VOL. VI.-No. 149.]

CONTENTS.

NOTES:

Coleridge's Notes on Pepys's Diary

Folk Lore: A Worcestershire Legend in Stone, by Cuthbert Bede

"Cambridge Disputations" illustrative of Shakspeare Robert, by the Rev. Dr. Maitland

Minor Notes: - Passage in Alfred's "Boethius "- Mistletoe on the Spruce and Silver Fir- Cambridge Prize Poem, 1820: False Quantity-St. George's DayScented Glue for Bookbinding-Dictionary of Anonymous Writers - Punning Mottoes

219

220

· 220

221

221

221

221

222

223

Variations in Copies of the Second Folio Edition of Shakspeare, 1632, by S. W. Singer, &c.

224

225

225

Arms in Churches, by E. A. H. Lechmere and J. Noake 227 "Oh! go from the Window"

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Burials in unconsecrated Ground, by M. A. Lower, &c. 229 Replies to Minor Queries: - Mitigation of Capital Punishment to a Forger - Shaston-Alain Chartier Voyage du Monde de Descartes- The British Apollo Saints who destroyed Serpents - Birthplace of Josephine Monkish Burials Beech Tree-Duke of Orleans-Henrie Smith-Longevity - Sex of the Moon and Sun- The Royal "We"- Etymology of Sycophant -Blindman's Holiday - Travelling Expenses at the Close of the Seventeenth Century "Balnea, vina, Venus"- Snike-Venice Glasses Fell Family-Bitter Beer - Salt Box-Author the "Gradus

COLERIDGE'S NOTES ON PEPYS'S DIARY.

In a copy of Pepys's Memoirs, 2 vols. 4to. 1825, in my possession, are the following MS. remarks of S. T. Coleridge. They have never been printed; if think them worthy of insertion they are you quite at your service.

As it would take up too much room in your pages to copy the passages at length from Pepys's Diary, I generally only give the page, and beginning of the passage alluded to.

Pepys.-Vol. i. p. 84.: "he, in discourse of the great opinion of the virtue, gratitude," &c.

Coleridge." Exquisite specimen of dry, grave irony."

Pepys.-Vol. i. p. 189.: "Falling into discourse of a new book of drollery in use, called Hudibras, I would needs go find it out; it is so silly an abuse of the Presbyter Knight going to the warrs, that I am ashamed of it."

Coleridge. "IF!!! but still more strange would be the truth of the story. Yet only suppose the precise date an addition of the reporters: and nothing more natural.-Mem. The good old story of a jealous husband's sending his confidential servant to his wife, forbidding her to see a certain gentleman during his absence, and to bring back her solemn oath and promise that she would not and how the shrewd fellow, instead of this, t her oath not to ride on Neptune's back, th huge Newfoundland yard-dog."

Pepys. Vol. ii. p. 13. : "We had much talk of all our old acquaintance," &c.

Coleridge. "Most valuable on many, various, and most important accounts, as I hold this Diary to be, I deem it invaluable, as a faithful portrait of enlightened (i. e. calculating) self-love and self

interest in its perihelion to Morality, or its nearest possible neighbourhood to, or least possible distance from, Honour and Honesty. And yet what a cold and torpid Saturn, with what a sinister and leaden shine, spotty as the moon, does it appear, compared with the principles and actions of the regicide, Colonel Hutchinson, or those of the Puritan, Richard Baxter (in the Autobiography edited by Sylvester), both the contemporaries of Pepys." Pepys. Vol. ii. p. 46.: " He tells me the King of France hath his mistresses, but laughs at the foolery of our King, that makes his bastards princes," &c. Coleridge. "Mem. Earl of Munster. This, with wit and condescension, was all that was wanting to a perfect parallelism in the character of George IV. with that of Charles II., and this he left to be supplied by his worthy brother and successor."

Pepys. Vol. ii. p. 55.: “ Engaged under hand and seal to give the man that obtained it so much in behalf of my Lord Chancellor."

