Part 2

Elizabeth, Baroness Percy, was daughter and heiress of Josceline, Earl of Northumberland, who died in 1670. According to Collins (_Peerage_, vol. iv. p. 185.) she was four years old at the time of her father's death; so that she was born in 1666. In 1679 she was married to Henry Cavendish, Earl of Ogle, who was only son and heir of the Duke of Newcastle, and who died in 1680, before either party were of puberty to consummate the marriage. In 1681 the Lady Ogle was married to Thomas Thynne, of Longleat, in the county of Wilts, Esquire,--a gentleman of great wealth, a friend of the Duke of Monmouth, and the Issachar of Dryden's "Absalom and Achitophel." Sir John Reresby, in his _Memoirs_, p. 135., says "The lady, repenting of the match, fled from her husband into Holland before they were bedded." Whether this elopement had any relation to Königsmark does not appear: but a few months afterwards, namely, in February 1681-2, Mr. Thynne was assassinated in the Haymarket by foreigners, who were devoted friends of the Count, and who apparently acted under his direction, or, at all events, with his acquiescence. The Count was at that time a mere youth, and having been in London a few months before Lady Ogle's marriage with Mr. Thynne, had then paid his addresses to her. He returned into England about ten days before the murder, and was in London at the time it was committed. In endeavouring to escape beyond sea the day afterwards, he was taken in disguise at Gravesend, brought to Westminster, and examined before King and Council. Sir John Reresby says, "I was present upon this occasion, and observed that he appeared before the king with all the assurance imaginable. He was a fine person of a man, and I think his hair was the longest I ever saw." He denied all participation in the murder, but he was committed and tried with the principals, as an accessory before the fact; and although acquitted by the jury, a perusal of the trial produces a strong persuasion that he was privy to the purpose of the assassins. A fact much pressed against him was his inquiry of the Swedish envoy, "Whether or no, if he should kill Mr. Thynne in a duel, he could, by the laws of England, afterwards marry the Lady Ogle?" a question which showed beyond all doubt that he had in some form entertained a design against Mr. Thynne's life, and also that the attainment of the lady was the motive. But whatever may have been the intention of the Count, and whatever may have been the nature of his intercourse with the Lady Ogle, it is quite clear that they were not married. On the contrary, this lady of early nuptial experience, and of romantic but somewhat suspicious adventure,--who was married three times, and twice a widow, before she was sixteen years old,--was married on the 30th of May, 1682, and within four months after the murder of Mr. Thynne, to Charles Seymour, Duke of Somerset. (Collins's _Peerage_, vol. i. p. 191.) Thus early practised in _matrimonial_ intrigue, we find her thirty years afterwards the accomplished organ of _political_ intrigue; the favourite and friend of Queen Anne, and the zealous partisan of the Whig party. In that character she became the object of Swift's pasquinade, the "Windsor Prophecy," which, though aimed at the Duchess of Somerset, and the destruction of her influence at court, recoiled upon the head of the author, prevented the queen from making him a bishop, and banished him from her favour for the remainder of her reign. The meaning of the "Prophecy," and the keenness of its sarcasm, were of course readily understood and appreciated by cotemporaries. Swift himself seems to have been highly pleased with it. He says, in one of his letters to Stella, "The Prophecy is an admirable good one, and the people are mad for it." The above recital of the early history of the Duchess of Somerset will render it fully intelligible at the present day. After mentioning some incidents and characters of the time, the "Windsor Prophecy" ends thus:

"And, dear Englond, if aught I understond, Beware of _Carrots_[3] from Northumberlond! Carrots, sown _Thynne_, a deep root may get, If so be they are in _Sommer set_. Their _conyngs mark_ thou! for I have been told, They _assassine_ when young, and _poison_ when old. Root out these _Carrots_, O thou, whose name[4] Is backwards and forwards always the same! And keep close to thee always that name[5] Which backwards or forwards is _almost_ the same. And, Englond, would'st thou be happy still, Bury those _Carrots_ under a _Hill_."[6]

[Footnote 3: Alluding to the Duchess of Somerset's red hair.]

