Chapter I: Front Matter

[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; scribal abbreviations, as e.g. "It[=m]" could tentatively be expanded to "Item". Underscores have been used to indicate _italic_ (for Greek, _spaced_) 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. V.--No. 127. SATURDAY, APRIL 3. 1852.

Price Fourpence. Stamped Edition, 5_d._

CONTENTS.

Page

NOTES:--

Bonaparte and Lord Whitworth, by Lord Braybrooke 313

Notes on Prynne's Breviate, by Archbishop Laud 314

Epitaph on Voltaire 316

The Miller's Melody, Fragment of an Old Ballad 316

Minor Notes:--Dr. Johnson, a Prophet--Coleridge and
Plato--Epitaph in St. Giles' Church, Norwich--Hair in
Seals--To "eliminate" 317

QUERIES:--

Algernon Sidney, by Hepworth Dixon 318

Old Irish Tales 318

Political Pamphlets 319

Minor Queries:--The Book of Nicholas Leigh--Gabriel
Harvey's Notes on Chaucer--The Cholera and the
Electrometer--Terre Isaac--Daundelyon--Mallet's Death
and Burial--Classical Quotations in Grotius--The
Authorised Version--Rector's Chancel--Duchess of
Lancaster--Cheke's Clock--Ruthven Family--"The Man in the
Almanack"--Arkwright--Burial, Law respecting--Mr. Borrow's
Muggletonians--Puritan Antipathy to Custard--"Corruptio
Optimi," &c.--Miss Fanshawe's Enigma--Mary Ambree 319

MINOR QUERIES ANSWERED:--Sir W. Stanley--Mires--Somerlayes
--Wyned--Cromwell Family--Beholden--Men of Kent and
Kentish Men--Bee-park--A great Man who could not
spell--Glass-making in England--Eustace--Mas--John Le
Neve--Meaning of Crow 321

REPLIES:--

Presbyterian Oath 323

The Old Countess of Desmond, by the Knight of Kerry 323

Shakspeare's Sickle or Shekel 324

A few more Words about "Dulcarnon," by S. W. Singer 325

English Surnames, by Mark Antony Lower 326

Rev. John Paget 327

Letter to a Brigadier-General 328

Maps of Africa 329

Replies to Minor Queries:--James Wilson, M.D.--History
of Commerce--Ecclesiastical Geography--Butts Family--Friday
at Sea--A Pinch of Snuff from Dean Swift's Box--English
Translation of the Canons--Few Descents through a
long Period--Tandem D. O. M.--Land Holland--Arc de
Arbouin--Derivation of "Martinique"--Bigot--Davies
Queries--Fawsley, Heraldic Atchievement--Old Scots
March--Periwinkle--Erasmus' Paraphrase--"Black Gowns and
Red Coats"--Arms of Manchester--Sir Thomas Frowyk--John
Goldesborough--Corrupted Names of Places--Story of
Ginevra--Ornamental Hermits--Dr. Fell--List of
Prothonotaries--The Vellum-bound Junius--Plague
Stones--George Trehern--St. Christopher--White
Livers--Torshel's Design to harmonise the Bible 329

MISCELLANEOUS:--

Notes on Books, Sales, Catalogues, &c. 334

Books and Odd Volumes wanted 334

Notices to Correspondents 334

Advertisements 335

Notes.

BONAPARTE AND LORD WHITWORTH.

The Rev. J. Sanford has authorised me to place the following letter in your hands, in order that you may print it in "N. & Q." should it appear to be of sufficient interest.

BRAYBROOKE.

"I send you an account of the very memorable scene which occurred at Madame Bonaparte's drawing-room on the 13th of March, 1803. I believe I am the only living witness, as those who were near the person of Lord Whitworth were members of the corps diplomatique, Cobenzel, Marcoff, Lucchesini, all dead. Many years after I became intimately acquainted with the Marchese Lucchesini at Florence, when I had an opportunity of referring to that remarkable conversation.

"It was announced that Madame Bonaparte was to receive on the following Sunday, and it was reported that she was to have maids of honour for the first time; a little curiosity was excited on this score. The apartment of Madame B. was on the opposite side of the Tuilleries in which Bonaparte held his levees. I was acquainted with Lord Whitworth, who told me to place myself near to him, in order to afford facility for presentation, as Madame B. would occupy an arm-chair to which he pointed, and on each side of which were two tabourets. As all foreigners had been presented to General B. at his levee, his presence was not expected. The rooms, two in number, were not very large; the ladies were seated round the rooms in arm-chairs: a passage was left, I suppose, for Madame B. to pass without obstacle. When the door of the adjoining room was opened, instead of Madame B. the First Consul entered; and as Lord Whitworth was the first ambassador he encountered, he addressed him by enquiring about the Duchess of Dorset's health, she being absent from a cold. He then observed that we had had fifteen years' war; Lord W. smiled very courteously, and said it was fifteen years too much. We shall probably, replied General B., have fifteen years more: and if so, England will have to answer for it to all Europe, and to God and man. He then enquired where the armaments in Holland were going on, for he knew of none. Then for a moment he quitted Lord W. and passed all the ladies' addressing Mrs. Greathead only, though the Duchess of Gordon and her daughter, Lady Georgina, were present. After speaking to several officers in the centre of the room, which was crowded, he returned to Lord W. and asked why Malta was not given up. Lord W. then looked more serious, and said he had no doubt that Malta would be given up when the other articles of the treaty were complied with. General B. then left the room, and Madame B. immediately entered. As soon as the drawing-room was over, I observed to Lord W. that it was the first cabinet council I had ever witnessed; he laughingly answered, by far the most numerously attended. Lord W. then addressed the American Minister, who was very deaf, and repeated what had passed, and I perceived that he was very much offended at what had occurred. In justice to the First Consul, I must say that the impropriety consisted in the unfitness of the place for such a subject; the tone of his voice was not raised, as was said at the time. He spoke in the same tone as when he enquired for the Duchess of Dorset."

