MISCELLANIES.
Use of Monosyllables.—In Beaumont and Fletcher's Boadicea, Act 3. Sc. 1. (Edinbugh, 1812), I meet with the following lines in Caratach's Apostrophe to "Divine Andate," and which seem to corroborate Mr. C. FORBES'S theory (No. 16. p. 228.) on the employment of monosyllables by Shakspeare, when he wished to express violent and overwhelming emotion: at least they appear to be used much in the same way by the celebrated dramatists whom I quote:
"Give us this day good hearts, good enemies,
Good blows on both sides, wounds that fear or flight
Can claim no share in; steel us both with anger,
And warlike executions fit thy viewing.
Let Rome put on her best strength, and thy Britain,
Thy little Britain, but as great in fortune,
Meet her as strong as she, as proud, as daring!
And then look on, thou red-eyed God; who does best,
Reward with honour; who despair makes fly,
Unarm for ever, and brand with infamy!"
C.I.R.
Feb. 16.
To endeavour oneself (No. 8. p. 125.).—"G.P." thinks that the verb "endeavour" takes a middle voice form in the collect for the second Sunday after Easter, in the preface to the Confirmation Service, and in the Form of Ordering of Priests: but in these instances is it any thing more than the verb neuter, implying that we should endeavour ourselves to follow, &c.?
In Shepherd's Elucidation of the Book of Common Prayer (2 vols. 8vo. Lord. 1817), under the head of the Confirmation Office, it is stated relative to the persons to be confirmed (vol. ii. p. 312.), "that they solemnly engage evermore to endeavour faithfully to perform their part of that covenant."
C.I.R.
Evelyn's Sculptura.—In a copy of Evelyn's Sculptura, 3rd edit., with Memoir of the Author's Life, 8vo. London, 1759, I find the following memorandum, in pencil, prefixed to the Memoirs:
"By Dr. Warton of Winchester, as he himself informed me in 1785."
An autograph resembling "J. Chelmar" is on the fly-leaf. As I do not see this Memoir ascribed to Dr. Warton in any list, to which I have access, of his writings, perhaps the Memoir is not generally, or at all, known to be by him, and I therefore send the memorandum to you to be winnowed in your literary threshing-floor, by those who have better means and more leisure to ascertain its value.
J.M.
Oxford, Feb. 5.
William Baxter.—I do not know whether William Baxter is authority for anything. When you see a word quoted from one of the languages or dialects which the moderns call Celtic, that word will very commonly be found not to exist. When at a loss, quote Celtic. If W. Baxter says (see No. 13. p. 195.) that buarth papan means the sun's ox-stall, or, in other words, that papan means the sun, I should wish to know where else such a name for that luminary, for or any thing else, may be met with? I have not found any such thing.
A.N.
Derivation of the word "Avon."—Among the many proofs of the prevalence of the Gaelic roots in existing names at both ends of the island, it may be mentioned that there are ten rivers named Avon in Britain, and Avon is simply the Gaelic word for a river.
J.U.G. Gutch.
Warton and Heinsius.—A late critic thinks he has discovered that Mr. Thomas Warton, a contemporary of Mr. Wise, and fellow of the same college, an antiquary and scholar of whom England may be proud, knew little of Latin, and less of Greek, because, forsooth, he did not notice Milton's false quantities, which Heinsius did! As well might it be argued, that the critic is an immoral man, because he did not notice the delinquencies of Heinsius in a moral point of view; the said Heinsius being obliged to resign his secretaryship to the city of Amsterdam in consequence of a prosecution by a young woman for breach of promise of marriage, under the faith of which she had lived with him, and borne him two children. The sentence of misdaadigheyd was pronounced against him, and confirmed, on appeal, by the supreme court of Holland, in 1662. So much for the unpatriotic puff of the learned foreigner, to the disparagement of one of the greatest ornaments of English literature. As one "note" naturally produces another, I hope your sense of justice, Mr. Editor, will admit this, in order to counter-balance the effect of the former one; appearing, as it did, in a periodical of considerable circulation, which, I am glad to hear, is soon to be very much improved.
J.I.
Queen's Bagnio (No. 13. p. 196.).—The Queen's Bagnio in Long Acre was on the south side, nearly opposite to the door of Long Acre Chapel. The Duke's bath I have always heard was in Old Belton Street, now Endell Street; the fourth house from Castle Street on the west side. It has been new fronted not long since; but at the time that I frequented the baths there—the exterior had pilasters, and a handsome cornice in the style of Inigo Jones,—all being built in dark red brick. Within there was a large plunging bath, paved and lined with marble, the walls being covered by small tiles of blue and white, in the Dutch fashion. The supply of water was from a well on the premises.
There were several apartments for warm-bathing, having the baths and pavements of marble, and to several of these were attached dressing-rooms.
The house is now, I believe, occupied by a carpenter; but the baths remained, though in a dilapidated condition, a short-time since, and probably are there still.
T.W.
A Flemish Account.—In illustration of a query in your first number on the origin of the expression "a Flemish Account," unless you think it too late for insertion, I send the following extract from an old volume in the Cathedral Library at Salisbury. It is entitled, "The Accurate Accomptant or London Merchant, &c.; by Thomas Brown, Accomptant: composed for the Use and Benefit of the poor Blew-Coat children educated in Christ's Hospital, &c. London, printed by William Godbid, sen. 1669. fol."
The book consists almost entirely of examples of the best methods of keeping accounts, from which I select the following instance:
"London, August 10th, 1668.
"To Roger Pace, Factor, &c., for 10 Pieces cont. 746 Ells Fl. at 10 S. Flem. per Ell. is 373 l. Flem. Exchange at 35 S makes Sterling Money 213 l. 2s. 10 d."
The above extract strongly confirms the explanations of the expressions given by your correspondents "Q.Q." and "Mr. Bolton Corney," in No. 5. p. 74., as it proves both the necessity and early practice of accurately distinguishing in commercial dealings between English and Flemish methods of reckoning.
E.A.D.
[The following is a curious illustration of the use of the phrase.
"A person resident in London is said to have had most of Caxton's publications. He sent them to Amsterdam for inspection, and, on writing for them, was informed that they had been destroyed by accident. 'I am very much afraid,' says Herbert, 'my kind friend received but a Flemish account of his Caxtons.'"—Typ. Antiq., p. 1773.]
La Mer des Histoires.—I find I have a note on that handsome old French work, La Mer des Histoires, which is commonly attributed to Johannes de Columna, Archbishop of Messina; but upon which Francis Douce, while taking notice of its being a translation of the Rudimentum Noviciorum ascribed to Mochartus, observes that it is a different work from the Mare Historiarum of Johannes de Columna. Douce also informs us, that there were several works passing under this title. Columna is mentioned by Genebrard as the author of a book, Cujus titulus est Mater Historiarum. Query? What is known of the work, which is really Columna's?
John Sansom.