Notes and Queries, Number 02, November 10, 1849

NOTES UPON "NOTES, NO. 1."

Sir,—I take the liberty to send you one or two Notes on your first Number, just as they occur to me in looking it over. I will not trespass on you by preface or apology.

The "bibliographic project" I shall rejoice to see carried out; and though neither an unemployed aspirant nor a fortunate collector (of which class I hope many will be stimulated by the proposition), yet, as I once took some trouble in the matter, I should be happy to contribute some Notes then made whenever the plan is matured and the proposed appeal is made—provided (I must add, and to you I may add) I can find them.

The Liber Sententiarum was printed by Limborch, at Amsterdam, in 1692. It forms the greater part, as, indeed, it was the occasion, of his folio volume, entitled "Historia Inquisitionis cui subjungitur Liber Sententiarum Inquisitionis Tholosanæ ab anno Christi Cl[*C]CCCVI ad annum Cl[*C]CCCXXIII." Gibbon, in a note on his fifty-fourth chapter, observes that the book "deserved a more learned and critical editor;" and, if your correspondent will only place the Book of Sentences before the public in a readable form, with a map, and (by all means) a few notes, he will be doing a great service to all persons who take an interest in ecclesiastical history, or, indeed, in history of any kind. In the year 1731 Chandler published a translation of the History of the Inquisition, with a long Introduction of his own, but did not meddle with the Book of Sentences, except so far as to introduce into the text of the History some passages from it, which Limborch (as he appended the whole book) did not think it necessary to quote. I remember seeing the MS. in the British Museum within these ten or twelve years, and, according to my recollection, it was accompanied by papers which would furnish an interesting literary history of the volume. I hope your correspondent will give us farther information.

    N.B.

[Mr. Brooke, of Ufford, has also kindly replied to the Query of INQUISITORIUS, by referring him to Limborch.]

QUERY AS TO REFERENCES

Sir,—May I be permitted to suggest one way in which you may be of great service to many literary men, and indeed to the cause of literature in general; and this, too, without much trouble to yourself? Would you be willing to receive "Queries" respecting references? They frequently puzzle those who are engaged in literary works, and indeed those who are merely readers, and who have not access to public libraries or the manuscript treasures of the metropolis and the universities. If, for instance, a clergyman or squire, interested in the history of his parish, should find in the county historian something which his own local or genealogical knowledge leads him to think erroneous, vouched for by a reference to the Cotton or Harleian MSS., might he apply to you? It may be supposed that you are not very far from some one of the great fountains of information, and have easy access to all; and it is probable that you might not only do a personal favour to the inquirer, but confer a benefit on the public, by correcting an erroneous statement. Of course you would subject yourself to unreasonable requests, but the remedy would always be in your own hands.

Yours, &c.

    A. G. C.

[The Editor inserts this letter because he is sure that it comes from a friendly quarter, and he knows that something like what it suggests is very much wanted. He would feel great diffidence as to his powers of fulfilling all that might be expected if he were simply to reply in the affirmative: but he is quite willing to make the trial, and he thinks that (though sometimes perhaps with a little delay) he could in general obtain any information of this kind which could be reasonably sought.]

LINES IN THE STYLE OF SUCKLING

Mr. Editor,—The following lines are written in pencil on sheet 61. of the Notes of the Debates in the Long Parliament, taken down in the House of Commons by Sir Ralph Verney. The Notes of Debates, but not these lines, were published by the Camden Society in 1845. For any thing that appears to the contrary, these lines may have been written in the House as well as the Notes of Debates. The sheet 61. refers to debates which took place in March 1641-2. I am not aware that the lines have been published, nor can I assign them to their author. If any of your readers can tell me anything about them, I shall esteem it a favour.

Wert thou yet fairer than thou art,
Which lies not in the power of art;
Or hadst thou, in thine eyes, more darts
Than Cupid ever shot at hearts;
Yet, if they were not thrown at me,
I could not cast one thought at thee.

I'd rather marry a disease
Than court the thing I cannot please;
She that will cherish my desires,
Must feed my flames with equal fires.
What pleasure is there in a kiss,
To him that doubts the heart's not his?

I love thee, not 'cause thou art fair,
Smoother than down, softer than air,
Nor for those Cupids that do lie
In either corner of thine eye;
Will you then know what it may be?
'Tis—I love you 'cause you love me.

    J. BRUCE.
24th Oct. 1849

NOTES UPON ANCIENT LIBRARIES

A knowledge of the intellectual acquirements of the middle ages must be mainly formed upon a consideration of the writings which directed them, or emanated from them. Unfortunately such materials are very imperfect, our knowledge of the existence of works often resting only upon their place in some loosely-entered catalogue—and of the catalogues themselves, the proportion still remaining must be small indeed. Under these circumstances the following documents, which are now for the first time printed, or even noticed, will be found to be of considerable interest. The first is, in modern language, a Power of Attorney, executed by the Prior of Christ Church, Canterbury, appointing two of the monks of his church to be his procurators for the purpose of receiving from the convent of Anglesey, in Cambridgeshire[1 - The information given of this house by Dugdale is very scanty. It could surely be added to considerably.], a book which had been lent to the late Rector of Terrington. Its precise date is uncertain, but it must be of about the middle of the thirteenth century (1244-1254), as Nicholas Sandwich, the Prior of Christ Church, was the second of four priors who presided between the years 1234 and 1274.