Notes and Queries, Number 138, June 19, 1852 / A Medium of Inter-communication for Literary Men, Artists, Antiquaries, Genealogists, etc.

Queries. OLD MUSIC.

I feel thankful to Dr. Rimbault for the "Old Concert Bill" which you have printed in Vol. v., p. 556., and wish it may lead to more contributions towards what does not exist, but is much to be wished for, a history of instrumental music in this country. Having had this subject in my mind a good while, and having had occasion to observe how defective and erroneous the supposed sources of information are, I have from time to time made memoranda, which would be at the service of anybody who would undertake such a work as the correction of the Dictionary of Musicians, or the compilation of a more complete work. My notes indeed are not of much importance, but it is the kind of case in which every little helps. In this concert bill, for instance, relating to a first-rate performance, we have five names, Grano, Dieupart, Pippo, Vebar, and Baston, which are not in the Dictionary. As to the first, I only know him by a set of solos for a violin or flute, which I have; of the next three, I know nothing; and of the last, I did not know that he performed Woodcock's music, or indeed that he performed at all, though I knew him as a composer. And in a volume now lying before me, "XII Concertos" by Woodcock are followed by "Six Concertos in Six Parts for Violins and Flutes, viz.: a Fifth, Sixth, and Concert Flute: the proper Flute being nam'd to each Concerto; composed by Mr. John Baston," and printed for Walsh. He is not, however, named either as a composer or performer in the Dictionary. It may be said that these are obscure persons; but that is the very reason why some slight, plain notice of them should exist somewhere; for the history of an art is not well written, or well understood, if there is not some easy way of learning more or less about the obscure persons who are every now and then coming on the stage.

To this note, may I be allowed to add a couple of Queries which perhaps some musical reader may be able and willing to answer.

1. Who was "Joseph Jackson, Batchelor in Music, late of St. John's College, Oxford;" and did he compose anything beside six sonatas for two violins and a violoncello, which were "printed for the widow by Thompson and Son in St. Paul's Churchyard," I suppose (from some other "just published" music advertised on the title-page) about a century ago?

2. I have also—

"Six Trio pour deux Violons et Alto Viola ou Basse obligÉ. ComposÉs par Mr. Bach; mis au jour par Mr. Huberty de l'Academie Royale de Musique, gravÉs par M^e son Epouse. Œuvre II."

Which Bach was the composer? I do not pretend to know by the style, being only—

An Amateur.

TREASURY OF ST. MARK'S; RECORD AT TIBERIUS.

In Howell's Familiar Letters, edit. 1726, p. 62., he says that he saw in the Treasury of St. Mark's, Venice, a huge iron chest as tall as himself—

"that hath no lock, but a crevice through which they cast in the gold that's bequeathed to St. Mark in legacies, whereon is engraven this proud motto:

'Quando questo scrinio S'apria,
Tutto 'l Mundo tremera.'

'When this chest is opened, the whole world shall tremble.'"

Is there any other account of this chest, or of its having been opened, as it was evidently reserved for some great necessity? Did not the exigencies of the state, during its decline, compel the Venetians to resort to it; if not, such a treasure could hardly escape the lynx-eyed rapacity of some one of the many spoilers to whom the unfortunate city has been subject. At p. 275. he gives an account of having read in Suidas, that in his time a record existed at Tiberius which was found in the Temple at Jerusalem when it was destroyed, which affirms that our Saviour was in his lifetime upon earth chosen a priest of the Temple, and registered therein as "Jesus Christ, the Son of God and of the Virgin Mary." Howell requests the opinion of Dr. Usher, Lord Primate of Ireland, on the subject. Is there any corroborative evidence that such a register existed?

E. N. W.

Southwark.

UNICORN.

Can any of your correspondents refer me to an account of the supposed habits of this animal, which in these matter-of-fact days we must, I presume, be content to consider as fabulous? I am desirous to know from what source we derive the stories of the animosity between the lion and unicorn, and the curious way of catching the latter, which are referred to in Spenser's Faerie Queen, Act II. Sc. 5. 10.:

"Like as a lyon, whose imperiall powre,

A prowd rebellious unicorn defyes,

T'avoide the rash assault and wrathful stowre

Of his fiers foe, him a tree applyes,

And when him ronning in full course he spyes,

He slips aside; the whiles that furious beast

His precious horne, sought of his enemyes,

Strikes in the stocke, ne thence can be releast,

But to the mighty victor yields a bounteous feast."

Shakspeare also (Julius CÆsar, Act II. Sc. 1.) speaks of the supposed mode of entrapping them:

"For he loves to hear,

That unicorns may be betrayed with trees,

And bears with glasses, elephants with holes,

Lions with toils, and men with flatterers."

The ancients were most liberal with their descriptions of fabulous animals, and the Monoceros or Unicorn was a favourite subject with them; but I am not aware whether or no the account which Spencer gives has so early an origin.

The connexion of the unicorn with the lion in the royal arms of this country naturally forces itself upon the attention, and I find that the present arms were settled at the accession of George I. We owe the introduction of the unicorn, however, to James I.; who, as King of Scotland, bore two unicorns, and coupled one with the English lion when the two kingdoms were united. Perhaps some of your correspondents can inform me how two unicorns became the "supporters" of the "achievement" of the Scottish kings.

The position of the lion and unicorn in the arms of our country seems to have given rise (and naturally enough in the mind of one who was ignorant of heraldic decoration) to a nursery rhyme, which I well remember to have learnt:

"The lion and the unicorn

Were fighting for the crown,

The lion beat the unicorn

All round the town," &c. &c.;

unless it alludes to a contest for dominion over the brute creation, which Spenser's "rebellious unicorn" seems to have waged with the tawny monarch.

Erica.

FLANAGAN ON THE ROUND TOWERS OF IRELAND.

Can you tell me anything of the history of a little work, of which the following is the title?—

"A Discourse of the Round Towers of Ireland, in which the errors of the various writers on that subject are detected and confuted, and the true cause of so many differences among the learned, on the question of their use and history, is assigned and demonstrated. By John Flanagan, Kilkenny. Printed for the author by Thomas Kelly, 1843."

It was purchased by a Dublin bookseller at Jones' last sale (Catalogue, No. 704.), for 2s. 6d. The bookseller, who has kindly lent me the book, says that it was never printed in Kilkenny, and that it is very scarce, he having seen only one other copy of it. It is a small quarto of twenty-four pages, beautifully printed on good paper, which leads me also to believe that the book could not have been printed in Kilkenny. The author, whoever he was or is, boldly says that, "There are no Round Towers in Ireland," p. 8., and through the pages of the work runs a vein of nonsense, which would lead a person to think that the author was not very right in his mind. Still, there is something very remarkable in the production.

R. H.

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