Miscellaneous.

"Dare we dream of that, I asked,Which wrought us, as the workman and his workThat practice betters"—

"Dare we dream of that, I asked,

Which wrought us, as the workman and his work

That practice betters"—

simply mean, "Dare we dream of" the God who made us as of a finite creature, who requires "practice" ere His work can be perfect, and whose skill shall be progressive? In short, "dare we" think of Him as such an one as ourselves?

SELEUCUS.

Information on this subject will be found in Hawkins'sHistory of Music, vol. i. p. 398.et seq.; Burney'sHistory of Music, vol. ii. p. 131. Busby'sDictionary of Music; John Gregory'sWorks("Discourse declaring what Time the Nicene Creed began to be Sung in the Church"), and in Staveley'sHistory of Churches in England.

T. J.

"AN EXPOSTULATION."When late I attempted your pity to move,Why seem'd you so deaf to my prayers?Perhaps it was right to dissemble your love,But—Why did you kick me down stairs?"FromAn Asylum for Fugitive Pieces, in Prose and Verse, not in any other Collection, vol. i. p. 15. London: Debrett, 1785.

"AN EXPOSTULATION.

"When late I attempted your pity to move,Why seem'd you so deaf to my prayers?Perhaps it was right to dissemble your love,But—Why did you kick me down stairs?"

"When late I attempted your pity to move,

Why seem'd you so deaf to my prayers?

Perhaps it was right to dissemble your love,

But—Why did you kick me down stairs?"

FromAn Asylum for Fugitive Pieces, in Prose and Verse, not in any other Collection, vol. i. p. 15. London: Debrett, 1785.

The above has been inquired for: of the author I know nothing.

S. H.

St. Johns Wood.

—It is very difficult to strike out the verse in Homer's Odyssey (Υ, 302.). To suppose that in him the word is derived from Sardinia, is exceedingly improbable, if not, as Payne Knight says, quite absurd because, not only is Sardinia not mentioned in Homer, but his geography, even where half-fabulous, and with other names than the modern ones, does not extend so far west. Payne Knight says the word is derived fromσαρδαίνω, but where such a word is found I cannot learn. There isσαρδάζωin Suidas, "to laugh bitterly," but unluckily the very same words are given as the interpretation ofσαρκάζω, andσαρκάζωis a perfectly established word.Sarcasm, sarcastic, are derived from it; and its own derivation fromσάρξ"flesh," seems certain. This makes it highly probable that the first word in Suidas is a mistake for the other. All Greek writers borrowed so much from Homer that the occurrence of the word in them, where obviouslymeaning Sardinian, seems to prove nothing but that they thought it had that meaning in him.

C. B.

—The question is asked, "Has the name of the lady of Lausanne, who wrote the epitaph on Voltaire,

'Ci gît l'enfant gâté du monde qu'il gâta,'

been ascertained?" It has; and the lady was Madame la Baronne de Montolieu, who wrote a great variety of novels, of which by far the best, and indeed one of the most interesting in the French language, is herCaroline de Lichtfield, first published at Lausanne in 1786, two volumes 8vo. Her family name was de Bottens (Pauline-Isabelle), born at Lausanne in 1751, and there died in December, 1832. Her first husband was Benjamin de Crouzas, son to one of Montesquieu's adversaries, after whose death she married the Baron de Montolieu. It was Gibbon's most intimate friend and literarycollaborateur, Deyverdun, who published, and indeed corrected, her then anonymousCaroline de Lichtfield.

Voltaire's friend and mistress, the learned Madame du Châtelet, had prepared an inscription for his portrait, which may be considered an anticipated epitaph:

"Post-genitis Hic canis erit, nunc canis amicis;"

but one of a very different tenor was written by J. J. Rousseau, we are told by Lord Brougham:

"Plus bel esprit que grand génie,Sans loi, sans mœurs, et sans vertu;Il est mort comme il a vécu,Couvert de gloire et d'infamie."

"Plus bel esprit que grand génie,

Sans loi, sans mœurs, et sans vertu;

Il est mort comme il a vécu,

Couvert de gloire et d'infamie."

