Would you know the reason why?
Leighton Buzzard is hard by."
J. Eastwood.
Birthplace of Josephine (Vol. v., p. 220.).—Mr. Breen's able and interesting Note seems to establish beyond dispute that Josephine was born in St. Lucia, and not, as is commonly supposed, in Martinique.
But can Mr. Breen, or any other of your correspondents, speak to this still more curious Query, whether or no she had African blood in her veins? I heard it confidently asserted lately by a gentleman of high standing on this island, who has business relations with Martinique, that such was the case, and that either the grandmother or great-grandmother of the Empress was a negress slave. He had the fact, he said, on good local authority, and appeared satisfied in his own mind of the truth of the statement. The sudden and surprising elevation of her grandson gives some interest to the inquiry.
A. Ker.
Antigua.
The Curse of Scotland (Vol. i., pp. 61. 90.; Vol. iii., pp. 22. 253. 423. 483.).—
"There is a common expression made use of at cards, which I have never heard any explanation of; I mean the nine of diamonds being commonly called the Curse of Scotland.
"Looking lately over a book of heraldry I found nine diamonds, or lozenges, conjoined, or, in the heraldic language, Gules, a cross of lozenges, to be the arms of Packer.
"Colonel Packer appears to have been one of the persons who was on the scaffold when Charles the First was beheaded, and afterwards commanded in Scotland, and is recorded to have acted in his command with considerable severity. It is possible that his arms might, by a very easy metonymy, be called the Curse of Scotland; and the nine of diamonds, at cards, being very similar in figure to them, might have ever since retained the appellation."—Gent. Mag., vol. lvi. p. 301.
"I cannot tell whence he learns that Colonel Packer was on the scaffold when King Charles was beheaded."—Ibid., p. 390.
"When the Duke of York (a little before his succession to the crown) came to Scotland, he and his suite introduced a new game, there called Comet, where the ninth of diamonds is an important card. The Scots who were to learn the game, felt it to their cost: and from that circumstance the ninth of diamonds was nicknamed the Curse of Scotland."—Ibid., p. 538.
"The nine of diamonds is called the Curse of Scotland because it is the great winning card at Comette, which was a game introduced into Scotland by the French attendants of Mary of Lorraine, queen of James V., to the ruin of many Scotch families."—Ibid., p. 968.
The explanation supplied by the game of Pope Joan is doubtless the correct one.