Sir,–I believe I can answer a Query in your Third Number, by N., respecting the whereabouts of a piece of ancient tapestry formerly in the possession of Mr. Yarnold, of Great St. Helen's, London, described, upon no satisfactory authority, as "the Plantagenet Tapestry." It is at present the property of Thos. Baylis, Esq., of Colby House, Kensington. A portion of it has been engraved as representing Richard III, etc.; but it is difficult to say what originated that opinion. The subject is a crowned female seated by a fountain, and apparently threatening two male personages with a rod or slight sceptre, which she has raised in her left hand, her arm being stayed by another female standing behind her. This has been said to represent Elizabeth of York driving out Richard III, which, I need scarcely say, she did not do. There are nineteen other figures, male and female, looking on or in conversation, all attired in the costume of the close of the 15th century, but without the least appearance of indicating any historical personage. It is probably an allegorical subject, such as we find in the tapestry of the same date under the gallery of Wolsey's Hall at Hampton Court, and in that of Nancy published by Mons. Juninal.

I believe one of the seven pieces of "the siege of Troy," mentioned in Query, No. 3, or an eighth piece unmentioned, is now in the possession of Mr. Pratt, of Bond Street, who bought it of Mr. Yarnold's widow.

I may add that the tapestry in St. Mary's Hall, Coventry, contains, undoubtedly, representations of King Henry VI, Queen Margaret, and Cardinal Beaufort. It is engraved in Mr. Shaw's second volume of Dresses and Decorations; but the date therein assigned to it (before 1447) is erroneous, the costume being, like that in the tapestries above mentioned, of the very end of the 15th century.

J.R. PLANCHÉ.

Brompton, Nov. 20. 1849.

[To this Note, so obligingly communicated by Mr. Planché, we may add, that the tapestry in question was exhibited to the Society of Antiquaries at their opening meeting on the 22nd ultimo.]

TRAVELLING IN ENGLAND

Mr. Editor,–Your No. 3. has just fallen into my hands, with the wonderful account of Schultz's journey of fifty miles in six hours, a hundred years ago. I am inclined to think the explanation consists in a misprint. The distances are given in figures, and not in words at length, if we may trust your correspondent's note on p. 35. May not a 1 have "dropped" before the 6, so that the true lection will be, "dass wir auf dem ganzen Wege kaum 16 Stunden gefahren sind"? This time corresponds with the time of return, on which he set out in the evening (at 8?) of one day and arrived at noon the next. It was also most likely that the spring carriages of fifteen years later date should go much faster than the old springless vehicles. Any one who has corrected proofs will appreciate the "dropping" of a single type, and may be ready to admit it on such circumstantial evidence.

I may remark that 1749 was still Old Style in England; but the German Schultz, in dating his expedition on Sunday, 10 Aug. 1749, has used the New Style, then prevalent in Germany. Sunday, 10 Aug. 1749, O.S., was on Thursday, 31 July, 1749, N.S. The York coach-bill cited on the same page is in O.S.

Is not "Stäts-Kutsche," in the same communication, a misprint?

A.J.E.

G.G. has perhaps a little overrated the import of the passage he quotes from Schultz's travels. "Dass wir kaum 6 Stunden gefahren sind"–even supposing there is no misprint of a 6 for an 8 or 9, which is quite possible–will not, I apprehend, bear the meaning he collects from the words, viz. that the journey occupied no more than six hours, or less even than so much.

In the first place, I believe it will be allowed by those familiar with German idioms, that the phrase kaum 6 Stunden, is not to be rendered as though it meant no more or less than 6; but rather thus: "but little more than 6;"–the "little more," in this indefinite form of expression, being a very uncertain quantity, it may be an hour or so.

Then he says merely that they "kaum 6 Stunden gefahren sind," which may mean that the time actually spent in motion did not exceed the number of hours indicated, whatever that may be; and not that the journey itself, "including stoppages," took up no more. Had he meant to say this, I imagine he would have used a totally different phrase: e. g. dass wir binnen kaum mehr als 6 Stunden nach London schön gekommen sind; or something like these words.

Making these allowances, the report is conceivably true, even of a period a century old, as regards the rate of day-travelling on the high road to Norwich, still at that time a place of much business with London. The second journey of the Pastor on the same road was, it seems, by night: but what perhaps is of more consequence to explain is the apparent difference between it and the other. It appears that in the second instance we are told when he arrived at his journey's end; in the former, nothing beyond the number of hours he was actually moving, may have been communicated to us.

Mr. Editor,–I inclose copies of advertisements which appear in some old newspapers in my possession, and which in some degree illustrate the history of travelling, and in themselves show, I imagine, the advance made between 1739 and 1767, since I consider that "The Old Constant Froom Flying Waggon," of the former date, was the parent of "The Frome Stage Machine" of the latter.

I notice in the Sherborne paper all public stage conveyances are designated as machines.

Copies of advertisements in The Daily Advertiser of the 9th April, 1739:–

"For Bath.

A good Coach and able Horses will set out from the Black Swan Inn, in Holborn, on Wednesday or Thursday.

Enquire of William Maud."

"Exeter Flying Stage Coach in Three Days, and Dorchester and Blandford in two days.

Go from the Saracen's Head Inn, in Friday Street, London, every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and from the New Inn, in Exeter, every Tuesday and Thursday, perform'd by

JOAN PAYNE,

JOHN SANDERSON,

THOMAS BURY.

Note.–Once a week there is an entire Dorchester and Blandford Coach from Dorchester on Mondays, and from London on Fridays.

The stage begins Flying on Monday next, the 16th instant."

"The old standing constant Froom Flying Waggon in Three days

Sets out with goods and Passengers from Froom for London, every Monday, by One o'clock in the morning, and will be at the King's Arms Inn, at Holborn Bridge, the Wednesday following by Twelve o'clock at Noon; from whence it will set out on Thursday morning, by One o'clock, for Amesbury, Shrewton, Chittern, Heytesbury, Warminster, Froom, and all other places adjacent, and will continue allowing each passenger fourteen pounds, and be at Froom, on Saturday by twelve at noon.

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