"FIORETTI. Opera gentilissima et utilissima a tutti li fideli Christiani laqual se chiama LI FIORETTI de Misser Santo Francesco asemiliativa a la vita et alla passion de JESU CHRISTO e tutte le soe sancti vertige. Lunardo Longo rector de la giesia de Sancto Paulo de Vincenza, curendo lano. M.CCCCLXXVI. in 4."
The second edition bears date, Venexia in caxa di Nicolo Girardengo M.CCCCLXXX. 4to.; the third, Perouse, 1481, 4to.
MARICONDA.
Feb. 11. 1852.
TRADITIONS OF REMOTE PERIODS.—GEORGE III.'S GARTER.
(Vol. v., pp. 77. 135.)
There is clearly some inaccuracy in the details of my statement, which I am obliged to LORD BRAYBROOKE and to G. for pointing out, and which, perhaps, they may help to clear up. The main fact is admitted: that "two Knights of the Garter covered the period from 1684 to 1820;" and George IV.'s assertion, that "he had given away a Garter that had been given but once since the reign of Charles II.," I myself heard, though I unluckily did not make a "Note" of it. This could apply to nothing but the cases of the Duke of Somerset and George III. Whether George IV. was misinformed as to the details on which he founded his assertion, I know not; but it is unlikely: and that after a lapse of about thirty years I may have confounded the Regency with the Accession, and Lord Moira with the Duke of Buckingham, I will not deny; for it seems that I have done one or the other, though without any effect on the main point. As to G.'s objection, that of several Garters disposed of on the same day in 1745. The Duke of Somerset's did not fall to Prince George. I have not Beltz to refer to; but it strikes me as possible this may admit of explanation: because, although Prince George was nominated first in the batch, it happened that he was invested the last; indeed not till the day after all the others: so that he might have received the badge of the Duke of Somerset. Your readers are aware that the badges are not the private property of the knights, but are always returned into the hands of the sovereign, and that the same badge is delivered to successive knights; so that it is probable that George III., on becoming sovereign, kept in his own possession the badge he had originally received, and that this identical badge George IV. disposed of as he stated, whether to the Duke of Buckingham, or, as the impression on my memory still is, Lord Moira.
C.
Traditions from Remote Periods.—From time to time notices have appeared in "N. & Q." of "remote events brought down to our own times through few links:" to these, if you should think it merits insertion, I beg to contribute the following Note from Chambers's Life and Works of Burns, vol. iii. p. 205. In the address to Mr. Maxwell, of Terraughty, on his birthday (p. 204.), Burns says, 7th line:
"This day[4] thou metes threescore eleven,"
and Mr. Chambers remarks: