Notes and Queries, Number 191, June 25, 1853 | Page 5

the wherefore, but in every part of England I have visited, there appears to be a deep-rooted prejudice in the eyes of the million against people with red hair. Tradition, whether truly or not must remain a mystery, assigns to Absalom's hair a reddish tinge; and Judas, the traitorous disciple, is ever painted with locks of the same unhappy colour. Shakspeare, too, seems to have been embued with the like morbid feeling of distrust for those on whose hapless heads the invidious mark appeared. In his play of As You Like It, he makes Rosalind (who is pettishly complaining of her lover's tardiness coming to her) say to Celia:
"Ros. His very hair is of the dissembling colour. Celia. Something browner than Judas'."
It will be apparent from this quotation, that in England, at any rate, the prejudice spoken of is not of very recent development; and that it has not yet vanished before the intellectual progress of our race, will, I think, be painfully evident to many a bearer of this unenviable distinction. It seems to be generally supposed, by those who harbour the doctrine, that red-headed people are dissemblers, deceitful, and, in fact, not to be trusted like others whose hair is of a different colour; and I may add, that I myself know persons who, on that account alone, never admit into their service any whose hair is thus objectionable. In Wales, pen coch (red head) is a term of reproach universally applied to all who come under the category; and if such a wight should by any chance involve himself in a scrape, it is the signal at once for a regular tirade against all who have the misfortune to possess hair of the same fiery colour.
I cannot bring myself to believe that there is any really valid foundation for this prejudice; and certainly, if not, it were indeed a pity that the superstitious feeling thus engendered is not at once and for ever banished from the memory.
T. HUGHES.
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EXTRACTS FROM NEWSPAPERS, 1714.
Daily Courant, Jan. 9, 1714:
"Rome, Dec. 16.--The famous painter, Carlo Maratta, died some days ago, in the ninetieth year of his age."
The Post Boy, Jan. 12-14, 1714.--Old MSS. relating to Winchester.--In the Post Boy, Jan. {617} 12-14, 1714, appears the following curious advertisement:
"Winchester Antiquities, written by Mr. Trussell, Dr. Bettes, and Mr. Butler of St. Edmund's Bury, in one of which manuscripts is the Original of Cities; which manuscripts were never published. If the person who hath either of them, and will communicate, or permit the same to be copied or perused, he is earnestly desired to give notice thereof to Mr. Mathew Imber, one of the aldermen of the city of Winchester, in the county of Southampton, who is compleating the idea or description of the ancient and present state of that ancient city, to be speedily printed; together with a faithful collection of all the memorable and useful things relating to the same city."
Gough, in his Topography, vol. i. p. 387., thus notices these MSS.:
"Wood says (Ath. Ox., vol. i. p. 448.) that Trussell the historian, who was alderman of Winchester, continued to Bishop Curll's time, 1632, an old MS. history of the see and bishops in the Cathedral library. He also wrote A Description of the City of Winchester; with an Historical Relation of divers memorable Occurrences touching the same, and prefixed to it A Preamble of the Original of Cities in general. In a catalogue of the famous Robert Smith's books, sold by auction, 1682, No. 24. among the MSS. has this identical title, by J. Trussell, fol., and was purchased for twelve shillings by a Mr. Rothwell, a frequent purchaser at this sale. The Description, &c., written by Trussell about 1620, is now in the hands of John Duthy, Esq.; and from it large extracts were made in The History and Antiquities of Winchester, 1773. Bishop Nicolson guesses that it was too voluminous, and Bishop Kennett that it was too imperfect to be published.
"The former mentions something on the same subject by Dr. Bettes, whose book is still in MS.
"Dr. Butler, of St. Edmund's Bury, made observations on the ancient monuments of this city under the Romans."
E. G. BALLARD.
[Trussell's MSS. are now in the library of Sir Thomas Phillipps.--ED.]
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Minor Notes.
Last Suicide buried at a Cross Road.--I have reason to believe that the last person subjected to this barbarous ceremony was the wretched parricide and suicide Griffiths, who was buried at the cross road formed by Eaton Street, Grosvenor Place, and the King's Road, as late as June, 1823. I subjoin the following account from the Chronicle:
"The extreme privacy which the officers observed, as to the hour and place of interment, increased in a great degree the anxiety of those that were waiting, and it