Queries.

"You stole from the beggars all your tones,And gifted mortifying groans;Had lights when better eyes were blind,As pigs are said to see the wind."—Pt. 3. c. ii. l. 1105.

"You stole from the beggars all your tones,

And gifted mortifying groans;

Had lights when better eyes were blind,

As pigs are said to see the wind."—Pt. 3. c. ii. l. 1105.

That most delightful of editors, Dr. Zachary Grey, with all his multifarious learning, leaves us here in the lurch for once with a simple reference to "Hudibras at Court,"Posthumous Works, p. 213.

Is this phrase merely an hyperbolic way of saying that pigs are very sharp-sighted, or is it an actual piece of folk-lore expressing a belief that pies have the privilege of seeing "the viewless wind?" I am inclined to take the latter view. Under the head of "Superstitions," in Hone'sYear-Bookfor Feb. 29, 1831, we find:

"Among common sayings at present are these,that pigs can see the wind," &c.

The version I have always heard of it is—

"Pigs can see the wind 'tis said,And it seemeth to themred."

"Pigs can see the wind 'tis said,

And it seemeth to themred."

Eirionnach.

Anecdote of the Duke of Gloucester.—Looking through some of the Commonwealth journals, I met with a capitalmotof this spirited little Stuart.

"It is reported that the titular Duke of Gloucester, being informed that the Dutch fleet was about the Isle of Wight, he was asked to which side he stood most addicted. The young man, apprehending that his livelihood depended on the parliament, and that it might be an art to circumvent him, turning to the governor, demanded of him how he did construe 'Quamdiu se bene gesserit.'"—Weekly Intelligencer.

Speriend.

Can any of your correspondents inform me where the virtuous and patriotic William Lord Russell was buried? It is singular that neither Burnet, who attended him to the scaffold, nor his descendant Lord John Russell in writing his life, nor Collins'sPeerage, nor the accounts and letters of his admirable widow, make any allusion to hisremains. At last I found, in theState Trials, vol. ix. p. 684., that after the executioner had held up the head to the people, "Mr. Sheriff ordered his Lordship's friends or servants to take the body and dispose of it as they pleased, being given them by His Majesty's favour." Probably, therefore, it was buried at Cheneys; but it is worth a Query to ascertain the fact.

My attention was drawn to this omission by the discovery of the decapitated man found at Nuneham Regis ("N. & Q.," Vol. vi., p. 386.), and from observing that the then proprietor of the place appears to have been half-sister to Lady Russell, viz. daughter of the fourth Lord Southampton, by his second wife Frances, heiress of the Leighs, Lords Dunsmore, and the last of whom was created Earl of Chichester. But a little inquiry satisfied me this could not have been Lord Russell's body; among other reasons, because it was very improbable he should be interred at Nuneham, and because the incognito body had a peaked beard, whereas the prints from the picture at Woburn represent Lord Russell, according to the fashion of the time, without a beard.

But who then was the decapitated man? He was evidently an offender of consequence, from his having been beheaded, and from the careful embalming and the three coffins in which his remains were inclosed. The only conjecture I see hazarded in your pages is that ofMr. Hesleden(Vol. vi., p. 488.), who suggests Monmouth; but he has overlooked the fact stated in the original communication of L. M. M. R., that Nuneham only came into the possession of the Buccleuch family through the Montagues,i.e.by the marriage of Henry, third Duke of Buccleuch, to Lady Elizabeth Montagu; the present proprietor, Lord John Scott, being their grandson. This marriage took place in 1767, or eighty-two years after Monmouth's execution, and thirty-three years after the death of his widow, the Duchess of Buccleuch and Monmouth, who is supposed to have caused the body to be removed from Tower Hill.

Notwithstanding the failure of heirs male in three noble families within the century, viz. the Leighs, the Wriothesleys, and the Montagus, the present proprietor is their direct descendant, and there are indications in the letter referred to, that the place of interment of his ancestors, as well as of this singular unknown, will no longer be abandoned to be a depository of farm rubbish.

W. L. M.

Perhaps some of the readers of "N. & Q." will be able to give me some information as to the use of an ancient piece of furniture which I have met with. At Codrington, a small village in Gloucestershire, in the old house once the residence of the family of that name, now a farm-house, they show you in the hall a piece of furniture which was brought there from the chapel when that part of the building was turned into a dairy. It is a cupboard, forming the upper part of a five-sided structure, which has a base projecting equally with the top, which itself hangs over a hollow between the cupboard and the base, and is finished off with pendants below the cupboard. The panel which forms the door of the cupboard is wider than the sides. All the panels are carved with sacred emblems; the vine, the instruments of the Passion, the five wounds, the crucifix, the Virgin and child, and a shield, with an oak tree with acorns, surmounted by the papal tiara and the keys. The dimensions are as follows:

Depth from front to back, 2 feet 4½ inches.