J. R.

—The inquiry, "Where is Voltaire situated?" was answered in a late number, and reference made to theEssays of an Octogenarian, a privately-printed work, and therefore not generally accessible; but the subject will be equally found elucidated in theGentleman's Magazinefor July, 1846, p. 25. No such place ever existed, as there made clear; for it is the simple anagram of his patronymic, Arouet l j (le jeune), framed by himself though by Condorcet and other biographers, ignorant of the fact, supposed to be a landed property. Voltaire loved not his paternal name, as will be there found, and gladly changed it. The article embraces various particulars of Voltaire's life, in refutation of Lord Brougham's errors; some of them strange enough, and not inconsiderable in number, so as to excite surprise in so accomplished a person.

J. R.

—SeeQuarterly Review, No. xxix. vol. xv. p. 187., where Southey quotesHakewill's Apologyas authority for an epitaph in Dunstable Church to a woman who had, at three several times, three children at a birth; and five at a birth two other times.

A. C.

"May 1.—I was looking out of the parlour window this morning, and receiving the honours which Margery, the milkmaid to our lane, was doing me, by dancing before my doorwith the plate of half her customers on her head."—Tatlerfor May 2, 1710.

R. J. R.

"Heu quanto minus est cum aliis versari quam tui meminisse,"

is the end of an inscription at the Leasowes "to Miss Dolman, a beautiful and amiable relation of Mr. Shenstone's, who died of the small-pox, about twenty-one years of age," in the following words. On one side:

"Peramabili suæ consobrinæM.D."

"Peramabili suæ consobrinæ

M.D."

On the other side:

"Ah Mariapuellarum elegantissimaAh flore venustatis abreptaVale!Heu quanto minus est," &c.Shenstone'sWorks, 1764, vol. ii. p. 356.

"Ah Mariapuellarum elegantissimaAh flore venustatis abreptaVale!Heu quanto minus est," &c.

"Ah Maria

puellarum elegantissima

Ah flore venustatis abrepta

Vale!

Heu quanto minus est," &c.

Shenstone'sWorks, 1764, vol. ii. p. 356.

C. B.

This quotation is Shenstone's "Epitaph on his Sister."

J. O. B., however, has given it incorrectly: it should be—

"Heu quanto minus est cum reliquis versari quam tui meminisse."

Moore has done something towards giving the force of this strikingly concentrated sentence, thus:—

"Tho' many a gifted mind we meet,Tho' fairest forms we see,To live with them is far less sweet,Than to remember thee."

"Tho' many a gifted mind we meet,

Tho' fairest forms we see,

To live with them is far less sweet,

Than to remember thee."

H. E. H.

—I think there can be little doubt that the "Robert Passellew" of Waltham Abbey, and "John Paslew," the last abbot of Whalley, belong to the same family. A reference to Burke'sGeneral Armoryproves the armorial bearings to be the same, and also that the family was connected with the county of Durham. The following extract from theHistorical, Antiquarian, and Picturesque Account of Kirkstall Abbey(Longmans, 1827), will show that a century later the Paslews had obtained a footing in Yorkshire, and had become benefactors of Kirkstall:

"Robert Passelowe, with King Richard II.'s licence, gave one toft, five acres of land, and an annual rent of 2s.6d.in Bramley, with the reversion of nine messuages, seven oxgangs, and six acres and a half of land,after the decease of the tenants, ..., all which premises were valued at £4 2s.6d.per annum."—P. 208.

T. T. W.

Burnley, Lancashire.

—"A E I O U." Do not these letters stand for "αει ου"—non semper? alluding to the resurrection from the tomb.

J. H. L.

May not the five vowels at the end of the Latin epitaph of Lady Petre's monument mean,

"A Eternæ Ianua Obitus Uitæ?"

F. A.

Hampstead.

—Touching this subject I can state that I am well acquainted with an admirable portrait of the poet, bearing date 1593, in which he is represented as a man of not more than middle age; so that, whether he died in 1596 or 1598, he may be said to have died prematurely—immaturâ morte obiisse, as the monument testifies.

VARRO.

—The priest of the Greek church, in blessing with the hand, anciently held it with the thumb crossing the third finger, the first finger being held straight, the second and fourth curved, so as to represent altogether the Greek letters I C X C, the first and last letters of "Jesus Christ." The same letters are impressed on the bread used in their eucharist, the bread being marked with the Greek cross, similar to our cross-buns, with the letters I C and X C in the upper angles of the cross, and the letters N and K in the two lower angles. The N K is the abbreviation ofνίκᾳ, and the whole phrase is "Jesus Christ conquers." This church derived the expression from the standard (labarum) of Constantine,ἐν τούτῳ νίκᾳ=in hoc signo vinces. In Goar's notes on the Greek rituals, especially that of Chrysostom's, much information may be obtained on the symbolisms of Christianity.

T. J. BUCKTON.

Lichfield.

—This oratorio doubtless received its name from the specialoccasionwhen it was composed, viz. the suppression of the rebellion in 1745. It was published by Tonson in Feb. 1746, at the price of 1s., together with various poems, &c. relating to the same important event. The Oratorio is divided into three parts: with the exception of the overture, four of the airs, and two of the choruses, it contains little that can be popular at the present day.

J. H. M.

—Francis Moore was not a real personage, but a pseudonyme adopted by the author, Mr. Henry Andrews, who was born at Frieston, near Grantham, Lincolnshire, February 4, 1744, and died at Royston, Herts, January 26, 1820. Andrews was astronomical calculator to the Board of Longitude, and for years corresponded with Maskelyne and other eminent men. A portrait of Andrews is extant; one is in my possession: they are now extremely scarce.

As to the date of the almanack's first appearance I can afford no information; but it can be obtained of Mr. W. H. Andrews, only son of the astronomer, who still resides at Royston, and is in possession of his MSS., consisting of astronomical and astrological calculations, notes of various phenomena, materials for a history of Royston, memoir of his own life, his correspondence, &c.

FRANCIS.

—This saying occurs in Browne'sBritannia's Pastorals:

"'Tis supper time with all, and we had needMake haste away, unless we mean to speedWith those that kiss the hare's foot. Rheums are bred,Some say, by going supperless to bed,And those I love not; therefore cease my rhymeAnd put my pipes up till another time."Brit. Past., Book 2., Song. 2.

"'Tis supper time with all, and we had need

Make haste away, unless we mean to speed

With those that kiss the hare's foot. Rheums are bred,

Some say, by going supperless to bed,

And those I love not; therefore cease my rhyme

And put my pipes up till another time."

Brit. Past., Book 2., Song. 2.

This quotation may not be of much service as a clue to the discovery of theoriginof the saying; but it may be interesting to MR. BREENas a proof that the saying itself must be considerably more than two hundred years old, the second part of thePastoralshaving been first published in 1616.

C. FORBES.

Temple.

"BOMERIE, S. F. [terme de mer, prêt à la grosse aventure] bottomry or bottomree."—Boyer'sFr. and Engl. Dict., ed. London, 1767.

The leading idea in the termBomerie, and its English equivalent, when applied to borrowing money "on a ship's keel," is the hazarding all on a single venture: hence it is not difficult to see its application to other transactions, especially those connected with sea; such as wholesale purchases of fish, in which a large risk is run, with an uncertain prospect of return.

The meaning of the word, if it be really the same, when adopted by confectioners, would probably be assignable either to the shape of the pans, or the use to which they were applied.

I know not whether this is to be classed among the "unsatisfactory" derivations already submitted to your correspondent, but should be glad to hear his opinion on its soundness.

E. A. D.

—Had O. O. consulted the "Life of Sheridan" which precedes Bohn's Collection of theDramatic Works of Sheridan(which, having the volume in his hand,he ought to have done), he would have seen that it is expressly mentioned (p. 51.) that Sheridan, having become part proprietor of Drury Lane Theatre—

"His first commencement as a manager was not of that brilliant kind to give any promise of great improvement in the conduct of the theatre.An alterationof Vanbrugh's play theRelapsewas the first production, under the name of aTrip to Scarborough. It was brought out on February 24, 1777. This was an unfortunate commencement: neither the public nor the actors were satisfied."

Further, it is printed at the end of Sheridan'sDramatic Works, followed byPizarro, printed in smaller type, so as to make them appear like an appendix; and hence it could hardly be expected that any one would think of attributing theTrip to Scarborough, altered from Vanbrugh'sRelapse, to Sheridan, any more than it could be considered as intended to call him the author ofPizarro, because he altered Kotzebue'sSpaniards in Peru, and adapted it to, and had it represented on, the stage.

A HERMIT ATHAMPSTEAD.

—This line of Plautus is followed by parallel quotations from other writers. To these I may add the French version:

"Heureux celui qui pour devenir sage,Du mal d'autrui fait son apprentisage."

"Heureux celui qui pour devenir sage,

Du mal d'autrui fait son apprentisage."

J. R.

—Fuller, in hisWorthies of England, edit. London, 1662, "Staffordshire," p. 41., uses this expression, writing, of Cardinal Pole. It is as follows:

"Yet afterwards he (Pole) became 'Alterius Orbis Papa,' when made Archbishop of Canterbury by Queen Mary."

J. N. B.

West Bromwich, June 28. 1851.

—In Fynes Moryson'sItinerary, "printed by John Beale, 1617, part iii. booke i. chap. ii. p. 21.," is the following passage:

"In hot regions, to auoide the beames of the sunne, in some places (as in Italy) they carry Vmbrels, or things like a little canopy, over their heads; but a learned Physician told me, that the use of them was dangerous, because they gather the heate into a pyramidall point, and thence cast it down perpendicularly upon the head, except they know how to carry them for auoyding that danger."

C. DED.

—Quitard, a French writer on Proverbs, says,—

"On a regardé le cœur comme le siége de la Mémoire. De là les motsrecorder,se recorder,récordance,récordation, en Latinrecordari,recordatio; de là aussi l'expressionapprendre par cœur. Rivarol dit que cette expression, si ordinaire et si énergique, vient du plaisir que nous prenons à ce qui nous touche et nous flatte. La mémoire, en effet, est toujours aux ordres du cœur."

J. M.

Oxford.

—I beg to refer your correspondent M. D. to Cicero'sDe Claris Oratoribus, which is the nearest parallel passage I can find: viz.

"Erat omnius tum mos, ut in reliquis rebus melior, sic in hoc ipso humanior: ut faciles essent insuum cuique tribuendo."

In a note, an allusion to Justice is made: but my Cicero is a very old edition, and is divided into four tomes. The above is from tome i. p. 305, letter F.

The only other parallel passage is from Liber II., "Ad Herennium," thus:

"Justitiaest habitus animi, communi utilitate conservata,suam cuique tribuensdignitatem."

J. N. C.

King's Lynn, June 28. 1851.

—I must take leave to doubt the fact, mentioned in Vol. iii., p. 490., of the introduction of frogs into Ireland first in the year 1696. They are much too plentiful in the country districts, leaving out their abundance in the county Dublin, to warrant any such supposition. In the Queen's County, particularly, I have seen them in myriads. With regard to those gentlemen who are pleased to import snakes into Ireland, I can only wish them some worthier occupation.

There are two birds, the occurrence of which about Dublin I do not find noticed by naturalists. One is the common skylark, the other is the Royston crow, which, strange to say, is not a migratory visitor, but is found there the whole year round.

Concerning Round Towers, mentioned at pages 353. and 428., I beg to refer W. R. M. to the works of Wilkinson, Mr. and Mrs. S. C. Hall, and Moore'sHistory of Ireland, in addition to Petrie, Keating, &c. When in Galway, in January, 1850, I noticed some remarkable instances of resemblance to Spaniards amongst the peasant women and girls. It was, however, by no means general; but only observable here and there, in a few particular instances. Between Galway and Oughterard I passed a girl walking barefooted along the dirty road, whose features were strikingly beautiful, set off with long raven tresses and largedarkeyes, signs apparently of her Spanish origin. The town of Galway is full of interesting memorials of its connexion with Spain, and well repays a visit. Its ancient prosperity will now be probably revivedagain, and, with its singularly advantageous position, and its future intercourse with America, it cannot fail to rise once more from its ruins and its dirt, unless prevented by the prevalence of political agitation.

WILLIAME. C. NOURSE.

—J. S. will find these linesin print, in the "Poetry" of theAnnual Registerfor 1764, vol. vii. p. 247. They are said to have been stuck on the Temple gate.

