Notes and Queries, Number 04, November 24, 1849

    J.T. HAMMACK

BISHOP BARNABY

Mr. Editor,—Legour asks, why the people in Suffolk call a lady-bird "Bishop Barnaby?"

I give the following from the late Major Moor's Suffolk Words.

"Bishop-Barney. The golden bug. See Barnabee. In Tasser's Ten Unwelcome Guests in the Dairy, he enumerates 'the Bishop that burneth' (pp. 142. 144.), in an ambiguous way, which his commentator does not render at all clear. I never heard of this calumniated insect being an unwelcome guest in the dairy; but Bishop-Barney, or Burney, and Barnabee, or Burnabee, and Bishop-that-burneth, seem, in the absence of explanation to be nearly related—in sound at any rate. Under Barnabee it will be seen that burning has some connection with the history of this pretty insect."

"Barnabee," writes the Major, "the golden-bug, or lady-bird; also Bishop-Barney: which see. This pretty little, and very useful insect, is tenderly regarded by our children. One settling on a child is always sent away with this sad valediction:—

"Gowden-bug, gowden-bug, fly away home,
Yar house is bahnt deown and yar children all gone."

To which I add another nursery doggerel less sad:—

"Bishop, Bishop-Barnabee,
Tell me when your wedding be,
If it be to-morrow day
Take your wings and fly away."

The Major adds, "It is sure to fly off on the third repetition."

"Burnt down," continues the Major, "gives great scope to our country euphonic twang, altogether inexpressible in type; bahnt deeyown comes as near to it as my skill in orthography will allow."

Ray, in his South and East Country Words, has this:—

"Bishop, the little spotted beetle, commonly called the lady-cow or lady-bird. I have heard this insect in other places called golden-knop, and doubtless in other countries it hath other names. (E. W. p. 70) Golden-bugs the common Suffolk name."

    J.G. Southwold, Nov. 16. 1849.

TRADE EDITIONS—COTTLE'S LIFE OF COLERIDGE

Sir,—In the 2nd vol. of Mr. Collier's valuable and interesting Extracts from the Registers of the Stationers' Company, p. 28, is the following entry:—

"Thos. Dason. Licensed unto him the praise of follie; to print not above xv° of any impression, with this condition, that any of the Company may laie on with him, reasonablie at every impression, as they think good, and that he shall gyve reasonable knowledge before to them as often as he shall print it."

This is both curious and important information as being, in all probability, the earliest recorded instance of a custom still kept up amongst booksellers, and which now passes under the designation of a "Trade edition;" the meaning of which being, that the copyright, instead of being the exclusive property of one person, is divided into shares and held by several. There are Trade editions of such voluminous authors as Shakspeare, Gibbon, Hume, and Robertson, for instance; and Alison's Europe, if published half a century back, might in all probability have been added to the list. The difference between the ancient and the modern usage appears to be this, that formerly when the type was set up for an edition "any of the company may laie on, (these two last words are still technically used by printers for supplying type with paper,) reasonablie at every impression," &c.; in other words, may print as many copies from the type "as they think good;" whereas now, the edition is first printed, and then the allotment of the copies, and the actual cost of them is made, according to the number of shares.

If this is a "Note" worth registering, it is much at your service, whilst for a "Query," I should be very glad to be informed, when a very able review, the date of which I neglected to make at the time, appeared in the Times newspaper, of the 2nd edition of Cottle's Life of Coleridge.

With many good wishes for the success of your register,

I remain, &c.

    JOHN MILAND.

DIBDIN'S TYPOGRAPHICAL ANTIQUITIES

Sir,—I am very glad to have elicited the information contained in your number just published respecting the copy of Borde's work in the Chetham Library. As I have a great respect for Mr. Ames, I must remark that he had no share in the blunder, and whenever a new edition of his work is undertaken, it will be well to look rather curiously into the enlargements of Dibdin. In the mean time this information naturally leads to another Query—or rather, to more than one—namely, "Had Mr. Bindley's copy this unique imprint? and what became of it at the sale of his books? or is it only one of the imaginary editions which give bibliographers so much trouble?" Perhaps some one of your correspondents may be able to give information.

Yours, &c.

    S.R. MAITLAND.

