A. Briton.
Athenæum.
[After the battle of Bosworth Field, the body of Richard III. was stript, laid across a horse behind a pursuivant-at-arms, and conducted to Leicester, where, after it had been exposed for two days, it was buried with little ceremony in the church of the Grey Friars. In Burton's MS. of the History of Leicester, we read that, "within the town was a house of Franciscan or Grey Friars, built by Simon Montfort, Earl of
Leicester, whither (after Bosworth Field) the dead body of Richard III., naked, trussed behind a pursuivant-at-arms, all dashed with mire and blood, was there brought and homely buried; where afterward King Henry VII. (out of royal disposition) erected for him a fair alabaster monument, with his picture cut out, and made thereon."—Quoted in Nichols's Leicestershire, vol. i. p. 357.: see also pp. 298. 381.]
Binding of old Books.—I shall feel obliged to any of your readers who will tell me how to polish up the covers of old books when the leather has got dry and cracked. Bookbinders use some composition made of glair, or white of egg, which produces a very glossy appearance. How is it made and used? and how do they polish the leather afterwards? Is there any little work on book-binding?
Cpl.
[Take white of an egg, break it with a fork, and, having first cleaned the leather with dry flannel, apply the egg with a soft sponge. Where the leather is rubbed or decayed, rub a little paste with the finger into the parts affected, to fill up the broken grain, otherwise the glair would sink in and turn it black. To produce a polished surface, a hot iron must be rubbed over the leather. The following is, however, an easier, if not a better, method. Purchase some "bookbinders' varnish," which may be had at any colour shop; clean the leather well, as before; if necessary, use a little water in doing so, but rub quite dry with a flannel before varnishing; apply your varnish with wool, lint, or a very soft sponge, and place to dry.]
Vessel of Paper.—When I was at school in the north of Ireland, not very many years ago, a piece of paper, about the octavo size, used for writing "exercises," was commonly known amongst us as a vessel of paper. Can any of your correspondents tell me the origin of the phrase; and whether it is in use in other localities?
Abhba.
[Lemon, in his English Etymology, has the following remarks on this phrase:—"Vessel of Paper: The etymology of this word does not at first sight appear very evident; but a derivation has been lately suggested to me, which seems to carry some probability with it; viz. that a vessel of paper may have derived its appellation from fasciculus, or fasciola; quasi vassiola; a vessel, or small slip of paper; a little winding band, or swathing cloth; a garter; a fascia, a small narrow binding. The root is undoubtedly fascis, a bundle, or anything tied up; also, the fillet with which it is bound.">[