Part 3

Consulting Chernoch's _Lives of the Admirals_, I find mention of Admiral Sir Thomas Hopson, a native of Bonchurch; who ran away from his parents, and did not return to his home till he was an admiral. This Sir Thos. Hopson was made second lieutenant in 1672, the year of the action in Solbay, in which the Earl of Sandwich perished. He rose to the rank of Vice-Admiral of the Red; and in the action of Vigo, in 1702, he distinguished himself, and was knighted in consequence. He received a pension of 500l. a year, and retired from the service in this year. He died in 1717. After he quitted the navy, he became Member of Parliament for Newtown, in the Isle of Wight.

It is evident that this Hopson is the _Hobson_ of Tomkins; and that Tomkins spoke of the French by mistake for the _Dutch_ enemy. But I cannot discover what authority he had for his account of the manner in which young Hobson first distinguished himself.

G. CURREY.

Charterhouse.

_"Three cats sat," &c._--Can any of your correspondents give me the end of a ballad, beginning thus, which a very old lady in her ninetieth year is most anxious to know?--

"Three cats sat by the fire-side, With a basket full of coal dust, Coal dust, coal dust, With a basket full of coal dust."

JULIA R. BOCKETT.

Southcote Lodge.

_Herbert's "Church Porch."_--Will any of your readers help me to the sense of the following stanza from George Herbert's _Church Porch_, verse 48:

"If thou be single, all thy good and ground Submit to love; but yet not more than all. Give one estate, as one life. None is bound To work for two, who brought himself to thrall. God made me one man; love makes me no more Till labour come, and make my weakness score."

The lines of which I want the meaning are the last three.

S. SINGLETON.

Greenwich.

_Ancient Tenure of Lands._--I should feel obliged to any of your readers who would inform me as to the ancient tenure by which estates were held in this country. For instance, a manor, including within its limits several hamlets, is held by A, who grants by subinfeudation one of the said hamlets to B; B dies, leaving a son and successor, who continues in possession of the hamlet, and grants leases, &c., and thus for several generations. My question is, did A, in granting to B, relinquish all interest in the hamlet, or how much did he still retain, since in after years the hamlet is found to have reverted to him, and no allusion is afterwards made to the subinfeudatory lords who possessed it for some generations? It is presumed that in early times lords of a manor were owners of the _lands_ of the manor of which they were lords; at present an empty title is all that remains. When did the practice of alienating lands by a piecemeal partition and sale commence? and did a subinfeudatory lord possess the power of alienation? In fact, what is the origin of the numerous small freeholds into which our ancient manors are broken up?

J. B.

_Dramatic Works._--_Dramatic and Poetical Works_, very rare, privately printed, 1840. Information relative to this work will oblige

JOHN MARTIN.

Woburn Abbey.

_Devreux Bowly._--An old and excellent hall clock in this city bears the name of Devreux Bowly, of Lombard Street, London, as the maker. Can any of the readers of "N. & Q." (either horologists or others) say when he lived?

UNEDA.

Philadelphia.

_"Corruptio optimi," &c._--What is the origin or earliest use of the saying, "Corruptio optimi est, al. fit, pessima," in its present form? I state it in this way, because I am aware of its having been referred to Aristotle's remarks on the different forms of government. The old Latin translation however, does not contain the expression, and I have not traced it farther back than to writers of the seventeenth century,--to Jeremy Taylor, for instance.

E. M.

Hastings.

_Lamenther._--Who was the writer of the _Life of Lamenther, written by herself_, published by subscription in 1771? Is it a genuine narrative; and if so, where can I find a key to the initials?

C. CLIFTON BARRY.

_Sheriff of Somersetshire in 1765._--Will any of your correspondents resident in, or acquainted with the county of Somerset, oblige me by stating the date of death of James Perry, Esq., the Sheriff of that county in 1756; and also his place of residence, and the names of his children, if any; and where any of their descendants now reside?

H.

_Edward Brerewood._--Is there any authenticated portrait extant of this learned mathematician? He was the first Gresham Professor of Astronomy at the University of Oxford, and the {174} author of several important philosophical works; one of which, on the _Diversity of Language_, has been more than once reprinted. Possibly at Oxford, his _alma mater_, a portrait of him may be in existence; and I dare say some resident member of that University will kindly endeavour to ascertain the fact.