[Footnote 4: Anna Regina.]

[Footnote 5: Lady Masham.]

[Footnote 6: Lady Masham's maiden name.]

D. JARDINE.

FOLK LORE.

The pages of "N. & Q." have given the most varied and valuable contributions to the "folk lore" of Britain; your contributors have unquestionably saved many a scrap from oblivion, illustrated many an obscure allusion, recorded many an old custom, and generally, by the interesting nature of their notes (throwing, as they do, the newest and strongest light on the darkest and most out-of-the-way nooks and corners of the house and field life, and general turn of thought of the great mass of the people), paved the way for a higher estimate being formed by literary men, and the general reading public, of the real worth and present available use of this hitherto despised branch of inquiry; and stimulating to some extended and systematic garnering-up of those precious fragments that still exist in unguessed abundance (sown broad-cast, as they are, from Land's End to John o'Groat's), though fast perishing. I am confident that there is no county or district in Great Britain that would not yield, to a careful, diligent, and qualified seeker, a rich and valuable harvest; and where quaint memorials of the people might not be unearthed, to be gathered together and stored up, ready to the moulding hand of some coming Macaulay, who may there find illustrations to make clear, and clues to guide the searcher in the darkest and most entangled mazes of history.

Pardon, sir, for this most prosy and long-winded preface. I have been induced to address you by observing what is being done in other countries, by a desire to point out an example, and stimulate to its emulation that able and tried body of inquirers in this country, who, for love of the subject, have _already_ collected such valuable stores.

In the _Morning Chronicle_ of Monday, the 23rd of February, 1852 (No. 26,571. p. 6.), under the heading _Denmark_, is the following:--

"Two young Finnish students are wandering through the districts round Tammerfors, for the purpose of collecting and preserving old Finnish folk-tales, legends, songs, runes, riddles, and proverbs, &c. Their names are B. Paldani and O. Palander. They are not assisted by the Finnish Literary Society, whose funds at this moment are not in a condition to bear any extra expenses, but by two divisions of the students at Helsingfors, namely, the West Finnish and the Wiborg students, each of which has subscribed _fifty_ silver rubles for this purpose. The two literary pilgrims have already collected rich treasures of Finnish folk-lore. _Why do we not follow their example? When will some of our accomplished young scholars wander over the hills and dales of merry England, rescuing from oblivion our rich traditions, before they pass for ever from among us? Surely the Society of Antiquaries might arrange similar visits for a similar purpose. There is no want of men able and willing to undertake the task, only the ARRANGING HAND is wanting. In the meantime let every man do what he can in his own neighbourhood._"

In hopes that the "_arranging hand_" may, through the medium of "N. & Q.," start out of chaos ready for its work, and the "_men able and willing_" not be wanting, I beg to state that (being unable to aid the cause otherwise) I will gladly contribute in the way of money, as far as my abilities go, should any systematic plan be arranged.

C. D. LAMONT.

Greenock.

LONDON STREET CHARACTERS.

Mr. Dickens's graphic description of the Court of Chancery, in his new work, _Bleak House_, contains the following sketch:

"Standing on a seat at the side of the hall, ... is a little mad old woman in a squeezed bonnet, who is always in court ... expecting some incomprehensible judgment to be given in her favour. Some say she really is, or was, a party to a suit: but no one knows for certain, because no one cares. She carries some small litter in a reticule which she calls her documents: principally consisting of paper matches and dry lavender."

There is a diminutive creature, somewhat answering to this description, who limps on a stick and one leg that is shorter than the other, all the early morning in the still courts of the Temple; and seems to be waiting the result of some consultation, before she reappears, as is her wont, in Westminster Hall. Whether this person suggested the victim of _Bleak House_, is a question of no moment. The story commonly told of her is a very similar one, namely, that she was ruined and crazed, like Peter Peebles, by the slow torture of a law-suit. Is anything known of her real history?

