Part 2
While there was any expectation of your Lordship's speedy return to England, I forbore to congratulate you on your late promotion. For though none of your friends could more truly rejoice at this news than I did, both on your own account, and that of the public; yet in the number of compliments which I was sensible you must receive on that occasion, I close rather to be silent for fear of being troublesome. But as I find it is now uncertain, when your affairs may permit of your return hither, I could not omit this opportunity by your good Lady to express my hearty congratulation upon the due regard shown by the Government to your just merit; and shall think it an honour to be continued in your esteem as _ultimus amicorum_.
I doubt not but your Lordship has seen Mr. Horsley's _Britannia Romana_ advertised in some of our public Papers; but I know not whether you have heard that the author died soon after he had finished the work, before its publication. When it was hoped that the credit of this book might have been of some service to him and his large family, he was suddenly and unexpectedly taken off by an Apoplexy. Such is the uncertainty of all human affairs. That your Lordship may be long preserved in your high station for the good of the Protestant Religion, and the support of public liberty, are the sincere wishes of,
My Lord, Your Lordship's obed^t Serv^t. JOHN WARD.
Gresham College, April 24, 1732.
V.
_Mr. Michael Mattaire to the Earl of Oxford._
1736, Oct. 21. Orange Street.
My Lord,
After my most humble thanks for the continuation of Westminster Elections you was so kind as to give me, I must acquit myself of my promise; and therefore I herewith send your Lordship a copy transcrib'd exactly from the MS. given me by Dr. South himself of his verses upon Westminster School, with his name, and the year subscribed at bottom. They were indeed publish'd among his _Opera Posthuma Latina Anon._ 1717, by Curl, after his impudent way of dealing with dead authors' works; and sometimes also with those of the living.
Curl's printed copy differs from the MS. in these following places:
_Curl._ _MS._ Vers. 5. Multum. Latè 16. Et. dum. 21. ubi regnat. quòd regnet. 23. æmula. æmula, but over it ardua. 25. dirigit. digerit. 26. nitent. micant. 29. studiosæ. studiosa. 30. illa. ipsa. 33. lumen. Lucem.
Your Lordship by this may see how much this sawcy fellow has abused this learned man's fine copy of verses; and how justly he deserved the correction which was inflicted on him at that school.
By the tenth Distich it appears that the School (containing then _Tercentum juvenes_) was managed by three Masters onely: and, for aught we know, might flourish pretty well, though it had not twice that number.
Give me leave, my Lord, to subscribe myself with profound respect,
Your Honor's most oblig'd, most obedient, and most humble Serv^t. M. MAITTAIRE.
"IN INCLYTAM SCHOLAM REGIAM WESTMONASTERIENSEM.
Reginæ fundata manu, Regina scholarum; Quam Virgo extruxit, Musáq; Virgo colit. {29} Inconfusa Babel, linguis et mole superba; Celsior et famâ, quàm fut illa situ. Gentibus et linguis latè celebrata; tacere De quâ nulla potest, nec satìs ulla loqui. Opprobria exuperans, pariterq; encomia: Linguis Et tot laudari digna, quot ipsa doces. Hæbræus Græcusq; uno cernuntur in Anglo; Qui puer huc Anglus venerat exit Arabs. Tercentum hic florent juvenes: mihi mira videtur Tam numerosa simul, tam quoque docta cohors. Sic numero bonitas, numerus bonitate relucet; Ut stellas pariter lux numerusq; decet. Arte senes, annis pueros mirabitur hospes; Dum stupet, in pueris nil puerile videns. Consurgit, crescitq; puer, velut Hydra sub ictu; Florescitq; suis sæpe rigatus aquis. Stat regimen triplici fasces moderante magistro; Doctaq; Musarum regna Triumvir habet. Scilicet has inter sedes quòd regnet Apollo, Optimè Apollineus comprobat ille Tripos. ardua Sic super invidiam sese effert æmula; nullis Invida, sed cunctis invidiosa scholis. Indè in septenas se digerit ordine classes; Dispositæ, septem, quæ velut Astræ, micant. Discit et Authores propria inter moenia natos; Et generosa libros, quos legit, ipsa parit. Instar Araneolæ Studiosa has exhibet artes; Quas de visceribus texuit ipsa suis. Literulas docet hic idem Præceptor et Author, Idem discipulis Bibliotheca suis. Accipit hìc lucem, non ultrà cæcus, Homerus: Huc venit à Scythicis Naso reversus agris. Utraq; divitijs nostris Academia crescit; Hæc Schola ad implendas sufficit una duas. Sic Fons exiguus binos excurrit in Amnes: Parnassi geminus sic quoque surgit Apex. Huic collata igitur, quantùm ipsa Academia præstat: Dic, precor; Hæc doctos accipit, Illa facit. ROB. SOUTH. Ann. Dom. 1652, aut 1653."
