In a small treatise, De Jure Prelationis Nobilium Scotiæ, printed by the Bannatyne Club in 1827, from a manuscript in the Advocates' Library, with a preface and numerous additions by Sir Alexander Seton, Lord Pitmedden, I find the following remark, under the head of "Comes de Erroll":—
"The Earle of Erroll claims precedency of all the nobilitie of Scotland nixt to the Chancellour, though of ane ancienter creation than himself, be vertue of his office of Constabulary, of the which that precedency is a priviledge; and to instruct that it is a priviledge, he produces a Report of a Commission that was granted be the King under the Great Seal anno 1631, to take tryall of the priviledges of the Constable; which Report, in the second article thereof, bears that the precedency is due to the Constable next to the Chancellor, but he has never been in possession of it, but only takes place by his antiquity as Earle."
The report here referred to is given in Nisbet's Heraldry, vol. ii. p. 67. In the eighth chapter of Sir George Mackenzie's treatise on "Precedency" (p. 534. of the second volume of his works), your correspondent will find some interesting information regarding the ancient office of High Constable. In the course of his remarks the learned author says:
"Next to these (i.e. the Chancellor, Justice-General, Chamberlain, High Steward, Panetarius, and Buttelarius) are named, in the laws of King Malcolm Canmore (1057-1093), the Constable and Marishal; but now the Constable and Marishal take not place as officers of the Crown, but according to their creation as Earls: the reason thereof I conceive to be, because of old offices did not prefer those who possessed them, but they took place according to their creation; whereas now the Privy Seal precedes all Dukes, and the Secretary takes place before all of his own rank; but the Constable and Marishal, being now the only two officers of the Crown that are heritable in Scotland, continue to possess as they did formerly. But in France, England, and all other places, the Constable and Marishal take place as officers of the Crown; and it seems very strange that these, who ride upon the King's right and left hand when he returns from his Parliaments, and who guard the Parliament itself, and the honours, should have no precedency by their offices; and yet I cannot deny, but that of old other Earls were placed before them; for in the former Charter granted by King Alexander, Malcolm Earl of Fife is placed before them. And I conceive their precedency has not risen of late to the same proportion with others, because, of late, our armies have been commanded by other officers, and so there was little use for the Constable and Marishal."
E. N.
THE BOWYER BIBLE. (Vol. v., pp. 248. 309.)
Seeing a fresh notice of this great book in No. 124. of "N. & Q.," I venture to forward a few particulars concerning Bowyer, who was an old friend, even of between thirty and forty years' standing. He is long since gone to his rest; he has left neither widow nor child, scarcely a distant relative, so that the following can neither "give offence nor grieve." He has often told me particulars of his early career. Being a poor youth in search of employment, and withal moody enough at his prospects, he was one day walking down Newgate Street, and pausing to look at a print or two in a shop-window, it struck him he could take a likeness; so he went home to his indifferent lodging, having procured implements suitable, seated himself before a glass, and took his own portrait, which he considered was as successful as a first effort could be. Encouraged thereby, he was soon employed to paint others, and such note did he acquire that his miniatures were carried into court-circles, so that he became a sort of celebrity in that line, and Queen Charlotte appointed him her official miniature-painter—if such be the proper term.
He soon struck out much more important occupation, planning various publications, the most promising of which was his large edition of Hume's History of England; and this was so ponderous an undertaking that it was only at last disposed of by a lottery. His fondness for taking portraits never left him, and a very few years before his death he gratified my family by volunteering to paint a miniature of my father, and a capital likeness it was. He was much pleased with one of his successes, of which he has more than once told me with great glee. Just before George III. was secluded finally from public view, he and another artist, an old acquaintance, went one Sunday together to the Chapel-Royal at Windsor, and during the service each sketched the King on one of his nails: they adjourned to an inn, and while the impression was yet fresh, transferred to a sheet of paper the likeness of the venerable monarch. On returning with it to London, Bowyer sent it for the inspection of the Prince Regent, who was so pleased with this rough pencil-drawing, that he sent word back he would never part with it, and begged to know Bowyer's price. The latter said 105l., which the Prince Regent immediately forwarded.
I once found Bowyer drawing at a table, a wig placed on a stick before him, and he was taking the likeness of a very old friend, who was dead and gone, from memory. In this attempt he entirely succeeded, even to the surprise of all who knew the deceased.
About ten years ago a little book, called Henry VIII. and his Contemporaries, by B. Bensley, contained, concerning the earlier impressions of the Bible, the following note:—