Aldiborontiphoscophornio (Vol. vii., p. 40.).—This euphonious and formidable name will be found in The Most Tragical Tragedy that ever was Tragidized by any Company of Tragedians, viz., Chrononhotonthologos, written by "Honest merry Harry Carey," who wrote also The Dragon of Wantley, a burlesque opera (founded on the old ballad of that name), The Dragoness (a sequel to The Dragon), &c. &c. While the public were applauding his dramatic drolleries and beautiful ballads (of which the most beautiful is "Sally in our Alley"), their unhappy author, in a fit of despondency, destroyed himself at his lodgings in Warner Street, Clerkenwell. There is an engraving by Faber, in 1729, of Harry Carey, from a painting by Worsdale (the celebrated Jemmy!); which is rare.
George Daniel.
[We are indebted to several other correspondents for replies to the Query of F. R. S.]
Statue of St Peter at Rome (Vol. vi., p. 604.).—This well-known bronze statue is falsely stated to be a Jupiter converted. It is very far from being true, though popularly it passes as truth, that the statue in question is the ancient statue of Jupiter Capitolinus, with certain alterations.
Another commonly-received opinion regarding this statue is, that it was cast for a St. Peter, but of the metal of the statue of Jupiter Capitolinus. But this can scarcely be true, for Martial informs us that in his own time the statue of the Capitoline Jupiter was not of bronze but of gold.
"Scriptus et æterno nunc primum Jupiter auro."
Lib. xi. Ep. iv.
Undoubtedly the statue was cast for a St. Peter. It was cast in the time of St. Leo the Great (440-461), and belonged to the ancient church of St. Peter's. St. Peter has the nimbus on his head; the first two fingers of the right hand are raised in the act of benediction; the left hand holds the keys, and the right foot projects from the pedestal. The statue is seated on a pontifical chair of white marble.
Ceyrep.