same day, giving himself a mortal wound with his own sword. His friend being certainly a faithful friend to him, and such a one as very seldom may be found, was extremely sorrowful at this lamentable case; and being a man not only of conscience, but also of great experience in the regenerate life, and understanding Böhme's theosophic and magical science in a deep experimental manner, found himself obliged to do what he could, and what he knew was possible to be done, by a living for a departed soul, if begun in true faith, and carried on in a continual relying upon the assistance of God, who is not pleased with the death of a sinner. Having therefore earnestly prepared himself, he was a great while very inquisitive into the state of this departed soul; and God answered his intention with such a good success, that he was brought into the region of darkness, which he said was so inexpressibly, and as it were palpably dark and thick, that the very darkest night in this principle, could not at all come into comparison with it. Therein now he met with another no less considerable occurrence, which yet I shall pass by, intending only to relate that which concerns this miserable soul. Which he found at length, as he said, in Saturn, or in the first, saturnine, harsh, astringent property of the centre of nature; and there he found it in the figure of a little globe, so contracted, astricted and narrowed, that it had as to appearance no life, and no ability to exert any of its powers and faculties. Like as a man, or another living creature, exposed to a great, intolerable frost, (for this simile he used,) contracts his hands and feet, and all his members into the narrowest space, rolling them up as near as he can in the figure of a globe, so that he lieth as a dead, unmoveable thing; for no life, nor motion appears without, though there is still a narrowed life within, which is shut up as it were in a narrow prison. This miserable soul he spoke to in great earnest, admonishing it, that it should recollect and raise up again its life and power, and set itself, first in a will and desire, to turn from this condition unto God; and especially that it should remember, in what a great tumult and activity it had been, when it forced itself so violently to go out of its body; such a liveliness then should it now also stir up in itself again, for to come away from this state, and to draw nearer unto God, etc. Concerning the manner of this speaking, he could give an account thereof sufficient enough to show, there was a true reality therein, having had in this matter peculiar deep experiences; so that he heard spiritual speeches having no communion with any earthly language, and yet much more intelligible, and giving a far deeper impression than any outward sound. But at first all this exhortation was in vain, and had no appearing effect at all; this soul being then so overpowered, by that cold, saturnine power of darkness, that it could not move in the least, and as to appearance hardly take any notice of what it was counselled to do; though it was not without effect in its internal ground,

which shewed forth itself hereafter. For this worthy friend, having now once found out the mansion or prison of this soul, was further drawn in his mind to give a visit unto it every night, for three or four hours, and this during the time of a full year! His body laid in the bed indeed, in such a condition as if it had been in a vehement sickness, without the use of outward senses; but his spirit was taken up or rather down, into that region of darkness, and was there in the greatest work and labour, to direct this poor soul, how it should prepare and dispose itself for a turning to the God of love. And when he returned to the body again, he was so weak and fainting, that he thought many times his outward life would have an end. And commonly, if not always, he laid in such a sweat, that all his bed was wet. But nevertheless, God, in answer to his continued wrestling faith and prayer, supported him still with power; and though he fell really into a sickness, yet this did not hinder nor interrupt the continuance of this magical exercise every night for a whole year, and as I well remember, a little more. During which time, this valiant Christian warrior brought forth this soul from that first Saturninish mansion, into the second of Mercury-the bitter, stinging property; and further from this also into the third of Mars-the anguishing, whirling wheel, the next degree to the Fire; in each of which it was kept for a certain time, as in a peculiar prison, different from the former, though all in the same dark region or centre of nature, according to the different qualifications of these three properties thereof; each of which laid hold on the soul, as having in its soulish being something out of them, so that each would have kept that which was its own. And when it now thus was gone through all these three, and was come to the fourth, it appeared, that the first instruction which earnestly was pressed upon this soul, had taken ground and root therein; for then it raised up itself mightily, and with such a strong violence, as in which it had forced itself out of its body; it would now have broken also through the principle of Fire, and forced itself into the Light. But at the first entrance, this fiery region so captivated it, that all its force and power was broken, and its course was stopped, like as if a strong iron bar had been laid cross in the way. And in this Fire it must hold out a considerable time also, as in a new particular prison, different from all the former, wherein it had, as he expressed it, its greatest purgatory. And thus it was now transported from one extremity of the greatest frost, into the other of the greatest heat, and had felt abundantly, what a soul is in its own being, without its spirit-the new spirit, or birth of Christ. But at length it came forth out of this prison also, as a bright shining star; and broke through, or rather sunk down, or also mounted up on high-for all this is right and every way significant, from all its calamity, pain and anguish, into eternal peace and rest. And then this friend had done, he could not follow after it nor see it any more.-I would not relate these things (the rarest that I ever heard of) unto every one, knowing that many would be ready to ridicule, and to call them fables, they having no knowledge of the philosophy of the spiritual eternal nature. But if we know what the soul with its cross is, without the spirit; and if we consider that saying of our Lord, ‘Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness, that when ye fail they may receive you into everlasting habitations,'-which this friend especially laid as a sure foundation of his doings, (for, it may be stated, this poor soul when in the body, was exceedingly charitable to, and full of esteem for this friend, whose circumstances were such as to allow him to receive such tokens of his affection,) we may put more or less a favourable construction upon them; and this the more, because there is nothing said nor done, which were not well consistent with Böhme's ground, and exactly

ANDREW HART: CONTRACT FOR INTRODUCING FLEMISH ARTIZANS INTO EDINBURGH, 1601: GEORGE HERIOT.

