  The Claims of Literature NOTES:— Daniel Defoe and the "Mercator," by James Crossley Punishment of Edward Prince of Wales, by King Edward I., for Disrespect to a Judge, by William Sidney Gibson Notes on the Word: "?de?f??," by T. R. Brown Lambert, the "Arch-Rebell," by Richard John King The Caxton Coffer, by Bolton Corney Minor Notes:—A Hint to Catalogue Makers—Virgil and Goldsmith—Mental Almanac—Merlin and the Electric Telegraph QUERIES:— Bishop Bramhall and Milton The Sempills of Beltrus: Robert Sempill Descendants of John of Gaunt Minor Queries:—Rocky Chasm near GaËta: Earthquake at the Crucifixion—Cavalcade—A Sept of Hibernians—Yankee Doodle—Seventeenth of November: Custom—Chatter-box—Printing in 1449, and Shakspeare—Texts before Sermons—Paradyse, Hell, Purgatory—Dead Letter—Dominus Bathurst, &c.—Grammar Schools—Fermilodum—Lord Hungerford—Consecration of Bishops in Sweden MINOR QUERIES ANSWERED:—Effigy of a Pilgrim—"Modern Universal History"—Origin of Evil—Nolo Episcopari—Authors of the Homilies—Family of Hotham of Yorkshire—Vogelweide—Meaning of Skeatta REPLIES:— Marriage of Ecclesiastics, by Henry Walter, &c. Lord Strafford and Archbishop Ussher Sculptured Stones in the North of Scotland Anagrams The Locusts of the New Testament The Soul's Errand, by Dr. Edward F. Rimbault The Two Drs. Abercrombie Replies to Minor Queries:—Dacre Monument at Hurstmonceux—Book-plates—Sermon of Bishop Jeremy Taylor—Moonlight—Flatman and Pope—Berlin Time—Ruined Churches—Italian Writer on Political Economy—Death of Carli, &c. MISCELLANEOUS:— Notes on Books, Sales, Catalogues, &c. Books and Odd Volumes wanted Notices to Correspondents Advertisements THE CLAIMS OF LITERATURE.This day two years, on presenting to the public, and to the Literary Men of England the first number of NOTES AND QUERIES, as "a medium by which much valuable information might become a sort of common property among those who can appreciate and use it," we ventured to say, "We do not anticipate any holding back by those whose 'Notes' are most worth having, or any want of 'Queries' from those best able to answer them. Whatever may be the case in other things, it is certain that those who are best informed are generally the most ready to communicate knowledge and to confess ignorance, to feel the value of such a work as we are attempting, and to understand that, if it is to be well done, they might help to do it. Some cheap and frequent means for the interchange of thought is certainly wanted by those who are engaged in Literature, Art, and Science; and we only hope to persuade the best men in all, that we offer them the best medium of communication with each other." How fully these anticipations have been realised, how all the "best men" have come forward, we acknowledge with feelings of gratitude and pride. May we now hope that, in thus forming one fresh bond of union among the lovers and professors of Literature in this country, we have contributed towards a recognition of Literature as an honorable profession, and hastened the time when the claims of Literature, Science, and Art to some of those honorary distinctions hitherto exclusively conferred upon the Naval, Military, or Civil Servants of the Crown, will be admitted and acted upon. For as we hold with Chaucer: "That he is gentil who doth gentil dedes;" so we would have those men especially honoured, whose "gentil dedes" in Literature, Science, and Art tend to elevate the minds, and thereby promote the happiness of their fellow-men. That gallant gentleman, Captain Sword, whose good services we readily acknowledge, has hitherto monopolized all the honours which the sovereign has thought proper to distribute. We would fain see good Master Pen now take his fair share of them; The reign of the Illustrious Lady who now fills with so much dignity the Throne of these Realms, has happily been pre-eminently distinguished (and long may it be so!) by all unexampled progress made in all the Arts of Peace. Her Majesty has been pre-eminently a Patron of all such Arts. How graceful then, on the part of Her Majesty, would be the immediate institution of an Order of Civil Merit! How gratifying to those accomplished and worthy men on whom Her Majesty might be pleased to confer it! |
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