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Read Ebook: Notes and Queries Number 76 April 12 1851 A Medium of Inter-communication for Literary Men Artists Antiquaries Genealogists etc. by Various Bell George Editor
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Ebook has 332 lines and 28115 words, and 7 pages
"1661. For the four soldiers and drummers for service on the Gloucester alarm and candles, 10s. 0d."
What was the "Gloucester alarm?"
G. R.
G. R.
"There was a maid of Westmoreland, Who built her house upon the sand:"
and the conclusion of which was, that, however desolate and exposed a situation that might be for her dwelling, it was better than in "the haunts of men." This was said to have been written by the late Mr. Thomas Sheridan. I never heard by whom the music to it, which was very pretty, was composed; nor whether or not it was published.
Can any of your correspondents supply the words of this old ballad, and state the name of the composer of the music to it? Also whether it was published, and, if so, by whom?
E. H.
Query, Who was this Anthony Bridges, and did he leave issue?
Is it possible that this is the identical Anthony, third surviving son of Sir John Bridges, first Baron Chandos of Sudeley, respecting whose fate there is so much uncertainty? He is presumed to have married a daughter of Fortescue of Essex, but the collateral evidence on which the supposition is founded is too slight to be satisfactory. Little is known but that he was born before 1532; that he was living in 1584 ; and that he had a son Robert, upon a presumed descent from whom the late Sir Egerton Brydges founded his well-known claim to the barony of Chandos of Sudeley.
O. C.
JARLTZBERG.
And Pope, in one of his letters, has the expression "stick at nothing," where he says:
Can any of your correspondents explain the origin of the word "stick" in the sense in which it is used by Pope; and how it came to supplant altogether the more intelligible word "stop," as employed by Dryden?
HENRY H. BREEN.
St. Lucia, January, 1851.
"Centum sunt ibi, praeterea, ejusdem farinae fabulae."
I have no doubt, however, that the origin of the expression may be traced to the scholastic doctors and casuists of the Middle Ages.
Will any of your correspondents be good enough to explain the circumstances which gave rise to the adoption of "farina" as a term expressive of baseness and disparagement?
HENRY H. BREEN.
St. Lucia, January, 1851.
H. N. E.
Will any of your correspondents be so kind as to inform me if the device on the corbel was the badge of the knights of the order of St. John of Jerusalem? and if so, at what time they first assumed it?
S. S. S.
J. G. N.
"Too wise to err, too good to be unkind,"
are quoted.
T. W. A.
Replies.
THOMAS MAY.
Thomas May, famous amongst the busy characters of his age, both as a politician and a poet, was the eldest son of Sir Thos. May, Knt., of Mayfield, in Sussex, where he was born in 1595. At the usual period of life, he was admitted a fellow-commoner of Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge; and having taken the degree of B.A. he entered himself at Gray's Inn, with the intention of studying the law, which, however, it is uncertain whether he ever pursued as a profession. Whilst he was a student of the law, he made the acquaintance of Edward Hyde, afterwards Earl of Clarendon; and became the intimate associate of Ben Jonson, Selden, Cotton, Sir K. Digby, Thos. Carew, "and some others of eminent faculties in their several ways."
"His parts of nature and art," writes Clarendon, in describing his character, "were very good, as appears by his translation of Lucan , and more by his Supplement to Lucan, which being entirely his own, for the learning, the wit, and the language, may be well looked upon as one of the best epic poems in the English language."
As an elegant writer, indeed, of Latin verse, he is justly numbered amongst the most successful of the accomplished poets of our nation--Ben Jonson, Cowley, Milton, Marvell, Crashaw, Addison, Gray, Smart, T. Warton, Sir W. Jones, &c.--who have devoted their leisure to this species of composition. Clarendon goes on to say that May was "born to a fortune, if his father had not spent it; so that he had only an annuity left him, not proportionable to a liberal education:"
"Yet since," continues this illustrious authority, "his fortune could not raise his mind, he brought his mind down to his fortune, by a great modesty and humility in his nature, which was not affected, but very well became an imperfection in his speech, which was a great mortification to him, and kept him from entering upon any discourse but in the company of his very friends," of whom he had not a few, for "he was cherished by many persons of honour, and very acceptable in all places."
His acquaintance with Challoner is also alluded to by Aubrey who says, "that his translation of Lucan's excellent poem, made him in love with the republique." Aubrey adds, he was--
"A handsome man, debauched, and lodged in the little square by Cannon Row, as you go through the alley."
Clarendon concludes his notice of May by observing that--
"Shortly after the publication of his parliamentary history he died, miserable and neglected, and deserves to be forgotten."
"Has caught no small portion of the energy and declamatory spirit which characterises the Roman poet, whom, as he translated, he insensibly made his model. His battle pieces," our critic continues, "highly merit being brought forward to notice; they possess the requisites, in a remarkable degree, for interesting the feelings of an Englishman. While in accuracy they vie with a gazette, they are managed with such dexterity, as to busy the mind with unceasing agitation, with scenes highly diversified and impassioned by striking character, minute incident, and alarming situation."
In confirmation of the general propriety and justness of these remarks, I would refer to the description of "The Den of the Vices" , and to the accounts of "The Death of Rosamond" , "The Battle of Cressy" , and "The Capture of Mortimer" . These pieces can only be thus vindicated, being much too long for extracting; but I think a republication of the entire poems would be an acceptable boon to the public.
COWGILL.
E. B. PRICE.
Cow Cross.
"Most servile wit, and mercenary pen, Polydore, Lucan, Allan, Vandal, Goth. Malignant poet and historian both. Go seek the novice statesmen and obtrude On them some Roman cast similitude."
He died suddenly in the night of 13th Nov., 1650, his death being attributed by Marvell to a little too much indulgence in wine.
"As one pot drunk into the packet-boat, Tom May was hurry'd hence, and did not know't."
W. DURRANT COOPER.
DUCHESS OF BUCKINGHAM.
P. C. S. S. believes that a reference to almost any Peerage or work on British genealogy, would have saved Mr. F. B. RELTON the trouble of addressing the inquiry at Vol. iii., p. 224. Katherine Sedley, daughter of Sir Charles Sedley, commemorated in Johnson's line--
"And Sedley cursed the form that pleased a king"--
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