[MS. Harl. 7025, fols. 184, 185.]
VI.
_The Earl of Orrery to Mr., afterwards Dr., Thomas Birch._
[Addit. MS., Brit. Mus., 4303, Art. 147. Orig.]
Caledon, Sept. 21, 1748.
Dear Sir,
It either is, or seems to be, a long time since I heard from you. Perhaps you are writing the very same sentence to me; but as the loss is on my side, you must give me leave to complain.
This summer has passed away in great idleness and feasting: so that I have scarce looked into a book of any sort. Mrs. Pilkington and Con. Philips, however, have not escaped me. I was obliged to read them to adapt myself to the conversation of my neighbours, who have talked upon no other topic, notwithstanding the more glorious subjects of Peace, and Lord Anson's voyage. The truth is, we are better acquainted with the stile of Con. and Pilky, than with the hard names and distant places that are mentioned in the Voyage round the World.
I have not peeped into the Anti-Lucretius: it is arrived at Caledon, and reserved for the longest evenings. Carte's voluminous History is weighing down one of my shelves. He likewise is postponed to bad weather, or a fit of the gout. Last week brought us the first Number of Con's second volume. She goes on triumphantly, and is very entertaining. Her sister Pilkington is not so fortunate. She has squandered away the money she gained by her first volume, and cannot print her second. But from you, I hope to hear of books of another sort. A thin quarto named _Louthiana_ is most delicately printed, and the cuts admirably engraved: and yet we think the County of Louth the most devoid of Antiquities of any County in Ireland. The County of Corke is, I believe, in the press; and I am told it will be well executed. I have seen the County of Waterford, and approve of it very much. These kind of Books are owing to an Historical Society formed at Dublin, and of great use to this kingdom, which is improving in all Arts and Sciences very fast: tho' I own to you, the cheapness of French Claret is not likely to add much at present to the encrease of literature. If all true Hibernians could bring themselves to be of your opinion and Pindar's, the glorious memory of King William might keep the head cool, and still warm the heart; but, alas, it sets both on fire: and till these violent fits of bacchanalian loyalty are banished from our great tables, I doubt few of us shall ever rise higher in our reading than the Memoirs of that kind I first mentioned.
I am, Dear Sir, and so is all my family, truly
Yours, ORRERY.
To the Rev. Mr. Thomas Birch, at his House in Norfolk Street, London. Free (Boyle).
* * * * *
NEWSPAPER FOLK LORE.
The following paragraph is now going the round of the newspapers without reference to the source of information. I copy it from the _Morning Chronicle_ of Friday, December 9.
"_Escape of a Snake from a Man's Mouth._--An extraordinary circumstance occurred a few days ago to Jonathan Smith, gunner's mate, who was paid off at Portsmouth on the 6th of May last, from her Majesty's ship Hastings, 72 guns, on her return to England from the East Indies. He obtained six weeks' leave. On the expiration of that time, after seeing his friends at Chatham, he joined the Excellent, gunnery-ship at Portsmouth. After some time he was taken unwell, {30} his illness increased, and he exhibited a swelling in his stomach and limbs. The surgeon considering that it arose from dropsy, he was removed into Haslar Hospital, and after much painful suffering, although he had every attention paid to him by the medical officers of the establishment, he died. Two hours before his death a living snake, nine inches in length, came out of his mouth, causing considerable surprise. How the reptile got into his stomach is a mystery. It is supposed that the deceased must have swallowed the reptile when it was young, drinking water when the Hastings was out in India, as the ship laid for some time at Trincomalee, and close to a small island called Snake Island. The crew used very often to find snakes on board. The way they used to get into the ship was by the cable, and through the hawsers into the forecastle. The deceased was forty years of age. He was interred in Kingston churchyard. His remains were followed to the grave by the ship's company of the Excellent."
