MISCELLANIES
Bishop Burnet as an Historian.—Dr. Joseph Warton told my father that "Old Lord Barthurst," Pope's friend, had cautioned him against relying implicitly on all Burnet's statements; observing that the good bishop was so given to gossiping and anecdote hunting, that the wags about court used often to tell him idle tales, for the mischievous pleasure of seeing him make note on them. Lord Bathurst did not, I believe, charge Burnet with deliberate misrepresentation, but considered some of his presumed facts questionable, for the reason stated.
ELIJAH WARING.
Dance Thumbkin.—In the Book of Nursery Rhymes, published by the Percy Society, there is a small error of importance, involving no less that the learned would call "a non sequitur," and which, if my correct-and-almost-unequalled nurse, Betty Richins, was alive, she would have noticed much sooner that the nurseling who now addresses you. (She died about the year 1796.) In the valuable and still popular nursery classical song, "Dance Thumbkin, dance," it is not only an error to say "Thumbkin he can dance alone" (let any one reader of the "NOTES AND QUERIES," male or female, only try), but it is not the correct text. Betty Richins has "borne me on her knee a hundred times" and sung it thus:—
Thumbkin cannot dance alone.
So[1] dance ye merry men, every one."
I scarcely need add, that if this be true of Thumbkin, it is truer of Foreman, Longman, Middleman, and Littleman.
R.S.S.
Footnote 1:[(return)]
Or then, meaning "for that reason."
King's Coffee-house, Covent Garden.—As an addition to "Mr. RIMBAULT's" Notes on Cunningham's Handbook, the following extract from Harwood's Alumni Etonenses, p. 293., in the recount of the boys elected for Eton to King's College may be interesting:—
"A.D. 1713, 12."
"Thomas King born at West Ashton in Wiltshire; went away scholar, in apprehension that his fellowship would be denied him, and afterwards kept that coffee-house in Covent Garden which was called by his own name."
J.H.L.
Spur Money (No. 23. p. 374, and No 28. p. 462.).—In a curious tract, published in 1598, under the title of The Children of the Chapel stript and whipt, we have the following passage:—
"Wee think it very necessarye that every quorister sholde bringe with him to churche a Testament in Englishe, and turne to everie chapter as it is daily read, or som other good and godly prayer-booke, rather than spend their tyme in talk and hunting after spur-money, whereon they set their whole mindes, and do often abuse dyvers if they doe not bestowe somewhat on them."
In 1622, the dean of the Chapel Royal issued an order by which it was decreed—
"That if anie Knight, or other persone entituled to weare spurs, enter the chappell in that guise, he shall pay to y'e quiristers the accustomed fine; but if he command y'e youngest quirister to repeate his Gamut, and he faile in y'e so doing, the said Knight, or other, shall not pay y'e fine."
This curious extract I copied from the ancient cheque-book of the Chapel Royal.
Within my recollection, His Grace the Duke of Wellington (who, by the way, is an excellent musician) entered the Royal Chapel "booted and spurred," and was, of course, called upon for the fine. But His Grace calling upon the youngest chorister to repeat his GAMUT, and the "little urchin" failing, the impost was not demanded.
EDWARD F. RIMBAULT.