Coleridge. "And this was one of the three idols of our church; for Clarendon ever follows Charles the Martyr, and the Martyr, Laud! Alas! what a strange thing the conscience seems to be, when such actions and deliberate falsehoods as have been on strong grounds imputed to Lord Clarendon, among others, the suborning of assassination, could be made compatible in his own mind with professions of religion and habitual religious meditations and exercises."

Pepys. Vol. ii. p. 62. "The Dutch are known to be abroad with eighty sail of ships of war, and twenty fire-ships, and the French come into the channell with twenty sail of men of war and five fire-ships, while we have not a ship at sea," &c.

Coleridge. "There were good grounds for the belief, that more and yet worse causes than sensuality and sensual sloth were working in the king's mind and heart, viz. the readiness to have the French king his Master, and the Disposer of his Kingdom's power, as the means of becoming himself the uncontrolled Master of its wealth. He would fain be a Despot, even at the cost of being another's Underling. Charles II. was willing, nay, anxious, to reduce his Crown and Kingdom under the domination of the Grand Monarque, provided he might have the power to shear and poll his subjects without leave, and unchecked by the interference of a parliament. I look on him as one of the moral Monsters of History."

as the

Coleridge.-"!!-Yet Cowley was a poet, which with all my unfeigned admiration of his vigorous lencies of diction and metre, is more than (in the sense, his agile logical wit, and his high excelstrict use of the term Poet) I can conscientiously say of Dryden. Only if Pope was a Poet, as Lord Byron swears, then Dryden, I admit, was a very great Poet. W. Wordsworth calls Lord Byron the Mocking Bird of our Parnassian Ornithology; but the Mocking Bird, they say, has a very sweet song of his own, in true Notes proper to himself. Now I cannot say I have ever heard any such in his Lordship's volumes of Warbles; and spite of Sir W. Scott, I dare predict that in less than a century, the Baronet's and the Baron's Poems will lie on the same shelf of Oblivion, Scott be read and remembered as a Novelist and the Founder of a new race of Novels; and Byron not remembered at all, except as a wicked Lord who, from morbid and restless vanity, pretended to be ten times more wicked than he was."

Pepys. Vol. ii. p. 125.: “To the Bear Garden saw the prize fought, till one of them, a shoemaker, was so cut in both his wrists that he could not fight any longer. The sport very good.'

Coleridge. "! Certainly Pepys was blest with the queerest and most omnivorous taste that ever fell to the lot of one man."

Pepys.-Vol. ii. p. 151.: "To the King's Playhouse, and there saw a silly play and an old one, The Taming of a Shrew."

Coleridge. "This is, I think, the fifth of Shakspeare's Plays, which Pepys found silly, stupid trash, and among them Othello! Macbeth, indeed, he commends for the shews and music, but not to be compared with the 'Five Hours' Adventures'!! This, and the want of wit in the Hudibras, is very amusing, nay, it is seriously instructive. Thousands of shrewd and intelligent men, in whom, as in S. Pepys, the Understanding

is [word illegible, but explained as a new invented verb by the Doctors, meaning overgrown] to the necrosis or marasmus of the Reason and Imagination, while far-sighted (yet oh! how shortsighted) self-interest fills the place of conscience, would say the same, if they dare."

Pepys. Vol. ii. p. 254.: “To church, and heard a

good sermon of Mr. Gifford's at our church, upon Seek ye first the kingdom of heaven and its righteousness, and all things shall be added to you.' He

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shewed, like a wise man, that righteousness is a surer moral way of being rich, than sin and villany." Coleridge. Highly characteristic. Pepys' only ground of morality was Prudence, a shrewd Understanding in the service of Self-love, his Conscience. He was a Pollard man, without the Top (i.e. the Reason, as the source of Ideas, or immediate yet not sensuous truths, having their evidence in themselves; or, the Imagination, or idealising Power, by symbols mediating between the Reason and the Understanding), but on this account more broadly and luxuriantly branching out from the upper Trunk. For the sobriety and stedfastness of a worldly self-interest substitute inventive Fancy, Will-wantonness (stet pro ratione voluntas), and a humorous sense of the emptiness and dream-likeness of human pursuits-and Pepys would have been the Panurge of the incomparable Rabelais.-Mem. It is incomprehensible to me that this great and general Philosopher should have been a Frenchman, except on my hypothesis of a continued dilution of the Gothic blood from the reign of Henry IV. Des Cartes, Malbranche, Pascal, and Molière, being the ultimi Gothorum, the last in whom the Gothic predominated over the Celtic."