T. HUGHES.

Chester.

_Elizabeth Seymour._--I have lately met with a pedigree in which it is stated that Sir Joseph Tredenham (I presume of Cornwall or Devonshire) married Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Edward Seymour, first baronet of the present Duke of Somerset's line, by his wife Elizabeth Champernown; but another pedigree gives this Elizabeth to George Cary of Cockington, co. Devon, Esq. Which is correct? Or did the said Elizabeth marry twice? and, in that case, which was the first husband?

PATONCE.

_Longfellow._--Could you inform me whether the name "Longfellow" may still be traced in any parts of England? It is the belief of that distinguished American poet that his name still exists in some of the south-western counties; and it would be an additional gratification to him that his hopes were confirmed by testimony.

OXONIENSIS.

_Fresick and Freswick._--In the map of the kingdom of Scotland, occurring in the _Theatre of the Empire of Great Britaine_, by John Speed, 1614, pp. 131-2., on the north-east point of Scotland a place is noted as _Fresick_ East, in the present maps _Freswick_. Is _Fresick_ a contracted form of _Freswick_? and if so, has it some reference to a settlement of the Frisians (anciently Fresians) on this coast? The village Freswick, on the borders of the Lek, and another Freswick in the neighbourhood of Deventus, both in the Netherlands, near the Frisians, are supposed to owe their names to a settlement or refuge of those first parents of the Anglo-Saxons.

D. H.

_Has Execution by Hanging been survived?_--I have heard vague and indiscriminate tales of persons who, as criminals, have undergone infliction of the punishment of hanging without total extinction of life; but I have always been disposed to look upon such accounts as mere fables, till lately, in turning over some newspapers of the year 1740, I found a case mentioned, under such circumstances that, if it were untrue, its refutation might have been easily accomplished. By _The Craftsman_ of Saturday, Sept 27, 1740, it appears one William Dewell had been concerned in the violation, robbery, and murder of a young woman in a barn at Acton (which place has so recently been the scene of another horrible crime). _The Craftsman_ of Saturday, Nov. 29, 1740, states that Dewell, having undergone execution, and being brought to Surgeons Hall to be anatomised, _symptoms of life appeared, and he quite recovered_.[5] This strikes me as a most unaccountable story; but perhaps similar ones may have been met with in the reading of some of your correspondents.

[Sigma].

[Footnote 5: [Matt of the Mint in the _Beggar's Opera_ says, "My poor brother Tom had an accident this time twelve-month; and so clever a made fellow he was, that I could not save him from those flaying rascals the surgeons; and now, poor man, he is among the 'otamies at Surgeons' Hall." The executed culprit noticed by our correspondent, however, seems to have been _re-animated_ at Surgeons' Hall.--ED.]]

_Maps of Dublin._--In Gough's _Topographical Antiquities of Great Britain and Ireland_, p. 689., it is stated that there is a map of the city and suburbs of Dublin, by Charles Brookin, 1728, and a map of the Bay and Harbour of Dublin, with a small plan of the city, 1728. I have Brookin's map of the city, 1728, but I have never seen or heard of any person who had seen the map of the Bay and Harbour of 1728. Possibly some of your correspondents could give information on the subject, and also state whether there be any map of the city, either manuscript or printed, between Speed's map of 1610 and Brookin's of 1728, and where?

C. H.

Dublin.

"_The Lounger's Common-place Book._"--Who was the editor of this work? Any information as to its literary history, and especially as to that of the revised edition of it, will be very acceptable to

W. H. S.

_Mount Mill, and the Fortifications of London._--In a topographical account of Middlesex, published in the middle of the last century, I find the following:

"_Mount Mill_, at the end of Goswell Street, was one of the forts erected by the Parliament for the defence of London."

Will any of your correspondents be kind enough to inform me what the exact site was; at what period it was demolished; what were the names and sites of any _other_ forts erected by the Parliament at the time for the purposes of defence; and, lastly, in what work any record of them may be found?

