Minor Queries Answered.
Laud's Letters and Papers.
—Can any of your correspondents inform one where any unpublished letters or papers of Archbishop Laud are to be met with, besides those at Lambeth or in the British Museum?
Anthony à Wood mentions his speech against Nathanael Fiennes; and Wanley, in his Catalogue of English and Irish MSS., states that many of his writings, both political and theological, were extant at that time in private libraries.
B. J.
[Archbishop Laud's Works are now in the course of publication in the Library of Anglo-Catholic Theology, and from the editor's valuable bibliographical prefaces to vols. i. and ii., we think it probable that some notices of these MSS. will be given in the subsequent volumes. Our correspondent may also consult Catalogi Librorum Manuscriptorum Angliæ et Hiberniæ, Oxon. 1697.]
Scot's Philomythie.
—Philomythie, or Philomythologie, wherein Outlandish Birds, Beasts, and Fishes are taught to speak true English plainlie, &c.
The same volume, a small quarto unpaged, contains "The Merrie American Philosopher, or Wise Man of the New World," and "Certaine Pieces of this Age Parabolized, viz. Duellum Britannicum; Regalis Justitia Jacobi; Aquignispicium; Antidotum Cecillianum; by Thomas Scot, Gentleman, 1616, with illustrative woodcuts."
Query: Is the book rare, and who was Thomas Scot?
L. S.
[But little appears to be known of the personal history of Thomas Scot. Sir S. Egerton Brydges, in his Censura Literaria, vol. iii. pp. 381-386., and vol. iv. p. 32., has given some account of his works, but no biographical notice of the author. The dedications to his poems being principally to the Norfolk and Suffolk gentry, it is probable he belonged to one of those counties. The first edition of Philomythie was published in 1610; the second in 1616; but some copies of the second edition, according to Lowndes, are dated 1622, others 1640. There is a third portion which our correspondent does not appear to possess, entitled The Second Part of Philomythie, or Philomythologie, containing Certaine Tales of true libertie, false friendship, power united, faction and ambition. By Thomas Scot, Gent. London, 1616, 1625. Thomas Park thought that, from the great disparity of merit between this and the preceding part, there is little reason to suppose them to be by the same author, though they bear the same name. Scot's works are considered rare, especially his first, entitled Four Paradoxes of Arte, of Lawe, of Warre, of Seruice: London, 1602, consisting of twenty-four leaves, in verse, dedicated to Ladie Helena, Marquesse of Northampton, which is marked in Bibl. Anglo. Poet. at 25l., and resold for 7l. 12s. (Hibbert, 7243.)]
Robin of Doncaster.
—Give me leave to ask for an explanation of the following enigmatical epitaph, which will be found in the History of Doncaster, by Dr. Edward Miller, p. 74.:
"Howe, Howe, who is heare?
I Robin of Doncaster and Margaret my feare.
That I spent, that I had,
That I gave, that I have,
That I left, that I lost. A.D. 1579.
Quoth Robertus Byrkes, who in this world did reign
Three score years and seven, and yet liv'd not one."
Dr. Johnson latinized a part of it thus:
"Habeo, dedi quod alteri;
Habuique, quod dedi mihi;
Sed quod reliqui, perdidi."
See Works of English Poets, vol. lxxii. Lond. 1790, small 8vo. Poemata, p. 99.
In Magna Britannia et Hibernia, antiqua et nova, vol. vi. p. 429., it is stated that Robin of Doncaster gave Rossington Wood to that corporation. Perhaps some reader may be able to supply more of his biography.
☞ F.
[A similar epitaph to the above will be found on the tomb of William Lambe, in the church of St. Faith under Paul: see Strype's Stow, book iii. p. 146. Dr. Miller does not appear to have given any biographical notices of Robert Byrkes, except that he was Mayor of Doncaster during the years 1569, 1573, and 1577. The following explanation of this inscription is given by Bland in his Proverbs, vol. i. p. 23.:—"By prudence in the distribution of his benevolence, by giving only to good and deserving persons, he procured to himself friends, on whose advice and assistance he might depend whenever occasion should desire it; and by expending only what he could conveniently spare, and laying it out on such things as administered to his comfort, he enjoyed, and therefore had what he expended; but what he left, not being enjoyed by himself, nor going perhaps to persons of his choice, or being used in the manner he would have preferred, that portion might be truly said to be lost.">[
Horæ Belgicæ.
—In what language is the second part of Hoffman von Fallersleben's Horæ Belgicæ written? This, from its title being written in Latin, may seem a foolish question, but it is also called (N. & Q., Vol. v., p. 7.) Holländische Volkslieder: and where can it be procured or seen?
W. S. S.
[Hoffman's work consists of six parts, of which the first—a bibliographical essay on old Flemish literature—is written in Latin. The second, to which our correspondent refers, is in German. Part III. contains the Flemish Floris ende Blancefloer, with a German Introduction; Part IV., the old Flemish Caerl ende Elegast, has a Latin preface; while Part V., containing Lantsloof ende die scone Sandrijn and Renout van Montalbaen, and Part VI., Altniederländische Schaubühne, a collection of early Flemish dramatic pieces, have German introductions. We believe the work may be procured of Williams and Norgate. If not, or our correspondent only wishes to refer to it, we shall be very happy to place our copy at his service for a few weeks.]
Dulcarnon.
—"I am at Dulcarnon." What is the origin of the above saying? I heard it used the other day by a person who, declaring he was at his wit's end, exclaimed, "Yes, indeed I am at Dulcarnon." Since that I have seen it in Boyer's French Dictionary, but in no English book.
H. CORVILLE WARDE.
Kidderminster.
[In addition to the note in our first Vol. p. 254, we may remark that Mr. Halliwell, in his Dictionary, says this word has set all editors of Chaucer at defiance. A clue to its meaning may be found in Stanihurst's Description of Ireland, p. 28.: "These sealie soules were (as all dulcarnanes for the most part are) more to be terrified from infidelitie through the paines of hell, than allured to Christianitie by the joies of heaven.">[