Minor Notes.

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The Duke of Wellington and Marshal Ney. Parallel Passage in the Life of Washington and Major AndrÉ.—J. R. of Cork (Vol. vi., p. 480.) tells how Wellington was in his youth smitten with the charms of a lady, who, in after-life having appealed to him to save the life of Ney, was not simply unsuccessful in her object but was ordered to quit Paris forthwith. J. B. Burke, in the Patrician, vol. vi. p. 372., tells how Washington endeavoured to win the love of Mary Phillipse, and how he failed: how years rolled on, and the rejected lover as Commander-in-Chief of the American forces was supplicated by the same Mary, then the wife of Roger Morris, to spare the life of Andre. The appeal failed, and one of the General's aides was ordered to conduct the lady beyond the lines.

St. Johns.

St. Bernard versus Fulke Greville.—On lately reading over the fine philosophical poem Of Humane Learning, by Fulke Greville, Lord Brooke, I was struck at finding that the 144th stanza was a literal transcript from St. Bernard. Some of your readers may possibly be amused or interested by the discovery:

"Yet some seeke knowledge, meerely to be knowne,

And idle curiositie that is;

Some but to sell, not freely to bestow,

These gaine and spend both time and health amisse;

Embasing arts, by basely deeming so,

Some to build others, which is charity,

But those to build themselves, who wise men be."

Workes, p. 50.: Lond. 1633, 8vo.

"Sunt namque qui scire volunt eo fine tantum, ut sciant: et turpis curiositas est. Et sunt item qui scire volunt, ut scientiam suam vendant, verbi causa pro pecunia, pro honoribus: et turpis quÆstus est. Sed sunt quoque qui scire volunt, ut Ædificentur: et prudentia est."—S. Bernardi In Cantica Serm. xxxvi. Sect 3. Opp., vol. i. p. 1404. Parisiis, 1719, fol.

It is no mean eulogy upon Lord Brooke's poem just referred to, to say that it stood high in the estimation of the late Rev. Hugh James Rose, and was quoted approvingly by him in his lectures before the Durham University. My acquaintance with it was first derived from that source, and I am confident that many others of your readers sympathise with the wishes of Mr. Crossley, for "a collected edition of the works of the two noble Grevilles" ("N. & Q.," Vol. iv., p. 139.). The facts upon which the tragedy of Mustapha is founded are graphically summed up by Knolles in his Historie of the Turkes, pp. 757-65.: London, 1633, fol.

Rt.

Warmington.

St. Munoki's Day.—Professor Craik, in his Romance of the Peerage, vol. ii. p. 337., with reference to the date of the death of Margaret Tudor, Queen Dowager of Scotland, gives two authorities, namely, 24th November, 1541, from the Diurnal of Remarkable Occurrents, and St. Munoki's Day, from the Chronicle of Perth, and then says: "I find no saint with a name resembling Munok in the common lists." Now this Note of mine has originated in the belief that I have found such a name in the Calendar of Saints, or at any rate one very closely resembling it, if not the identical Munok. "St. Marnok, B. patron of Killmarnock in Scotland, honoured on the 25th October in the Scots Calendar." Now "Marnok" is most probably Munok, the latter, perhaps, misspelt by a careless scribe in the Chronicle of Perth. There is a discrepancy of a month certainly in these two dates, 25th October and 24th November; but that is not very wonderful, as a doubt of the exact day of Queen Margaret's decease evidently exists among historians, for Pinkerton (vol. ii. p. 371.) conjectures June. The above extract regarding St. Marnok is from a curious old work in my possession, published in 1761 in London, and entitled A Memorial of Ancient British Piety, or a British Martyrology. It gives also the names of St. Moroc, C., Nov. 8; St. Munnu, Ab., Oct. 21, both saints in the Scottish calendar.

A. S. A.

Punjaub.

Epitaph in Chesham Churchyard.

