Notes and Queries, Number 45, September 7, 1850

Step into a bustling Victorian salon where curiosities flutter across pages like fireflies. This 1850 issue of a beloved correspondence journal gathers brief notes, scholarly queries, and witty replies from poets, antiquarians, and eager amateurs. Readers of the time used it as a low‑cost conduit for sharing fragments of folklore, obscure trivia, and the occasional literary puzzle.

The highlighted folk‑lore piece spins the melancholy tale of Alice of the Lea, the so‑called “first mole” of Cornwall. Born into a noble line yet withdrawn into subterranean solitude, she dazzles with blue eyes and sumptuous dress, only to be torn between vanity and the ardor of Sir Bevil of Stowe. The narrative swells with banquet scenes, mirrored reflections, and a sudden, unsettling cry that leaves her fate hanging in suspense.

Scattered among the verses are queries about ancient coins, forgotten manuscripts, and the quirks of everyday life—from the use of coffins to the meaning of the ampersand. The lively exchange of answers offers a snapshot of mid‑century intellectual life, inviting listeners to linger over each surprising entry.