:

"Thou art admirably suited for the Three Pigeons
At Brentford, I swear I know thee not."--_The Roaring Girl._

"We will turn our courage to Braynford--westward,
My bird of the night--to the Pigeons."--Ben Jonson's _Alchymist_.

See Faulkner's _History of Brentford_, p. 144.]

_Captain Cook._--Wanted, the pedigree of Capt. Jas. Cook (the
circumnavigator), and full account of his lineal and collateral
descendants.

WARDALE G. MCALLISTER.

Philadelphia.

[Dr. Kippis's _Life of Captain Cook_ may be consulted with advantage.
It is carefully compiled, and will be found in the fourth volume of his
_Biographia Britannica_, as well as in a separate 4to. volume, 1788.
For the death of the eldest and only surviving son of the celebrated
navigator, see _Gentleman's Magazine_ for February, 1794, p. 182., and
p. 199. of the same volume.]

_Varnish for old Books._--Can any of your readers oblige me with a good
receipt for varnishing the bindings of old books? Bees-wax and turpentine,
used very thin, is a tolerably good one; but I am desirous of learning
another.

INVESTIGATOR.

[A little common glue-size, made thin, would be better than bees-wax
and turpentine. The best varnish that can be used is that made in
France, and may be had at Barbe Lechertier's, Artists' Colourman, 60.
Regent's Quadrant. It is called French varnish for leather, and is sold
at 14s. per pound. There is also a common varnish for leather, which
can be purchased {424} at Reilly's varnish manufactory, 19. Old Street,
St. Luke's. It is sold at about 3s. 6d. per pint.]

_Cabbages._--When were cabbages first cultivated in England? Who introduced
them?

C. H.

[Evelyn says, "'Tis scarce a hundred years since we first had cabbages
out of Holland, Sir Anthony Ashley, of Wiburg St. Giles, in
Dorsetshire, being, as I am told, the first who planted them in
England."--_Acetaria_, sect. 11. They were introduced into Scotland by
the soldiers of Cromwell's army.]

* * * * *

Replies.

ADDISON'S HYMNS.

(Vol. ix., p. 373.)

After the correspondence that took place ("N. & Q.," Vol. v.), I had hoped
that Addison would have been left in peaceable possession of those "divine
hymns" ascribed to his pen; but this is not to be. A former correspondent,
J. G. F., doubted whether they were not composed by Andrew Marvell? This
in