MINOR NOTES.
Sermon's Pills.—In Guizot's Life of Monk, Duke of Albermarle, translated and edited by the present Lord Wharncliffe, it is stated (p. 313.) that when the Duke was suffering from the diseases which afterwards proved fatal to him,
"One of his neighbours, at New Hall, formerly an officer in his army, mentioned to him certain pills said to be sovereign against the dropsy, which were sold at Bristol by one Sermon, who had also served under his orders in Scotland as a private soldier. This advice and remedy from ancient comrades, inspired the old general with more confidence than the skill of the physicians. He sent for Sermon's pills, and found himself so much recovered by them for a time, that he returned to London at the close of the summer."
Having "found," in the newspapers of the day, the following paragraphs illustrative of this passage in the great General's history, I think them sufficiently interesting "to make a Note of."
"London, July 13. 1669.—His Grace the Lord General, after a long and dangerous distemper, is (God be praised) perfectly recovered and restored to his former health, to the Great rejoycing of their Majesties and the whole court, by the assistance of one William Sermon, of Bristol, whose pills have had that excellent success as to restore him perfectly to his sleep and appetite, and wholly abate all the symptoms of his disease. Yesterday his Grace, as being perfectly cured, dismissed his physicians from their farther attendance."
"London, July 17. 1669.—The 13th instant, Mr. William Sermon, the practitioner in physick, who so happily performed that excellent cure upon his Grace the Duke of Albermarle, was presented to His Majesty in St. James's Park, where he had the honor to kiss His Majesty's hand, and to receive his thanks for that good service."
September 9. 1669.—"Advertisement: These are to give notice that William Sermon, Dr. of Physick, a person so eminently famous for his cure of his Grace the Duke of Albermarle, is removed from Bristol to London, and may be spoken with every day, especially in the forenoon, at his house in West Harding Street, in Goldsmith's Rents, near Three Legged Alley, between Fetter Lane and Shooe Lane."
Can any of your correspondents give an account of the subsequent career of Dr. Sermon?
Δ
An Infant Prodigy (Vol. ii., p. 101.).—There are parallel cases in the hagioloists (Hist. de l'Eglise Gallicane, par Longueval, tom. iii. p. 430. 1782):
"S. Amand après cette mission étant repassé dans la Gaule, eut bientôt occasion de montrer l'intrépidité de son zèle ... L'amour des femmes, écueil fatal des jeunes princes, fit en peu de temps oublier à Dagobert les leçons qu'il avoit reçues de S. Arnoux et de S. Cunibert. Il se livra à cette passion avec tant de scandale, qu'il eut jusqu'à trois femmes à la fois qui portoient le nom de reines, sans parler d'un grand nombre de concubines ...
"Amand, après un assez long exil, 'refusa d'abord l'honneur de baptiser' l'enfant de son maître: 'mais les instances que le roi lui fit faire par Ouen et Eloi firent céder sa modestie à l'obéissance. L'enfant fut aussitôt apporté le saint évêque l'ayant pris entre ses bras, lui donna sa bénédiction, et récita les prières pour le faire catéchumène. L'oraison étant finie, comme personne ne répondoit, Dieu délia la langue du jeune prince, qui n'avoit pas plus de quarante jours, et il répondit distinctement amen.'"
This happened in 630 at Orleans, and the holy abbot who attests the miracle was present when it occurred. Had St. Amand learnt ventriloquism during his missionary excursions?
And now permit me to tell your correspondent CH. that Abp. Bramhall's Dutch is quite correct. "Mevrouw" is still the title of empresses, queens duchesses, Countesses, noble ladies, ministers of state's and other great men's wives.
G.M.
Guernsey.
A Hint for Publishers.—Many, like myself, have no doubt experienced the inconvenience of possessing early impressions of books, of which later editions exist with numerous emendations and errata.
Would it not be practicable for publishers to issue these emendations and errata in a separate form and at a fair price, for the benefit of the purchasers of the preceding editions?
Were this plan generally adopted, the value of most books would be materially enhanced, and people would not object, as they now do, to order new publications.
HERBERT.
"He who runs may read."—There appeared in Vol. ii., p. 374., a new, and, in my opinion, an erroneous, interpretation of part of ver. 2., chap. ii. Habakkuk. It appears to me probable that a person reading the vision might be struck with awe, and so "alarmed by it" as not to be able "to fly from the impending calamity" in the way which your correspondent imagines. I prefer Archbishop Newcome's explanation:—"Let the characters be so legible that one who hastily passeth on may read them. This may have been a proverbial expression."
If you be pleased to insert this, readers may judge for themselves which is the right interpretation.
PLAIN SENSE.
The Rolliad.—The following memoranda relative to this word were given to me by one who lived during the period of its publication, and was, it is believed, himself a contributor. Wraxall, in his Memoirs, states that the work was nearly all written by Richardson; this is not true. The principal writers were Gen. Fitzpatrick, Lord John Townshend, Dr. Lawrence—he had the chief control. They met in a room at Becket's, the bookseller; they had a secretary and copyist.
None of the contributions went to the newspaper in the original handwriting. The Morning Herald was the paper it is believed, in which they first appeared, although that journal was on the eve of going over to the opposite party. The "ode" to Wraxall, was written by Tickell, author of "Anticipation.".
W.A.
November, 23. 1850.
The Rolliad.—
From The Times, about 1784.
ROLLIAD.
Political Eclogues.
ROSE.
Line 21. ed. 1795.
"Mr. Rose, Mr. Rose,
How can you suppose
I'll be led by the nose,
In voting for those
You mean to propose,
Mr. Rose, Mr. Rose?"
The above epigram is inserted in my copy of the Rolliad.
Can any of your readers give the names of the
authors of the numerous pieces in the second part of "Political Miscellanies."
F.B.R.
The Conquest.—Permit me to point out the erroneous historical idea which obtains in the use of this phrase. Acquisition out of the common course of inheritance is by our legists called perquisitio, by the feudists conquisitio, and the first purchaser (he who brought the estate into the current family) the conquereur. The charters and chronicles of the age thus rightly style William the Norman conquisitor, and his accession conquæstus; but now, from disuse of the foedal sense, with the notion of the forcible method of acquisition, we annex the idea of victory to conquisition,—a title to which William never pretended.
W.L.
Twickenham.