Part 1
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[Transcriber's note: Original spelling varieties have not been standardized. Characters with macrons have been marked in brackets with an equal sign, as [=e] for a letter e with a macron on top; a breve (u-shaped symbol) on top of a letter o is marked by [)o]. Underscores have been used to indicate _italic_ fonts. A list of volumes and pages in "Notes and Queries" has been added at the end.]
NOTES AND QUERIES:
A MEDIUM OF INTER-COMMUNICATION
FOR
LITERARY MEN, ARTISTS, ANTIQUARIES, GENEALOGISTS, ETC.
"When found, make a note of."--CAPTAIN CUTTLE.
VOL. IV.--No. 98. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 13. 1851.
Price Threepence. Stamped Edition 4_d._
CONTENTS.
Page
NOTES:--
Madrigals in praise of Queen Elizabeth, by Dr. E. F. Rimbault 185
MS. Notes in a Copy of Liber Sententiarum 188
Classification of Literary Difficulties 188
Minor Notes:--Meaning of "Ruell"--Curious Facts in Natural History 189
QUERIES:--
Papal Bulls, &c. 189
Sir Walter Raleigh in Virginia, by Henry H. Breen 190
Minor Queries:--Wife of St. Patrick--Meaning of Mop--William Lovel of Tarent Rawson--Cagots--Execution under singular Circumstances--Rhynsault and Sapphira--Mallet's Second Wife--Proverb, what constitutes one?--Presant Family--The Serpent represented with a human Head--Dr. Wotton--[Greek: Kolobodaktylos]--Essex's Expedition to Ireland--Decretorum Doctor--Grimsdyke or Grimesditch--Passage in Luther--Linteamina and Surplices 190
MINOR QUERIES ANSWERED:--Ellrake or Hellrake--Francis Clerke--Nine Days' Wonder--Streso--The Willow Garland--Name of Nun--"M. Lominus, Theologus" 192
REPLIES:--
Remarks upon some recent Queries, by H. Walter 193
Domingo Lomelyne, by W. D'Oyly Bayley 194
Petty Cury 194
The Dauphin 195
Replies to Minor Queries:--Visiting Cards--Sardonic Smiles--Darby and Joan--Marriage of Bishops--Winifreda --George Chalmers--The Three Estates of the Realm--"You Friend drink to me Friend"--Broad Halfpenny Down--Horner Family--The Man of Law--Riddle--Speculative Difficulties --St. Paul--Commissioners on Officers of Justice in England--Noble and Workhouse Names--Poulster--Judges styled Reverend--The Ring Finger 195
MISCELLANEOUS:--
Notes on Books, Sales, Catalogues, &c. 199
Books and Odd Volumes wanted 199
Notices to Correspondents 199
Advertisements 200
Notes.
MADRIGALS IN PRAISE OF QUEEN ELIZABETH.
At the close of the reign of Queen Elizabeth, a musical work of an extraordinary character issued from the press of that industrious printer Thomas Este, the history of which it will be my endeavour to elucidate in the present communication. The title-page runs as follows:--
"MADRIGALES. THE TRIUMPHES OF ORIANA, to 5 and 6 voices: composed by divers severall aucthors. Newly published by Thomas Morley, Batcheler of Musick, and one of the gentlemen of hir Majesties honorable Chappell, 1601. In London, Printed by Thomas Este, the assigne of Thomas Morley. _Cum privilegio Regiæ Majestatis._"
The dedication is addressed--
"To the Right Honorable the Lord Charles Howard, Earle of Notingham, Baron of Effingham, Knight of the Noble order of the Garter, Lord High Admirall of England, Ireland, and Wales, &c., and one of her Majesties most honorable Privie Counsell."