The proverbial wisdom of the serpent is here clearly exemplified. It has long been well known among sailors that rats have the sense to change their quarters when a vessel becomes cranky; whence I believe arises the epithet "rat," which is sometimes scurrilously applied to a politic man who removes to the opposition benches when he perceives symptoms of dissolution in the ministry. The snake, in the simple narrative above quoted, was evidently guided by some such prudential motive when he quitted the stomach of the dying sailor, which could not continue for any great length of time to afford protection and support to the cunning reptile.
I have an amiable friend who habitually swallows with avidity the tales of sea-serpents which are periodically imported into this country on American bottoms, and I have sufficient credulity myself to receive, without strict examination into evidence, the account of the swarming of the snakes up the cables into a ship; but I cannot so readily believe that "considerable surprise" was caused in the mind of any rational biped by the fact that a living snake, which had attained to the length of nine inches, took the very natural precaution to come out of a dying man's mouth.
How the reptile got into his stomach is a mystery which the newspaper writer has attempted to clear up, but he has not attempted to explain how the reptile managed to live during many months in so unusual a habitation as a man's stomach.
Some obliging correspondent of "N. & Q." will perhaps have the kindness to explain this remarkable fact in natural history.
A LONDONER.
* * * * *
KING JAMES'S IRISH ARMY LIST OF 1689-90.
In last September I undertook a literary project, which I think could be greatly aided through the medium of "N. & Q.," as there are few families in the empire that are not connected with its details, and who might therefore be expected to feel interested in them. The project I allude to is a publication of King James's Irish Army List of 1689-90. King I must call him in reference to that list. Those that appear upon it were many his creedmen, and all his devoted adherents. The list, of which I have a copy in MS., extends over thirty-four pages octavo. The first two are filled with the names of all the colonels; the four ensuing are rolls of the regiments of horse; the four next, of the dragoons; and the remaining twenty-four record the foot: each regiment being arranged, with the colonel, lieutenant-colonel, and major at head, and the captains, lieutenants, cornets or ensigns, and quarter-masters, in columns, on each respectively. To every regiment I proposed to append notices, historic and genealogical, to the extent of, perhaps, eight hundred pages or more, for the compilation of which I have ample materials in my own MS. collections. These notices I propose to furnish under him of the name who ranks highest on the list; and all the scattered officers of that name will be collected in that one article.
After an especial and full notice of such officer, to when the family article is attached, his parentage, individual achievements, descendants, &c., each illustration will briefly glance at the genealogy of that family, with, if an Irish sept, its ancient localities; if an English or Scotch, the county from whence it branched, and the period when it settled here.
I would next identify each family, so illustrated, with its attainders and forfeitures in 1641;
With the great Assembly of Confederate Catholics at Kilkenny in 1646;
With the persons denounced by name in Cromwell's ordinance of 1652, "for _settling_ Ireland;"
With the declaration of royal gratitude to the Irish exiles who served King Charles II. "in parts beyond the seas," as contained in the _Act of Explanation_ of 1665;
With (if space allowable) those advanced by James II. to civil offices, as sheriffs, &c., or members of his new corporations;
With those who represented Irish counties or boroughs in the Parliament of Dublin in 1689;
With the several outlawries and confiscations of 1691, &c.;
With else claims that were subsequently (in 1703) preferred as charges on these forfeitures, and how far allowed or dismissed;
And, lastly, as far as attainable, their achievements in the glorious engagements of the Spanish and French Brigades: {31}
All statements throughout being _verified by authorities_.
Already have I compiled and arranged the materials for illustrating the eight regiments of horse upon this roll, viz. Tyrconnel's, Galmoy's, Sarsfield's, Abercorn's, Luttrell's, Sutherland's, Parker's, and Purcell's; a portion of the work in which, according to my plan, the illustrations will be appropriated to the families of--
Aylmer. Barnewall. Butler. Callaghan. Cusack. De Courcy. Dempsey. Everard. Gernon. Hamilton. Kearney. Lawless. Lutrell. Matthews. McDonnell McNamara. Meara. Morris. Nagle. O'Sullivan. O'Kelly. Plunket. Prendergast. Purcel. Redmond. Rice. Roche. Sarsfield. Sheldon. Synnott. Talbot. &c. &c.