Pepys.-Vol. ii. p. 260.: "To the fair, to see the play Bartholomew Fair'; and it is an excellent play ... only the business of amusing the Puritans begins to grow stale and of no use, they being the people that at last will be found the wisest."

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Coleridge. Pepys was always a Commonwealth's man in his heart. N. B. Not a democrat; but even more than the constitutional Whigs, the very antipodes of the modern Jacobins, or Tuilup, Head-down politicians. A voluptuary, and without a spark of bigotry in his nature, he could not be a Puritan; but of his free choice he would have preferred Presbyterianism to Prelacy, and a mixed Aristocracy of Wealth and Talent, to a Monarchy or even a mixed Government, such at least as the latter was in his time. But many of the more enlightened Jacobites were Republicans who despaired of a Republic. Si non Brutus,

Cæsar."

that before the reign of Anne, the constitution had but a sort of uterine life, or but partially appeared as in the [illegible], and that it is unworthy of a British statesman to quote any precedent anterior to the Revolution in 1688! Here, an honest, high principled, and patriotic Senator, criminates Lord Clarendon for having prevented Charles II. from making the Crown independent of the Parliament, and this when he knew and groaned under the infamous vices and folly of the king! Sick and weary of the factious and persecuting temper of the House of Commons, many, the true lovers of their country and its freedom, would gladly have dispensed with Parliaments, and have secured for the King a revenue which, wisely and economic..lly managed, might have sufficed for all ordinary demands, could they have discovered any other way of subjecting the Judges to a periodical_rigorous account for their administration of the Law. In the Laws and the Rights established by Law, these men placed the proper liberty of the subject. mencement of a Reign, and of a War, under an Before the Revolution a Parliament at the comeconomic and decorous [illegible], would have satisfied the People generally."

Pepys.- Vol. ii. p. 342.: “Thence walked a little with Creed, who tells me he hears how fine my orses and coach are, and advises me to avoid being no: for it. . . . being what I feared," &c.

Coleridge."This struggle between the prudence of an Atticus, and the Sir-Piercy-ShaftonTaylor-blood working as an instinct in his veins, with extreme sensitiveness to the opinions of men as their combining medium, is very amusing."

Pepys. Vol. ii. p. 348.: Pepys here concludes his Diary from threatening blindness.

Coleridge."Truly may it be said that this was a greater and more grievous loss to the mind's eye of his posterity, than to the bodily organs of Pepys himself. It makes me restless and discontented to think what a Diary, equal in minuteness and truth of portraiture to the preceding from 1669 to 1688 or 1690, would have been for the true causes, process, and character of the Revolution."

Pepys.- Vol. ii. (Correspondence), p. 65.: "It is a common position among these factious sectaries, that there is no medium between a true Churchman of

England and a Roman Catholic," &c.

Coleridge."It is only too probable, that that he might have succeeded in suppressing the James's bigotry alone baffled his despotism, and liberties of his country, if he would for a time at least have kept aloof from its Religion. It should be remembered, in excuse for the supporters of James II., that the practicability of conducting the affairs of the State with and by a parliament had not yet been demonstrated, nay,

Coleridge.- "That lady of masculine intellect, with all the woman's sense of beauty (Mrs. Emerson, was that the name? but long a botanical correspondent and contributor to Nicholson's Phil. Magazine, v. Mrs. Ibbetson), believed herself to have discovered the principle of this precious citrine wood, and the means of producing it. And I sce no reason for doubting it, though of her phytological anatomy, by help of the solar microscope, I am sceptical. The engravings instantly called up in my mind the suspicion of some kaleidoscope delusions, from the singular symmetry of all the forms. But she was an excellent and very remarkable woman, and her contributions in the Phil. Magazine worth studying, even for the style."

