[2] These oddities of the fifteenth century, with others, were conveniently republished, in Maccheronee di Cinque Poète Italiani (Milan: D li, 1864).
[3] He would almost be worth republishing for this alone, and I say this despite the trouble it has given me. Those who are curious in rare words and autoschediastic forms ought to prize Whiting highly.
[4] As an instance here, take the incident where the false Phaeliche, coming to the nunnery, sees the masons mending the breaches that Rivelezzo's cannon had made. It is a mere touch, awkward and only half intelligible in the verse. Less than two centuries later Scott would have given a lively page and a half of prose description of the scene, with dialogue thrown in. On the other hand, in prose, the extravagances of the phrase and the incoherences of the story would have had a better chance of being mended.
[5] 'Marget' is used in Albino and Bellama as a generic name. But Whiting's irritable and restless fancy may have put together 'Mag-pie' and Persius's poetris pica.
[6] By the great kindness of the Rev. J. H. Gray, Tutor and Dean of Queens' College, assisted by the President of that Society and by the Registrar of the University of Cambridge, I am enabled to give more than I had found in any book. Nathaniel Whiting (who seems also to have spelt his name 'Whiteinge' and 'Whitinge') matriculated as Pensioner on March 30, 1629; proceeded B.A. 1631 and M.A. in 1635. He had been entered at his college on July 1, 1628, and his tutor's name was Stubbins. In the College accounts from September 1630, and for four years onwards, Whiting appears as a Scholar, receiving in the respective years 12s. 6d.; 16s. 3d.; 19s. 7d.; and 15s. 10d. The first payment seems to have been for part of the year only: but in no year does he come anywhere near the full income of a Scholar; which, Mr. Gray tells me, seems to have been £2. There appears to be no subsequent mention of him in the College records either as Scholar or Fellow.
[7] Canon Hodgson, Rector of Aldwincle, kindly allowed Mr. Simpson to examine the registers. The date of Whiting's institution is March 20, 1652, but already in 1650, on May 4, he signs the accounts as 'Minister'.
[8] By C. H. and T. Cooper, in the third series, vol. v, p. 420.
[9] The Rev. C. R. Thursfield kindly allowed Mr. Simpson to examine the registers.