The Sun.
London, England, 1846-04-13 00:00:00

3IT N 9 APRIL 13, 1846.

GOOD FRIDAY.
From the earliest period of Christianity this day has
been observed es a solemn fast in memory of the cruci-
fixion of our Saviour. Its appellation Good is of no
very remote origin, and appears to be peculiar to the
English Church. Our Saxon forefathers called it Long
Friday, from the length of the offices and fastings on
this day; but its ancient title, aid that by which it is
known in the Western Church, is holy Friday.
OLD AND POPULAR CUSTOMS.
We are not aware that in Hull, or the district of Rol-
derness, there are any customs peculiar to Good Friday.
It was formerly the custom of 'English monarchs on this
day to hallow with great solemnity certain rings, the
touching of which was believed to prevent cramp and fall-
ing sickness. This usage took its rise in the mys-
terious virtue of a ring which had been given by Ed
ward the Confessor to a poor person who had asked
alms of him, for the love he bore to St. John the
Evangelist ; and which, having found its way to Jerusa-
lem, was afterwards brought back to St. Edward by
some pilgrims returning from Palestine. It was kept
for centuries in Westminster Abbey with much venera-
tion ; the Sovereigns of England were thought to be
able to impart its virtue to other rings, and there was a
peculiar service for their consecration. These were called
"cramp-rings," and presented and received with an
implicit faith in their sanatory power. Andrew
Boorde, in his Breviary of Health, 4t0., 1557, speaking
of the cramp, observes :—"The King's Majesty hath
a great help in this matter in hallowing cramp-
rings, and so given without money or petition." Lord
Berners, the translator of Froissart, when Ambassador
to the Emperor Charles V., writing to Cardinal Wolsey,
on " the 21st of June, 1518," says, "If your Grace re-
member me with some cramp-rings, we shall do a thing
much looked for, and I trust to bestow them well with
God's grace," &c. In Suffolk, the use of cramp rings
is not entirely abandoned. Instances occur where nine
young men of a parish each subscribe a crooked six-
pence to be moulded into a ring for a young woman
afflicted with fits. In connexion with the cramp, and
one of its supposed remedies, we will present our readers
with the following charm "for one's foot when asleep,'
in use in the Blue-coat school, when Coleridge was a
little boy :there, and ever since its foundation in the
reign of Edward VI. It runs thus :
"Foot! foot! foot! is fast asleep!
Thumb! thumb! thumb! in spittle we steep;
Crosses three we make to ease us,
Two for the thieves, and one for Christ Jesus."
The same charm- served for a cramp in the leg, with
this substitution:—
" The devil is tying a knot in my leg!
Mark, Luke, and John, unloose it I beg!
Crosses three," &c.
" And really," says the poet just mentioned, " upon get-
ting out of bed, when the cramp most frequently occur-
red, pressing the sole of the foot upon the cold floor, and
then repeating this charm with the acts configurative
thereupon prescribed, I can safely affirm that Ido not
remember an instance in which the cramp did not go
away in a few seconds."
Eggs and apples were anciently connected with Good
Friday. A writer, in 1579, refers to the custom of
" creeping to the cross with eggs and apples." One
William Bathe, in 1570, says. " that on this day the
Roman Catholics offered unto Christ eggs and bacon, to
be in favour till Easter-day was past." A French writer
in 1679, observes, " that he has known people who pre:
serve all such eggs as are laid on Good Friday, which
they think are good to extinguish fires in which they
may be thrown." He adds, that some imagine that
three loaves baked on the same day, and put into a hoap
of corn, will prevent its being devoured by rats, mice,
weevils, or worms." In England but one sort of eatable
"remains in association" with the day, namely hot cross
buns. These are small cakes, slightly sweetened and
spiced, sometimes of a round shape, and sometimes long
and tapering at both ends, but alway marked on the top
with an indentation in the form of a cross. "In Lon-
don," says a writer before quoted, " as well as in almost
every other considerable town in England, the first sound
heard in the morning of Good Friday is the cry of Hot
cross buns !' uttered by great numbers of people of an
humble order, who parade the streets with baskets con-
taining a plentiful stock of the article, wrapped up in
flannel and linen to keep it warm. The cry, which is
rather musical, is strictly—
' Hot cross buns—
One a penny, buns—two a penny, buns,
One a penny, two a penny—hot cross buns !'
Hucksters of all kinds, and many persons who attempt
no traffic at any other time, enter into the business of
supplying buns on Good Friday morning. They make
a stir in the streets which lasts till church time, and it is
resumed in the afternoon."
Sixty years ago pastry-cooks vied with each other for
excellence in making hot cross buns; and there were two
bakers' shops at Chelsea so celebrated for this manu-
facture, that crowds of customers thronged benea'h
the flat-roofed wooden portico or piazza which ex-
tended along the front of each, during the whole
of the day. Several hundreds of square black tins,
each containing dozens of hot buns, were disposed
of in every hour, from a little after six in the
morning till after the same period in the even-
ing. Cross buns resemble, in some respects, the con •
secrated loaves, bestowed by the Western Church on
those who, from any impediment, cannot receive the Holy
Eucharist. These are made from the dough from whence
the Host itself is taken, marked with the cross, given by
the priest to the people after mass, just previously to the
departure of the congregation, and are kissed before they
are eaten. It is remarkable, that the loaves of the
Greeks were signed with a cross from the earliest
periods, and that such were offered to the gods, under a
name which in the accusative case is boon. Two loaves
with an impression of the cross, within which were four
other lines, were found in Herculaneum. In the houses
of some ignorant persons, a Good Friday bun is pre-
served "for luck ;" and sometimes there hangs from the
ceiling a hard biscuit-like cake of open cross-work, baked
on Good Friday, to remain there until displaced on the
next Good Friday by a similar one. This is deemed a
preservative against fire.
A correspondent of the "Every Day Book" stated
that on Good Friday, iu the neighbourhood of West
Derby, a custom prevails which is called " paste-egg-
ing." Parties of the juvenile peasantry disguise them-
selves in the most fantastic habiliments—such as clothes
turned inside out, with masks, veils, &c., and betake
themselves (in numbes of about four to a dozen of both
sexes) to the different farm-houses, and solicit contribu-
tions towards the " festival" of Easter Sunday. These
gifts are generally eggs and oatmeal cakes. One of the
party usually carries a basket for the eggs, another
for the cakes, and a third is the bearer of a small box
for oecuniary contributions. They generally cheer
their benefactors with some animated songs, and seldom
fail to return homeward with a plentiful supply of their
"paste-egg," and no trivial aid in money. With these
materials a feast is got up on Easter Sunday evening at
the village ale-house.
In the midland districts of Ireland it is a common
practice on Good Friday, with the lower orders, to pre-
vent their children, even those at the breast, from having
any sustenance from twelve on the previous night to
twelve on tho night of Friday; and it is common to see
along the roads, between the different market towns,
numbers of women with their hair dishevelled, bare-
footed, and in their worst garments. All this is in com-
memoration of Christ's passion.