As all that is known, with _certainty_, of the _origin_ of this work consists in the title-page and the dedication, I shall make no apology for quoting the latter at length:--
"Right Honorable,
"I have adventured to dedicate these few discordant tunes to be censured by the ingenious disposition of your Lordship's Honorable rare perfection, perswading my selfe, that these labours, composed by me and others (as in the survey hereof, your Lordship may well perceive), may not by any meanes passe, without the malignitie of some malitious _Momus_, whose malice (being as toothsome as the _adder's_ sting), couched in the progres of a wayfayring man's passage, might make him retire though almost at his journeyes end. Two speciall motives have imbouldened me (Right Honorable) in this my proceeding. First, for that I consider, that as the body cannot bee without the shadow, so _Homer_ (the Prince of Poets) may not be without a Zoilist: The second and last is (the most forcible motive), I know (not onely by report, but also by experiment) your Lordship to bee not onely _Philomusus_, a lover of the _Muses_, and of learning; but _Philomathes_, a personage always desirous (though in all Arts sufficiently skilfull) to come to a more high perfection or _Summum bonum_. I will not trouble your Lordship with to to [_sic_] tedious circumstances, onely I humbly intreat your Lordship (in the name of many) to patronage this work with no lesse acceptance, then I with a willing and kinde hart dedicate it. So shall I think the _initium_ of this worke not onely happely begun, but to bee _finited_ with a more happie period.
"Your Honour's devoted in all dutie,
"THOMAS MORELY."
_The Triumphs of Oriana_ consists of twenty-five madrigals, set by the most eminent musicians of the day, and edited (as the title-page and dedication show) by Thomas Morley, a most "rare and cunning musician," and moreover an especial favourite with the reigning queen, in whose honour the work is said to have been composed.
Sir John Hawkins, in his _History of Music_, vol. iii. p. 406., says the "occasion" of the publication of _The Triumphs of Oriana_ was this:
"The Lord High Admiral, Charles Howard, Earl of Nottingham, was the only person, who, in the last illness of Elizabeth, could prevail on her to go into and remain in her bed; and with a view to alleviate her concern for the execution of the Earl of Essex, he gave for a prize-subject to the poets and musicians of the time, the beauty and accomplishments of his royal mistress, and by a liberal reward, excited them severally to the composition of this work. This supposition is favoured by the circumstance of its being dedicated to the Earl, and the time of its publication, which was the very year that Essex was beheaded. There is some piece of secret history which we have yet to learn, that would enable us to account for giving the Queen this romantic name; probably she was fond of it. Camden relates that a Spanish ambassador had libelled her by the name of _Amadis Oriana_, and for his insolence was put under a guard."
Dr. Burney, in his sketch of the Life of Thomas Morley (_General History of Music_, vol. iii. p. 101.), speaking of this work, says,
"As Italy gave the ton to the rest of Europe, but particularly to England, in all the fine arts, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth, it seems as if the idea of employing all the best composers in the kingdom to set the songs in _The Triumphs of Oriana_ to music, in honour of our virgin queen, had been suggested to Morley and his patron, the Earl of Nottingham, by Padre Giovenale, afterwards Bishop of Saluzzo, who employed thirty-seven of the most renowned Italian composers to set _Canzonetti_ in honour of the Virgin Mary, published under the following title: _Tempio Armonico della Beatissima Virgine nostra Signora, fabbricatole per opera del Reverendo P. Giovenale, A. P. della Congregatione dell' Oratorio. Prima Parte, a tre voci, Stampata in Roma da Nicola Mutii_, 1599, in 4to."
That by _Oriana_ is meant Queen Elizabeth, there can be but little doubt. The appellation surely does not countenance the supposition that there "must be some secret piece of history" in the case. Queen Elizabeth, we all know, was a woman of inordinate vanity. Even at the age of three score and ten she delighted in the names of _Cynthia_, _Diana_, and such like; and _Oriana_, who was the heroine of the well-known romance _Amadis de Gaul_, and a lovely and virtuous woman to boot, could not fail to gratify her. How D'Espes, the Spanish ambassador, could libel her under the double title of _Amadis Oriana_, it is difficult to imagine; but so it was, according to Camden (anno 1569). "_Libellos famosos spargit, in quibus Reginæ existimationem contumeliosè atterit sub nomine Amadis Orianæ._"
The pretty sounding tale related by Sir John Hawkins, that the work in question was undertaken with a view to alleviate the grief of the queen for the death of the Earl of Essex, and that prizes were given by the Earl of Nottingham for the best composition for that purpose, is entirely without foundation. Sir John Hawkins gives no authority for his statement, and I believe it rests entirely upon conjecture.