Pepys.- Vol. ii. (Correspondence), p. 73. Burnet's Theory of the Earth. "The whole hypothesis so ingenious and so rational, that I both admire and believe

it at once."

Coleridge."! Strange! Burnet's book is a grand Miltonic romance; but the contrast between the Tartarian fury, and Turbulence of the Burnetian, and the almost supernatural tranquillity of the Mosaic, Deluge, is little less than comic."

Pepys. Vol. ii. (Correspondence), p. 198. Second sight, so called in Scotland. "She's a handsome lady indeed," said the gentleman, "but I see her in blood," &c.

Coleridge." It would have been necessary to cross-examine this Scotch Deuteroptis, whether he had not seen the duplicate or spectrum of other persons in blood. It might have been the result of an inflammatory condition of his own brains, or a slight pressure on the region of the optic nerves. I have repeatedly seen the phantasm of the page I was reading, all spotted with blood, or with the letters all blood."

The above is a literal transcript of S. T. Coleridge's Marginalia; and whether we agree or differ with the opinions expressed, I cannot but think some of your readers may be pleased to see the written thoughts of such a man (whether antagonistic to, or agreeing with his later conclusions) prevented from perishing, by being inserted in a book of such world-circulation as "N. & Q."

BONSALL.

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Hunting one day near the Severn, he started a fine buck, which took the direction of the river: fearing ta lose it, he discharged an arrow, which, piercing it through, continued its flight, and struck a salmon, which had leaped from the surface of the water, with so much force as to transfix it. This being thought a very extraordinary shot (as indeed it was), a stone carving representing it was fixed over the west door of Ribbesford Church, then in course of erection."

Now, I have always heard a not less extraordinary, but more poetical version of the legend; which is, very briefly, as follows:-The great lord of that part of the country had but one child, a daughter, who was passing fair to see, and who was beloved by a young hunter, who seems to have had nothing but his handsome face and bow to depend upon. She returned his love with all the passionate fervour of, &c. &c., and they often contrived to meet in secret in one of those romantic spots on the Severn's banks, where doubtless, according to established custom, they mingled their tears, and said soft nothings, and abused the maiden's paternity. For papa was inexorable, and had no notion that his daughter, for whose hand belted knights had pleaded in vain, should be wedded to this poaching, penniless young hunter. And so they lifted up their voices and wept. But one day in came the maiden and said that she had lost the ring that her father had given her and as it was a magical ring, that possessed a complete pharmacopoeia of virtues and healing properties, and had been a family relic for many generations, papa was so concerned about its loss that he caused a proclamation to be issued, that whoever should bring him back the ring might claim the hand of his daughter, and thus be "handsomely rewarded for his trouble." Every one searched for the ring, and every one confessed that their search was hope less; and the handsome young hunter laughed in his sleeve, and went on his way to the great lord's castle, to beg his acceptance of a fine Severn salmon, which he had just shot. Not that the Waltonians of that day killed their salmon in that account he had been walking on the west bank of manner, but according to the young hunter's the river, when a fine stag had suddenly started up on the eastern bank, and that he had shot an arrow at it; that when his arrow had got about half way over the river, it pierced the salmon, which had chosen that unlucky moment for his last summerset; and that thereupon the young hunter had waded into the water, and secured his unlookedfor prey. In consideration of its being killed in such a singular manner, he begged his lord's accept

ance of it, and also offered his services to the cook to help to prepare it for the table. Having thus secured his witnesses, the young hunter cut the salmon open, and with a well-affected tone of wonder, exclaimed, "Here's the young lady's ring inside the salmon!" and so, sure enough, there was: and the young lady, on being questioned, said that she supposed she must have lost the ring off her finger the while she was bathing in the river, and that the enamoured salmon had then and there taken it to heart. But I confess I am sceptical on this point, and inclined to think that it was a welllaid plan between the young maiden and her lover. And it succeeded as it deserved; for they were married, and were very happy, and were soon surrounded by many miniature duplicates of them

selves.