Height, 4 feet 8 inches.

Height of cupboard from slab to pendants, 2 feet 6 inches.

Height of base, 9½ inches.

Width of side panels, 1 foot 8 inches; of centre panel, 1 foot 10½ inches.

Width of the door of the cupboard, 1 foot 5 inches.

The door has carved upon it a scene representing two men, one an old man sitting upon a chair, the other a young one falling back from a stool; a table separates them and in the next compartment (for an arcade runs through the group) a female figure clasps her hands, as if in astonishment. This I can hardly understand. But the panel with the papal ensigns I think may throw some light on the use of the whole. In the year 1429, John Codrington of Codrington obtained a bull from Pope Martin V. to have a portable altar in his house, to have mass celebrated when and where he pleased. I find that such a portable altar ought to have "a suitable frame of wood whereon to set it." Such altars are frequently mentioned, though I believe very few remain; but I never could hear of the existence of anything to show what the frame would be. It occurs to me as possible that this piece of furniture may have been used for the purpose. The whole question of portable altars is an interesting one, and if this account should by the means of "N. & Q." fall into the hands of any one who is acquainted with the subject, I hope he would consider it worth a communication.

For some time I was at a loss for another instance; however, I have just received from a friend, who took interest in the subject, a sketch of something almost identical from the disused chapel at Chillon in the Canton Vaud. Of this I have not the measurements, but it stands about breast-high. It is there called a "prie-dieu," and is said to have belonged to the Dukes of Savoy, but the size is very unusual for such a use. I send sketches of each of the subjects of my Query,and hope that, if this should be thought worthy of a place in "N. & Q.," some one will be able and willing to afford some information about them. I would add as a farther Query, the question of the meaning of the battle-axe and pansy, which appear on the "prie-dieu" at Chillon. Is it a known badge of the Savoy family?

R. H. C.

Reynolds' Nephew.—In the Correspondence of David Garrick, vol. i. pp. 664. 658., 4to., 1831, there are letters of Sir Joshua Reynolds regarding a play written by his nephew. Can you tell me whether this was the Rev. Mr. Palmer, minister of the Temple Church, and who was afterwards Dean of Gashel; or had Sir Joshua any other nephew? The letters are dated 1774, and the author appears to have been resident in London about that time.

A. Z.

Sir Isaac Newton.—Which is the passage in Newton'sOpticsto which Flamsteed refers, in his account of the altercation between them, as having given occasion to some of the enemies of the former to tax him with Atheism? and is there any evidence, besides what this passage may afford, in favour of Dr. Johnson's assertion, that Newtonset outas an infidel? (Boswell, July 28, 1763.) TheOpticswere not published till 1704, but had been composed many years previously.

J. S. Warden.

Limerick, Dublin, and Cork.—Can any of your Irish or other correspondents inform me to whom we are indebted for the lines—

"Limerick was, Dublin is, and Cork shall be,The finest city of the three"?

"Limerick was, Dublin is, and Cork shall be,

The finest city of the three"?

Also, in what respect Limerick was formerly superior to Dublin?

Dublin.

Praying to the West.—A friend of mine told me that a Highland woman in Strathconan, wishing to say that her mother-in-law prayed for my friend daily, said: "She holds up her hands to theWestfor you every day." If to theEastit would have been more intelligible; but why to the West?

L. M. M. R.

Mulciber.—Who was Mulciber, immortalised (!) in Garth'sDispensary(ed. 1699, p. 65.) as "the Mayor Bromicham?" My copy contains on the fly-leaf a MS. key to all the names save this.

R. C. Warde.

Kidderminster.

Captain Booth of Stockport(Vol. vi., p. 340.).—As yet, no reply to this Query has been elicited; but as it is a subject of some interest to both Lancashire and Cheshire men, I should like to ascertain fromJayteein what collection he met with the MS. copy of Captain Booth'sOrdinary of Arms? Its existence does not appear to have been known to any of our Cheshire or Lancashire historians; for in none of their works do I find any mention of such an individual as Capt. Booth of Stockport. Sir Peter Leycester, in hisAntiquities of Bucklow Hundred, Cheshire, repeatedly acknowledges the assistance rendered him by John Booth of Twanbow'sBook of Pedigrees; but this gentleman appears merely to have collected for Cheshire, and not for Lancashire. Sir George Booth, afterwards Lord Delamere, is the onlyCaptainBooth I have met with in my limited sphere of historical research; and I am not aware that he ever indulged much in genealogical study.

T. Hughes.

Chester.

"A saint in crape."—

"A saint in crepe is twice a saint in lawn."

Whence this line?

W. T. M.

Hong Kong.

French Abbés.—What was the precise ecclesiastical and socialstatusof a French Abbé before the Revolution?

W. Fraser.

Tor-Mohun.

What Day is it at our Antipodes?—Perhaps you can give me a satisfactory answer to the following question, a reply to which I have not yet been able to procure.

