Betterton's Essay.
The "best piece" of Betterton, for which T. J. L. inquires (p. 68.), is contained in his Life, printed by Gosling, 1710; in fact, this is merely a vehicle to intriduce the treatise, the Life filling only from p. 5. to 11., and thus concluding:—"He was bury'd with great decency in Westminster Abbey."
"The year before his death, (he) being at his country house in Reading, my friend and I travelled that way.... One day, after dinner, we retired to his garden, and fell into the discourse of acting." Thus is introduced his Essay, &c., continuing to p. 174., where it abruptly ends thus:—"After this discourse, we took our leaves of Mr. Betterton, and returned to London. I was pleased with his story," &c.
My copy is dedicated to Richard Steele, Esq., by Charles Gildon, and has prefixed to it the beautiful portrait of Betterton, engraved by Vander Gucht, from Kneller's picture, and, at its close (but separately paged), "The Amorous Widow or the Wanton Wife, now first printed from the original copy," 1710. E.
Incumbents of Church Livings.
A correspondent in Number 4., writes to inquire for information relative to the "names and birthplaces of incumbents of church livings prior to 1680, and the patrons of them."
It may slightly help his investigations to know that there is a Latin MS. in the British Museum, numbered Additional MSS. 12,483, with the title "Ecclesiastical Visitation of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, held in March and April 1543, by Nicholas Harpisfelde, Official of the Archdeacon of Winchester," folio, containing the names of the incumbents and churchwardens of the livings in those counties.
W. M. KINGSMILL.
Westminster, December 1849.
Mars de Saham—Portum Pusillum.