Whether or not the carving on the tympanum of the northern-not western – -nave doorway of Ribbesford Church represents the chief event of the above legend, I am unable to say. Your correspondent says it does, and recognises in the carving "a rude human figure with a bow, and a salmon transfixed with an arrow before it :" and

this is certainly the popular belief. But without wishing to disturb the legend (which Nash, in his History of Worcestershire, does not mention), I very much doubt its application to the carving in question. In such a rude representation it is a mere matter of speculation to say what it is meant for: but I take it to be a man shooting at a beaver. The object at which he is aiming is rather larger than himself, has a thin neck, a thickly-made body, a sort of square tail, and what seems to be four small legs; and is raised on its hind feet out of what seem to be meant for rushes. Running towards the man is a small four-legged figure, much more like a dog than a stag. Certainly there is nothing about the salmon which has the least resemblance to that fish: and that the sculptor would have had the power to properly represent it we may judge from one of the capitals on the doorway, where he has carved two small fish in such a way that there is no need of the inscription "This is a fish" to tell us what is meant. We have a proof that beavers abounded in the Severn in the neighbourhood of Ribbesford in the fact that a small island there is called "Beaver's Island." A representation of the doorway is given in Nash, but it is very far from correct. Before I conclude I may mention- apropos to the Severn salmon the singular fact, that not more than fifty years ago the indentures of the Bridgenorth apprentices set forth that their masters, under pain of certain penalties, were not to give them Severn salmon for dinner more than three times a week!

CUTHBERT BEDE, B.A.

Volume, requiring the meaning, amongst other A Query appeared at page 55. of this present technical expressions, of "Si A sit B, cadit quæstio."

I do not profess to answer that, or the other question proposed by the Querist-nor does there, at first sight, seem to be anything in the subject in common with Shakspeare; but as, in a former Query of equally unpromising appearance, I found a theme from which I drew a defence of the original word "sickle" (Vol. v., p. 324.); so, in this, I perceive an apt opportunity to explain another expression in Measure for Measure, which has, in my opinion, been hitherto wholly misunderstood. I also wish to point it out as yet another proof of Shakspeare's thorough familiarity with all technical knowledge, even with "the jargon of the schools" from which it has been so absurdly the fashion to suppose him excluded.

What else but subservience to this prejudice could prevent such men as Doctor Johnson from seeking, at the right source, for the meaning of many of those obscure expressions they were confessedly unable to understand? Of that, for example, which I am now about to explain, where Angelo, in his sophistical argument with Isabella (Measure for Measure, Act II. Sc. 4.) puts in supposition, that if Isabella would consent to commit sin, her brother's life might be saved, adding these words in qualification

"As I subscribe not that, nor any other,

But in the loss of question”.

Now, Dr. Johnson and the rest, in their bisson conspectuities, could not make anything of this phrase, "loss of question"; and the Doctor even went so far as to propose the substitution of toss of question! one of those happy emendations from which we can never be sufficiently thankful for deliverance.

But, beyond all reasonable doubt, Shakspeare meant, by "loss of question," the casus quæstionis of the logicians!

Isabella is the respondent, who maintains the quæstio; Angelo the opponent, by whose reasoning the "quæstio cadit"; consequently the latter declares that his hypothetical case has for its sole object "the loss of question": that is, the refutation of the arguments urged by Isabella in favour of a remission of her brother's condemnation.

And observe how admirably appropriate this logical technicality is to the subtle schoolmen! not less so than the scriptural allusions - the "sickles of the tested gold"- the "prayers from fasting maids" to the enthusiastic novice!

Leeds.

A. E. B.