And this section (about 100 pages) is open to inspection on appointment.
The above is but a tithe of the surnames whose genealogical illustrations I propose to furnish. The succeeding portions of the work, comprising six regiments of Dragoons, and upwards of fifty of Foot, will offer for notice, besides numerous septs of the O's and Mac's, the Anglo-Irish names of--
Barry. Bellew. Bermingham. Burke. Cheevers. Cruise. D'Alton. Daly. D'Arcy. Dillon. Dowdall. Eustace. Fagan. FitzGerald. FitzMaurice. FitzPatrick. Fleming. Grace. Keatinge. Lacy. Nangle. Netterville. Nugent. Power. Preston. Russell. Savage. Segrave. Taaffe. Trant. Tyrrel. Wogan. _Cum multis aliis._
My inquiry touching Lord Dover, who heads the List, has heretofore elicited much curious information; and I confide that all who can afford literary assistance to the undertaking, by letters, inspection of documents, or otherwise, will promptly communicate on the subject.
JOHN D'ALTON.
48. Summer Hill, Dublin.
* * * * *
Minor Notes.
_Authors and Publishers._--As "N. & Q." is, I believe, much read by booksellers as well as authors, would not both parties find great advantage by the latter advertising in your pages the completion and wished-for publication of any work on which they may have been engaged? Publishers, in this way, might hear of works which they would be glad to bring before the public, and authors be spared much unnecessary and often useless trouble and correspondence. Authors, I know, may feel some delicacy in coming before the world in this manner _before_ publication, although after that rubicon is passed, their names and productions are blazoned on the winds; but as a previous announcement in "N. & Q." may be made _anonymously_, as respects the name of the writer, although not of course as regards the nature of his work, there seems no just reason why honorable and beneficial arrangements may not be made in this way as well as by any other. To me this plan seems to offer some advantages, and I throw out the hint for the consideration of all whom it may concern.[2]
ALPHA.
[Footnote 2: [Any assistance which we can afford in carrying out this suggestion, which we may remark comes from one who has had practical experience on the subject, we shall be most happy to render.--ED.]]
_Inscriptions on old Pulpits._--"N. & Q." has given many kinds of inscriptions, from those on Fonts and Door-heads down to those on Watch-papers; perhaps, therefore, it may not be without its use or interest to make a beginning for a list of inscriptions on old pulpits. The first inscription I quote is from Richard Baxter's pulpit, of which I have given a full description in Vol. v., p. 363.:
1. Kidderminster. Baxter's pulpit (now preserved in the vestry of the Unitarian Chapel). On the panels of the pulpit:
"ALICE . DAWKX . WIDOW . GAVE . THIS."
On the front of the preacher's desk:
"PRAISE . THE . LORD."
Round the sounding-board:
"O . GIVE . THANKS . UNTO . THE . LORD . AND . CALL UPON . HIS . NAME . DECLARE . HIS . WORSHIP AMONG . THE . PEOPLE."
At the back of the pulpit:
"ANNO . 1621."
2. Suckley, Worcestershire; round the sounding-board (apparently of very old date):
"BLESSED . ARE . THEY . THAT . HEAR . THE . WORDE . OF GOD . AND . KEEPE . IT."
3. Broadwas, Worcestershire; on the panels:
"WILLIAM . NOXON . AND . ROGER . PRINCE . C . W . 1632."
Round the sounding-board, the same text as at Suckley.
CUTHBERT BEDE, B.A.
_Recent Curiosities of Literature._--Thackeray, in the second number of _The Newcomes_, describes an old lady's death as being caused from her head having been _cut_ with a bed-room _candle_. N. P. Willis, in his _Health Trip to the Tropics_, speaks {32} of being waited on by a Carib, who had "no beard except a long moustache." Professor Spalding, of St. Andrew's in his _History of English Literature_, says that the sonnets of Wordsworth "have _perfection_ hardly to be _surpassed_." And J. Stanyan Bigg (the "new poet"), in the December number of Hogg's _Instructor_, exclaims:
"The winter storms come rushing round the wall, Like him who at Jerusalem shriek'd out 'Wo!'"