I write this at 11 p.m. on Tuesday, July 12; at our Antipodes it is, of course, 11 a.m.: but is it 11 a.m. on Tuesday, July 12, or on Wednesday, July 13? And whichever it is, what is the reason for its being so? for it seems to me that the solution of the question must be perfectly arbitrary.

"Spendthrift."—In Lord John Russell'sMemorials of Charles James Fox, vol. i. p. 43., there is a letter addressed to Mr. Richard Fitzpatrick, in which Mr. Fox asks "if he was in England when Lord Carlisle'sSpendthriftcame out." And at the foot of the same page there is a note in which it is stated that this "was probably some periodical paper of 1767."

My object in writing the above is for the purpose of asking what publication theSpendthriftreally was, and where it can be purchased or seen?

W. W.

Malta.

Second Growth of Grass.—The second growth of grass is known by different names in different localities. In some it is calledfog, in othersafter-mathandafter-grass. The former name is common about Uxbridge, and the latter about Stoke Pogis, in Buckinghamshire. In Hertfordshire it iscalledhugga-mabuff; I am not certain that this is the correct spelling of the name, never having seen it either in writing or print. In Leicestershire and Cambridgeshire the nameeddishprevails, I am told, and henceeddish cheese, made from the milk of cows which have grazededdish. Can any of your correspondents add to the above names, or throw a light upon their origin?

R. W. F.

Bath.

The Laird of Brodie.—Can any of your correspondents explain what James V. of Scotland means in his celebrated ballad when he says:

"I thocht you were a gentleman,At least the Laird of Brodie."

"I thocht you were a gentleman,

At least the Laird of Brodie."

According to the literal meaning, it would seem that the Laird of Brodie was something less than a gentleman? Could his majesty intend to satirise the alleged royal descent of Brodie from Bruidhie, the son of Billi, king of the Picts (see James'Critical Essay), by insinuating that the "Picts" and their descendants were not entitled to be ranked as "Generosi?"

I. H. B.

Mrs. Tighe, Author of "Psyche."—There is a monument in Inistioge churchyard, co. Kilkenny, to the memory of the authoress of that beautiful poemPsyche, Mrs. Mary Tighe, with a statue of her, said to be by Flaxman, which statement, as to its being from the chisel of that celebrated sculptor, I have seen contradicted. She was the daughter of the Rev. W. Blackford, and married Mr. Henry Tighe of Woodstock, Ireland, in 1793. The inscription, which, I believe, is in existence, was not added to the monument in 1845. Can any of your correspondents favour me with a copy of it? and was the statue by Flaxman? Is there any authentic memoir of this delightful poetess? When did her husband Mr. Tighe die? He is said to have survived his lady, who died in 1810, but a short time; and that he was the author of aHistory of the County of Kilkenny. I believe it was on visiting the churchyard of Inistioge that Mrs. Hemans wrote "The Grave of a Poetess." She is said to have been very beautiful. Is there any other engraved portrait of her in existence beside the one annexed to the several editions of her poems? Any particulars relating to this lady or her husband will be esteemed by

T. B. Whitborne.

Bishop Ferrar.—Was the Bishop Ferrar (or Farrar), the martyr who suffered during the reign of Mary, of the same family as Ferrers (or Ferrars) earl of Derby and Nottingham, in the reign of Henry III.?

A Constant Reader.

Sir Thomas de Longueville.—In the year 1753, a Sir Thomas de Longueville, baronet, was a lieutenant in his Majesty's fleet, and his commission bore date 3rd June, 1719. I should be glad if any of your correspondents could inform me if he was a descendant of the De Longueville, the secondFides Achatesof Scotland's "ill-requited chief." The real Sir Thomas de Longueville reposes in the churchyard of Bourtie, in the county of Aberdeen. Bourtie is a parish fraught with historic recollections. On the hill of Barra, within a mile of the parish church, Bruce at once and for ever put a period to the sway and power of the Cuming. I should be glad to learn if any of the descendants of theLieutenantLongueville still survive, and if he was any descendant of the favorite "De Longueville" of the olden time.

Abredonensis.

Quotations wanted.—

(1.) "Never ending, still beginning."(2.) "Chew the bitter cud of disappointment."

(1.) "Never ending, still beginning."

(2.) "Chew the bitter cud of disappointment."

Whence?

C. Mansfield Ingleby.

Birmingham.

Symon Patrick, Bishop of Ely—Durham—Weston—Jephson.—In a small autobiography of Symon Patrick, the bishop's wife is stated to have beenPenelope Jephson, grandchild of Lady Durham of Borstall. Can any of your readers inform me who this Lady Durham was?

Penelope Jephson was daughter of Sir Cornelius (?) Jephson, I suppose of Mallow in Ireland.

One of Bishop Patrick's granddaughters, Penelope, married Edward Weston, Under-Secretary of State, of Corkenhatch (Herts?). Query, Who was he, and are there any descendants of this marriage?