_The Triumphs of Oriana_ (as we have seen) was printed at London in the year 1601. In the same year was published at Antwerp a collection of madrigals with the following title: _Il Trionfo di Dori, descritto da diversa, et posti in Musica, da altretranti Autori a Sei Voci, In Anversa, Appresso Pietro Phalesio_, 1601. From the date of these two collections, it appears almost impossible that either should have been an imitation of the other; and yet, by an extraordinary similarity in point of _style, number, variety of composers, and burthen of the poetry_, there can be but little doubt such was the case. The point will be therefore to ascertain if either of these works was printed previously to this date, 1601. I have no doubt that the _Orianas_ is the first and only edition of the work. On the other hand, there is good reason (from a variety of circumstances) to suppose that the copy of _Il Trionfo di Dori_ with this date will turn out to be the _second_ edition.
The poetry (if such it can be called) of the _Orianas_ is a paraphrase of _Il Trionfo di Dori_. The Italian burden or conclusion is always--
"Cantiam Ninfe e Pastori Viva la bella Dori."
And the English version:
"Then sang the shepherds and nymphs of Diana, Long live faire Oriana."
Mr. Oliphant, in his collection of poetry entitled _La Musa Madrigalesca_, is perhaps not far wrong when he says that the rhymes of the _Orianas_ would "disgrace the veriest tyro in Grub Street;" but, nevertheless, I have extracted a few specimens, premising that they are the best I could find among the "twenty-five":--
1. "Hence! stars, too dim of light; You dazle but the sight; You teach to grope by night; See here the shepherd's star, Excelling you so far. Then Phoebus wiped his eies, And Zephirus cleer'd the skies. In sweet accented cries, Then sang the shepherds and nymphs of Diana, Long live fair Oriana."
2. "All creatures now are merry-minded, The shepherds' daughters playing, The nimphes are fa-la-la-ing; Yond bugle was well-winded. At Oriana's presence each thing smileth, The flowres themselves discover, Birds over her do hover, Musick the time beguileth. See where she comes, with flow'ry garlands crowned; Queene of all Queenes renowned: Then sang the shepherds and nymphs of Diana, Long live faire Oriana."
3. "Thus _Bonny-bootes_ the birthday celebrated Of hir his Lady dearest; Fair Oriana, which to his hart was neerest. The nymphs and shepherds feasted With clowted creame, and to sing were requested. Loe! here the fair, created (Quoth he) the world's chiefe goddesse. Sing then, for she is _Bonny-bootes'_ sweet mistres. Then sang the shepherds and nymphs of Diana, Long live faire Oriana."
4. "Come blessed bird! and with thy sugred rellish, Help our declining quire not to embellish; For _Bonny-bootes_ that so aloft would fetch it, Oh! he is dead, and none of us can reach it! Then tune to us, sweet bird, thy shrill recorder, And I, Elpin and Dorus, For fault of better, will serve in the chorus. Begin; and we will follow thee in order. Then sang the wood-born minstrel of Diana, Long live faire Oriana."
Now a question arises, who was the _Bonny-boots_ mentioned in the two last-quoted madrigals?
Sir John Hawkins has the following hypothesis:
"Bonny-boots seems to be a nick-name for some famous singer, who, because of his excellent voice, or for some other reason, had the permission to call the queen his lady. Possibly the person meant might be one Mr. Hale, of whom mention is made by Sir William Segar, in his account of a solemn tilt, or exercise of arms, held in the year 1590 before Queen Elizabeth, in the Tiltyard at Westminster, with emblematical representations and music, in which the above-mentioned Mr. Hale performed a part, by singing a song, &c. Sir William Segar also says of this person, that he was her majesty's servant, a gentleman in that art excellent, and for his voice both commendable and admirable."--_Hist. of Music_, vol. iii. p. 406.
Some gallant, high in favour with the Lady Oriana (Queen Elizabeth), is evidently alluded to in these madrigals; but I cannot agree with Sir John Hawkins, that a public singer like Mr. Hale would be permitted "to call the queen his lady." The idea is too absurd for a moment's consideration. Another conjecture is, that the individual designated _Bonny-boots_ was the Earl of Essex; but I shall here quote two extracts from a curious and rare work published by Thomas Morley in 1597, and entitled "_Canzonets, or Little Short Aers to Five and Six Voices_: Printed by Peter Short," &c.:--
1. "Fly love, that art so sprightly, To _Bonny-boots_ uprightly; And when in Heav'n you meet him, Say that I kindly greet him; And that his Oriana, True widow maid still followeth Diana."