What were the fortunes and fate of a poor female lunatic, who was called _Rouge et noir_, from her crape sables and painted cheeks; and who used to loiter every day about the Royal Exchange at four o'clock; and seemed to depend for subsistence upon the stray bounty of the "money-changers?" It was said that she had a brother who was hanged for forgery, and that this drove her mad.

About thirty years ago, there might be heard any morning in the smaller streets of "the city," a cry of "dolls' bedsteads," from a lean lame man on a crutch; who wore an apron, and carried miniature bedsteads for sale. Of this man it was generally reported, that he was implicated in the Cato Street conspiracy, and turned king's evidence.

Charles Lamb describes a character, whom it is also impossible to forget:

"A well-known figure, or part of the figure of a man, who used to guide his upper half over the pavements of London, wheeling along with most ingenious celerity upon a machine of wood.... He was of a robust make, with a florid sailor-like complexion, and his head was bare to the storm and sunshine.... The accident which brought him low, took place during the riots of 1780."

Is this all that is known of this half-giant?

When the old Houses of Parliament were standing, there used to be at one of the entrances a dwarf, long past middle age, who persisted in offering his services as a guide. His countenance was full of grave wisdom, quite Socratic in expression; but, I believe, he was an idiot. Does anything of interest attach to the remembrance of him?

And, lastly, not to "stretch the line out to the crack of doom," what became of Billy Waters? Do these street heroes die the death of common men--in bed, and with friends near them; or do they generally find their fate at last in the workhouse or the gaol; and get buried no one knows when, or by whom, or where?

I cannot agree with Mr. Dickens, that "no one knows for certain" about such persons, "_because_ no one cares." Indeed, Mr. D.'s philosophy and practice are at variance in this matter. He makes his own sketch of "the little mad old woman," because he feels that it will interest. How much more would the original, could we get at it! But the truth is, these people are as mysterious as the fireman's dog. They "come like shadows, so depart:" leaving behind them on many minds ineffaceable impressions. Indeed, some of us could confess with shame, that the feathered cocked hat and fiddle of Billy Waters had survived the memory of a thousand things of real importance: which could hardly be, were there not some psychological force in these street characters--an inexplicable interest and attraction.

ALFRED GATTY.

Minor Notes.

_Dean Swift on Herbert's Travels._--In a copy, now in my library, of Herbert's _Travels in Africa, Asia, &c._, folio, 1634, there is a very characteristic note in the autograph of Dean Swift, to whom the book formerly belonged. Thinking that it may not be uninteresting to some of the readers of "N. & Q.," I send a copy of it:

"If this book were stript of its impertinence, conceitedness, and tedious digressions, it would be almost worth reading, and would then be two-thirds smaller than it is.

"1720. J. SWIFT."

"The author published a new edition in his older days, with many additions, upon the whole more insufferable than this. He lived several years after the Restoration, and some friends of mine knew him in Ireland. He seems to have been a coxcomb both ævi vitio et sui."

W. SNEYD.

Denton.

_Joe Miller._--The remains of this patriarch of puns and jokes, hitherto peaceably resting in the burial-ground in Portugal Street, will now be disturbed to make way for the new buildings of King's College Hospital. Surely "Old Joe" ought not to be carted away, and _shot_ as rubbish. Some plain memorial of him might soon be raised, if an appeal were made to the public; and if every one whose conscience told him he had ever been indebted to Miller, would subscribe only a penny to the memorial fund, the requisite sum would soon be collected.

JAYDEE.

_Hints to Book-buyers._--Inquirers buy books on subjects which they have, at the time, no particular intention of closely investigating: when such intention afterwards arises, they begin to collect more extensively. But it often happens, I suspect, that it does not come into their heads to examine what they have already got, as to which their memory is not good, because their acquisitions were not made under any strong purpose of using them. The warning which suggests itself is as follows: Always remember to examine the old library as if it were that of a stranger, when you begin any new subject, and before you buy any new books.

