—Some years ago I saw in the shop of a dealer in curiosities, in London, an old snuff-box, which was said to have belonged to Dean Swift; it was accompanied with three printed leaves, of the common octavo size, the first page of which commenced with "A Pinch of Snuff from Dean Swift's Snuff Box," (being a description of the snuff-box in question). The next subject on the leaves began with "'Tis a hundred years since." The leaves appeared to have been extracted from some Irish magazine or periodical, published about the year 1845-6, and to contain much valuable and amusing matter. As I have made repeated inquiries among the London booksellers in vain, for the name of the publication from which the above-mentioned extract was taken, I shall feel much obliged if you will permit me to make a similar inquiry through the medium of "N. & Q.," and by so doing you will confer a great favour upon
A SUBSCRIBER.
Gloucester.
Cromwell's Skull.
—I believe that a skull, maintained by arguments of considerable weight to be the veritable skull of the Protector, is now carefully kept in the hands of some person in London. It is understood that this interesting relic is retained in great secrecy, from the apprehension that a threat, intimated in the reign of George III., that if made public, it would be seized by government, as the only party to which it could properly belong.
It is to be hoped that the time in which such a threat could be executed has passed by, and that no danger need now be apprehended by the possessor for his open avowal of the facts of the case, such as they are.
Indeed, it seems desirable that if fair means could lead to such a result, the skull of one who filled so conspicuous a position amongst England's most distinguished rulers, should become public property.
Perhaps some one in possession of the arguments verifying the identity of the skull in question with that of Cromwell, would, by a recapitulation of them, favour some readers of the "N. & Q.", and amongst others
J. P.
Dudley.