K. G.

The Heveninghams of Suffolk and Norfolk.—This ancient family traces its pedigree through twenty-five knights in succession to Galtir Heveninghame, who lived when Canute was king of England, ann. 1020. (See Harleian MSS. 1449. fol. 91 b.; and Southey'sDoctor, &c.)

From one of those knights, Sir John Hevenyngham (ob. 1536), descended a collateral branch, represented by Walter Heveningham of Pipe Hall and Aston estates, Staffordshire (1562), who married Annela, daughter of Fitzherbert the Judge. His eldest son was Nicholas, who married Eliza, daughter of Sir John Beevor; and the eldest son of the last-named was Sir Walter Heveningham (1612, ob. 1691).

Now I should feel greatly obliged to any of your readers if, from any of the published or written documents relating to the county of Stafford, or from any other source, they could favour me with answers to the following Queries:

1. Whom did Sir Walter Heveningham marry? His second son married the widow of Sir Edward Simeon, Bart.; but

2. What was the name of Sir Walter's eldest son, and whom did he marry? The issue of thislatter marriage was Charles Heveningham of Lichfield (ob. 1782), who married a daughter of Robinson of Appleby, and John Heveningham.

A Chip of the Old Block.

Lady Percy, Wife of Hotspur (Daughter of Edmund Mortimer, Earl of March).—Upon what authority does Miss Strickland say (Lives of the Queens of England, vol. iv. p. 300.) that it is stated "by all ancient heralds" that this lady died without issue? What herald can say this without bastardising the second Earl of Northumberland? This assertion is a very sweeping one, and I have sought in vain for the statement said to be made by all heralds.

Shape of Coffins.—It would be interesting to ascertain in what localities any peculiar form of coffin is used?

In Devonshire, particularly among the farmers and poorer classes, theridgedcoffin is very general, the end being gabled. The top, instead of being flat with one board, is made of two boards, like the double roof of a house; in other respects the shape is of the common form. The idea is, that such coffins resist much longer the weight of the superincumbent earth; but there can be no doubt that it is a very ancient shape. Many years ago I heard that in some parish in this county the coffin was shaped like a flat-bottomed boat; the boat shape is known to have been an old form.

H. T. Ellacombe.

Clyst St. George.

St. George Family Pictures.—In Gough'sSepulchral Monuments, vol. iii. p. 77., it is mentioned, with reference to the estate of Hatley St. George, in county of Cambridge, that, at the sale of the house in 1782, "The family pictures were removed to Mr. Pearce's house at Cople, Bedford." Can any one tell me if the family pictures here spoken of were those of the St. George family (which inhabited the house for six hundred years); and if so, what has become of them?

R. A. S. O.

Ceylon, June 11, 1853.

Caley (John), "Ecclesiastical Survey of the Possessions, &c. of the Bishop of St. David's," 8vo. 1812.—The above is said, in a bookseller's catalogue, to be privately printed. It is unknown to the bishop of the diocese and Mr. Black. Can any of your readers give any information about it?

John Martin.

Froxfield.

Adamson's "Lusitania Illustrata."—Is there any prospect of Mr. Adamson continuing hisLusitania Illustrata? Could that accomplished Portuguese student kindly inform me if there is any better insight into Portuguese literature than that contained in Bouterweck'sGeschichte der Poesie und Beredsamkeit?

W. M. M.

Blotting-paper.—When did blotting-paper first come into use. Carlyle, in hisLife of Cromwell, twice repeats that it was not known in those days. Is not this a mistake? I have a piece which I am able to refer to 1670.

Speriend.

Poetical Versions of the Fragments in Athenæus.—Can any of your correspondents inform me of the locus of any of these, in addition toBlackwood, xxxvi., andFraser's Magazine?

P. J. F. Gantillon, B.A.

(Vol. v., p. 533.; Vol. vii., p. 485.)

Under the conviction that Robert Drury was a real character, and hisMadagascara true narrative of his shipwreck, sufferings, and captivity, I crave your permission to give a few additional reasons why I think he should be discharged from the fictitious, and admitted into the catalogue of real andbonâ fideEnglish travellers.

I have before stated that Drury did not skulk in the background when he published his book in 1727; but, on the contrary, invited the public to Tom's Coffee-house, where he engaged to satisfy the incredulous, and resolve the doubting. By the 3rd edition ofMadagascar, 1743, it farther appears that he continued "for some years before his death" to resort to the above-named house; "at which place several inquisitive gentlemen received from his own mouth the confirmation of those particulars which seemed dubious, or carried with them the air of romance." The period was certainly unpropitious for any but a writer of fiction, and Drury seems to have anticipated no higher rank for hisTreatise, in point of authenticity, than that occupied by the several members of the Robinson Crusoe school. He, however, positively affirms it to be "a plain honest narrative of the matter of fact;" which is endorsed in the following terms by "Capt. William Mackett:"

"This is to certify, that Robert Drury, fifteen years a slave in Madagascar, now living in London, was redeemed from thence and brought into England, his native country, by myself. I esteem him an honest industrious man, of good reputation, and do firmly believe that the account he gives of his strange and surprising adventures is genuine and authentic."