J. K.

—A more correct description will be found in Lysons'Cornwall: see "Town Seal of Falmouth."

S. H. (2)

—In Poulson'sBeverlac; or History of the Antiquities of Beverley in Yorkshire, pp. 263, 264. et seq., is an account of the expenses of the "Twelve Governors of Beverley on a visit to the Earl of Northumberland at Leconfield Castle." Among the presents made to the Earl (Henry Algernon Percy, fifth earl, born Jan. 1477-8, died 1527) for so distinguished an honour are four heronsewes, heronseu, hornsue, orhernshaw, for it is written in all these ways. Was a young heron formerly esteemed a choice delicacy? Chaucer, describing the feast of Cambisscan, says:

"I wol not tellen of hir strange sewes,Ne hir swannes, ne hir heronsewes."

"I wol not tellen of hir strange sewes,

Ne hir swannes, ne hir heronsewes."

But even the full-grown bird was not too powerful for the digestive organs in those days: it was termedviand royal, and heronries were maintained for the purpose of food, as well as diversion. In the Northumberland Household Book, these birds, with many others, are named as then served up at table, but which are now discarded as little better than carrion.

Fromhernshaw, still further corrupted, arose the proverbial expression introduced by Shakspeare intoHamlet,—

"I am but mad north-north-west, when the wind is southerly, I know a hawk from ahand-saw."

G. P.

—Do the following passages from the "Version of the Psalms" in theBook of Common Prayerthrow any light upon the subject?

"And the foundations of theroundworld were discovered."—Ps. xviii. 15.

"Thecompassof the world, and they that dwell therein."—Ps. xxiv. 1.

"Thou hast laid the foundation of theroundworld, and all that therein is."—Ps. lxxxix. 12.

"He hath made theroundworld so sure."—Ps. xciii. 2.

"And that it is he who hath made theroundworld so fast that it cannot be moved."—Ps. xcvi. 10.

"Theroundworld, and they that dwell therein."—Ps. xcviii. 8.

R. H.

—Cokeis by lawyers generally pronounced like the article which feeds our steam-engines; but the late Earl of Leicester was generally, in Norfolk and elsewhere, calledCook. The presumption is, thatCookwas the ancient sound given to the wordCoke.Cowperis a similar instance: I believe it has always been calledCooper. In an old electioneering squib by the late Lord John Townshend,Cowperis made to rhyme toTrooper. The passage alludes to an old county scandal, and I do not therefore quote it.

J. H. L.

There can be no doubt (as it seems to me) that the poet's nameoughtto be pronounced according to the spelling. I am enabled to state decidedly that he himself pronounced his nameCowper, andnot Cooper. I venture to think that the same might also be said with respect to Lord Coke's name;i. e.that the pronunciation Cook is only a "modern affectation."

R. VINCENT.

—All English chaplains on the Continent are licensed to their respective chaplaincies by the Bishop of London, and are within his ecclesiastical jurisdiction. Thismayhave given rise to the notion of which your correspondent speaks.

R. VINCENT.

—In reply to the question of your correspondent W. P., I beg to inform him that the custom originated from that period of our history when the Dutch admiral, Van Tromp, with his fleet appeared on our coasts in hostility against England. The broom was hoisted as indicative of his intention to sweep the ships of England from the sea. To repel this insolence the English admiral hoisted a horse-whip, equally indicative of his intention to chastise the Dutchman. The pennant which the horse-whip symbolised has ever since been the distinguishing mark of English ships of war.

JAMESCORNISH.

—Your correspondents N. and C. H. may find some interesting passages of Godwin's life in hisMemoirs of Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin: Johnson, St. Paul's Church Yard, 1798.

JAMESCORNISH.

—Bold may find some information which will assist him in a pedigree and account of this family, showing the descent of the manor of South and North Kyme in Lincolnshire, in Creasy'sHistory of Sleaford and the surrounding Neighbourhood, p. 274. The barony of Kyme appears to have passed into thefemale line by the death of William de Kyme without issue in 12 Edward III.

