Replies to Minor Queries.
Tregonwell Frampton (Vol. iv., p. 474.).
—Noble mentions two engravings of this gentleman in the Continuation to Granger, vol. ii. p. 387., from a portrait by J. Wootton; the oldest, by J. Faber, describes him as "Royal Studkeeper at Newmarket;" the other, dated 1791, by J. Jones, styles him "the Father of the Turf;" and his death in 1728, æt. eighty-six, is recorded on a monument in the parish church of All Saints, Newmarket, as well as the circumstance of his having been keeper of the running horses to King William III. and his three royal successors.
Frampton, according to Noble, who quotes from some other author, was a thorough good groom only, yet would have made a good minister of state had he been trained to it, and no one in his day was so well acquainted with the pedigrees of race-horses. I am not aware of there being any reference to Tregonwell Frampton in the Rambler, but he has frequently been denounced as the author of an unparalleled act of barbarity to a race-horse, which is detailed in the Adventurer, No. 37., as delicately as such a subject would permit. In justice to the accused I must say, that I always considered the story as physically impossible; and had this not been the case, it cannot be credited that the author of so great an enormity could have been continued in the service of the Crown. Still the essayist, who wrote nearly a century ago, thus closes his recital:—
"When I had heard this horrid narrative, which indeed I remembered to be true, I turned about in honest confusion, and blushed that I was a man."
I hope some of your correspondents may be able to clear Frampton from the dreadful imputation.
B.
Longueville MSS. (Vol. iii., p. 449.).
—This collection (of 187 volumes) is better known by the name of the Yelverton MSS., from having belonged to Sir Christopher Yelverton, Bart., who died in 1654, and whose son Henry (by Susan, Baroness Grey of Ruthin) was created Viscount Longueville in 1690. From him (who died in 1704) these MSS. descended to his grandson, Henry, third Earl of Sussex, who deceased in 1799 without male issue. In April, 1781, this collection of MSS. (then stated to consist of 179 volumes, and eight wanting to complete the series) was offered for purchase to the trustees of the British Museum for 3000 guineas, and declined. The loss of these eight volumes is accounted for by a note of Gough (written in 1788), in Nichols' Literary Anecdotes, vol. iii. p. 622., by which it appears, that in 1784 the collection was submitted to sale by public auction; but "after the sale of a few lots, the sale was stopped." Gough adds, "They were all given by Lord Sussex to Lord Calthorpe, whose mother was of that family [Barbara, eldest daughter of Henry, Viscount Longueville], and at his death had not been opened, nor perhaps since." These MSS. are now, I believe, in the possession of the present Lord Calthorpe.
F. MADDEN.
Cooper's Miniature of Cromwell (Vol. iv., p. 368.).
—The miniature of Oliver Cromwell, inquired for by LORD BRAYBROOKE, I think was shown to me at a party in London, about five or six years since, by Mr. Macgregor, M.P.,—at least I suppose it to be the same, though I had forgotten the name of the painter; but Mr. Macgregor prized it very highly, as being the only original miniature of Cromwell, and I think he said it was the one that had belonged to Sir Joshua Reynolds. This slight recollection of having seen it, is almost too vague to be worth alluding to, but as no one appears to have replied to the inquiry, it may lead to connecting the true history to the miniature, and thereby enhance its value.
R.N.
Pope and Flatman (Vol. iv., p. 505.).
—Your readers will probably be tired of the subject, still MR. BREEN may like to know that the resembling passages in the two copies in question, are quoted with the names of the authors in the sixty-third number of The Adventurer, dated June 12, 1753, and Pope is directly accused of having copied from one of the vilest Pindaric writers, in the time of Charles II.
The same paper, and a subsequent one, No. 95., contain some excellent remarks upon the allegation of resemblance between authors, and the charge of plagiarism so frequently raised upon it, but not always to be allowed with equal readiness.
In conclusion, let me express a wish, that the essays which I have pointed out could be perused by some of your correspondents, because I am convinced that we should in future have fewer discussions on parallel passages, which seldom possess much real interest, and frequently have a tendency to injure the fair fame of our most gifted writers, by calling in question their literary honesty without establishing the charge brought against them.
B.
Voltaire (Vol. iv., p. 457.).
—Your correspondent J. R. is quite correct as to the name "Voltaire" being an anagram of "Arouet L. J." The fact, however, was first made public by M. Lepan in the Détails Préliminaires sur les Biographies de Voltaire, prefixed to his Vie Politique, Littéraire et Morale de Voltaire, many years before the communications to the Gentleman's Magazine and the Dublin Review, referred to by your correspondent.
Your correspondent states that "Voltaire was a little partial to his paternal name,"[7] and oddly enough gives two extracts from his letters to L'Abbé Moussinot, which prove the very contrary. Those extracts are also to be found in M. Lepan's work, who has adduced them to show "son mépris pour son nom de famille." Vie de Voltaire, p. 11. edit. 1817.
JAMES CORNISH.
[7] This was a misprint for "so little partial."—ED.
Tudur Aled (Vol. iv., p. 384.).
—Your correspondent A STUDENT will find nine poems by Tudur Aled, including the famous description of the Horse, in a 4to. collection of ancient Kymric poetry, published at Amwythig, in 1773, by Rhys Jones. It is entitled Gorchestion Beirdd Cymrit. Should A STUDENT wish to extend his acquaintance with this old bard, he will find other poems of his among the Welsh MSS. in the British Museum, in vols. 14,866. et seq.
T. S.
Latin Verse on Franklin (Vol. iv., p. 443.).
—The verse "Eripuit cœlo," &c., seems to be a parody of the following lines of Manilius (Astronom. I. 105.):—
"Eripuitque Jovi fulmen, viresque tonanti."
I am unable, however, to say who adapted these words to Franklin's career. Was it Condorcet?
R.D.H.
The inscription—
"Eripuit cœlo fulmen, sceptrumque tyrannis"
under Franklin's portrait, was written by Mirabeau.