Mackett was a commander in the E. I. Comp. service; and the condenser of Drury's MSS., after showing the opportunities the Captain had of assuring himself upon the points he certifies to, characterises him as a well-known person, of the highest integrity and honour: a man, indeed, as unlikely to be imposed upon, as to be guilty of lending himself to others, to carry out a deception upon the public.

Mr. Burton, in his lately published "Narratives," points out another source of information regarding Drury, in theGent. Mag.for 1769, where will be found an account of W. Benbow; in this, allusion is made to his brother John Benbow, who was wrecked with Drury in the "Degrave" Indiaman, on Madagascar. W. D., who communicates the information toSylvanus Urban, asserts that he recollects hearing the MS. Journal of this John Benbow read; and that it afforded to his mind a strong confirmation of the truthfulness of Drury'sMadagascar. He adds the following curious particulars anent our subject:—"Robin Drury," he says, "among those who knew him (and he was known to many, beinga porter at the East India House), had the character of a downright honest man, without any appearance of fraud or imposture. He was known to a friend of mine (now living), who frequently called upon him at his house in Lincoln's Inn Fields, which were not then enclosed. He tells me he has often seen him throw a javelin there, and strike a small mark at a surprising distance. It is a pity," he adds, "that this work of Drury's is not better known, and a new edition published[1](it having been long out of print); as it contains much more particular and authentic accounts of that large and barbarous island, than any yet given; and, though it is true, it is in many respects as entertaining as Gulliver or Crusoe."

It may farther be mentioned that the French, who have a good acquaintance with Madagascar, "have found Drury's statement of the geography, the natural history, the manners of the people, and the conspicuous men of the time, in Madagascar, remarkably accurate." (Bib. Gén. des Voyages, Paris, 1808.) Archdeacon Wrangham says: "Duncombe (?) calls Drury'sMadagascarthe best and most genuine account ever given of the island;" and the missionary Ellis quoted Drury without the slightest suspicion that any doubt hangs over the genuineness of his narrative. Drury's account of himself runs thus:—"I, Robert Drury," he says, when commencing his book, "was born on July 24, 1687, in Crutched Friars, London, where my father then lived; but soon after removed to the Old Jury, near Cheapside, where he was well known, and esteemed for keeping that noted house called 'The King's Head,' or otherwise distinguished by the name of the Beef-stake House; and to which there was all my father's time a great resort of merchants, and gentlemen of the best rank and character." To this famous resort of the Revolutionary and Augustan ages I lately betook myself formy stake, in the hope thatmine hostmight be found redolent of the traditional glory of his house. But alas! that worthy, although firmly believing in the antiquity of the King's Head, and of there beingsome bookin existence that would prove it, could not say of his own knowledge whether the king originally complimented by his predecessor was Harry the Eighth or George the Fourth!

In conclusion, I would just add, is not the circumstance of our subject holding the humble post of porter at the East India House confirmatory of that part of his story which represents him as one of the crew of Hon. Company's ship "Degrave," whose wreck upon Madagascar I take to be an undoubted fact? What so probable as this recognition, in a small provision for a man in his old age, whose misfortunes commenced while in their service? Finally, to me the whole narrative of Robert Drury seems so probable, and so well vouched for, that I have given in my adhesion thereto by removing him to ahigher shelfin my library than that occupied by such apocryphal persons as Crusoe, Quarle, Boyle, Falconer, and a host of the like.

J. O.

Footnote 1:(return)The editions ofMadagascarknown to me are those of 1727, 1731, and 1743, by the original publisher, Meadows, Hull, 1807, and London, 1826.

The editions ofMadagascarknown to me are those of 1727, 1731, and 1743, by the original publisher, Meadows, Hull, 1807, and London, 1826.

(Vol. vii., p. 536.)

I would suggest a doubt, whether the suffix-by, in the names of places, affords us any satisfactory evidence,per se, of their exclusively Danish origin. This termination is of no unfrequent occurrence in districts, both in this country and elsewhere, to which the Danes,properly so called, were either utter strangers, or wherein they at no time established any permanent footing. The truth is, there seems to be a fallacy in this Danish theory, in so far as it rests upon the testimony of language; for, upon investigation, we generally find that the word or phrase adduced in its support was one recognised, not in any single territory alone, but throughout the whole of Scandinavia, whose different tribes, amid some trifling variations of dialect, which can now be scarcely ascertained, were all of them as readily intelligible to one another as are, at this day, the inhabitants of two adjoining English counties. If this were so, it appears that, in the case before us, nothing can be proved from the existence of the expression, beyond the fact of itsNorseorigin; and our reasonable and natural course is, if we would arrive at its true signification, to refer at once to the parent tongue of the Scandinavian nations, spoken in common, and during a long-continued period, amid the snows of distant Iceland, on the mountains of Norway, the plains of Denmark, and in the forests of Sweden.

This ancient and widely-diffused language was the Icelandic, Norman, or Dönsk tunga,—that in which were written the Eddas and Skálda, theNjála and Heimskringla. In it we have the suffixby, under the forms of the verbsek bý,ek bió, orat búa, andek byggiorbyggia, manere, habitare, incolere, struere, edificare; also the nounsbú(Ang.-Sax.bý, Dan.bo,by), domus, habitaculum; andbúi, incola, colonus, vicinus; closely assimilated expressions all of them, in which the roots are found of our English wordsbide,abide,be,by(denoting proximity),build,borough,bury(Edmondsbury),barrow,byre,bower,abode,&c.Now, these explanations undoubtedly confirm the interpretation assigned byMr. E. S. Taylorto his terminating syllable; and it is probable enough that the villages to which he refers received their titles from the Danes, who, we know, on the subjugation of its former inhabitants, possessed themselves of the country in which they are situated. This, however, is a begging the question; for, resting simply on the evidence of the suffix, it is equally probable that these places preserved the names assigned to them by their former northern colonists. But ourbýorbúa, Ang.-Sax.buganandbeón, and the Germ. (ich)binandbauen, have all been referred by learned philologists to the Greekφύω, or toβιόω, or toπαύω, παύομαι; and the word has affinities scattered throughout numerous languages (there are the Camb.-Brit.bydio, habitare, andbyw, vivere, for instance), so that we are surrounded by difficulties, if we attempt to establish from its use any such point as that involved in your correspondent's Query.

Cowgill.

(Vol. vii., p. 619.)

When Pope, in dedicating hisRape of the Lockto Mrs. Arabella Fermor, was desirous of putting within the reach of that lady the information whichMr. E. S. Taylorhas sought through your pages, he wrote:

"TheRosicruciansare a people that I must bring you acquainted with. The best account of them I know is in a French book calledLe Compte de Gabalis, which, both in its title and size, is so like a novel, that many of the fair sex have read it for one by mistake."—Dedicatory Letter to the Rape of the Lock.

This celebrated work was written by the Abbé Montfaucon de Villars, and published in 1670. "C'est une partie (says Voltaire,Siècle de Louis XIV.) de l'ancienne mythologie des Perses. L'auteur fut tué en 1675 d'un coup de pistolet. On dit que les sylphes l'avaient assassiné pour avoir révélé leurs mystères." In 1680, an English translation appeared (penes me), entitled:

"The Count of Gabalis; or the Extravagant Mysteries of the Cabalists, exposed in Five Pleasant Discourses on the Secret Sciences. Done into English by P. A. (Peter Ayres), Gent., with short Animadversions. London printed for B. M., printer to the Royal Society of the Sages at the Signe of the Rosy Crusian."

The original French work went through several editions: my own copy bears the imprint ofAmsterdam, 1715, and has appended to itLa Suite du Compte de Gabalis, ou Entretiens sur les Sciences secrètes, touchant la nouvelle Philosophie," &c.

So much in deference to Pope,—whose only object, however, was to make Mrs. Fermor acquainted with so much of Rosicrucianism as was necessary to the comprehension of the machinery of his poem.Mr. E. S. Taylormust go farther afield if he is desirous of "earning thevere adeptus," and becoming, like Butler'sRalpho—

ForMystic Learningwondrous able,In magicTalismanandCabal,Whose primitive tradition reachesAs far asAdam'sfirst green breeches;Deep-sighted inIntelligences,Ideas, Atoms, Influences;And much ofTerra-Incognita,Th' intelligible world could say;A deepOccult Philosopher,As learned as the wild Irish are,OrSir Agrippa; for profoundAnd solid lying much renowned.HeAnthroposophusandFludd,AndJacob Behmenunderstood;Knew many an amulet and charm,That would do neither good nor harm;InRosy-Crucianlore as learnedAs he thatvere adeptusearned."Hudibras, Part i. Canto 1.

ForMystic Learningwondrous able,

In magicTalismanandCabal,

Whose primitive tradition reaches

As far asAdam'sfirst green breeches;

Deep-sighted inIntelligences,

Ideas, Atoms, Influences;

And much ofTerra-Incognita,

Th' intelligible world could say;

A deepOccult Philosopher,

As learned as the wild Irish are,

OrSir Agrippa; for profound

And solid lying much renowned.

HeAnthroposophusandFludd,

AndJacob Behmenunderstood;

Knew many an amulet and charm,

That would do neither good nor harm;

InRosy-Crucianlore as learned

As he thatvere adeptusearned."