So little is known of Andrew Hart, the early Scotch publisher, that the following particulars, brief though they be, may not be without their value in the estimation of those individuals who take an interest in the preservation of such fragments of literary information.

"24th Oct. 1599.-Comperit Eduard Cathkyn, burges of Edinburgh, and becom cautioun and souertie for Andro Hart, liberar, burges of Edinburgh, That in caise it be fundin be the Lordis that he aucht to desist and ceise fra all selling and hame bringing of ye volumes of ane new Salmebuik imprentit within ye towne of Middleburght, in Flanderis, ane littill volum with ye Salmes of verse,

and in praise, vpoun ye margyn thairof, and fra hyndering

of John Gibsoun, buikbinder, burges of ye said burgh, in selling of ye saidis buikis conforme to his hienes gift and licence granted to him thairvpoun in ye moneth of July lastley past. That the said Eduard Kathkyn sall caus the said Andro Hert to do ye samyn, and that for obeying of ye command of ye letteris [further process be] suspendit quhile ye twentie-four day of November."

What was the result of the lawsuit between the "liberar" and the bookbinder has not been ascertained; but Andro was, during his life time, a very successful publisher; although at the present date the bibliomaniac who can lay hands on any of his rare tomes may be considered very fortunate. His heirs, after his demise, continued the

business.

His autograph is exceedingly rare. It occurs

as a witness to a contract between the Commissioners of the Royal Burghs and Nicholas Wandebrok and Philip Wermont-Flemings by birth,

but who were then resident in Norwich-dated July 10, and October 10, 1601. The object of this remarkable document was to introduce the manu

wars

facture of "fyne broad clothe," "serges," and the like, into Edinburgh, and the Flemings were taken bound to instruct all the "maister wey"and such other persons as the magistrates should think eligible, in their craft. Amongst the signatures of the contracting parties is that of George Heriot, "Commissioner for Edinburgh." The original deed is in the possession of the writer, who picked it up with other papers of less interest in a snuff-shop. It is somewhat long and very minute in defining the obligations imposed upon the foreign artizans, who appear to have been carrying on their trade at Norwich.

J. M.

THE OLD LADY, HER UMBRELLA, AND THE ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.

In an article entitled "The Electric Wire," to be found in Chambers's Journal, for Saturday, October 17, 1863, the following passage occurs:"We most of us remember the story of the old lady who was travelling in the days when telegraphs were not so

generally understood as they are at the present time. On arriving at her journey's end, she could not find her umbrella, and imagined that she had left it at home. Some one suggested telegraphing for it, so she proceeded to the office for that purpose. In the meanwhile, howcarriage she had just left; and being humorously inever, an astute porter had discovered her umbrella in the clined, he hung it on the telegraph wire, and subsequently induced the old lady to look if her umbrella had arrived by the wire-a mode of transit she implicitly believed in. She, of course, expressed her delight in getting her umbrella so quickly; but she expressed no surprise. She thought, probably, that telegraphs were very convenient; and straightway dismissed the subject from her mind, without for a moment considering the possibility of the event, or the means by which it was accomplished."

I was an eye-witness of the transaction upon which, I think, the foregoing anecdote was founded. In 1853, I was travelling in North Wales, in company with a friend, who is since dead. After sojourning for a couple of days at that most comfortable of hotels, the "George," at Bangor Ferry, on the afternoon of Saturday, June 11, 1853, my friend and myself arrived at the Bangor Station, for the purpose of proceeding on to Holyhead by the express train. On entering the which had its steam up, was shunted on to a station we noticed that a train, the engine of siding. I asked one of the porters what the train was waiting for? He told me that it was a slow passenger train; and was shunted to allow the express, and the mail train, which was due a few minutes later, to pass it. After taking our tickets, the express train not being quite due, my friend and I sauntered into the telegraph office; and needles, a porter came in and said: "A passenger while we were listening to the click click of the

in the shunted train has left his umbrella at Station (naming a station some distance up the line); telegraph to the clerk to send it on by the

mail train." This was instantly done; and in a few minutes, the express train rushed shrieking into the Bangor Station, and, to use the language of good old Bunyan, "we went on our way, and saw them no more." We reached Holyhead in due time; and while we were looking after our luggage and (that being gathered together and conveyed to the mail packet, which was to carry us across to Ireland,) about us, the mail train swept into Holyhead Station: and the guard, getting out, handed an umbrella to one of the porters, and said: "This belongs to a passenger by the next train, and was left behind by him at

