Minor Queries.
42. Proverb of James I.
—In the Miscellaneous State Papers (published 1778), vol. i. p. 462., we find Steenie (the Duke of Buckingham) writing to his royal master as follows:—
"Give my leave here to use your own proverb,—For this the devil cone me no thanks."
At the risk of being thought very dull, I ask, what is cone, and what is the meaning of the proverb? James was no ignoramus, after all.
VARRO.
43. Mrs. Hutchinson.
—What became of the celebrated Lucy Hutchinson, who wrote the memoirs of her husband—where did she die? and from whence is all the information that can be got about her, subsequently to her autobiography, to be obtained?
M.
44. Amadis de Gaule, Early Translation of.
—I have lately purchased a black-letter volume, dated 1595. The first part has no title, but the second is called,—
"The Second Booke of Amadis de Gaule, containing the description, wonders, and conquest of the Firme-Island. The triumphes and troubles of Amadis. His manifold victories obtained, and sundry services done for King Lisuart. The kinges ingratitude, and first occasion of those broils and mortal wars, that no small time continued between him and Amadis. Englished by L. P. London: Printed for C. Burbie, and are to be sold at his shop at the Royal Exchange, 1595."
The Epistle Dedicatory to "Master Walter Borough" is signed "Lazarus Pyott," which is perhaps an assumed name; and, if I mistake not, I have seen it assigned to some known writer of the time. As I do not find this work noticed by Lowndes, perhaps MR. COLLIER or some of your readers would kindly give me some information respecting its rarity, &c.
J. M. S.
45. Hogarth and Cowper.
—Which preceded the other, and who was the greater artist, Hogarth or Cowper, in the portrait and description of the stately and antiquated lady going to church on the winter's morning with her boy, who—
"Carries her Bible, tuck'd beneath his arm,
And hides his hands to keep his fingers warm?"
JAMES CORNISH.
46. Latin Translation of Butler's Analogy.
—In Bartlett's Life of Bishop Butler mention is made (p. 62.), on the authority of a late Dean of Salisbury (Dr. Pearson), of a translation of The Analogy into Latin, which had been executed with a view to its publication in Germany, and had been submitted for revision to Professor Porson.
Was this translation ever published or is anything now known of it?
THOS. MCCALMONT.
Highfield, near Southampton, July 22. 1851.
47. "Non quid responderent," &c.
—In the Life of Bishop Jewel prefixed to the edition of his works, 1611, §24., there occurs a sentence attributed to Cicero in Verrem 3.:
"Like Verres in Tully, Non quid responderent, sed quemadmodum non responderent laborabant."
But are the words to be found in Cicero at all? They give no bad representation of what is called fencing, while unwillingly subjected to an examination; and the true authorship would oblige
NOVUS.
48. "The Worm in the Bud of Youth," &c.
—With whom did the following idea originate, and where are the words to be found?
"The worm is in the bud of youth, and in the root of age."
Can any similar expression be adduced from the ancient classics?
R. VINCENT
49. Queen Brunéhaut.
—I read in a French book of travels that the abbey of Saint Martin's, at Autun, contained the tomb of Queen Brunéhaut, upon which was engraved the following inscription:
"Ci-gît la Reine Brunéhaut,
A qui le Saint Pape Gregoire
Donna des éloges de gloire,
Qui mettent sa vertu bien haut.
Sa piété pour les saints mystères
Lui fit fonder trois monastères,
Sous la règle de Saint Benoît:
Saint Martin, Saint Jean, Saint Andoche,
Sont trois saints lieux où l'on connoît
Qu'elle est exempte de reproche."
1. Who was the Saint Gregory mentioned in this inscription? I believe there can be little doubt that it was Pope Gregory I., commonly known as Gregory the Great, and the cotemporary of Queen Brunéhaut. The only other Pope of that name, that has been canonized, is Gregory VII., the famous Hildebrand; but as his canonization did not take place till the close of the last century (700 years after his death), an inscription, which, from its obsolete rhymes of "Benoît" and "connoît," bears internal evidence of having been made in the sixteenth or seventeenth century, could not have applied to him the epithet Saint.
2. Brunéhaut having been one of the most profligate queens that ever sat upon a throne, and Gregory the Great one of the most virtuous Popes that have shed lustre on the tiara, a second Query presents itself:—Is it possible that such a Pope could have degraded himself and his office by eulogising such a queen? The bare idea is at variance with the known character of that Pope; and the imputation, if substantiated, would materially detract from his established reputation for piety and wisdom.
3. Is there any passage in the writings of Gregory the Great that can be cited in support of the allegations of this inscription?