B. R. A. Y.

"_Forms of Public Meetings._"--Can any of your readers inform me of the name of the publisher of _Forms and Proceedings of Public Meetings_ referred to in _The Times_ of Sept. 16 or 17 last, and supposed to have been written by the Speaker of the House of Commons?

Z. Y.

{175}

* * * * *

Minor Queries with Answers.

_Queen Elizabeth and the Ring._--Has the common story, respecting the Earl of Essex sending a ring to Queen Elizabeth by the Countess of Nottingham, in order to procure his pardon, any foundation in fact?

T. T. W.

[Miss Strickland seems to have examined the traditionary notices of this love-token. She says: "The romantic story of the ring which, it is said, the queen had given to Essex in a moment of fondness as a pledge of her affection, with an intimation 'that, if he forfeited her favour, if he sent it back to her, the sight of it would ensure her forgiveness,' must not be lightly rejected. It is not only related by Osborne, who is considered a fair authority for other things, and quoted by historians of all parties, but it is a family tradition of the Careys, who were the persons most likely to be in the secret, as they were the relations and friends of all the parties concerned, and enjoyed the confidence of Queen Elizabeth. The following is the version given by Lady Elizabeth Spelman, a descendant of that House, to the editor of her great-uncle Robert Carey's _Memoirs_: 'When Essex lay under sentence of death, he determined to try the virtue of the ring, by sending it to the queen, and claiming the benefit of her promise; but knowing he was surrounded by the creatures of those who were bent on taking his life, he was fearful of trusting it to any of his attendants. At length, looking out of his window, he saw early one morning a boy whose countenance pleased him, and him he induced by a bribe to carry the ring, which he threw down to him from above, to the Lady Scrope his cousin, who had taken so friendly interest in his fate. The boy, by mistake, carried it to the Countess of Nottingham, the cruel sister of the fair and gentle Scrope, and, as both these ladies were of the royal bedchamber, the mistake might easily occur. The countess carried the ring to her husband the Lord Admiral, who was the deadly foe of Essex, and told him the message, but he bade her suppress both.' The queen, unconscious of the accident, waited in the painful suspense of an angry lover for the expected token to arrive; but not receiving it, she concluded he was too proud to make this last appeal to her tenderness, and, after having once revoked the warrant, she ordered the execution to proceed. It was not till the axe had absolutely fallen, the the world could believe that Elizabeth would take the life of Essex."--_Lives of the Queens of England_, vol. iv. p. 747.]

_Lives of English Bishops: Bishop Burnet._--I should be glad to know who is the author of _The Lives of the English Bishops, from the Restauration to the Revolution_; Fit to be opposed to the Aspersions of some late Writers of Secret History: London, printed for C. Rivington, at the Bible and Crown in St. Paul's Churchyard, MDCCXXXI? The name of "Nath. Salmon, LL.B. CCCC," is written on the title-page; but it does not appear whether this is intended to indicate the author, or merely a former possessor of the copy now lying before me. From this work, in which Burnet, Kennett, and others are very severely criticised, I send a curious extract relating to Burnet:

"He puts me in mind of a petty canon of Exeter, to whom he used military force upon refusal to alter the prayers at his command until he should receive the proper instructions. He brought a file of musqueteers upon him, and crammed his amendments down his throat. This man, in a journey to London, visited the musical part of the Church of Salisbury, and was as usual asked to sing an anthem at evening service. He was a lover of humour, and singing the 137th Psalm, threw out his right hand towards the bishop's stall, and with great emphasis pronounced the words, 'If I forget thee--if I forget thee,' repeating it so often that the whole congregation inquired after the meaning of it. It was from that time ordered that no strange songster should come up more."--P. 229.

E. H. A.

[This work was written by Nathaniel Salmon, who was deprived of his curacy for being a Nonjuror. He afterwards settled as a physician at Bishop-Stortford in Hertfordshire, where he died in 1742. See a notice of him, and his other works, in Bowyer's _Anecdotes_, p. 638.]

