Minor Notes.
Gray—"The ploughman homeward plods."—On looking over some MSS. which I had not seen for years, I met with one of which the following is a copy:
"A person had a paper folded with this line from Gray marked on it—
'The ploughman homewards plods his weary way.'
A poetical friend, on looking at the quotation, thought it might be expressed in various ways without destroying the rhyme, or altering the sense. In a short time he produced the following eleven different readings. It is doubtful whether another line can be found, the words of which admit of so many transpositions, and still retain the original meaning:—
1. The weary ploughman plods his homeward way.
2. The weary ploughman homeward plods his way.
3. The ploughman, weary, plods his homeward way.
4. The ploughman weary homeward plods his way.
5. Weary the ploughman plods his homeward way.
6. Weary the ploughman homeward plods his way.
7. Homeward the ploughman plods his weary way.
8. Homeward the ploughman weary plods his way.
9. Homeward the weary ploughman plods his way.
10. The homeward ploughman weary plods his way.
11. The homeward ploughman plods his weary way."
I know not whether this has ever appeared in print. To me it is new, at least it was, as I now recollect, when I read it several years ago; but as the exercise is ingenious, I thought I would trespass on "N. & Q." with it, so that, if not heretofore printed or known, it might be made "a note of."
A Hermit at Hampstead.
Poetical Tavern Signs.—Passing through Dudley the other day, I jotted down two signs worthy, I think, of a place in "N. & Q."
No. 1. rejoices in the cognomen of the "Lame Dog" with the following distich:
"Step in, my friend, and rest awhile,
And help the Lame Dog over the style."
No. 2., with a spirited representation of a round of beef, invites her Majesty's subjects thus:
"If you are hungry, or adry,
Or your stomach out of order,
Their's sure relief at the 'Round of Beef,'
For both these two disorders."
R. C. Warde.
Kidderminster.
"Aquæ in Vinum conversæ. Vidit et erubuit lympha pudica Deum."—The interesting note under this title (Vol. vi., p. 358.) refers to Campbell's Poets. The following is an extract from Campbell:
"Richard Crashaw there [Cambridge] published his Latin poems, in one of which is the epigram from a Scripture passage:
"Lympha pudica Deum vidit et erubuit.'"
Campbell's Brit. Poets, ed. 1841, p. 198.
In the Poemata Anglorum Latina is the following epigram on our Saviour's first miracle at the marriage feast:
"Unde rubor vestris et non sua purpura lymphis,
Quæ rosa mirantes tam nova mutat aquas?
Numen (convivæ) præsens agnoscite numen—
Vidit et erubuit nympha pudica Deum."
I presume this epigram is Crashaw's poem to which Campbell refers; but query. Until I saw the note in "N. & Q.," I supposed that the celebrated line—
"Lympha pudica Deum vidit et erubuit."
was the happy ex tempore produce of Dryden's early genius, when a boy, at Westminster School. If the epigram which I have copied is the original, the last line is surely much improved by the (traditional) line which Campbell has recorded. Surely lympha is preferable to nympha; and surely the order of the word erubuit ending the line is the best.
F. W. J.
Spurious Edition of Baily's "Annuities" (Vol. iv., p. 19.).—In the place just referred to, I pointed out how to distinguish the spurious editions, among other marks, by the title-page. I looked at a copy on a stall a few days ago, and found that the title-page has been changed. Those who have reprinted it have chosen the old title-page, which stood in the work before two volumes were made of it.
A. De Morgan.
"Illustrium Poetarum Flores."—On leaving London I thought of bringing with me two or three pocket classics; unfortunately, in looking for them, I picked up Illustrium Poetarum Flores per Octavianum Mirandulam olim Collecti, &c., Londini, 1651, and brought that little book with me instead; and, upon looking into it, I find it the worst printed book I ever saw; and I send you this Note as to it, as a warning against so disgraceful a publication. Such a work, if well executed and properly printed, would be a very pleasant companion in a vacation ramble.
S. G. C.
French Jeux d'Esprit.—In the spring of 1852, when Prince Louis Napoleon was doing all he could to secure the imperial crown, the following hexameter line was passed from mouth to mouth by the Legitimates. I am inclined to think that it never appeared in print:
"Napoleo cupit Imperium, indeque Gallia ridet."
Which translated mot-à-mot gives a clever double sense:
"Napoléon désire l'empire, et la France en rit [Henri]."
J. H. de H.