The difficulty in the above medal is the Lobster, though doubtless it had an allusion to some topic or scandal of the day; whoever can elucidate it will render good service to Medallic History, for hitherto it has baffled all commentators and collectors of medals. The windmill (indicative of the poplar fable that the Prince was the son of a miller), and the Roman Catholic symbols, are well understood.
There is an engraving of this medal in Van Loon's Histoire Metallique des Pays Bas. It is also imperfectly engraved in Edwards' Medallic History of England, for the Jesuit is represented kneeling on the shore, and Pinkerton, who furnished the text, calls it "a boy kneeling on the shore." The medal is so rare that probably the artist could obtain only a rubbed or mutilated impression to engrave from. My description is from a specimen, in my own collection, as fine as the day it was minted.
I may add that both Van Loon and Pinkerton have engraved the legend in the collar erroneously, "honi soit qui bon y pense;" it should be "non."
B. NIGHTINGALE.
ROGER DE COVERLEY.
In the Spectator's description of Sir Roger de Coverley it is said, "that his great-grandfather was the inventor of that famous country dance which is called after him." To the tune, as printed in Chappell's English Melodies, is appended a note to the effect that it was called after "Roger of Coverley" (Cowley, near Oxford).
Can any one inform me—
I. Where any notice of that Roger is to be found?
II. What is the etymon of "Cowley" (Temple Cowley and Church Cowley)?