NOTES ON PRYNNE'S BREVIATE, BY ARCHBISHOP LAUD.

I have two Queries to propose; but before I can do so effectually, it is necessary to enter into an explanation and statement of facts, which may be considered as Notes conveying information which will, I anticipate, prove new and interesting to many readers of "N. & Q."

On the 2nd of September, 1644, Archbishop Laud, then a man of more than threescore years and ten, but still with intellect vigorous, active, and unimpaired by age or trouble, appeared at the bar of the House of Lords, to recapitulate in one address the various points of his defence, which had been made at intervals during the six months previous, as the trial had gone on, from time to time, since the 12th of the preceding March. On coming to the bar, he was for the moment staggered by seeing, in the hands of each of his judges, a blue book, containing, as he had just learnt, great part of his own most secret memoranda and most private thoughts, extracted by the bitterest of his opponents out of his Diary and MS. book of devotions. This was Prynne's _Breviate of the Life of William Laud, Archbishop of Canterbury; extracted (for the most part)_ verbatim _out of his own Diary, and other writings, under his own hand_.

"So soon as I came to the bar," (this is his own account,) "I saw
every Lord present with a new thin book in folio, in a blue coat.
I heard that morning that Mr. Pryn had printed my Diary, and
published it to the world, to disgrace me. Some notes of his own
are made upon it. The first and the last are two desperate
untruths, beside some others. This was the book then in the Lords'
hands, and I assure myself, that time picked for it, that the
sight of it might damp me, and disinable me to speak. I confess I
was a little troubled at it. But after I had gathered up myself,
and looked up to God, I went on to the business of the day, and
thus I spake."--_History of Troubles and Trial_, c. xlii. pp. 411,
412.

In his defence he turned this circumstance, and the use previously made of his Diary and Devotions during the course of his trial, very happily to account. After speaking of the means which had been used to frame the charges against him, how he had been "sifted to the very bran," he says:

"My very pockets searched; and my Diary, nay, my very Prayer Book
taken from me, and after used against me; and that, in some cases,
not to prove, but to make a charge. Yet I am thus far glad, even
for this sad accident. For by my Diary your Lordships have seen
the passages of my life; and by my Prayer Book, the greatest
secrets between God and my soul: so that you may be sure you have
me at the very bottom. Yet, blessed be God, no disloyalty is found
in the one; no Popery in the other."--_Ibid._ c. xliii. p. 413.

The recapitulation over, the Archbishop was remanded to the Tower, and prosecuted the work on which he had been long engaged, _The History of his Troubles and Tryal_: intending, when that was finished, to publish a reply to this _Breviate_. His words are:

"For this _Breviate_ of his, if God lend me life and strength to
end this (the History) first, I shall discover to the world the
base and malitious slanders with which it is fraught."--_Ibid._ c.
xx. p. 254.

His life was not spared to do more than carry on that History to the day preceding the passing of the bill of attainder by the Lords, three months after the publication of the _Breviate_. Thus it ends:

"And thus far had I proceeded in this sad history by Jan. 3,
1644-45. The rest shall follow as it comes to my
knowledge."--_Ibid._ c. xlvi. p. 443.

Wharton adds this note:

"Next day the Archbishop, receiving the news that the bill of
attainder had passed the House of Lords, broke off his history,
and prepared himself for death."

He was beheaded the 10th day of the same month, January 1645.

The information I have to communicate, after this long preface, is, that a copy of this book of Prynne's, with marginal notes by the Archbishop, made apparently in preparation for the answer which he contemplated, is still extant; and I shall be thankful to any of your readers who can give any further information on the subject.

In this copy the notes are only a transcript from those made by the Archbishop; and partly, perhaps, owing to the narrow margin of Prynne's book, we have to regret that they are not more copious; but, such they are, they are of value, as throwing new light on some points of history; and they appear not to have been known to any of the biographers of Laud, or to those who, as Archbishop Sancroft and Wharton, sought most carefully after his literary remains.

The volume of which I speak is the property of an Institution at Warrington, "The Warrington Museum and Library," to which it was presented by Mr. Crosfield, of Fir Grove, Latchford, at the time of the library being established, in 1848, having been bought by his father at a book-stall in Manchester some years previously.