Here is another warning, not wholly unconnected with the former: Never judge of a book, that is, of all which comes between the two boards, by the title-page, which may be only the _first_ title-page, in spite of the lettering at the back. Persons who bind their books will not always be bound themselves, either by law of congruity or convenience. I once hunted shop and stall for a speech delivered in parliament a century ago, not knowing that I had long possessed it bound up at the end of a Latin summary of Leibnitzian philosophy. At the risk of posthumously revealing my real name, I will add that I wrote on the fly-leaf that I was not the blockhead who bound the book.

M.

_Birmingham Antiquities._--I wish to put on record in your journal a fact concerning the antiquities of Birmingham. There is a street in this borough, called Camden Street, which after crossing Worstone Lane, acquires the name of Lower Camden Street. On the right-hand side of Lower Camden Street (as you go from Camden Street), is some pasture ground, bounded on one side by a stream called Chub-brook, which formerly flowed into the old Hockley Pool. This pasture ground shows the evident traces of a moat, and the foundations of several walls of a large building. I apprehend this is the spot referred to in Hutton's _History of Birmingham_, p. 254., fourth edition:

"The lord Clinton and his lady seem to have occupied the Manor-house, and Sir Thomas (de Birmingham), unwilling to quit the place of his affections and of his nativity, erected a castle for himself at Worstone; where, though the building is totally gone, the vestiges of its liquid security are yet complete."

As the field will probably be built on in a short time, I wish to identify the spot referred to by Hutton.

C. M. I.

_Buchanan and Voltaire._--Voltaire has obtained credit for a very smart epigram, and one which the _Edinburgh Review_ (vol. xxi. p. 271.) calls "one of his happiest repartees." It was, however, stolen by him, either designedly or unwittingly, from the celebrated Buchanan. Here are the two versions, and the point will be observed to be the same in both:

"An Englishman visiting Voltaire in his retreat at Ferney, happened to mention Haller, in whose praise the philosopher enlarged with great warmth. The other observed that this was very handsome on the part of M. de Voltaire, as Haller was by no means so liberal to M. de Voltaire. 'Alas!' said the patriarch, 'I dare say we are both of us very much mistaken!'"

Is not this the same as Buchanan's epigram (_Ep._, lib. 1. ed. Wets.)?

"IN ZOILUM.

"Frustra ego te laudo, frustra me, Zoile, lædas Nemo mihi credit, Zoile nemo tibi."

PHILOBIBLION.

_Indignities on the Bodies of Suicides._--We are all aware of the popular repugnance to permitting the bodies of suicides to be interred within the "consecrated" or "hallowed" precincts of a churchyard. Burial at cross-roads was the usual mode. In many parts of Scotland such burials had to take place under cloud of night, to avoid the interference of the rabble. But it would appear from the extract given below, that public indignities were inflicted upon such corpses, to testify public detestation of this crime. The extract is taken from the _Diarey of Robert Birrel_, Burges of Edinburghe:

"1598, Feb. 20. The 20 day of Februar, Thomas Dobie drounit himself in the Quarrel holes besyde the Abbay, and upone the morne, he wes harlit throw the toune backward, and therafter hangit on the gallows."

Perhaps some correspondent of "N. & Q." may be able to point out similar instances of such a revolting procedure.

The "Abbay" referred to was the Abbey of Holyrood.

The "Quarrel," or Quarry holes, seem to have been fatal, in many cases, both to "man and beast;" for Sir David Lyndsay, in one of his poems, says:

"Marry, I lent my gossip my mare, to fetch hame coals, And he _her drounit into the quarry holes_."

R. S. F.

Perth.

Queries.

"GOD'S LOVE," ETC., AND OTHER POEMS.

I should be very glad if, among the many learned contributors to the "N. & Q.," there should be any one who can give me information respecting a rare volume of English poetry, of which I do not recollect to have seen any notice, or any other copy than that in my own possession.

It is a 12mo., or rather small 8vo. volume, and, by the type and general appearance, was probably printed rather before than after 1660. It consists of three portions:

1. "God's Love and Man's Unworthiness," which commences thus:

"GOD! how that word hath thunder-clapt my soul Into a ravishment; I must condole My forward weakness. Ah! where shall I find Sufficient metaphors t' express my mind? Thou heart-amazing word, how hast thou fill'd My soul with Hallelujahs, and distill'd Wonders into me!"

