Notes and Queries, Number 13, January 26, 1850

    N.

Discurs Modest.—Your correspondent "A.T." (No.9. p.142) may be informed that there can be no reasonable doubt, that the original authority, for Rem transubstantiationis patres ne attigisse quidem, is William Watson in his Quodlibet, ii. 4. p.31.; that the Discurs. Modest. de Jesuitis borrowed it from him; that Andrews most probably derived it from the borrower; and that the date of the Discurs. &c. must, therefore, be between 1602 and 1610. Probably there may be a copy in the Lambeth Library; there is none in the Bodleian, British Museum, or Sion College, and Placcius affords no reference. The author may never have been known.

    N.

Defoe's Tour through Great Britain.—I am much obliged to your correspondent "D.S.Y" for the suggestion that the Tour through Great Britain, by a Gentleman, from which I sent you some extracts relating to the Ironworks of Sussex, is from the pen of Daniel Defoe. On referring to the list of his writings, given in vol. xx. of C. Talboy's edition of Defoe's Works, I find this idea is correct. Chalmers notices three editions of the work, in 1724, 1725, and 1727, (numbered in his list "154," "156," "163,") and remarks that "all the subsequent editions vary considerably from the original" of 1724. He states that "this work is frequently confounded with 'John Macky's Journey through England, in familiar Letters from a Gentleman here to his Friend abroad,' 1722." I may take this opportunity of mentioning that, in the first volume of Defoe's work, there are some very interesting particulars of the skirmish at Reading, between the troops of the Prince of Orange and the Irish forces of James II., and the panic known as the "Irish night," which deserve to be consulted by Mr. Macaulay, for the next edition of his History. The whole work will well repay a perusal, and what is there of Defoe's writing which will not?

    D.S.

Muffins.—The correspondent who, in No.11., p. 173., inquires the origin of the word "Muffin," is referred to Urquhart's Pillars of Hercules, vol. ii. p. 143., just published, where he will find a large excursus on this subject. The word, he avers, is Phoenician: from maphula, one of those kinds of bread named as such by Athenaeus. "It was a cake," says Athenaeus, "baked on a hearth or griddle." He derives this by taking away the final vowel, and then changing l for n; thus: "maphula," "maphul," "mufun!!!"

In this strange book there are fifty other etymologies as remarkable as this. The author plainly offers them in hard earnest. This is something worth noting.

    V.

By Hook or Crook.—"As in the phrase 'to get by hook or crook;' in the sense of, to get by any expedient, to stick at nothing to obtain the end; not to be over nice in obtaining your ends—By hucke o'er krooke; e.g. by bending the knees, and by bowing low, or as we now say, by bowing and scraping, by crouching and cringing." —Bellenden Ker's Essay on the Archaeology our Popular Phrases and Nursery Rhymes, vol. i. p. 21. ed. 1837.

I wish your correspondent, "J.R.F.," had given a reference to the book or charter from which he copied his note.

Has Mr. B. Ker's work ever been reviewed?

    MELANION.

[Mr. Ker's book was certainly reviewed in Fraser's Magazine at the time of its appearance, and probably in other literary journals.]

By Hook or By Crook.—I have met with it somewhere, but have lost my note, that Hooke and Crooke were two judges, who in their day decided most unconscientiously whenever the interests of the crown were affected, and it used to be said that the king could get anything by Hooke or by Crooke. Query, is this the origin of the phrase?

If I cannot give my authority, perhaps "J.R.F." may be able to give his, for deriving it from "Forest Customs?"

    H.T.E.

El Buscapié.—A very full and able disquisition on the subject of MR. SINGER's query (No. 11., p. 171.), respecting El Buscapié, will be found in the appendix to a work which is just published, viz. Ticknor's History of Spanish Literature, vol. iii. Appendix D. 371. et seq. That writer, whose opinion is entitled to credit as that of a consummate student of Spanish letters, and who gives good reasons for his conclusions in this instance, pronounces against the authenticity of the poor little pamphlet recently put forth as belonging to Cervantes.

Those who take an interest in Spanish literature will find this book of Ticknor's a most valuable contribution to their knowledge of its whole compass, and worth "making a note of."

    V.

