Notes and Queries, Number 53, November 2, 1850

Does this throw any light on the popular negro song—

"Out o' de way, old Dan Tucker," &c.?

    H.G.T.
Lord John Townsend.—I have a copy of the Rolliad, with the names of most of the contributors, taken from a copy belonging to Dr. Lawrence, the editor of the volume, and author of many of the articles. In the margin of "Jekyll," lines 73. to 100. are stated to be "inserted by Tickle;" and lines 156. to the end, as "altered and enlarged by Tickle:" and at the end is the following note:—

"There are two or three other lines in different parts of the foregoing eclogue, which were altered, or inserted by Tickle—chiefly in the connecting parts. The first draft (which was wholly Lord John Townsend's) was a closer parody of Virgil's 18th eclogue; especially in the beginning and conclusion, in the latter of which only Jekyll was introduced as 'the poet.'

"Tickle changed the plan, and made it what it is. The title (as indeed the principal subject of the eclogue) was in consequence altered from 'Lansdown' to 'Jekyll.' The poetry and satire are certainly enriched by Tickle's touches; but I question whether the humour was not more terse and classical, and the subject more just, as the poem originally stood."—L.

Probationary Odes No. XII. is by "Lord John Townsend."

"Three or four lines in the last stanza, and perhaps one or two in some of the former, were inserted by Tickle."—L.

Dialogue between a certain Personage and his Minister (p. 442. of the 22nd edition) is by "Ld. J.T."

A new ballad, Billy Eden, is by "Ld. J.T., or Tickle."

Ode to Sir Elijah Impey (p. 503.):

"Anonymous—I believe L'd. J.T."—L.

Ministerial undoubted Facts (p. 511.):

"Lord J. Townsend—I believe."—L.

    W.C. TREVELYAN.

Croker's Boswell (Edit. 1847, p. 721.).—Mr. Croker cannot discover when a good deal of intercourse could have taken place between Dr. Johnson and the Earl of Shelburne, because "in 1765, when Johnson engaged in politics with Hamilton, Lord Shelburne was but twenty." In 1765 Lord Shelburne was twenty-eight. He was born in 1737; was in Parliament in 1761; and a Privy Councillor in 1763.

    L.G.P.

Misquotation—"He who runs may read."—No such passage exists in the Scriptures, though it is constantly quoted as from them. It is usually the accompaniment of expressions relative to the clearness of meaning or direction, the supposititious allusion being to an inscription written in very large characters. The text in the prophet Habakkuk is the following: "Write the vision and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it." (Ch. ii. 2.) Here, plainly, the meaning is, that every one reading the vision should be alarmed by it, and should fly from the impending calamity: and although this involves the notion of legibility and clearness, that notion is the secondary, and not the primary one, as those persons make it who misquote in the manner stated above.

    MANLEIUS.

Tindal's New Testament.—The following Bibliographical Note, by the late Mr. Thomas Rodd, taken from a volume of curious early Latin and German Tracts, which will be sold by Messrs. Sotheby and Wilkinson on Friday next, deserves a more permanent record than the Sale Catalogue.

"I consider the second tract of particular interest and curiosity, as it elucidates an important point in English literature, viz., the place (Worms) where Tindal printed the edition of the New Testament commonly called the first, and generally ascribed to the Antwerp Press.

"This book is printed in a Gothic letter, with woodcuts and Initial Letters (in the year 1518).

"I have carefully examined every book printed at Antwerp, at the period, that has fallen in my way; but in no one of them have I found the same type or initial letters as are used therein.

"In the present tract I find the same form of type and woodcuts, from the same school; and also, what is more remarkable, an initial (D) letter, one of the same alphabet as a P used in the Testament. These initial letters were always cut in alphabets, and in no other books than these two have I discovered any of the letters of this alphabet.

"The mistake has arisen from the circumstance of there having been a piratical reprint of the book at Antwerp in 1525, but of which no copy is known to exist."

