Pope Joan (Vol. iii., p. 265.).—You have referred to Sir Thomas Browne, and might have added the opinion of his able editor (Works, iii. 360.), who says, "Her very existence itself seems now to be universally rejected by the best authorities as a fabrication from beginning to end." On the other hand, old Coryat, in his Crudities (vol. ii. p. 443.), has the boldness to speak with "certainty of her birth at a particular place,—viz. at Mentz." Mosheim tells us (vol. ii. p. 300.) that during the five centuries succeeding 855, "the event was generally believed." He quotes some distinguished names, as well among those who maintained the truth of the story as amongst those who rejected it as a fable. Bayle may be included amongst the latter, who, in the third volume of his Dictionary (Article Papesse), has gone deeply into the question. Mosheim himself seems to leave it where Sir Roger de Coverley would have done,—"much may be said on both sides."
J. H. M.
Replies to Minor Queries
Robert Burton, his Birth-place (Vol. iii., pp. 106. 157.).—A friend who has just been reading the Anatomy of Melancholy, has referred me to the following passage, which seems to give conclusive testimony respecting the birth-place of Burton:—
"Such high places are infinite ... and two amongst the rest, which I may not omit for vicinities sake, Oldbury in the confines of Warwickshire, where I have often looked about me with great delight, at the foot of which hill I was born; and Hanbury in Staffordshire, contiguous to which is Falde, a pleasant village, and an ancient patrimony belonging to our family, now in the possession of mine elder brother, William Burton, Esquire." [Note on words "I was born." At Lindley in Lecestershire, the possession and dwelling place of Ralph Burton, Esquire, my late deceased father.]—Anatomy of Melancholy, Part ii. Sec 2. Mem. 3. ad fin.
I knew of the following, but as it merely mentions Lindley as the residence of the family, it would not have answered Dr. Rimbault's Query.
"Being in the country in the vacation time, not many years since, at Lindly in Lecestershire, my father's house," &c.—Ibid. Part ii. Sec. 5. Mem. 1. subs. 5.
C. Forbes.
Barlaam and Josaphat (Vol. iii., pp. 135. 278.).—I do not know of any English translation of this work. If any Middle Age version exists, it should be published immediately. A new and excellent German one (by Felix Liebrecht, Münster, 1847) has lately appeared, written, however, for Romish purposes, as much as from admiration of the work itself. It would be well if some member of our own pure branch of the Church Catholic would turn his attention to this noble work, and give us a faithful but fresh and easy translation, with a literary introduction descriptive of all the known versions, &c.; and a chapter on the meaning and limits of the asceticism preached in the original. In this case, and if published cheap, as it ought to be, it would be a golden present for our youth, and would soon become once more a folk-book. The beautiful free Old Norwegian version (written by King Hákon Sverresson, about A.D. 1200) mentioned in my last has now been published in Christiania, edited by the well-known scholars R. Keyser and C. R. Unger, and illustrated by an introduction, notes, glossary, fac-simile, &c. (Barlaams ok Josaphats Saga. 8vo. Christiania, 1851.) The editors re-adopt the formerly received opinion, that the Greek original (now printed in Boissonade's Anecdota Græca, vol. iv.) is not older than the eighth century, and was composed by Johannes Damascenus. But this must be decided by future criticism.