Muffs worn by Gentlemen.—Whilst looking over Hogarth's works, I observed in two plates a
male figure wearing a muff; in the "Rake's Progress," pl. 4., and in the "Woman Swearing a Child." How long, and within what limits, did this fashion flourish?
W. Sparrow Simpson, B.A.
Replies.
ST. PATRICK.
(Vol. v., p. 520.)
Allowing himself to be led astray by such an untruthful guide as Ledwich, your correspondent E. M. R. thinks that "there seems to be very great doubt if St. Patrick ever existed in reality." Had E. M. R. sought for, he might have found evidences of Ireland's apostle's existence beginning with the very lifetime itself of that saint. 1st. We have a short work from St. Patrick's own pen, the Confessio, which the best critics have allowed to be genuine: it commences thus: "Ego Patricius peccator," &c. 2nd. A very old hymn, shown by Dr. O'Conor to have been written c. A.D. 540 (Prol. in Rer. Hib. Vet. Script., p. lxxxix.), tells us that: "Patricius prædicabat Scotis." (Ib., p. xciii.). 3rd. The Irish monk Adamnan, who died A.D. 704, that is, almost a half century before our Beda, in his Life of St. Columba, says: "Quidam proselytus Brito homo sanctus, sancti Patricii episcopi discipulus," &c. (AA. SS. Junii, t. ii. p. 197.). 4th. In the library of C. C. College, Cambridge, there is a MS. of the seventh century, containing the early Irish canons: "Synodus episcoporum id est Patricii, Auxillii, Issernini" (Nasmith's Cat. C. C. C. C., p. 318.). 5th. The Antiphonal, once belonging to the Irish Bangor, but now in the Ambrosian Library, Milan, a MS. of the end of the seventh or beginning of the eighth century, and published by Muratori, has a "hymnum Sancti Patricii magistri Scotorum" (Muratori, Anecd., t. iv. p. 89.). 6th. Cummian, writing about the Pascal question to the Abbot of Hy, A.D. 634, says: "Primum (cyclum) illum quem sanctus Patricius Papa noster tulit," &c. (Vet. Epist. Hibernicarum Syl., ed. Usserio, p. 21.). 7th. In the very old Litanies, once used, as it seems, by some church among the Britons living in this island beyond the reach of Anglo-Saxon control, we find invoked St. Patrick, along with SS. Brindane, Gildas, Paterne, Guinwaloc, Munna, Tutwal, German, and other lights of the Irish, as well as our ancient British church (ed. Mabillon, Vet. Analect., p. 168.). 8th. St. Gertrude, Abbess of Nivelle, died on the 17th March, A.D. 658; the writer of her life was her cotemporary, and he expressly mentions St. Patrick (Vita S. Gertrudis, ed. Mabillon. AA. SS. O. B., t. ii. p. 447.). 9th. Our own Beda did insert St. Patrick's name in the Martyrology which he drew up (ed. Smith, Bedæ Hist. Eccl., p. 351.); and another far-famed countryman of ours, Alcuin, who, in some verses which he composed for being placed "Ad aram SS. Patricii et aliorum Scotorum," says:
"Patricius, Cheranus, Scotorum gloria gentis,
Atque Columbanus, Congallus, Adomnanus atque," &c.