EPITAPH ON ARCHBISHOP POTTER.

  “Alack and well-a-day
  Potter himself is turned to clay.”

Two epigrams on the coffins of Dr. Sacheverel and Sally Salisbury being found together in the vault of St. Andrew’s:—­

  “Lo! to one grave consigned, of rival fame,
  A reverend Doctor and a wanton dame. 
  Well for the world both did to rest retire,
  For each, while living, set mankind on fire.”

  “A fit companion for a high-church priest;
  He non-resistance taught, and she profest.”

CH.

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ON AUTHORS AND BOOKS, NO. 7.

The author of the volume of which I am about to give a character, from the Ms. of sir William Musgrave, seems to be the person who is described by Gough as “Arthur Dobbs, Esq. of Castle Dobbs, promoter of the discovery of the N.W. passage.”  The note may interest both historians and collectors of books.

    AN ESSAY on the trade and improvement of
      Ireland.  By Arthur Dobbs, Esq. Dublin,
      1729-31. 8vo.

“This volume contains both the parts of the work and is a most curious collection of facts and accounts respecting the population revenue and trade of Ireland; and I believe it is scarce, as I have not often met with it, nor do I remember to have heard it quoted on either side during the warm disputes about the commercial intercourse between England and Ireland in the year 1785.” [W.  Musgrave.]

I procured this volume from the collection of Mr. Heber, vii. 1682.—­Sir William Musgrave was a Trustee of the British Museum, and bequeathed near two thousand volumes to that incomparable establishment.  He was partial to biography, and gave much assistance to Granger.  His Adversaria and Obituary, I often consult.  The latter work is an excellent specimen of well-applied assiduity.  Ob. 1800.

BOLTON CORNEY.

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+Queries+

PUNISHMENT OF DEATH BY BURNING.

Judging from the astonishment with which I learned from an eye-witness the circumstance, I think that some of your readers will be surprised to learn that, within the memory of witnesses still alive, a woman was burnt to death under sentence of the judge of assize, for the murder of her husband.

This crime—­petty treason—­was formerly punished with fire and faggot; and the repeal of the law is mentioned by Lord Campbell in a note to his life of one of our recent chancellors, but I have not his work to refer to.

The post to which this woman was bound stood, till recently, in a field adjoining Winchester.

She was condemned to be burnt at the stake; and a marine, her paramour and an accomplice in the murder, was condemned to be hanged.

A gentleman lately deceased told me the circumstances minutely.  I think that he had been at the trial, but I know that he was at the execution, and saw the wretched woman fixed to the stake, fire put to the faggots, and her body burnt.  But I know two persons still alive who were present at her execution, and I endeavoured, in 1848, to ascertain from one of them the date of this event, and “made a note” of his answer, which was to this effect:—­