QUERIES ANSWERED, NO. 2

MADOC THE SON OF OWEN GWYNED

The student who confines himself to a single question, may fairly expect a prompt and precise answer. To ask for general information on a particular subject, may be a less successful experiment. Who undertakes extensive research except for an especial purpose? Who can so far confide in his memory as to append his name to a list of authorities without seeming to prove his own superficiality? I throw out these ideas for consideration, just as they arise; but neither wish to repress the curiosity of querists, nor to prescribe bounds to the communicative disposition of respondents.

Did Madoc, son of Owen Gwynedd, prince of Wales, discover America? Stimulated by the importance of the question, and accustomed to admire the spirit of maritime enterprise, at whatever period it may have been called into action, I have sometimes reflected on this debatable point—but can neither affirm nor deny it.

I advise the student, as a preliminary step to the inquiry, to attempt a collection of all the accessible evidence, historical and ethnographic, and to place the materials which pertain to each class in the order of time. The historical evidence exists, I believe exclusively, in the works of the chroniclers and bards of Wales; and the ethnographic evidence in the narratives of travellers in America. The opinions of modern writers, the gifted author of Madoc not excepted, he is at liberty to consider as hors-d'oeuere—to be passed on, or tasted, à plaisir. As an exemplification of this plan, I submit some short extracts, with critical remarks:—

"Madoc another of Owen Gwyneth his sonnes left the land [North-Wales] in contention betwixt his brethren, and prepared certaine ships with men and munition, and sought adventures by seas, sailing west, and leaving the coast of Ireland so far north, that he came to a land unknowen, where he saw manie strange things."—CARADOC OF LLANCARVAN, continued—The historie of Cambria, 1584. 4º. p. 227.

[The history of Caradoc ends with A.D. 1156. The continuation, to the year 1270, is ascribed by Powel, the editor of the volume, to the monks of Conway and Stratflur.]

Carmina Meredith filii Rhesi [Meredydd ab Rhys] mentionem facientia de Madoco filio Oweni Gwynedd, et de suâ navigatione in terras incognitas. Vixit hic Meredith circiter annum Domini 1477.

Madoc wyf, mwyedic wedd,
Iawn genau, Owen Gwynedd;
Ni fynnum dir, fy enaid oedd,
Na da mawr, ond y moroedd.

The same in English.

Madoc I am the sonne of Owen Gwynedd
With stature large, and comely grace adorned;
No lands at home nor store of wealth me please,
My minde was whole to searche the ocean seas.

"These verses I received of my learned friend M. William Camden." Richard Hakluyt, 1589.

[The eulogy of Meredydd ab Rhys is very indefinite, but deserves notice on account of its early date. He "flourished," says W. Owen, "between A.D. 1430 and 1460."]

"This land must needs be some part of that countrie of which the Spaniardes affirme themselves to be the first finders sith Hannos time; … Whereupon it is manifest, that that countrie was long before by Brytaines discouered, afore either Columbus or Americus Vespatius lead anie Spaniardes thither. Of the viage and returne of this Madoc there be manie fables fained, as the common people doo use in distance of place and length of time rather to augment than to diminish: but sure it is, that there he was."—HUMFREY LHOYD, Additions to the Historie of Cambria, p. 228.

[Lhoyd, who translated the history of Caradoc, and made considerable additions to it, died in 1568. He mentions the second voyage of Madoc, but cites no authority.]

"This Madoc arriving in that westerne countrie, unto the which he came, in the year 1170, left most of his people there: and returning backe for more of his owne nation, acquaintance and freends, to inhabite that faire and large countrie: went thither againe with ten sailes, as I find noted by Gutyn Owen. I am of opinion that the land, wherevnto he came, was some part of Mexico:" etc.—David Powel, S.T.P., note in The historie of Cambria, 1584. 4°. p. 229.

[The learned Powel relies on the authority of the poet Gutyn Owen. "He wrote," says W. Owen, "between A.D. 1460 and 1490"—three centuries after the event in question!]

Ethnographic evidence.

"They came [anno 1536] to part of the West Indies about Cape Breton, shaping their course thence north-eastwards, vntill they camme to the Island of Penguin," etc.—The voyage of master Hore, in The principall navigations, etc. 1589. Fol.