"As an

Encouragement

to Regularity, Integrity,

and good Conduct,

This Stone

was erected at the general Expense

of the Inhabitants of

this Town and Parish

to perpetuate the Memory of

Matthew Archer,

who served the Office of Clerk with

the utmost Punctuality and Decorum

for upwards of Thirty Years.

He died 15th December, 1793."

F. B. Relton.

Gentlemen Pensioners.

"On Saturday last, the Secretary to the Band of Gentleman Pensioners did, by order of the Duke of Montague their Captain, dispatch circular letters to the said gentlemen, signifying his Grace's pleasure to revive the ancient rules and orders that were practised at the time of the first institution of the Band in the reign of King Henry VII., viz. that five of the said Gentleman Pensioners shall attend constantly every day in the antechamber of the palace where His Majesty shall be resident, from ten in the forenoon till three in the afternoon, the usual time of His Majesty's retiring to go to dinner; and on every Drawing Room night from eight to twelve."—Weekly Journal, Jan. 4, 1735.

E.

Marlborough; Curious Case of Municipal Opposition to County Magistracy.—Shortly after the invasion of the elder Pretender, the corporation of Marlborough so far defied the royal authority as to drive the quarterly county sessions from the town; and high legal opinions were not wanting to fortify the position thus assumed by the borough, on the ground, namely, of its municipal charter, which secured to the town a court of its own.

Now, we all know that in early times a borough's court-leet exempted the burgesses from the jurisdiction of the sheriff's "tourn," and that up till the period of the Municipal Reform bill, many charters still existed, verbally sustaining such right of exemption; but the Queries which I wish to put are the following. First, Though the crown's representative had no jurisdiction, had he not a right to enter, and sit on cases foreign to the borough? Secondly, What are the earliest instances of county quarter sessions sitting in independent boroughs? Thirdly, Were the cases numerous of similar acts of resistance at the period alluded to, viz. the reign of George I.?

I take this occasion to state that I am drawing to conclusion a history of Silkely Hundred, which includes Marlborough and Lord Ailesbury's seat; and shall feel grateful for any information relating to the Pretender's influence in that district. That it must have been considerable may be argued from the Ailesbury alliance by marriage with the young Pretender.

J. Waylen.

Devizes.

Wet Season in 1348.—Accidentally looking into Holinshed a few days ago, I found that our present unusually wet season is not without a parellel, indeed much exceeded; as on that occasion the harvest must have been a complete failure, and dearth and disease consequently ensued. Providence, however, has kindly blessed us with an average harvest; and, exclusive of the disasters attendant upon storms and floods, I trust we shall escape any further visitation. I annex an extract of the passage in Holinshed:

"In this 22 yeare [of Edward III., A.D. 1348], from Midsummer to Christmasse, for the more part it continuallie rained, so that there was not one day and night drie togither, by reason whereof great flouds insued, and the ground therewith was sore corrupted, and manie inconueniences insued, as great sickenes, and other, insomuch that in the yeare following, in France, the people died wonderfullie in diverse places. In Italie also, and in manie other countries, as well in the lands of the infidels as in Christendome, this grieuous mortalitie reigned, to the great destruction of people. About the end of August, the like dearth began in diuerse places of England, and especiallie in London, continuing so for the space of twelue moneths following. And vpon that insued great barrennesse, as well of the sea as the land, neither of them yielding such plentie of things as before they had done. Wherevpon vittels and corne became scant and hard to come by."—The Chronicles of Raphaell Holinshed, fol., vol. iii. p. 378 (black letter).

F.

General Wolfe.—It may interest many of your readers to know that a portrait of General Wolfe, by Ramsay, 1758, is to be sold by Messrs. Christie and Manson, at their rooms, 8. King Street, St. James's Square, on Saturday, February 12.

The picture is marked No. 300 in the catalogue of the first two days' sale. It formed part of the collection of a gentleman lately deceased, whom I had the pleasure of knowing.

C. Forbes.

Temple.


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

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