G. WILLIS, having just purchased the entire stock of the following excellent works, begs to call the attention of his customers to the same. They are all original copies, perfect, and in every respect as good as when sold at the full prices.

No. X.]

FOR THE MONTH.

"I will make a prief of it in my Note-Book."-SHAKSPERE.

NOTICE TO SUBSCRIBERS

TO THE "PRICE CURRENT OF LITERATURE." G. WILLIS gratefully acknowledges the various interesting documents and letters he has received. He is anxious that it should be perfectly understood that he is not the author of any statement, representation, or opinion, that may appear in his Current Notes, which are merely selections from communications made to him in the course of his business, and which appear to him to merit attention. Every statement, therefore, is open to correction or discussion, and the writers of the several paragraphs should be considered as alone responsible for their assertions. Although many notes have hitherto appeared anonymously, or with initial letters, yet, wherever a serious contradiction is involved, G. Willis trusts that his Correspondents will feel the necessity of allowing him to make use of their names when properly required.

[OCTOBER, 1851.

that gentleman would give for £500. Mr. Willis, it is
stated, knew nothing of Mr. Codd; but he at once, like a
straightforward tradesman, supplied a catalogue with the
price of each work annexed, and the style of the binding speci-
fied. With that catalogue in his hand, Mr. Codd-we scarcely
see why-applied again to Mr. Smith. He asked the latter
to name his prices for each particular lot therein,--but was
met with a renewed refusal.
library was executed by Mr. Machen's buying the books in
On this, the order for the
the London market (Mr. Willis supplying a share), and
merely charging a commission;-and the result has been,
that Mr. Codd has obtained a library, containing upwards
of 200 volumes more than Mr. Smith had offered, of the
highest class and best editions of English literature. But a
very curious part of the matter has to come. Baffled as to
the sale on their own arbitrary terms, the Dublin booksellers
have ingeniously made the matter an Irish question. Backed
by the bookbinders-for some of the books had to be
bound in London-they have raised a cry of indignation
at the fact of an Irishman buying his library in London,
when-as they, with a somewhat curious courage under the
circumstances, venture to say-as good value for the money
could be given in Dublin.
Our readers can scarcely
imagine the ill blood that has been caused by this transac-
tion. It will be even difficult for them to understand this
"Ireland for the Irish."

MR. CODD'S LIBRARY.-G. Willis, throughout the course of his "Current Notes," has endeavoured as much as possible, to keep aloof from intruding himself on the notice of his customers, thinking that their kind contributions were more likely to interest others, and be of value, than any observations he could make. A business transaction, how-new version of the cry, ever, in which he has been lately engaged, has caused, it appears by the newspapers, so much public and private discussion in Dublin, and is now attracting a certain degree of attention in London, that he feels called upon, in justice to himself, to reprint the following article that appeared in the "Athenæum" journal of the 18th inst., and which he will follow up by a few observations of his

Own:

The booksellers and publishers of Dublin have recently exhibited themselves in a somewhat curious light. The facts as we find them in the Dublin papers are worth stating,but we leave them to suggest their own comments. It would seem that a Dublin citizen, Mr. Codd, having deserved well of his fellows, was to be by them presented with a testimonial for public services, and a sum of £500 was raised by subscription for the purpose. Mr. Codd, thinking a piece of plate but an unmeaning sort of thing, preferred that the money should be laid out on a library of books to such extent as it would purchase; and applied to Mr. Smith, of the firm of Hodges & Smith (publishers to the University), to supply the books, and give a catalogue of the same with their prices. Mr. Smith offered Mr. Codd 1,240 volumes for £500; but declined to annex the prices to each lot, on the ground that the trouble would be too great. Mr. Codd was very naturally dissatisfied:so, he asked Mr. Willis, of Covent Garden, to furnish a catalogue of what books in standard English literature

As far as G. Willis's personal knowledge of the affair extends, the above statement needs but little correction. G. Willis's principal establishment in Covent Garden was visited one evening by three gentlemen, perfect strangers to him, who, after approving the general appearance of the stock, &c., observed that they were desirous of procuring, for a particular purpose, a collection of the best books in standard English literature, to the amount of about £500, and requested him to make out a list of such works as he could recommend for that object. No list of books or prices was furnished to him, but they were left to Mr. Willis's experience and practical knowledge of what was required, to suggest. The list was accordingly made out, with the price of each article, and the style of binding affixed, and forwarded to the gentleman who had the management of the affair. After a delay of some weeks, the list, as prepared by Mr. Willis, was approved of, and an order from it, amounting to £325. 18s 6d, executed. The following extract from a letter from one of the committee, accompanying a cheque for the bill, will speak for itself.