_Eden Pedigree and Arms._--I find in Gough Nicholl's _Topographer and Genealogist_, vol. i. p. 173., mention of a monument in All Saints' Church, Sudbury, to one of the Eden family; and a pedigree painted on the east wall of Eden, much defaced, with numerous arms, date 1615. Would any of your correspondents kindly give me particulars of this monument, pedigree, and arms?

ELFFIN AP GWYDDNO.

[The monument was commenced by the second Sir Thomas Eden in 1615, and contained, some years since, an inscription upon brass, a limbed picture, and upon the wall, beneath the canopy, a pedigree of the marriages of the family with those of Waldegrave, Peyton, Steward, Workington, Harrys, and St. Clere. The whole having fallen into ruin, it became necessary in 1851 to remove it. The brass being gone, the following inscription upon the verge of the canopy alone was visible: "This tombe was finished at y^e coste of Sir Thomas Eden, Knight, Maie 16, 1617." A large mural monument to the memory of several of the Eden family is about to be erected by its side. See the Rev. Charles Badham's _History and Antiquities of All Saints' Church, Sudbury_, pp. 44-46. and 162., London, 1852; who says that the pedigree upon the wall has been preserved, but does not state where it may be seen: it will, however, be found among the Harleian MSS. in the British Museum.]

_The Gentleman's Calling._--Can any one tell me who was the author of this book? It was printed in London for T. Garthwait, at the little north doore of St. Pauls, 1660.

JOHN SCRIBE.

[This work is attributed to the uncertain author of _The Whole Duty of Man_, and is included among the collected works of that writer in the folio edition of {176} 1729. Compare "N. & Q.," Vol. vi., p. 537., with Vol. viii., p. 564.]

_Obs and Sols._--Burton, in his _Anatomy of Melancholy_ ("Democritus to the Reader"), 6th edition, has the following passage:

"Bale, Erasmus, Hospinian, Vives, Kemnisius, explode, as a vast ocean of _obs_ and _sols_, school divinity."

What is the meaning of the terms _obs_ and _sols_?

HENRY H. BREEN.

St. Lucia.

[This is a quaint abbreviation of the words _objectiones et solutiones_, being frequently so contracted in the margins of books of controversial divinity to mark the transitions from the one to the other. Hence Butler (_Hudibras_, III. ii. 1237.) has coined the name of _ob_ and _sollers_ for scholastic disputants:

"But first, o' th' first: the Isle of Wight Will rise up, if you should deny't; Where Henderson, and the other masses, Were sent to cap texts and put cases: To pass for deep and learned scholars, Although but paltry _ob_ and _sollers_: As if th' unseasonable fools, Had been a coursing in the schools."]

_Fystens or Fifteenths._--Can you inform me what is the meaning of the word "fystens." In looking over an old corporation chamber book some years ago I found the following entries, of which I made extracts:

"1587. Paid to Mr. Mayor for fystenes, iiij. [_sic_]. 1589. Paid Mr. Dyston for the fystens, xxxs. More for the fystens, xxvjs. 1592. Paid for the fystenes, xixs. iijd. More for the fystenes, xxxi_s_, vijd. _q._ 1594. Paid to make up the fystenes, xxxijs. iijd. 1595. Paid for the fistenies, xxxs."

In a recent publication this last entry is extracted thus:

"1595. Paid for the fifteenths, 30s."

PATONCE.

[This was the tribute or imposition of money called _fifteenths_, formerly laid upon cities, boroughs, &c., so called because it amounted to a fifteenth part of that which each city or town was valued at, or a fifteenth of every man's personal estate, according to a reasonable valuation. In 1588, on occasion of the Spanish invasion, the Parliament gave Queen Elizabeth two subsidies and four fifteenths.]

* * * * *

Replies.

HARDMAN'S ACCOUNT OF WATERLOO.

(Vol. viii., p. 199.)