J. P. JUN.

"The belted plaid was the original dress. It is precisely that of a savage, who, finding a web of cloth he had not skill to frame into a garment, wrapt one end round his middle, and threw the rest about his shoulders.... And it is little to the honour of Highland ingenuity, that although the chiefs wore long pantaloons calledtrews, the commongaelnever fell upon any substitute for the belted plaid, till an English officer, for the benefit of the labourers who worked under his direction on the military roads, invented thefileah beg, philabeg, or little petticoat, detached from the plaid, and fastened by a buckle round the waist."

Although the above extract from theQuarterly Review, vol. i. p. 186., is not exactly a reply to the Query of A JUROR(Vol. iv., p. 7.), still it may be of some use to him.

I would like also to learn how much of the reviewer's story is founded upon fact, as I confess I am very much inclined to doubt the truth of itin toto.

A LOWLANDER.

—The story referred to by MR. CAMPKINdoes not appear to be so apocryphal as he supposes. Southey, who was an eye-witness of the illuminations, gives it as an indisputed fact. His words are:

"We entered the avenue immediately opposite to M. Otto's, and raising ourselves by the help of a garden wall, overlooked the crowd, and thus obtained a full and uninterrupted sight of what thousands and tens of thousands were vainly struggling to see. To describe it, splendid as it was, is impossible; the whole building presented a front of light. The inscription was 'Peace and Amity:' it had been 'Peace and Concord,' but a party of soldiers in the morning, whose honest patriotism did not regard trifling differences of orthography, insisted upon it that they were notconquered, and that no Frenchman should say so; and so the word Amity, which can hardly be regarded as English, was substituted in its stead."[2]

[2]Letters from England, by Don Manuel Alvarez Espriella, translated from the Spanish(3 vols. 12mo. London, 1807), vol. i. lett. 8. p. 93.

DOUGLASALLPORT.

—I can perhaps give D. X. some information respecting the ancient family of Basnet, being related to them through my mother.

From papers in our possession, we have always considered ourselves descended from Edward Basnet, the first married Dean of St. Patrick's; and I drew up a pedigree of the family, which is in Berry'sBerkshire. But theproofsonly go as far as Thomas Basnet, of Coventry, born in 1590. Lawrance Basset, otherwise Bassnet, of Bainton, in the fee of the hundred of Hatton, in the parish of Budworth, in the palatine of Chester, living in the 27th of Henry VIII., anno 1536, was descended of a younger house of Sir Philip Basset, knight, &c. of St. Hillane, in the county of Glamorgan. He had Piers Basnet, of Bainton aforesaid, lived in the time of Henry VIII., anno 1547, purchased land in Bainton of Edward Starkie, of Simondston in Lancashire, married Ann, dau. of Robert Eaton, of Over Whitley, first wife, by whom he had two sons, Thomas and Henry. The second wife was dau. of —— Stretch, of Leigh, had one son Robert, of the city of Chester.

The second son of Lawrance Basset, or Bassnet, was Hugh, of Leigh, living temp. Henry VIII., anno 1543.

The third son was Thomas, temp. Henry VIII., 1539, whose son (we suppose) was Edward Basnet, Dean of St. Patrick's whose grandson was an ensign in General Monk's own regiment, the Coldstream Guards, 1660. He left the regiment in 1665.

In the Egerton Papers, Camden Soc., vol. xii., is this account:

"Amongst those appointed for the Privy Council for the better government of Ireland, in the year July 1550, was Edward Basnet, clerk, late Dean of St. Patrick's, Dublin."

The arms of the present family are Argent, a cheveron gules, between three helmets, close ppr. Crest: an arm, embowed, in armour, holding a cutlas, all proper.

By applying to Charles Basnett, Esq., No. 3. Brock Street, Bath, D. X. may have a full account of this family.

JULIAR. BOCKETT.

Southcote Lodge, July 17. 1851.