"I cannot conclude this hurried note without declaring, for myself and the committee with whom I have the honour to act, that you have supplied the order, and conducted the entire transaction in a manner which, while it affords them

L

much satisfaction, reflects the greatest credit upon your word to return it. There is a cave, where some have fanhighly respectable house.

I am, dear Sir, yours very truly,

R. H."

It will thus be seen that this order for books was in the usual course of business for that which he is entirely unsought by Mr. Willis; he was applied to pretty extensively known to be always ready to supply, namely, estimates for libraries, either great or small; and being known to have supplied, with satisfaction both to his customers and himself, many important public, as well as private collections, both at home and abroad, it was not at all surprising that the gentlemen in question, acting for a general body, and not for their own private pleasure, should have addressed themselves to the quarter where they were likely to be best served. For, from the peculiar nature of a bookseller's business, the large capital and constant activity required, it is only in an establishment of the extent and particular facilities of G. Willis's, that a library like that of Mr. Codd's is constantly kept ready to be supplied at a moment's notice on the most economical terms, the prices, of course, increasing considerably when they have to be suddenly collected by a bookseller in a smaller way of business, from various sources, instead of having them ready in the ordinary course of his trade.

cied to hear musick. On this Borough-hill (in the Tything of Cherte), is a great stone lying along the length of about six feet; they went to this, stone and knocked at it, and declared what they would borrow, and when they would repay; and a voice would answer when they should come, here after the manner aforesaid, but not returned according and that they should find what they desired to borrow at that stone. This cauldron, with the trivet, was borrowed to promise; and though the cauldron was afterwards carried to the stone, it could not be received: and ever since that time no borrowing there."-" But I do believe that this great kettle was an ancient utensil belonging to their Church House for the use of Ayanaι, or Love Feasts or Revels."-Aubrey, Surrey, vol. iv. pp. 366-7.

Salmon, after remarking that "the great cauldron which lay in the Vestry beyond the memory of man, was no more brought thither from Waverley than, as report goes, by the fairies," says, "It need not raise any man's wonder for what use it was, there having been many very lately to be seen, as well as very large spits, which were given for entertainment of the parish at the wedding of poor maids."— Surrey, p. 139.

Grose has connected this cauldron with his account of the White Witch called Mother Ludlam, of whose cave or

hole, in the sand rocks under Moor Park, he has given a view. According to his version of the tradition, the venerable old lady, when properly invoked, assisted the poor neighbours by lending culinary utensils, &c.; the business being thus transacted:-"The petitioners went to the cave at midnight, turned three times round, and thrice repeated aloud, Pray, Mother Ludlam, lend me such a thing MOTHER LUDLAM,-The mention of this hag or On the next evening the requested moveable was found at (naming the utensil) and I will return it within two days.' witch made in the July Number of your Notes, the entrance of the cave. This intercourse long continued, (p. 54), by your Brighton Correspondent, R. S. T., until once, a person not returning a large cauldron according reminds me that her cauldron, of which you have a to the stipulated time, Madam Ludlam was so irritated, that drawing, is still preserved in the Church at Fren- she refused to take it back, when afterwards left at the sham, a small cavern, and has never since accommodated any one with the village on the most trifling loan. The story adds, that the cauldron was S. W. verge of carried to Waverley Abbey, and after the dissolution of the the County of Monastery, deposited in Frensham Church."- Grose, AntiSurrey, border-quities of England, &c. vol. v. p. 112. ing upon Hampshire. This vessel is of copper, and stands upon an iron trivet, with three expanding legs. The diameter at top is one foot seven inches;

and an iron band, strongly riveted, surrounds the middle swell, and is connected on each side with a flat ring-handle, four inches and a half in diameter.