Hudibras, Part i. Canto 1.

These lines enumerate, in a scarcely satirical form, the objects and results of a study ofRosicrucianism, in so far as it differs from that of alchemy and the occult sciences. The history of theRosicrucians,—or rather the inquiry as to whether actually existed at any time such a college or brotherhood, and, if so, to what degree of antiquity can it lay claim,—forms another and, perhaps, somewhat more profitable subject of attention. This question, however, having been fully discussed elsewhere, I will conclude by acatalogue raisonnéof such books and essays (the most important of which are readily obtainable) as will enable your correspondent to acquire for himself the information he seeks.

Allgemeine und General Reformation der ganzen weiten Welt, beneben der Fama Fraternitatis, oder Enstehung der Brüderschaft des löblichen Ordens desRosenkreutzes, &c. 8vo. Cassel, 1614. [Ascribed to John Valentine Andrea. In this pamphlet occurs thefirstmention of the society; no allusion being made to it in the works of Bacon, Paracelsus, Agrippa, &c. It was republished at Frankfort in 1617 under a somewhat different title. Appended to it is a tract entitled "Sendbrieff, oder Bericht an Alle welche von denneuenBrüderschafft des Ordens vonRosen-Creutzgenannt etwas gelesen," &c. This work contains a full account of the origin and tenets of the brotherhood,and is the source whence modern writers have drawn their information. It called into existence a host of pamphlets for and against the very existence and tenets of the society.]Histoire de la Philosophie Hermétique, accompagnée d'un Catalogue raisonné des Ecrivains de cette Science, par l'Abbé Lenglet du Fresnoy. 3 vols. 12mo. Paris, 1742.Theomagia, or the Temple of Wisdom, containing the Occult Powers of the Angels of Astromancy in the Telesmatical Sculpture of the Persians and Ægyptians; the knowledge of theRosie-CrucianPhysick, and the Miraculous in Nature, &c., by John Heydon. 8vo. 1664. [The works of this enthusiast are extremely curious and rare. He is also the author of the following.]The Wiseman's Crowne, or the Glory of theRosie-Cross, &c.; with the Regie Lucis, and Holy Household ofRosie-CrucianPhilosophers. 8vo. 1664.Elhavarevna, or the English Physitian's Tutor in the Astrabolismes of MettalsRosie-Crucian, Miraculous Sapphiric Medicines of the Sun and Moon, &c., all Harmoniously United, and Operated by Astromancy and Geomancy, in so Easie a Method that a Fine Lady may practise and compleat Incredible, Extraordinary Telesmes (and read her Gallant's devices without disturbing her fancy), and cure all Diseases in Yong and Old, whereunto is added Psonthonphancia, &c. 8vo. 1665.Dictionnaire Infernal; ou Répertoire des Etres, Apparitions de la Magique, des Sciences occultes, Impostures, &c., par Collin de Plancy. 8vo. Paris, 1844.

Histoire de la Philosophie Hermétique, accompagnée d'un Catalogue raisonné des Ecrivains de cette Science, par l'Abbé Lenglet du Fresnoy. 3 vols. 12mo. Paris, 1742.

Theomagia, or the Temple of Wisdom, containing the Occult Powers of the Angels of Astromancy in the Telesmatical Sculpture of the Persians and Ægyptians; the knowledge of theRosie-CrucianPhysick, and the Miraculous in Nature, &c., by John Heydon. 8vo. 1664. [The works of this enthusiast are extremely curious and rare. He is also the author of the following.]

The Wiseman's Crowne, or the Glory of theRosie-Cross, &c.; with the Regie Lucis, and Holy Household ofRosie-CrucianPhilosophers. 8vo. 1664.

Elhavarevna, or the English Physitian's Tutor in the Astrabolismes of MettalsRosie-Crucian, Miraculous Sapphiric Medicines of the Sun and Moon, &c., all Harmoniously United, and Operated by Astromancy and Geomancy, in so Easie a Method that a Fine Lady may practise and compleat Incredible, Extraordinary Telesmes (and read her Gallant's devices without disturbing her fancy), and cure all Diseases in Yong and Old, whereunto is added Psonthonphancia, &c. 8vo. 1665.

Dictionnaire Infernal; ou Répertoire des Etres, Apparitions de la Magique, des Sciences occultes, Impostures, &c., par Collin de Plancy. 8vo. Paris, 1844.

