I have never seen, in the ancient accounts of churchwardens, any mention made of a "town plough," which Gastros notices (Vol. vi., p. 462.).
S. S. S. (2.)
Pepys's Diary; Battle of St. Gothard.—Lord Braybrooke, in a note on 9th August, 1664, on which day Pepys mentions a great battle fought in Hungary, observes, "This was the battle of St. Gothard, fought 1st August, so that the news reached England in eight days." This would scarcely be possible even in these days of railways. The difference of styles must have been overlooked, which would make the intelligence arrive in eighteen days, instead of eight.
J. S. Warden.
First Folio Shakspeare.—It would be extremely desirable that every one who possesses, or knows of a copy of the first folio, would send to "N. & Q." a note of the existence of such copy; its present owner's name; date of acquisition; last owner's name; the price paid; its present condition; and any other circumstances peculiar to the copy. When the editor should receive an adequate number of replies to this suggestion, he might publish a list in some methodised form, and subsequent lists as occasion might require. I have examined the libraries of several great country-houses, and have never found a first folio; not even at Wilton,
where, of all the houses in England, we are most sure that it must have been.
C.
An ancient Tombstone.—In the month of December, 1851, a tombstone was found at the quay of Aberdeen, near Weigh House Square, in excavating for a common sewer. On it is carved a cross, and a shield containing the initials "G. M.," a nameless instrument, or a couple of instruments, placed crosswise, and a heart with a cross in the centre. Round the edge is cut exquisitely, in Old English letters, with contractions such as we see in old MSS., the following inscription, "Hic jacet honorabilis Vir Georgius Manzs (Menzies?), civis de Abirden, cum uxore eius Anneta Scherar, qui obiit XXVII die mensis Septembris, anno D. N. I. MIIIIXX." In former times, the Menzieses, the Collisons, and the Rutherfords held ruling power in Aberdeen, as in more recent times did the Gibbons, Bannermans, and Hogarths.
Kirkwallensis.