A transcript of the notes is now before me; which the Committee of the Museum have, with great liberality, allowed to be made for the edition of the Archbishop's works now publishing in _The Anglo-Catholic Library_. The readiness which they have shown to impart the benefit of their collection, and the kindness with which the Hon. Secretary, Mr. Marsh, has given a full and accurate account of the MS. information, and himself transcribed the notes, deserve the most public acknowledgment.

That the notes in this volume are not written by the Archbishop is proved decisively, not only by the handwriting, but by the following note on Prynne's translation of the _Diary_, at p. 9. last line,--"I, whiles others were absent, held the cup to him," on which the following is the note:--

"In yt Breviate in which ye Archbp. has made [his notes], 'tis
printed city, and in this place he has [written] 'In my diary 'tis
calicem. Note that....'"

Owing to the edge of the paper being worn, some parts of the note are lost; they have been conjecturally filled up by the words in brackets.

On the title-page is written, in a hand cotemporary with the transcript:

"Memorand. Mr. Prynn presented this worke of his to the Lds. Sep.
2nd, 1644, ye same day that ye poor Archbp. was to make his
recapitulation, divers Lords holding it in their hands all the
while, &c."

And beneath this, apparently in the same hand, is written:

"This I suppose was written by Mr. Dell, secretary to Archbp."

It is inferred that this memorandum had been made by Mr. Dell on the Archbishop's copy, and transcribed together with the notes.

Now the Queries I have to make are these three:

1. Whether any copies of Prynne's _Breviate_ are extant, having, in the last line of the ninth page cited above, the misprint _city_ for _cup_?[1]

2. Whether any information can be given which may lead to the discovery of the copy containing the original notes of the Archbishop, of which the Warrington copy is a transcript?

3. Whether any allusion to the fact of the Archbishop having made such notes is made by any cotemporary writer? Antony Wood, Wharton, and Heylin do not mention it.

In respect to the second Query, I presume to ask every one who has access to a copy of Prynne's _Breviate_ to look into it, and see whether it contains MS. marginal notes. I do so, because in so many cases copies of works stand in their places in libraries unopened, and with contents unknown; the knowledge of their special value having perhaps been possessed by some curious collector or librarian, but not being noted down, having died with him: and the owner of the volume, should it be found, will receive his reward in the consciousness of possessing a treasure, such as it is, which before he knew not of--some of the last writing of a great man, imprisoned and anticipating death, who was engaged in vindicating himself from misrepresentation and calumnies, part of which had adhered to his memory till these notes came to light.

For the identification of that volume, should it be found, and for the information of your readers, I will transcribe the first paragraph of the _Breviate_, with the Archbishop's _marginalia_:

"Hee was borne at _Redding_ in _Barkshire_, _October 7, 1573_, of
poore (a) and obscure (b) parents, in a cottage (c), just over
against the (d) Cage: which Cage since his comming to the
Archbishoprick of _Canterbury_, upon complaint of Master
_Elveston_ (that it was a dishonour the Cage should be suffered to
stand so neare the house, where so great a royall Favourite and
Prelate had his birth) was removed to some other place; and the
cottage (e) pulled downe, and new-built by the Bishop."

(a) "All this, if true, is no fault of mine."

(b) "My father had born all offices in ye town save ye mayoralty."

(c) "The howsing wh'ch my father dwelt in is rented at this day
at thirty-three pounds a year."

(d) "The Cage stood two streets off from my father's house all his
life time, and divers years after, as many yet living know. By
whom it was remov'd into yt street, and why out again, I know
not."

(e) "No one stick of ye cottage was pulled down by me."

The passage which concludes the notes on p. 35. is unfortunately maimed by the wearing away of the edges of the leaves; it is as follows:--

... "And as I hope for comfort in my Saviour this is true ...
uncharitable conclusion, my life is in ye hands of God ...
blessed be His name. But let not Mr. Pryn call for Blood...."

It should be added that the volume has been formerly in the hands of some one who took an interest in the Archbishop's history, as a few notes in a handwriting of the last century are inserted on slips in various parts of the volume, chiefly passages from the _Diary_ "maliciously omitted by Prynne."

The writer of this notice has not the means of identifying the hand by which these more recent notes, or the transcript of those of the Archbishop, were written; but will take this occasion of suggesting what has often appeared to him a great desideratum in literature--that is, a collection of fac-similes of the autographs of distinguished people, whether literary or public characters; not merely their signatures, which are found in existing collections of autography, but passages sufficiently long to aid in identifying their ordinary writing, and, if possible, taken from writing made at different periods of their lives. With the improvements of mechanical skill which we enjoy, such works might be afforded at a much cheaper rate than formerly, and would, it is conceived, command a remunerating sale.

It remains only to add, that information on the points about which inquiry is made may be communicated through the medium of the "N. & Q.," or by letter to the Rev. James Bliss, Ogborne St. Andrew, near Marlborough, who is engaged in editing the works of Archbishop Laud; and who would be glad to receive any information with respect to unpublished letters or papers of the Archbishop.