This poem is in two parts, and extends to p. 82.

2. "A Dialogue between the Soul and Satan," p. 83 to 124, including a short supplementary poem entitled "The Soul's Thankfulness and Request to God."

3. "Divine Ejaculations." One hundred and forty-nine in all. Each consists of six lines. I extract the tenth as a specimen:

"Great God! Thy garden is defaced: The weeds do thrive, the flowers decay: O call to mind thy promise past, Restore thou them, cut these away. Till then, let not the weeds have power To starve or taint the poorest flower."

The copy now before me has no title-page or prefatory matter of any kind, and it wants the second sheet, p. 17 to 32. Yet I do not think it imperfect, for though the paging goes from p. 16 to p. 33, yet the catch-word on the 16th page is answered by the first word on p. 33, and the sense is consecutive.

It seems to me, therefore, that the author changed in some degree his plan, as the work was proceeding at the press, and that the little volume having thus the appearance of negligence and incompleteness, no title or preface was ever printed, and the book never issued for sale.

On this, or any other point, but especially on the question who was the writer of so much verse, I wish to receive information from some of the readers of your very entertaining and often instructive miscellany.

T. S.

PRAYING TO THE DEVIL.

I always thought that this unfashionable sort of worship was confined to some obscure fanatical sects in the East, and was not prepared to find an apparent record of its having been practised, amidst the frivolities and plotting of the French Court, by no less celebrated a lady than Catharine de Medicis. In the _Secret History of France for the Last Century_ (London, printed for A. Bell, at the Cross Keys in Cornwel, (_sic._) &c. 1714), I find such an odious charge advanced. I do not draw attention to it with the slightest shadow of belief in a story so ridiculous and incredible; but to ask, whether there existed any foundation for the following statement regarding the "steel box," and if so, what were its contents?

"In the first Civil War, when the Prince of _Conde_ was in all appearance likely to prevail, and _Katherine_ was thought to be very near the End of her much desir'd Regency, during the Young King's Minority, she was known to have been for Two days together, retir'd to her Closet, without admitting her menial Servants to her Presence. Some few Days after, having call'd for Monsieur _De Mesme_, one of the Long Robe, and always firm to her Interest, she deliver'd him a Steel Box fast lock'd, to whom she said, giving him the Key, _That in respect she knew not what might come to be her Fortune, amidst those intestine Broils that then shook_ France, _she had thought fit to inclose a thing of great Value within that Box, which she consign'd to his Care, not to open it upon Oath, but by an Express Order under her own Hand._ The Queen Dying, without ever calling for the Box, it continued many Years unopen'd in the Family of _De Mesme_, after both their Deaths, till at last Curiosity, or the Suspicion of some Treasure from the heaviness of it, tempted Monsieur _De Mesme's_ Successor to break it open, which he did. Instead of any Rich Present from so great a Queen, what Horror must the Lookers on have, when they found a Copper Plate of the Form and Bigness of one of the Ancient _Roman_ Votive Shields, on which was Engraven _Queen_ Katherine de Medicis _on her Knees, in a Praying Posture, offering up to the Devil sitting upon a Throne, in one of the ugliest Shapes they use to Paint him,_ Charles the IXth. _then Reigning, the Duke of_ Anjou, _afterwards_ Henry _the_ IIId., and _the Duke of_ Alanson, _her Three sons, with this Motto in_ French, _So be it, I but Reign._ This very Plate continues yet in the Custody of the House of _Mesme_, of which Monsieur _D'Avaux_, so famous for his Ambassies, was a Branch, and was not only acknowledged by him to be so, when Ambassador in _Holland_, but he was also pleas'd at that time, to promise a Great Man in _England_, a Copy of it; which is a Terrible Instance of the Power of Ambition in the Minds of _French_ Princes, and to what Divinity, if one dares give the Devil that name, even in Irony, they are ready to pay their adoration, rather than part with their hopes of Empire."--Pp. 6, 7.

R. S. F.

Perth.

Minor Queries.