HENRY H. BREEN.
St. Lucia, June, 1851.
50. Sculptured Stones in the North of Scotland.
—Some time ago Patrick Chalmers, Esq., of Auldbar, in the county of Forfar, obtained drawings of all the sculptured stone obelisks in Angus, and got them lithographed for the members of the Bannatyne Club. The work has excited considerable attention among historical students in this country as well as abroad, and certainly has laid a foundation for correct comparison of these with other similar remains of a symbolical nature in other parts of the country. In Aberdeenshire there is a considerable number of these obelisks, which, either from the more primitive state of the people, or the hardness of the granite, are much less elaborate than those in Angus. None, however, can exceed the obelisks in Easter Ross for beauty of execution. It is singular that no monument of this class has been found south of the Forth. The Spalding Club (Aberdeen) proposes to obtain drawings of all the stones of this description in the North of Scotland; and the artist who depicted the Angus stones so accurately and well for Mr. Chalmers has commenced his labours. Circulars have been sent to the clergy of about 240 parishes in the North, asking for information as to the locality of any sculptured stones in their districts, but as yet answers have been obtained from only about 150. It is probable that where no return has been made, there is no stone of the description alluded to; but it would be desirable to know that the Spalding Club had exhausted the matter.
ABERDONIENSIS.
51. Prophecies of Nostradamus.
—In a little work I am meditating on the subject of English Popular Prophecies, I shall have occasion to introduce a notice of this celebrated astrologer, whose successful prediction of the Great Rebellion, and consequent English popularity, almost entitle him to a place among our native vaticinating worthies.
The curious prefiguration of the fate of Charles I. stands thus in the original edition of the Prophesies: Lyons, 1572, under the head, "A mes Imprimeurs de Hongrie:"
"Senat de Londres mettront à mal leur Roy."
In the only other edition to which I have the opportunity of referring, London, 1672, "Translated and commented upon by Theophilus de Garencieres," it is much amplified:
"XLIX.
"Gand et Bruxelles marcheront contra Anvers.
Senat de Londres mettront à mort leur Roy.
Le sel et vin luy seront à l'envers
Pour eux avoir le Regne or desseroy."
The more literal accuracy of this version, and the number of the quatrain (interpreted by the commentator to refer to the year of Charles's death), induce doubts as to its authenticity. Collections of early editions of Nostradamus are not of frequent occurrence in England: but I am told that a fine series exists in the "Bibliothèque du Roi," and as the subject is interesting, some one, perhaps, out of the many readers of "NOTES AND QUERIES" who will visit Paris this holiday time may be induced to examine them, and make a note of the earliest edition in which the latter form of the prediction occurs.
SPERIEND.
52. Quaker Expurgated Bible.
—In an extremely curious and interesting volume entitled Quakerism, or the Story of my Life, I meet with the following passage, p. 386.:
"About four years ago, an English Friend waited on me, to request me to enter my name as a subscriber to an edition of the Bible, which a Committee of Friends were intending to publish. The printed prospectus stated that the work was designed to be one suited for daily perusal in Friends' families; that from it would be carefully excluded every passage that was indelicate, and unfit for reading aloud; and also those portions which might be called dangerous, which it was possible the unlearned and unstable might wrest to their own destruction."
Can any of your readers tell whether this expurgated Bible was ever published, and where it is to be procured?
A copy of the prospectus alluded to would also be very acceptable.
T.
53. Salmon Fishery in the Thames.
—This was once of great importance to the inhabitants of the villages upon the banks of the Thames, who appear to have had each their assigned bounds for their fishery. In the Churchwardens' Book of Wandsworth, under date 1580, is the following entry:
"M.D. that this yere in som̄er the fishinge Rome of Wandesworthe was by certen of Putney denyed, and long sute before my L. Mayor of London continued, and at the last, accordinge to Right, restored by the Lord Mayor and the Councell of London. And in this som̄er the fysshers of Wandesworthe tooke betweene Monday and Saturday seven score salmons in the same fishinge, to the gret honor of God."
I have heard my mother say, that Thames salmon was plentiful when she was a younger woman, and that it was the most esteemed of any. She died recently, aged eighty-nine.
Shall we ever have Thames salmon again?
R. J. R.
54. Cromwell Grants of Land in Monaghan.
—Are there any records, and where, of grants of land in the county of Monaghan, Ireland, as made by Cromwell?
E. A.
55. Siege of Londonderry.
—Are there any details of the siege of Londonderry, particularly as to the names of officers engaged on the Protestant side, other than those to be found in Walker, Mackensie, or Graham's account of it?
E. A.