The book for which G. D. inquires is, _A Descriptive Poem of the Battle of Waterloo, and Two previous Days_, dedicated to the Earl of Carlisle, by Captain Hardman, London, 1827, 8vo., pp. 28. It appears from the dedication that he was adjutant to the 10th Royal Hussars, of which the Hon. F. Howard was major. He says:

"We breakfasted together in the hovel on the 18th, in the morning, as stated in the poem; and during that dreadful bloody day, he and I were frequently discoursing about our situation; the good position occupied by us; the humane feeling of our brave Duke for choosing that situation to save men's lives; and once during the day our regiment was completely sheltered; all the balls from the enemy flying over our heads, except one that dropped about six yards from the major and me. We were at that time dismounted about twenty minutes, to rest the horses. I took the ball up; we looked at it, and had a good hearty laugh over it."

Here is the description referred to:

"At three in the morning I went to Major Howard,--

'This morning, Major, is enough to make us all cowards; Such a night of heavy rain I never before saw, It has fell hard on my shoulders and made them raw; But still I am hearty, can I do anything for you? For on the face of this province I never will rue.'

'No, thank you, Hardman, not now, come by-and-by; I have lain in this place till my neck's all awry. My servant is getting a light, then a letter I write; But I am so excessively cold I cannot one indite. He shall then make a fire, and set water over, Come in an hour and live with me in clover; We will have some coffee and some fat fowl too, Then we can face the French well at Waterloo!'

'Thank you, Major, I will do myself the honour, That will be better than being sat on by the coroner." P. 12.

The prose description of the charge is clear and vivid:

"When we advanced to decide the destiny of the day, our right squadron was in front, led on by the brave Major-General Sir. H. Vivian, commanding our brigade; Lord Robert Manners commanding our regiment; Major Howard commanding the right squadron; and I, the adjutant, in front with those officers. Just as we began to advance, I said, 'Major, what a grand sight we have before us!' 'Yes, it is,' said the major. These were the last words he spoke, for in half a minute afterwards we were right amongst them, slashing away; then there was no time to talk. We quickly made them turn their backs towards us; but there was one square of infantry that stood firm. That square made sad havoc among us. The major was killed by that square. He was not six yards from the muzzles of the French firelocks when he was shot. He fell off his horse, and, I believe, never moved a finger; but I had not a moment's time to stop, for we had not then cleared the field. This, my lord, is a true account of the last moments of your lordship's late son, and one of the best friends I ever had."--P. iv.

"We then drove their cavalry past a solid square mass; This mass stood firm against us, like solid brass. {177} This is the place where Hon. Major F. Howard was killed, That grieved my mind sorely and my poor heart thrilled."--P. 19.

Then follow some reflections which I abstain from quoting, as the way in which they are expressed would produce an effect quite contrary to the author's intentions. The burial is thus described:

"I ordered the party to mount their horses, And proceed to carry off and bury all our losses. The party assemble here, now instantly move forward: Serjeant, take care where you bury Major Howard. Take two objects in view, or three if you can, Then you will be sure to find him again! He lies in the hollow, not far from the French guns. Bury him by their side, but not where water runs." P. 21.

The criticism of the note quoted by G. D. is sound: "Hardman was no poet, but he could describe graphically what he saw and did." The poem seems to have been the result of a sudden thought. In the dedication he says it was not begun till May 18, and "A Letter to the Right Hon. George Canning," appended to it, is dated June 4. In the letter he says, that if he "can get into the printing-house again without loss," he will answer Mr. Canning effectually on the Catholic question. He also hopes "to get before the public every week," and "to show that all gentlemen professing the law are the most abused, and at the same time more honest than any other class in this kingdom." Had the last-mentioned hope been fulfilled, I think I should have heard of it. I have not met with any other work bearing Captain Hardman's name; and probably his printer's bill (he was his own publisher) put an end to his literary career.

I subjoin two specimens of the poem which, though not relating to the subject of G. D.'s Query, may be interesting if you have room for them, as such poetry is not published every day. An exhortation to good conduct ends thus:

'Therefore let us prepare, the call may be very soon; Then we shall not despair, if the call be made before noon: But if our sins weigh us down, what misery and woe! Ah! devils all slily squinting, and to them we must go. Their eyes are flames of fire, their tongues are frightful darts, Their looks a venomous ire, ready to pierce our feeble hearts, Their cloven feet of enmity, their taily stings so long, Their poisonous hearts of calomel, daily forming vicious songs."--P. 12.

The other describes his own narrow escape, and the death of an artilleryman: