Replies to Minor Queries.
Dyson's Collection of Proclamations (Vol. v., p. 371.).
—DR. RIMBAULT will find, in the Grenville Collection in the British Museum, an extraordinary volume of proclamations published during the reign of Queen Elizabeth, "collected together by the industry of Humfrey Dyson, of the City of London, Publique Notary. London, 1618." The volume is fully described in Bibliotheca Grenvilliana, Part the Second, 1848, pp. 368-373.
H. F.
"Up, Guards, and at them!" (Vol. v., p. 396.).
—I know not what your correspondent A. A. D. may mean by asking "whether the battle of Waterloo was not a myth!" but I am glad to be able to state, from the very best authority, the circumstance of the celebrated order to the Guards on that day. It was at all times the Duke of Wellington's habit to cover as much as possible troops exposed to the fire of cannon, by taking advantage of any irregularity of ground, and making them sit or lie down, the better to cover them from fire till the moment of attack; and the Duke's common practice was, just as the enemy came close, and was on the point of attacking him, he attacked them. What he may have said on this occasion, and probably did say, was, "Stand up, Guards;" and then gave the commanding officers the order to attack. One would not pledge oneself to the very syllables of such a command on such an occasion; but what I have stated is the recollection of one who was present, and it is equivalent at least to the popular version of "Up, Guards, and at them!"
C.
[Our correspondent's doubt, whether Waterloo itself is not a myth, was intended, we presume, as a hit at the historical scepticism of the present day.]
Bawderich, and Bells (Vol. iii., pp. 328. 435. 503.).
—May I be allowed to call the attention of your readers who are curious in such matters, to a cut of the Bawderich and its Gear, engraved in the 13th and 14th Numbers of Willis's Current Notes, about which there have already been several notices in your interesting periodical?