To render this list more complete, a great number may be added, the titles of which will be found in the following essays, from which much information on the subject will be gained:—

New Curiosities of Literature. By George Soane, B.A. 2 vols. 8vo. London, 1849. [In vol. ii. p. 135. is an able and interesting essay entitled "Rosicrucianism and Freemasonry," in which the author, with considerable success, endeavours to show thatRosicrucianismhad no existence before the sixteenth century, and is a mere elaboration of Paracelsian doctrines: and thatFreemasonryis nothing more than an offspring from it, and has, consequently, no claim to the antiquity of which it boasts.]Swift's Tale of a Tub. [In Section X. of this wonderful book will be found a caustic piece of satire on the futility of theRosicrucianphilosophy.]Butler's Hudibras. [Grey's notes to part I.,passim.]Memoirs of Extraordinary Popular Delusions. By Charles Mackay, LL.D. 2 vols. 8vo. [In the section devoted to theAlchymists, is a carefully compiled account of theRosicrucians.]Chambers's Papers for the People, No. 33., vol. v., "Secret Societies of the Middle Ages."Idem, No. 66., "Alchemy and the Alchemists."The Guardian, No. 166.The Spectator, No. 574.Idem, No. 379. [This number contains Budgell'sLegend of the Sepulchre of Rosicrucius.]The Rosicrucian: a Novel. 3 vols. 8vo.Zanoni. By Sir E. L. Bulwer.

Swift's Tale of a Tub. [In Section X. of this wonderful book will be found a caustic piece of satire on the futility of theRosicrucianphilosophy.]

Butler's Hudibras. [Grey's notes to part I.,passim.]

Memoirs of Extraordinary Popular Delusions. By Charles Mackay, LL.D. 2 vols. 8vo. [In the section devoted to theAlchymists, is a carefully compiled account of theRosicrucians.]

Chambers's Papers for the People, No. 33., vol. v., "Secret Societies of the Middle Ages."

Idem, No. 66., "Alchemy and the Alchemists."

The Guardian, No. 166.

The Spectator, No. 574.

Idem, No. 379. [This number contains Budgell'sLegend of the Sepulchre of Rosicrucius.]

The Rosicrucian: a Novel. 3 vols. 8vo.

Zanoni. By Sir E. L. Bulwer.

After the slumber of a century, with new objects and regulations,Rosicrucianism(so to speak) was revived in the country of its birth.

A very curious volume was published fifty years ago, entitledProofs of a Conspiracy against all the Religions and Governments of Europe, carried on in the secret meetings of Freemasons, Illuminati, and Reading Societies, by John Robinson, A.M., &c., 8vo., London, 1798. This volume is chiefly occupied by a history of the origin, proceedings, and objects of theIlluminati, a sect which had rendered important services to revolutionary interests, and laid the foundations of European propagandism. Much curious matter relative to this sect will also be found in George Sand'sComtesse de Rudolstadt, vol. ii.; upon, or just before, its extinction, a new political association was formed at Baden and Carlsruhe, under the auspices of Baron van Edelsheim, police minister of the Elector, under the title ofDie Rosenkrietzer. This society was called into existence by a reactionary dread of that republicanism in politics, and atheism in morals, which seemed at that time to prey upon the vitals of European society. The society soon spread, and had its affiliations in various parts of Germany, giving such uneasiness to Buonaparte, to the accomplishment of whose projects it exercised an adverse influence, that he despatched a secret messenger for the purpose of obtaining information as to its projects and developments. He did everything in his power to destroy the association, which, however, survived, until his murder of Palm, the bookseller, for publishing theGeist der Zeit, seeming to call for a new and modified association, led to its extinction, and the creation of a new secret society, the celebratedTungen-Bund, in its place.

It will be seen that in the foregoing I have confined myself to that part of your correspondent's Query which relates to "the Brethren of the Rosy-Cross." I have not ventured to allude to the Alchymists, or the writings of Paracelsus, his predecessors and followers, which form a library, and demand a catalogue for their mere enumeration. IfMr. E. S. Taylor, however, is desirous of farther information, and will favour me with his address, I shall be happy to assist his researches in Hermetic philosophy to the extent of my ability.

William Bates.

Birmingham.

The Society of Rosicrucians, or Rosecroix (whom Collier calls a sect of mountebanks), first started into existence in Germany in the seventeenth century. They laid claim to the possession of divers secrets, among which the philosopher's stone was the least. They never dared to appear publicly, and styled themselvesThe Invisible.

In 1622 they put forth the following advertisement:

"We, deputed by our College, the principal of the brethren of the Rosicrucians, to make our visible and invisible abode in this city, through the grace of the Most High; towards whom are turned the hearts of the just: we teach without books or notes, and speak the languages of the countries wherever we are, to draw men like ourselves from the error of death."

The Illuminati of Spain were a branch of this sect. In 1615 one John Bringeret printed a work in Germany containing two treatises, entitledThe Manifesto and Confession of Faith of the Fraternity of the Rosicrucians in Germany.

H. C. K.

—— Rectory, Hereford.

(Vol. vi., p. 554. Vol. vii., p. 633.)

My note-book contains a considerable number of inscriptions on bells; some extracted from books, but others transcribed from the bells themselves. I send you a few of the most remarkable inscriptions, with one or two notes on the subject.

Chesterton, Cambridgeshire:

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