RELIGIOUS OBSERVANCES.
An old book, containing the ceremonies observed by
the English monarchs, directs the usher to lay a carpet
cross
upon;" Good Friday, for the King "to creep to the oss
upon;" and a proclamation of the 30th II enry VIII.
enjoins on this day, " it shall be declared how creeping
to the cross signifieth an humbling of yourself to Christ,
before the cross, and the kissing of it a memory of our
redemption, made upon the cross."
The " setting up" of the Easter sepulchres on Good
Friday appears to have been a general practice in Eng-
land. In this was placed the host with a crucifix, or the
host alone, which was watched, according to the Sarum
rite, from Good Friday till early in the morning of
Easter day. Perhaps the most curious "sepulchre," of
which we have an account was that at St. Mary Red
cliffe's Church, Bristol, 1471. It is described as " well
gilt with fine gold," and comprising among its deco-
rations "an image of God Almighty rising out of the
same sepulchre, with all the ordinance that belongeth
thereto—that is to say, a lathe made of timber and
ironwork thereto. Item—Heaven made of timber and
stained cloths. Item—Hell made of timber and iron-
work thereto, with devils the number of thirteen.
Item: four knights armed keeping the sepulchre, with
their weapons in their hands—that is to say, two spears
two axes, with two shields. Item: four pair of angels! wings, for four angels, made of timber, and well
painted. Item: the Father, the crown and visage, the
ball with a cross upon it, well gilt with fine gold.
Item: the Holy Ghost coming out of Heaven into the
sepulchre." Barrett's Bristol, cited by Fosbroke, p. 50,
note.

On the Gospel side of the chancel, and nearly opposite
the sedilla, we generally find an arch forming a recess
and canopy to an altar tomb. This was often used as an
Easter " sepulchre." Pious persons, in their wills, fre-
quently desired to have their tombs so built as that they
might serve for this purpose.
Two of the finest examples of stone "sepulchres" are
at Eckington Church, Lincolnshire, and liawton Church,
Nottinghamshire ; these are richly decorated in the
style of Edward 111., with representations of the Roman
soldiers asleep, and other appropriate imagery.
The Good Friday ceremonies we have described were
neglected in the Church of England after the Reforma-
tion. As late, however, as the reign of Queen Elizabeth,
the following charge occurs in the churchwarden's "Ac-
compts of the parish of St. Helen," Abingdon :—"Paid
to the bellman for meat, drink, and coals, watching
the sepulchre,. 19d." The anniversary of the crucifixion
is now observed in this country, in most places, by the
suspension of all business, the closing of shops, and a
solemn service in the churches, many of which are hung
with black, and every ornament is removed from their
altars. Some members of the English church abstain,
on this sacred fast, from any kind of animal food, even
from cream to tea ; such we are informed by Boswoll
was the custom of Dr. Johnson. Divine service is well
attended, and it is considered proper to appear at church
in " sad-coloured" clothes.

Mr. Secretary Gladstone left town on Saturday for
Brighton.

THE ROYAL SOCIETY. Amami.
ILLEGAL AWARD OF THE ROYAL MEDAL
(From the Lancet of April 4.)
Grave reports of irregular and improper conduct, in
connexion with the bestowal of the honours of the Royal
Society, have now been for some time both privately and
publicly promulgated. In the absence of all contradic-
tion or explanation by till:, parties most intimately con-
cerned, rumour grows into assured certainty. Tht
Royal medal for the present year, in the department of
physiology, has been prominently referred to • but the
facts in our possession enable us to sketch a history of
the medals from their institution in 1825 to the present
time.

After this sketch the writer thus proceeds:—
Now comes the recent award of the royal medal to
'sir. Beck, for his paper on the dissection cf the gravid
uterus. This was commented on in Mr. Redford's letter,
maof the
Up facts
t o the connectedpresent date,
ateith ,
th the
published last week ; and this gentleman certainly de-
serves much praise for his courage in openly detailing
y
which tend very much to bring the medical section of
the Royal Society into contempt for their extraordinary
vacillation.n
epraowcaeerdd—ingfascotsf
the Royal Society have expressed, five separate times,
an opinion on Dr. Lee's dissections. Of these, three
are favourable and two are adverse. Dr. Lee's first
paper was printed in the "Philosophical Transactions ;"
a supplement also was printed then an additional
sup-
plement was reported as not to be printed ; next, Mr.
Beck gets the royal medal for contradicting all
Dr. Lee's labours ; and lastly, the second supplement,
once reported against, is now ordered to appear in the
forthcoming transactions.
The charges brought against the medical section of
the Royal Society are as follow ; if they can be proved
to be incorrect, doubtless the proof will be supplied :
On the 19th—of June, the last paper of Dr. Lee was read
before the Society. On the 28th of October, (four months'
afterwards), the physiological committee met, to receive
reports on the merits of the different papers, and to re-
commend to the council the award of the medals, Mr.
Lawrence being in the chair. After the dispatch of the
ordinary business, and after voting the recommendation
for the Copley medal, Mr. Lawrence dissolved the meet-
ing, on being informed by the secretary, Dr. Roget, that
there was no further business for transaction. As soon
as Mr. Lawrence had left Somerset House, the com-
mittee was re-formed, Dr. Todd being placed in the
chair; and Dr. Todd and Dr. Sharpey, being the referees,
produced from their packets reports favourable to Mr.
Beck's paper. On these reports, it was resolved to re-
commend the award of the Royal medal to Mr. Beck.
It should be mentioned, that Mr. Lawrence had been
the referee of Dr. Lee's papers on former occasions,
and was, of course, well acquainted with the subject,
and that neither Dr. Todd nor Dr. Sharpey had seen
Dr. Lee's preparations and dissections for four years.
Another extraordinary fact (as we are informed) is, that
Dr. Lee's paper, which for four months had remained
unreferred in the secretary's possession, was actually
produced at this extraordinary committee, and, as if in
mockery, put in competition with Mr. Beck's paper and
some others. The very next act of this alleged illegal
committee was to refer Dr. Lee's paper to Sir Benjamin
Brodie, to ascertain whether it was worthy of being
printed in the transactions. Sir Benjamin Brodie re-
ported in its favour, but it was blackballed by the
physiological committee. It must, however, in justi e
to the council, be stated, that this body afterwards or-
dered it to be printed.
It will scarcely be believed, that on the 30th of Octo-
ber, two days after the recommendation of this irregular
committee, the council met and adopted the award of
the committee, after which it resolved itself into a com-
mittee of papers, to consider whether Mr. Beck's paper
should be printed ! They then could know nothing of
the grounds on which the award had been made ; the
only persons who had seen Mr. Beck's paper were Drs.
Todd and Sharpey, and the secretary, Dr. Roget ; it had
not, as yet, even been read to the society In such a
mole-like manner were the proceedings conducted, in-
volving a most important point in anatomical discovery,
and implicating the reputation and labours of a Fellow
of the Royal Society !
Another extraordinary circumstance is, that Mr. Beck,
after presenting his paper, was allowed to have it back
for correction-; and it is even alleged that Mr. Beck
had been permitted access to Dr. Lee's papers ; for it is
stated that his corrected paper contains allusions to the
subject matter of that which'had been presented by Dr.
Lee. Such proceedings are subversive of all order and
justice. Who can say that Mr. Beck's paper for which
he received the medal is the same paper as that origi-
nally presented, or that the paper, when printed, will be
the same paper as that upon which the award was made?
There are yet other singularities connected with this
affair. From some cause or other, the council, ap-
parently not satisfied with the first recommendation of
the committeee, ordered them to state the grounds upon
which the recommendation was made. The physiologi-
cal committee, on the 20th of November, ap-
pointed Drs. Shnrpey and Todd to draw up a
report ; on the 27th, the committee met, received the
report, and adopted it. On the Ist of December the
council met, received the report, confirmed the recom-
mendation of award made by the irregularly constituted
committee on the 30th of October, and an hour after,
the Royal medal was given away by the Marquis of
Northampton.
Thus, then, the recommendation of the award was
made by the referees, Drs. Sharpey and Todd, and
adopted by the physiological committee, and by the
council, before even the paper was read to the Society,
and before it was known whether it was to be printed or
not. The medal was given before the minutes of the
council bad been confirmed, and before the paper for
which it had been given had been printed. Even now it
has not appeared in print! And this is in glaring con-
travention of the regulations according to which the
foundation of the Royal medals was restored by her
Majesty, which orders—" That the Royal medals be
given for such papers only as have been presented to the
Royal Society and inserted in their Transactions.' "
This regulation is printed, too, on the front page of
every volume of the "Philosophical Transactions." The
justice and propriety of such a regulation are obvious.
Time is afforded for weighing the merits of different
communications, and the possibility of unfair alterations
and omissions in a paper printed subsequently to its re-
ward prevented. The scientific world has no guarantee
whatever, looking to the previous conduct of the parties
concerned, that the paper may not be adapted to suit any
contingency that may arise. Properly, morally, and, it
would appear, legally, Mr. Beck could not have appeared
as a candidate for the medal, supposing his paper to be
printed during the course of the present year, until De-
cember, 1848. Thus time would have been allowed for
deliberation, p.nd the award of the medal would have had
some force; now, it falls to the ground, utterly valueless
to its recipient.
But supposing Mr. Beck's dissections to be quite cor-
rect—supposing the uterus has no nerves at all, or that
Dr. Lee's ganglia are fictions, creations from cellular
tissue, what are Mr. Beck's researches worth? One
might imagine a great discovery, so instant in its re-
ception and application, that snch hot haste to reward it
might have been in some measure pardonable. But Mr.
Beck's pretends to be none of these. According to all
that the profession yet knows of it, even granting it
true, it would be but the pains-taking correction by mere
mechanical dissection of the mistake of another anato-
mist. The medal is actually given for not making a
discovery. One might imagine Sir Charles Bell ashamed
of the medal he received. The first falls to Bell—the

I)rs.
If all this be severe to Mr. Bock, o let
havehm thank
placedi him in
last, to Beck! What a difference! whita'deca:lenW'
Todd, and Sharpey, and Roget, wh
than
ourselves.readily
haveren-
daefirields e
legitimateposition praise oontoe
iw)
iosulladb
o moreurs
The relation of the Royal Society to men of science
shouli be distinctly understood. If the council or the
committees do wrong, the Royal Society must suffer.
In the eye of the world there is no injustice so odious,
and so severely resented, as that of unjust judges, in
any case. There is no misconduct so vile as that of
malversation of office ; the higher the office the greater
the atrocity, when wrong is perpetrated. Even the
Royal Society is not omnipotent ; it cannot make,
though it may " adjudicate," the bad to be good, and
the good to be bad. A paper unjustly treated may bring
temporary pain and discredit to its injured author, but it
reflects lasting ignominy on his judges. A medal un-
justly awarded brings a double discredit—discredit on
those who give, and on him who receives. It was a true
and beautiful saying of one of the most illustrious pre-
sidents of the Royal Society, Sir Humphrey Davy, " It
is better to deserve and not to have, than to have and not
deserve."

Justice it is which gives value to honorary rewards.
Could fifty Royal medals raise Mr. Newport to a level
with those who were insulted by the award in his case ?
Could fifty awarded to Mr. Beck, under the circum-
stances detailed, have the effect of destroying the credi-
bility of Dr. Lee's dissections ? Would they not rather
create a prejudice in their favour ? The recoil acts
always upon the doers of injustice. Let the Royal So-
ciety look to it, particularly the medical section of
those in authority. They are on trial before their pro-
fession, upcm whose opinions their reputations rest. Let
the Royal Society look at the Society of Antiquaries,
where intestine cabals have already caused the resigns=
tion of the president, Lord Aberdeen, and take warning.
We are not sure whether, in the present state of things,
it would not be proper to call on all the parties ag-
greyed t,) state what they know respecting the events
in question. But wo wait awhile. Time is an in-
structive monitor.

Arthur

(From the Lancet of April 11.)

We understand that the council lies reftised to revise
the scandalous proceedings of the committee extraordi-
nary, upon which we commented last a eck. In the
case of Dr. Loe, the recommendation of even a commit-
tee formed out of order by a mean trick, is livid to be
inviolate. Dr. Lee protested against the proceedings of
this pretended committee, and Mr. Lawrence, the chair-
man to one of the meetings, moved their repudiation,
but in vain. Properly considered, the whole affair is as
grossly insulting to this person as it is unjust to Dr. Lee.
It is incredible that he should have so far stultified him-
self as to put the Royal the illegal recommendation for
medal to the next meeting for confirmation. But
though the council have refused to retrace their false
sstoelprisn, cygtthoprhinatv,einhuthmebnlyexetovuofelussmede
otfh,e,irTrearnrosractb:idoyeneregoi;
thectio fn
uture ut
hr en
mdieffsart,:tairoeguguhlattihoinssierienspcecontitnragdi

On the inspection of the abstract of the log of the
Royal Mail Steam Packet Company's steam-ship Tweed,
Captain George Parsons, on her last outward voyage
from Southampton to Madeira (which ship departed
from Southampton on the 17th of February, 1846, at
three P.M.), it appears that on the 23d of the same month
it blew a "perfect hurricane" from the S.W.
We find that these westerly gales had lasted for up-
wards of nine days with great severity,"and it has been
remarked that inset towards the shore is always more
apparent during the prevalence of such gales, although
the degree and direction of the wind experienced on
board the Great Liverpool on the coast of Spain and
Portugal (being S.S.E. to S. by W. by compass) was
not such as to cause any apprehension of inset in the
mind of the Slate Captain APLeod, who had made his
course true from Cape St. Vincent to the Rock of Lis-
bon, and thence to the Burlings, from whence he shaped
his course to clear Cape Finisterre.
The committee examined a copy of a chart by which
the Great Liverpool was navigated (the original having
been lost with the vesst 1). They find, from the evidence,
that the compasses were in good order and true, and that
the vessel was correctly steered. They further find
the course steered on this last voyage was the same as
that which bad been steered by that vessel with safety
on twenty-one previous homeward passages, and that
Captain M`Leod had himself been stationed on the fore-
castle, looking out for two hours previous to the acci-
deTnt,where committee
dm
continuede e
itdue to h
until the shipte
struek.
The character
of
the
late commander of the Great Liverpool, to state that the
thhies
es ah faertgyeo
have
a there vessel
been
uannid-
ented officer ; and the
byc atrhea ft,t)rolain
ft oh roms
y manifested
utmostoov gi boardanc
vigilance
committedan
committee, after mature deliberation on the whole evi-
dence adduced, are unanimously of opinion, that the
n,wwashicochchasaidonneedverbybeaenvmereyt
ulonsussoufaltliiensGetrefra(tmaLtihveeropeoeoal
with in any of her former voyages, or in the ex erie
of the several commanders and office rs whose p nce
evidence
has been taken.
(Signed) SAMITEL THORNTON, Capt., R.N.
RICHARD BOURNE, Commr., R. N.
ALEXANDER NIRNE, Ca HEICS
pt., .. . .
Resolved, That tl
te report of the committee be. re-
ceived and adopted.
Resolved, That with a view to guard against the pos-
sibility of the recurrence of danger from any extraordi-
nary inset for the future, the attention of the com-
manders of the Company's vessels be drawn to this
report, and with reference to the circular of the board
Of directors, dated September 9th, 1845, they be again
strictly enjoined not to neglect to keep the most vigilant
look out in approaching the land in the night, or in think
or foggy weather, and to use the deep-sea lead when
practicable.
And the board further direct that the ships of the
Company, on the voyage direct between England and
Gibraltar, both outward and homewards, are never in
future to be steered within twenty miles of Cape Finis-
terre during the night or in thick or foggy weather.
It was further resolved, That application through the
Admiralty and Foreign office should be forthwith made
to the Spanish Government to procure the erection of a
lighthouse on Cape Finisterre, for the greater safety of
navigation.

By order of the Board,
JAMES ALLAN, Secretary.

1846.—The following is the House List of Governors
and Directors of the Bank of England for the year en,tiing,
viz..

Fon GOVERNORS.
John Benjamin Heath, Esq, Governor.
William E. Robinson, Esq., Deputy-Governor.
FOR DIRECTORS.

Campbell, Esq.
JJaomhnesllio,arstlteisyolp4aElicnqe.r, Esq.
Sir John Henry Pelly, Bart.
Chas. Pascoe Grenfell, EN. Christopher Pearse, Esq.
a;
Thomson Hanley, jun., Esq.. Henry James Prescott, Esq.
Jelin Gellibrand hubbard, Esq. David Powell, Esq.
onagnaim;CDtiovrotabtorreend,CAsicq"qp..
William Little, E,q. Sir John Rae Reid Bart.
mules Malcolmson, Er•. Thomas Chas. Smith, Esq.
-,lirey St. John Mildmay, in. Thompson, Esq., Aid.
Thomas Tooke, jun., Esq.
Thomas Matthias Weguelin,
Esq.
Francis Wilson, Esq.
and Deputy-Governor will be
the 14th of April, and for Di-
I of April, from ten o'clock in
the afternoon.

Jame; Morris, Esq.
Sheffield Neave, Esq.
George Wards Norman, Esq.
The election for Governor J
held at the Bank on. Tuesday
rectors on Wednesday, the 15t1.
the forenoon till four o'clock:in

TIIE LAST OF THE OLD SHOPS.--The Old fish-
monger's shop on the north side of the Strand, adjoining
Temple-bar, which retained the ancient penthouse, and re-
minded one of the time before plate-glass was, when pains-
taking shop-keepers cried aloud to passers-by, " What d'ye
lack?" has been taken down to give room for a modern
erection. We never passed it without thinking of Lona..