The following is the title of the tract referred to by Mr. Rodd:—

"Eyn wolgeordent und nützlich buchlin, wie man Bergwerck suchen un finden sol, von allerley Metall, mit seinen figuren, nach gelegenheyt dess gebirgs artlich angezeygt mit enhangendon Berchnamen den anfahanden" and the colophon describes it as "Getruckt zu Wormbs bei Peter Schörfern un volendet am funfften tag Aprill, M.D.XVIII."

The Term "Organ-blower."—In an old document preserved among the archives of the Dean and Chapter of Westminster, is an entry relative to the celebrated composer and organist HENRY PURCELL, in which he is styled "our organ-blower." What is the meaning of this term? It certainly does not, in the present case, apply to the person whose office it was to fill the organ with wind. Purcell, at the time the entry was made, was in the zenith of his fame, and "organist to the king." Possibly it may be the old term for an organist, as it will be remembered that in the fifteenth century the organ was performed upon by blows from the fist.

At the coronation of James II., and also at that of George I., two of the king's musicians walked in the procession, clad in scarlet mantles, playing each on a sackbut, and another, drest in a similar manner, playing on a double curtal, or bassoon. The "organ-blower" had also a place in these two processions, having on him a short red coat, with a badge on his left breast, viz. a nightingale of silver, gilt, sitting on a sprig.

In a weekly paper, entitled the Westminster Journal, Dec. 4. 1742, is a letter subscribed "Ralph Courtevil, Organ-blower, Essayist, and Historiographer." This person was the organist of St. James's Church, Piccadilly, and the author of the Gazetteer, a paper written in defence of Sir Robert Walpole's administration. By the writers on the opposite side he was stigmatized with the name of "Court-evil."

At the present time, as I am given to understand, the organist of St. Andrew's Church, Holborn, is styled in the vestry-books, the "organ-blower."

    EDWARD F. RIMBAULT.

"Singular" and "Unique."—The word singular, originally applied to that of which there is no other, gradually came to mean extraordinary only, and "rather singular," "very singular indeed," and such like phrases, ceased to shock the ear. To supply the vacancy occasioned by this corruption, the word unique was introduced; which, I am horror-struck to see, is beginning to follow its predecessor. The Vauxhall bills lately declared Vauxhall to be the "most unique place of amusement in the world." Can anything be done to check this ill-fated word in its career? and, if not, what must we look to for a successor?

    M.

QUERIES

EARLY POETRY, ETC., FIVE BIBLIOGRAPHICAL QUERIES RESPECTING

1. Who was the author of—

"A Poeme on the King's most excellent maiesties happy progress into Scotland and much desired returne. May, 1685. Imprinted at London, MDCXXXIII."

It consists of ten leaves, exclusive of title-page, and is signed with the initials J.R. No copy has been traced in any public or private library.

2. How many leaves does Nich. Breton's Fantastiques contain? I have a copy, apparently of a more recent date than the one alluded to in "NOTES AND QUERIES" (Vol. i., p. 410.), wanting the title, and probably introductory leaf; the text, however, is quite complete. Where can a perfect copy be found?

3. There is in my possession a poetical collection, of which I can find no trace in any library public or private. It is dedicated to "Edmond Lord Sheffield, Lord President of his Maiesties Council established in the north parts," and the following is a copy of the title-page:—

"Northerne Poems congratulating the King's Maiesties most happy and peaceable entrance to the crowne of England.

'Sorrowe was ouer night
But joy came in the morning.'
'Serò, quamvis seriò,
Sat cito, si sat benè.'
'These come too late, though they import they love,
Nay, soone enough, if good enough they prove.'

Printed at London by John Windet for Edmund Weaver, and are to be solde at the Great North doore of Paules, 1604. Small 4to."

Four leaves not numbered, and twenty-two pages numbered.

4. Can any account be given of a sort of autobiography by an individual whom Lord Orford sneers at in his Anecdotes of Painting; it is entitled:

"A Manifestation by Sir Balthazar Gerbier, K't. Job. xiii., ver. 18.; 'Behold now, I have ordered my cause, I know that I shall bee justified.' London, Printed for the author, 1651." 12mo. 36 leaves and title.

This very singular production does not appear to have been published, and I cannot trace it in any catalogue. It gives the author's descent, which is noble, and contains many interesting personal details of Sir Balthazar, which cannot be found elsewhere.