Totnes, April 18. 1850.
* * * * *
"_Vert Vert_" (No. 23. p. 366.)--It may be of some assistance to your
Querist "ROBERT SNOW," in his endeavour to trace illustrations from
Gresset's "Vert Vert," to know that the mark of RAUX, who is said to
have painted these subjects, was composed of ten small ciphers; seven
of which were placed in a circle: the other three formed a tail,
o o
o o
thus, o o something like the Roman capital Q. This artist,
o o o o
between the years 1750 and 1800, was employed in the decoration of
the Sèvres porcelain: his usual subjects were bouquets or groups
of flowers; and his mark will be found underneath the double L,
interlaced, inclosing some capital letter or letters denoting the year
such ware was manufactured.
W.C. Jun.
* * * * *
"_Esquire_" _and_ "_Gentleman_."--The amusing article in No. 27., on
the title of "Esquire," recalled to my memory the resolution passed by
the corporation of Stratford-on-Avon, when they presented the freedom
of that town to Garrick. It runs something like this:--
"Through love and regard to the memory of the immortal
_Mr._ William Shakspeare, and being fully sensible of the
extraordinary merits of his most judicious representative,
David Garrick, _Esquire_."
Had David a better right to the title than the great poet?
Shakespeare, in the latter part of his life, was no doubt _Master
Shakspeare_, a title so common as even to be bestowed upon the
geometer of Alexandria. In Bayford's collection is preserved a
Catalogue advertising "_Master_ Euclid's Elements of Plain Geometry."