2. "Our _Bonny-boots_ could toot it, yea and foot it; Say lusty lads, who now shall bonny-boot it? Who but the jolly shepherd, bonny Dorus? He now must lead the Morris dance before us."
The conjecture that _Bonny-boots_ was the Earl of Essex at once falls to the ground; for he was not beheaded till 1601, and the title-page of Morley's _Canzonets_ bears date 1597.
That some conceit relative to the Lady Oriana existed long before the appearance of _The Triumphs_, is evident. Although the latter work was not published till the year 1601, yet in 1597 the idea had been acted upon by Nicholas Yonge in his _Second Book of Musica Transalpina_; for therein is the well-known madrigal by Giovanni Croce from _Il Trionfo di Dori_, adapted to the English words, "Hard by a crystal fountain," and ending with the burden, "Long live fair Oriana." Dr. Burney (_Hist. of Music_, vol. iii. p. 124.) says, that according to Hearne, a madrigal beginning with these words used annually to be sung by the fellows of the New College, Oxon, but he was unable to find it. Other madrigals in praise of Oriana may be found in Bateson's _First Set of Madrigales_, 1604; Pilkington's _First Set of Madrigales_, 1613; and in Vautor's _First Set of Songes_, 1619.
The publication of madrigals in praise of Queen Elizabeth, after her death, may be easily accounted for. They were (it is evident upon examination) originally composed with the others, but sent too late for insertion in the set; after which their respective composers had no opportunity of publishing them until the dates above given.
The conclusion then I arrive at is this, that _Il Trionfo di Dori_ was printed in Italy (most probably at Rome) between the years 1588 and 1597; that N. Yonge procured a copy of it from thence (as may be inferred from his Preface), and from it published Croce's madrigal. This copy was most probably seen by Thomas Morley, and gave him the idea of his _Triumphs of Oriana_. Morley was at this time an especial favourite with the queen, who had recently rewarded him with "a faire gold chaine." An offering then like the _Orianas_ could not fail of being acceptable to the vanity of Elizabeth, who, even at the age of sixty-eight, was extremely susceptible of flattery--especially when directed towards her person. It doubtless had the desired effect, and secured for Morley the patronage of the queen and the principal nobility. The publication of this work is thus easily explained without the intervention of any "secret piece of history."
EDWARD F. RIMBAULT.
MS. NOTES IN A COPY OF LIBER SENTENTIARUM.
As MS. notes in old books have been regarded as fit matter for this journal, I would contribute two or three from a copy of Peter Lombard's _Book of Sentences_, printed at Vienna in 1477. This has not only passed through divers hands before it came into mine, but several previous owners have left their names in it, and one of them very numerous marginal comments. Of these the earliest appears to have been Thomas Wallwell or T. Swallwell, a monk of Durham, who, from the handwriting, which is of the fifteenth century, I conclude was the marginal commentator. He has availed himself of the "Laus Deo" below the colophon to add "q' Ts. Wallwell monachus ecclesiæ cathedralis Dunelmensis." The words are abbreviated, but I have given them at length except the first, which, instead of being a _q_, with a comma, is a _q_ with an oblique line through it, that I thought might baffle the printer. The comments are very scholastic, and such as would then have been considered much to the purpose. It is possible some reader of this journal may be able to supply information respecting this erudite monk.
The next owner, judging by the handwriting, which seems little, if at all, later than 1500, has thus recorded his ownership on the blank side of the last leaf:
"Istius libri verus est possessor dominus Stephanus Merleye."
He was probably a priest, but I have discovered no annotations by him; though, as there is scarcely a page without writing on it, there may be some.
However, the note to which I would more particularly invite attention is at the top of the first page, and in the handwriting, I think, of the above-mentioned monk. It is in abbreviated Latin, but read in extenso it runs thus:
"Sententiæ Petri Lumbardi fratris Graciani qui decretum compilavit, et etiam Petri Comestoris, qui scholasticam historiam edidit et alia. Iste Petrus Lumbardus fecit istud opus, edidit glossas psalterii et Epistolarum et plura alia. Fuit etiam episcopus Parisiensis. Isti tres fratres uterini erant, et floruerunt anno salutis 1154, qui fuit annus ab origine mundi 6353."
