Guernsey.
Costume of the Clergy not Enarean (Vol. ix., p.101.).—A. C. M. has no other authority for calling the cassock and girdle of the clergy "effeminate," or "a relique of the ancient priestly predilection for female attire," than the contrast to the close-fitting skin-tight fashion adopted by modern European tailors; the same might be said of any flowing kind of robe, such as the Eastern costume, or that of the English judges, which as nearly approaches to the cassock and cincture as possible. In a late number of the Illustrated London News will be found drawings from the new statues of the kings of England lately erected in the new Houses of Parliament: of, I think, twelve there represented, eight have a "petticoat-like cassock," or frock, and of course for convenience a girdle.
Can any of your correspondents inform us when the cassock was introduced as an ecclesiastical dress, whether it was then worn by persons of other vocations, and what was the ecclesiastical costume (if any) which it superseded?
H. P.
Inedited Letter of Lord Nelson (Vol. ix., p. 241.).—On behalf of the precious pages of "N. & Q.," I beg leave to protest against printing as inedited what a very slight degree of research would have found to have been long since published. The letter in question will be found in Clarke and M‘Arthur's Life of Nelson, vol. ii. p. 431., and in Nicolas's Nelson Despatches, vol. vii. p. 75.
I am induced to notice this especially, in the hope that Mr. Jacob, who promises us future communications of the same class, may previously satisfy himself that they are inedited.
C.
Views in London by Canaletto (Vol. ix., p. 106.).—In reply to the inquiry of your correspondent Gondola, with respect to views of London painted by Canaletto, whose announcement of them he quotes, I beg to inform him that I have in my collection one of these views, "The Thames from the Temple Gardens," in which it is curious to trace, in Thames wherries, grave Templars, and London atmosphere, the hand that was usually employed on gondolas, maskers, and Italian skies. I believe that others of his London views are in the collections of the Dukes of Northumberland and Buccleuch.
Edmund Phipps.
Park Lane.