Notes and Queries, Number 14, February 2, 1850

This pigmy idol of the crowd,
The prancing pert –.

"[Greek: Touto to biblion], he'll swear,
Is [Greek: plaeron taes sophias],
But men of sense and taste declare
'Tis little black –.

"Oh! were this scribbler, for a time,
Struck dumb like Zacharias,
Who could regret the spiteful rhyme
Of little black –.

"Small was his stature who in fight
O'erthrew the great Darius
But small in genius as in height
Is little black –.

"Say, could'st thou gain the butt of sack
And salary that Pye has,
Would it not cheer thy visage black,
Thou envious rogue –.

"When next accus'd deny it not!
Do think of Ananias!
Remember how he went to pot,
As thou may'st, friend –.

"BARACHIAS."

I am, &c., your humble servant,

    H.E.

QUERIES

BARRYANA

The inquiries of "DRAMATICUS," and others in your number for Nov. 10., prompt me to say that should any of your correspondents happen to possess information answering the following queries, or any of them, I shall be thankful to share it.

1. What became of the natural child of Elizabeth Barry, the actress, who died 1713; and whether the Earl of Rochester, its father, was really Wilmot (as Galt assumes) or Hyde, on whom that title was conferred at Wilmot's death? The former mentions a natural daughter in his last will; but he names it "Elizabeth Clerke," and does not allude to its mother. Mrs. Barry's will mentions no kindred whatever. But Galt describes her as daughter of Edward Barry, Esq., a barrister of Charles I.'s reign.—Who was he? Spranger Barry, the actor of fifty years later, Sir William Betham and myself have succeeded in connecting satisfactorily, and legitimately, with the noble house of Barry, Lord Santry; but I cannot as yet show that Mrs. E. Barry inherited her theatrical talent from an identical source.

2. Of what family was Mr. Barry, the Secretary to the Equivalent Company, who died about 1738? I possess immense collections on the name of Barry, but I cannot identify any London will or administration as this individual's.

3. Whether Sir Robert Walpole's Secret Government Lists of the Pretender's adherents, agents, and emissaries in London (who were supposed to be under the evil-eye of Jonathan Wild) still exist, and are accessible?

    WILLIAM D'OYLY BAYLEY.

Coatham, Yorkshire, Jan. 1849-50.

NINE QUERIES

1. Book-plate.—Whose was the book-plate with the following device:—An eagle or vulture feeding with a snake another bird nearly as large as herself; a landscape, with the sea, &c. in the distance: very meanly engraved, in an oval, compassed with the motto, "Pietas homini tutissima virtus"?

2. Addison's Books.—I have two or three volumes, bound apparently at the beginning of the last century, with a stamp on the cover, consisting of J.A., in a cursive character, within a small circle. Was this the book-stamp of Joseph Addison?

3. Viridis Vallis.—Where was the monastery of "Viridis Vallis," and what is its vernacular name?

4. Cosmopoli.—Has Cosmopoli been ever appropriated to any known locality? Archdeacon Cotton mentions it among the pseudonymes in his Typographical Gazetteer. The work whose real locality I wish to ascertain is, Sandii Paradox. iv. Evang. 1670. 1 vol. 8vo.

5. Seriopoli.—The same information is wanting respecting "Seriopoli; apud Entrapelios Impensis Catonis Uticensis:" which occurs in the title-page of "Seria de Jocis," one of the tracts connected with the Bollandist controversy.

6. Early Edition of the Vulgate.—Where is there any critical notice of a very beautiful edition of the Vultage, small 4to., entitled "Sacra Biblia, cum studiis ac diligentia emendata;" in the colophon, "Venetiis, apud Jolitos, 1588"? The preface is by "Johannes Jolitus de Ferrarüs." The book is full of curious wood-cuts. This is not the book mentioned in Masch's Le Long (part ii, p. 229), though that was also printed by the Gioliti in 1588; as the title of the latter book is "Biblia ad vetustissima Exemplaria castigata," and the preface is by Hentenius.

7. Identity of Anonymous Annotators.—Can any of the correspondents of "NOTES AND QUERIES" point out to a literary Backwoodsman, like myself, any royal road towards assigning to the proper authors the handwriting of anonymous annotations in fly-leaves and margins? I have many of these, which I should be glad to ascertain.

8. Complutensian Polyglot.—In what review or periodical did there appear, some time ago, a notice of the supposed discovery (or of conjectures as to the existence) of the MSS. from which the "Complutensian Polyglot" was compiled, involving, of course, the repudiation of the common story of the rocket maker of Alcala? Has any further light been thrown on this subject?

9. Blunder in Malone's Shakspeare.—Has any notice been taken of the following odd blunder in Malone's Shakspeare, Dublin ed. 1794?

In vol. ii. p. 138, the editor, speaking of John Shakspeare's will (the father of William), says "This extraordinary will consisted of fourteen articles, but the first leaf being unluckily wanting, I am unable to ascertain either its date, or the particular occasion on which it was written." He then gives a copy of the will, beginning at the third article, in the middle of a sentence, thus: "… at least spiritually." Now, in the first vol. p. 154. is a document, professing to be William Shakspeare's will. But of this the first three paragraphs belong to John Shakspeare's will, his name being mentioned in each: and the third concludes with the words "at least spiritually." The fourth paragraph, to the end, belongs to William Shakspeare's will, as given in Johnson and Stevens's editions. This is a palpable instance of editorial carelessness: Mr. Malone had mixed the two documents, mislaid the first portion of the transcript of William Shakspeare's will, and then neglected to examine the postscript, or he must have found out his mistake.

Was this error acknowledged or corrected in any subsequent edition?

    JOHN JEBB.

MINOR QUERIES

Mowbray Coheirs.—Collins in his Peerage (ed. Brydges, 1812), says, at p. 18., speaking of Thomas Duke of Norfolk:—

"In 15 Henry VII, he made partition with Maurice, surviving brother of William Marquiss of Berkeley (who died issueless), of the lands that came to them by inheritance, by right of their descent, from the coheirs of Mowbray, Duke of Norfolk;"

and quotes, as his authority, Commun. de T. Pasch, 15 Henry VII., Rot. 1.

The roll of the whole year referred to has been examined, without finding any notice of the subject.

Should any of your readers have met with the statement elsewhere, it may happen that there is some error in Collins's reference to his authority; and a clue to the right roll, or any other notice of the division of this great inheritance, will be acceptable.

    G.

Draytone and Yong.—The following note was found by me among the Exchequer Records, on their sale and dispersion, a few years ago:—

"I praye you fellowe Draytone do so invehe for me as to Resave all svche moneye as is dewe to me from the handes of Ser Vincente Skyner Knyghte or else wheare from thos offysers of the excheqer And this shalbe yovr discharge. Written the laste daye of Janvarye 1607. Henry Yong."

Can your subscribers inform me who the writer was? Mr. Payne Collier states that there was an interlude-maker of the name of Henry Yong in the reign of Henry VIII. Is it likely that the note was addressed to Michael Drayton?

    ROBT. COLE.

Upper Norton Street, Jan. 23, 1850.