As we last week called attention to theThree Treatises by John Wickliffejust published by Dr. Todd of Dublin, we may very properly record the sale by Messrs. Puttick and Simpson on Tuesday the 8th of this month of a MS. volume containing twelve treatises (which are all said to be unpublished) written by John Wickliffe and Richard Hampole. The volume, a small 8vo., was of the fourteenth century, with a few leaves supplied by a hand of the sixteenth, and contained "A Tretis on the Ten Heestis (i.e.Commandments), A Prologue of the Paternoster, 'Here suen dyverse chapitris excitynge men to hevenli desijr,' the Councell of Christ, Off vertuous pacience, Wickliffe's Chartre of Hevene, The Hors or Armour off Hevene, the Name off Jhesu, The Love of Jhesu, Off verri Mekenes, Off the Effect off Mannes Will, Of Actif Liif and Contemplatif Lyf, The Mirrour of Chastitee." It was purchased by Bumstead of Holborn for 11l.The next lot in the same sale was the original manuscript Diary, extending from October, 1675, to September, 1684, of Annesley Earl of Anglesey, Lord Privy Seal in the reign of Charles II., which was purchased by Boone, it is believed oncommission for the British Museum, for the sum of 12l.10s.

TheAthenæumof Saturday last publishes some inquiries from Mr. Payne Collier connected with the manuscript play by Anthony Mundy, which forms the subject of SIR F. MADDEN'S interesting, communication in our present number. Mr. Collier is about to edit the drama in question for the Shakspeare Society; and the object of his paper, which well deserves the attention of our readers, is to obtain information respecting two wizards or magicians who figure in it, the one named John a Kent, and the other John a Cumber, who must formerly have been popular heroes, and been recorded in ballads and chapbooks which have now entirely disappeared. We call attention to these inquiries with the view of giving additional publicity to them, and in the hope of procuring from Mr. Collier some Notes respecting these old world heroes, of one of whom, John a Kent, some particulars are to be found, we believe, in Coxe'sMonmouthshire.

The obituary of the past week contains the name of one of the most distinguished historical writers of the present day, the Rev. Dr. Lingard. An able and zealous champion of the Church of which he was so eminent a member, his tolerant spirit and independent principles show that of Dr. Lingard may be said, what was applied with admirable propriety to his co-religionist, the late learned librarian at Stowe, by Sir James Macintosh, that he was

"True to his faith, but not the slave of Rome."

The sale of M. Donnadieu's valuable collection of Autographs will commence on Tuesday next, and occupy five days. The Catalogue, which has been prepared by Messrs. Puttick and Simpson with their usual care, is itself a very interesting document. Our limits will not of course admit of our specifying a tithe of the curious and valuable articles which are now to be brought to the hammer: but as specimens of the richness of the collection, we will point out a few which are of importance, as illustrative of English history. Lot 165, for instance, isCharles I.'s Marriage Contract with the Infanta of Spain, a document of the highest value, but which has not, we believe, as yet been printed either accurately or entirely. Lot 184 is a most interesting letter fromCharles II. to his Sister the Duchess of Orleans, written from Canterbury the day after he landed at Dover; while Lot 661 is a most patheticLetter from the Duke of Monmouth to the Earl of Rochester, entreating his intercession with James, and written five days before his execution. Lot 254 isThe Original Warrant to the Lord Mayor of London, directing him to proclaim Oliver Cromwell Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland, Ireland, and the Dominions thereto belonging; and Lot 500, aWarrant of the Privy Council of Lady Jane Gray, is a document of the highest importance, as proving (what has been doubted) that the Council of Lady Jane Grey did actually perform official acts as a Council. These of course are among the gems of the collection; but in the whole thousand lots there is not one but is of interest.

CATALOGUES RECEIVED.—J. Sage's (4. Newman's Row, Lincoln's Inn Fields) Miscellaneous List for July, 1851, of Valuable and Interesting Books; T. Kerslake's (3. Park Street, Bristol) Catalogue of Books lately bought.

***Letters, stating particulars and lowest price,carriage free, to be sent to MR. BELL, Publisher of "NOTES ANDQUERIES," 186. Fleet Street.

LADYFLORAHASTINGS'BEQUEST.The communications we have received reiterating Miss Barber's claim to the authorship of this Poem shall appear in our next number.

JARLTZBERG.Will this correspondent say how we may address a communication to him?

The necessity of making up our Paper earlier than usual in consequence of issuing aDOUBLENUMBERhas compelled us to omit two or three Queries, to which, at the special request of the writers, we should otherwise have given immediate insertion. They shall appear next week.

A. G. W.will find the proverbial saying:

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