(Vol. vi., p. 5.; Vol. vii., pp. 7. 111.)
I am obliged to apologise for having made Sir Henry Wotton use the words "some long time before," instead of "some good while before," and therefore take the opportunity of saying that I think Sir Henry's allusion to "the art of stationers," in binding a good and a bad book up together, almost proves "our common friend Mr. R." to have been a bookseller. Notwithstanding the very high authorities against me, I will then venture to insinuate, that instead of John Rouse, or Robert Randolph, plain Humphrey Robinson is meant, by whom Comus was printed in 1637, "at the signe of the Three Pidgeons, in Paul's Church-yard."
Once grant the probability of this being the case, and we have no further difficulty in understanding why Comus should be stitched up "with the late Rd. poems," or Wotton be left in ignorance of the author's name. Lawes tells us in the dedication to Comus, that it was "not openly acknowledged by the author;" and the publisher would naturally keep the secret: but why Rouse or Robert Randolph should do so, appears to me inexplicable. I hope soon to have access to some public libraries, and also to return to this very interesting question again. Meanwhile, may I beg the forbearance of your more learned correspondents?
Rt.
Warmington.
PHOTOGRAPHIC NOTES AND QUERIES.
Sir W. Newton's Process.—Having been requested by several friends to give them a statement of my mode of proceeding with reference to the calotypic art, and as I am of opinion that we ought to assist each other as much as possible in the pursuit of this important branch of photography, I beg therefore to offer the following for insertion in your "N. & Q.," if you should deem them worth your acceptance.
To iodize the Paper.—1st. Brush your paper over with muriate of barytes (half an ounce, dissolved in nearly a wine-bottle of distilled water): lay it flat to dry. 2nd. Dissolve sixty grains of nitrate of silver in about an ounce of distilled water. Ditto sixty grains of iodide of potassium in another bottle with the like quantity of water. Mix them together and shake well: let it subside: pour off the water, and then add hot water: shake it well: let subside: pour off the water, and then add three ounces of distilled water, and afterwards as much iodide of potassium as will redissolve the iodide of silver.
Brush your previously prepared paper well with this, and let dry; then place them in water, one by one, for about one hour and a half or two hours, constantly agitating the water. As many as a dozen pieces may be put into the water, one after the other, taking care that there are no air-bubbles: take them out, and pin to the edge of a board at one corner.