CUTHBERT BEDE, B.A.
_Assuming Names._--Last Term, in the Court of Exchequer, application was made by counsel to add a surname to the name of an attorney on the roll; he having been left property with a wish expressed that he should take the surname in addition to his own, which he had done, but not by royal license. The court granted the application. (_Law Times_, vol. xxii. p. 123.)
ANON.
_False Dates in Water-marks of Papers._--Lately, in cutting up some paper for photographic purposes, I found in one and the same quire two sheets without any mark, two of the date 1851, nine bearing the date 1853, and the remaining eleven were 1854. I can imagine a case might occur in which the authenticity of a document might be much questioned were it dated 1853, when the paper would be presumed not to have been made until a year afterwards. I think this is worth making a note of not only by lawyers, but those interested in historical documents.
H. W. D.
Jan. 2, 1854.
* * * * *
Queries.
CAPTAIN FARRE.
I send you a Note and a Query respecting the same person. Many years since, I passed a few days in one of the wildest spots in the south of England--Hawkley, in the neighbourhood of Selbourne. On a visit to the church of Emshott or Empshot, I heard that the screen had been presented by a Captain Farre, whose memory was in some way connected with the days of the republic; and on farther inquiry tradition, it appeared, had come to the conclusion that Farre had been one of the regicides who had retired into the neighbourhood, and lived and died there in a sort of concealment. I found out, also, the house in which he had lived: a pretty modest cottage, in which a small farmer resided. I was struck, on approaching it, by the beauty of the brick-work of the little porch, which appeared to have been an addition to the original building. On entering the cottage, I found that the kitchen and bed-room only were occupied by the family; the _one room_, which _had been_ the sitting-room, being used as a granary. The ceiling of this room was ponderous, with a deep rich sunken panelling. The little porch-entrance and the ceiling of this room were so out of character with the cottage, and indeed with all around, that I caused search to be made in the Registers of the parish to see if I could find some trace of this Captain Farre; and I now send you the result. There was no regicide of that name; but Col. Phaer was one of those to whom the warrant for the execution of Charles was addressed: and he certainly was not one of the twenty-nine subsequently tried for the high treason as it was called. What became of him I know not. Whether he reappeared here as Capt. Farre, or who Capt. Farre was, I shall leave to the speculation of the better informed. There were many Farrs and Phaers _out_ in the great Revolution, and the name is sometimes spelt one way, sometimes the other. Empshot, under Nore Hill or Noah Hill, was certainly an excellent place for concealment. The neighbourhood was, and is, as White said, "famous for its oaks, and infamous for its roads."
_Extracts from the Parish Registers._
"_Captaine Farre of Nore_, when our church was repaired, gave the new silke cushion and pullpit cloath, which was first used on Christmas Day, Anno Domini 1664."
"1683, Feb. 5. Anne Baker, kinswoman of _Capt. Farre_, was buried, and that very day the moone was new, and the snow thawed; and the frost broke, which had lasted from Nov. 26, 1683, to that day, which is 10 weeks. The ponds were frozen 2 feet, and that little water which was, was not sweet; the very grave wherein she was buried in the church was froze almost 2 feet over, and our cattel were in a bad case, and we fared worse: and, just in our extremity, God had pitty on us, and sent a gracious raine and thaw. She was buried in linnen; and paid 50s. to the poore, and 6s. 8d. for being buried in the church."
"1685, April 1. Mrs. Farre was buried in linnen, and p^d 50s. to the poore."
"1694. John, son of Mr. John Palmer and Elizabeth his wife, was born Tuesday, May the 1st, and baptized at home May the 11th; y^e _Captaine_ died Thursday last, y^e day before."
"An Account of the Briefe for the Relief of the French Protestants, read May 16th, at Newton, 1686.
_At Noare in Newton._
_Capt. Mr. Robert Farre_ gave 1 lib. for himself, and his kinswoman Mrs. Elizabeth Farre.
His man Roger 1s. His maid Anna 6d."
"Gathered towards the relief of the French Protestants, May 11, 1688;
_Captain Far_ and Mrs. Elizabeth Far, 5s."
C. F.
{33}
* * * * *
MARRIAGE CEREMONY IN THE FOURTEENTH CENTURY.