Station, and telegraphed for." "Very well," replied the porter, quietly hanging the umbrella on the telegraph wire. Amused at this action, my friend and I waited to see the denouement. In a short time the slow train arrived; and a bustling middle-aged man got out, and said to the porter: "Has my umbrella come ?" "Yes, Sir," replied the railway official, "it has just arrived by telegraph,"-pointing to the umbrella pendent from

the wire. The owner of the parapluie looked first at it, then at the porter; and reaching down his property, to assure himself that it really was his, smote his thigh with his hand; and exclaiming "Well, I'm blessed if that 'ere telegraph don't beat every think!"-walked thoughtfully away: fully impressed with the belief that his umbrella had come along the wire, as a boy sends a messenger to a paper kite. JOHN PAVIN PHILLIPS.

Haverfordwest.

Minor Notes.

CURIOUS CIRCUMSTANCE. -The following curious paragraph I found lately in the English Churchman newspaper of Jan. 24, 1856. I think it is worth a place in " N. & Q.":

"Six brothers, four of whom are clergymen, met together to celebrate the birth-day of the eldest, who is Rector of the parish [Harlaston, near Tamworth]. The day being Sunday, they all assisted in the performance of divine service in the morning. The Rector, the Rev. R. R. Bloxam, read the Prayers and Litany; the Rev. Andrew Bloxam, Incumbent of Twycross, preached; the Rev. John Bloxam, D.D., Fellow of Magdalen College, Oxford, read the Communion Service; the Rev. Thomas Bloxam, of Rugby, read the Epistle; and the two laymen, Mr. Matthew Holbeck Bloxam, of Rugby, author of Gothic Architecture, and Mr. Henry Bloxam, of Shrewsbury, read the Lessons for the day."

A parallel case to this could scarcely, I think, be found. GEORGE F. CHAMBERS. Kensington.

INEDITED CULLODEN DISPATCH.

"Observations on the Military Establishment and Discipline of His Majesty the King of Prussia; with an Account of the Private Life of that celebrated Monarch; and occasional Anecdotes of the principal Persons of his Court, interspersed with Descriptions of Berlin, Potsdam, Sans Souci, Charlottenbourg, &c. Translated from the French. London. 8vo. 1780."

John Johnson, of Caius College, Cambridge, LL.B. 1794, LL.D. 1803, became Rector of Yaxham, with Welborne, Norfolk, January 1, 1800. He died Sept. 29, 1833; and is well known as the relative and biographer of Cowper, and the editor of his translation of Homer, Posthumous Poems, and Private Correspondence.

Cambridge.

C. H. & THOMPSON COOPER.

CHEAP PUBLICATIONS IN THE 16TH CENTURY.— The name of Cardinal Ximenes is always (and will ever be) associated with the publication of his famous Polyglott. But it is not perhaps generally known, that he was also the originator of a popular library, adapted to the middle and lower classes. The books were printed partly in Latin and partly in Spanish, and were published at the same time that the printing of the Polyglott was going on. The object of the cardinal in publishing these works, which were wholly of a spiritual character, was that thereby all immoral writings might be banished from the domestic circle, and piety and devotion be increased. The following are the words of his latest biogra

chiefs and officers have given their last orders to their men to shift for themselves. The number of the dead bodies, found in the field of battle, are 1760.

"The number of the Rebels kill'd is 4,000 in the field of battle and in the Pursuit."

logy in the University of Tübingen :

"Sowie mehrere kleine Schriften, welche der Erzbischof mehr zur Bildung des Volkes, als für den Gebrauch der Gelehrten, theils in lateinischer Sprache, theils in die castilische übersetzt liesz. Es waren diesz-Die Briefe der heiligen Catharina von Siena; die Schriften der heiligen

"Jos. STOKES.

thilde; die Stufenleiter der christlichen Vollkommenheit von St. Joannes Climacus; die Lebens-regeln des heiligen Vincentius Ferrer und der heiligen Clara; die Betrach

tungen über das Leben Christi von dem Karthäuser Landulph, und eine Biographie des berühmten Erzbischofs

Thomas Beket von Canterbury. Die Absicht des Ximenes dabei war, schlechte Schriften aus den Familien zu verdrängen und durch diese auf seine Kosten besorgten und gedruckten Bücher, in weiten Kreisen Frömmigkeit und Gesittung zu pflanzen und zu vermehren, wesshalb er zahllose Exemplare verschenkte," &c. Der Cardinal Ximenes, von Carl Joseph Hefele, xiii. Haupt. S. 148. Tübingen, 1851.

This account of the works published by the great cardinal is taken almost word for word from