Over the word Graciani is interlined "monachi" in the same hand. In this statement two things are remarkable:--1. The allegation that these three well-known writers of the twelfth century were uterine brothers. 2. The mundane era. The former is hardly reconcileable with the generally received account of them, but it is not altogether new. Cave, writing of Gratian, adverts to a story of their having been brothers in the following words:
"Non desunt plurimi qui Gratianum, Petri Lombardi, Petrique Comestoris germanum fuisse volunt, matremque tergeminos hos fratres ex furtivo concubitu conceptos uno partu edidisse, quod quidem nullo satis gravis autoris testimonio fulcitur."--_Scriptores Eccl._, vol. ii. p. 216.
I am not going to advocate this story, for it is most likely false; and the monk's statement may not be correct; but as it is less improbable, it may be worth recording. Peter Lombard died in 1164. Gratian completed the Decretum about 1151, and probably survived some years, but I have not met with the date of his death. Peter Comestor died in 1198. They may therefore have all been contemporaries, though the last must have lived to a good old age, unless he were considerably younger than the others.
With regard to the mundane era by which the writer computed, it will be found to differ materially, not only from that now in common use among ourselves, but also from all that are mentioned by Sir H. Nicolas in his _Chronology of History_; for it assumes the Nativity to have occurred in the year of the world 5199. This, however, agrees with what appears to have been recognised as the era of the creation by the western churches from about the beginning of the fifth century (see De Vaine's _Dictionnaire Raisonné de Diplomatique_, voce _Comput_), though from some cause it seems to have been almost overlooked by modern writers in this country.
I have not attempted to explain the "_[q=]_" before Ts. Wallwell. It may have meant "quoth," or "quæsit;" but I am not satisfied with anything that has occurred to me. It stands thus:
"_Laus Deo. [q=]_, T_s_Wallwell Mo'cs ec[=c]le cathedralis dune[=l]m."
"Ts." for Thomas is not usual, but those are clearly the letters: I have tried to read the "_s_" (which may have been meant for a capital) with the surname, but Swallwell is a stranger cognomen than that I have attributed to the monk. Some correspondent conversant with Durham may possibly recognise the name in one of its forms.
W. S. W.
Temple.
CLASSIFICATION OF LITERARY DIFFICULTIES.
Whatever may be the utility of your publication as a source of information to individuals, each on his own point of difficulty, there is a purpose, and one of its greatest ultimate purposes, which it must one day answer, though not immediately--I mean the furnishing of materials for general conclusions on the _difficulties of literature_. The queries which are sent to you are those which an author must put to himself in his closet; the manner in which others help him shows the manner in which he ought, if he could, to help himself. Occasionally, the querist betrays a want of power to reduce his own difficulty to its proper category; occasionally, also, the respondent fails to grapple with the real point. All this is instructive, and reconciles those who are instructed by it to the presence of many things which seem trivial or out of place to those who do not consider the nature of the whole undertaking. But the instruction I speak of will be much augmented in quantity and elevated in character, if ever the time should come when the mass of materials collected finds an architect to arrange it. The classification of the obstacles which an inquirer meets with, so treated as to give a view of the _causes_ of difficulty as they arise, both from the state of our books, and of our modes of using them, must surely one day suggest itself as a practicable result of the "NOTES AND QUERIES." The more this result is insisted on the more likely is it to be realised; and though it may need twenty volumes of the work to be completed, or even more, before anything can be done, the mere suggestion may induce some of your readers to keep an eye upon your pages with a view to something beyond current matter.
M.
Minor Notes.
_Meaning of "Ruell."_--In the "Rhime of Sir Thopas" Chaucer says:
"His sadell was of _ruell_ bone His bridle as the sun yshone," &c.
Translated by Z. A. Z.:
"His saddle was of jit black bone."
Whitaker and Co. London, 1841.
Tyrwhitt says:
"His sadel was of _rewel_ bone."
What kind of material this was, I profess myself quite ignorant.