Piersebridge, Darlington, Durham.
* * * * *
Minor Queries.
_Hermit Queries._--1. Some years ago a hermitage existed in certain grounds
at Chelsea, the proprietor of which frequently advertised for a hermit,
and, I believe, never got one. Who was the proprietor of the said
hermitage; and did he ever succeed in getting his toy tenanted?
2. In Gilbert White's poem, _Invitation to Selborne_, the following lines
occur:
"Or where the hermit hangs the straw-clad cell,
Emerging gently from the leafy dell,
By fancy plann'd," &c. &c.
The only edition of the "Letters" which I possess, is that by Sir William
Jardine and Mr. Jesse, which affords a note on the passage, to the effect
that the hermitage referred to was used by a young gentleman, who appeared
occasionally "in the character of a hermit." What was the name of the
eccentric, and what is known of his hermit life? Is the hermitage still in
existence?
3. Where is to be found the best account of anchorites, real and
fictitious?