"In the Vestry here," says Aubrey, " is an extraordinary great kettle or cauldron, which the inhabitants say by tradition was brought hither by the Fairies, time out of mind, from Borough Hill, about a mile from hence. To this place if any one went to borrow a yoke of oxen, money, &c. he might have it for a year, or longer, so he kept his

H. S.

CONTRIBUTORS TO BLACKWOOD'S MAGAZINE,

(Concluded from last Number, p. 69.)

0.

O'DOHERTY, SIR MORGAN, 2, Shire Lane, Temple
Sanctuary, Holyrood.

Bar.

Oliver and Boyd.

Omai, the Otaheitan.

P.

Price

Pringle, Thomas, Cape of Good Hope.

Q.

*Quill, Maurice, Surgeon, 32nd Foot.

R.

RAMMOHUN Roy, Garden Reach, Calcutta.

*Ricardo.

Riddell, James, Advocate.

X.

Y.

Z.

*Zero-boz, Count.

Robinson, David, Augustus-street, Regent's Park.
Robertson, Joseph Clinton, 28, Bennett Street, Stam-

Sandford, D.K. Professor of Greek, University, Glasgow.
Scoresby, William, Jun.

SCOTT, SIR WALTER, Bart., Clerk of Session, Castle
Street, Edinburgh; Abbotsford, Selkirkshire.

Scott, James, T.D., M.D., F.R.S.E., M.W.S. Glasgow
Cavalry and Jumble Club, Millar Street, Glasgow.
Seward, C.C.C.

G. W. has received, among other agreeable assurances respecting the interest taken in the list here brought to a conclusion, the following letter:—

Edinburgh, 29th September, 1851. SIR, I never saw a document so indicative of the literary humour which existed in the palmy days of Blackwood, and other contemporary periodicals, as that which you have printed; and humour is a feature in our Literature which has now almost entirely disappeared from it. Whether the publishers or the public may be to blame in the matter, you self. But surely the political squibbing of Punch can probably form a much better opinion than mycannot be compared with the Broadsides of the John

Bull, or the Batteries of Blackwood.
Mr. WILLIS.

H. R.

DESCENDANTS OF EDMUND SPENSER.-In the

Soligny, Wiscount Wictoria de, Monmouth Street, Seven Anthologia Hibernica for March, 1793, (a Magazine Dials. Starke.

Watts, Alaric A., Commercial Street, Leeds.
Walter, Alexander, Tristan d'Acunha.

Wastle, William.

Wilson, John, Prof. of Mor. Phil. Univer. Edin.; St. Anne Street, Stockbridge, Edin.; Ellery, Westmoreland. Wilson, Robert S., W.S., 53, Queen Street.

Wilson, James.

published in Dublin), a Correspondent says,-" I have lately heard that within a few years a lineal descendant and namesake of the celebrated Spenser was resident at Mallow; that he was in possession of an original portrait of the poet, which he valued so highly as to refuse five hundred pounds which had been offered for it-with many curious papers and records concerning his venerable ancestor."

However this may be, a Correspondent (R. S.) has kindly transmitted (8th October), for insertion in Willis's Notes the following advertisement, which he discovered recently in going through a volume in the possession of Mr. Windele of Cork.

From the Cork Evening Post, Thursday, December 28th, 1769.

John Fitzgerald, my indented apprentice, ran away from me the 29th of last month, having near three years of his time to serve. This is to caution the public not to entertain him, as I am determined to act as far as the law directs against all those who shall. Said Fitzgerald is a low, squat fellow, with remarkable thick legs, and the sign of a cut in his lip, about nineteen years of age. Mallow, Nov. 30, 1769.

EDM. SPENSER.

Derby, Oct. 3rd, 1851. SIR,-Can you or any of your readers inform me of the meaning of a phrase sometimes employed to denote the extreme of friendship or confidence between two parties, by saying "Oh! they're as thick as incle-weavers !" I have heard it frequently

Wrangham, Francis, Venerable the Archdeacon of Cleve- used by the lower classes in the Midland Counties.

land.

Mr. WILLIS.

J. W. T.