Richard of Cirencester, &c.—Bishop Barlow.—Your correspondent "S.A.A." (No. 6., p. 93), who is desirous of further information respecting Richard of Cirencester, will, I am sure, peruse with much interest and gratification a dissertation on that writer by K. Wex, which first appeared in the Rheinisches Museum für Philologie for 1846, and was shortly after translated and inserted in the Gentleman's Magazine, with valuable notes by the translator.—Respecting the writers of notes on the margin of books, few notes of the kind, I apprehend, deserve better to be collected and published than those by the very learned Bishop Barlow, Provost of Queen's College from the year 1657 to 1677, and who left the chief part of his library to that society. The rest of his books, being such as were not in the Bodleian, he bequeathed to that library, of which he was for some years the librarian. The Biographia Britannica represents him to have been "an universal lover and favourer of learned men, of what country or denomination soever."

    J.M.

Oxford

Rev. J. Edwards on Metal for Telescopes.—"T.J." informs the correspondent who inquired (No. 11, p. 174.) respecting this valuable paper, that it was printed in the Nautical Almanac for 1787. E.B. PRICE adds, "A Treatise on Optical Instruments, published about twenty years ago by the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge, contains much useful and general information upon this subject; and it is stated in that work that Mr. Edward's treatise, which is now very scarce, is republishing in the Technological Repository." While "G.B.S." furnishes the information that the treatise in question may be procured from Mr. Murray, of Albemarle Street.

Ordination Pledges.—In reply to the inquiry of "CLERICUS" (No. 10., p. 156.) for manuals containing a complete list of Ordination Pledges, may be mentioned Johnson's Clergyman's Vade Mecum, 2 vols. 12mo., and William's Laws relating to the Clergy, being a Practical Guide to the Clerical Profession on the Legal and Canonical Discharge of their various Duties, 8vo. The author of this useful work, which appears not to have been seen by Lowndes, says, in his advertisement, "The works which are already extant on Ecclesiastical Law, being either too diffuse or too concise for ready reference and practical use, the compiler of this volume has endeavored to remedy this defect by the publication of the following compendium."

    T.J.

NOTES ON BOOKS, SALES, CATALOGUES, ETC

The Percy Society have just issued A New and Mery Enterlude called the Triall of Treasure, from the edition printed at London by Thomas Purfoote, 1567, edited by Mr. Halliwell. The other works issued by the Society since May last (when the year's subscription became due) have been A Poem (satirical) of The Times of Edward II., edited by the Rev. C. Hardwick, from a MS. at St. Peter's College, Cambridge, of which a less perfect copy from an Edinburgh MS. was printed by Mr. Wright, in the volume of Political Songs, edited by him for the Camden Society; Notices of Fugitive Tracts and Chap-Books, printed at Aldermary Churchyard, Bow Churchyard, &c. by Mr. Halliwell; The Man in the Moone, or The English Fortune Teller, edited by the same gentleman, from the unique copy printed in 1609, now in the Bodleian; and lastly, The Religious Poems of William de Shoreham, Vicar of Chart-Sutton in Kent, in the Reign of Edward II., edited by Mr. Wright, from a contemporary manuscript.

It is doubtful whether Mr. Shaw's skill as an artist, fidelity as a copyist, or taste in the selection of his subjects, entitle him to the higher praise. We leave to those who are familiar with his Dresses and Decorations of the Middle Ages, and other admirable productions, the settlement of this point. He has just published the first number of a new work, The Decorative Arts of the Middle Ages, the object of which is to exhibit the peculiar features and general characteristics of decorative art, from the Byzantine or early Christian period to the decline of that termed the Renaissance. This beautiful work—for beautiful it is—is extremely well timed, as it appears at a moment when our manufacturers who desire to display their skill at the great exhibition of 1851, must be most anxious to see "the principles by which our ancestors controlled their genius in producing articles of taste and beauty, from the precious metals, from enamels, from glass, from embroidery, and from the various other textures and materials on which they delighted to lavish their skill and ingenuity (both for the various services of the Church, and also as accessories to the luxuries of the wealthy of all classes)." The present number contains: 1. "An exquisite Cup, designed by Holbein for Queen Jane Seymour;" 2. "Stained Glass of the 13th Century, from the Cathedral of Chartres;" 3. "An exquisite Specimen of Embroidery (of the date of 1554), from a picture of Queen Mary belonging to the Society of Antiquaries;" and, 4. "Iron-work from the Tomb of Eleanor of Castile." It will be seen, from this enumeration of them, how varied and well selected are the subjects of this new work of Mr. Shaw, and how well they are adapted to answer the end which he has in view.

Messrs. Leigh Sotheby & Co. will sell on Thursday next, and the two following days, "The valuable and select library of William Ashby Ashby, Esq., of Queenby Hall, Leicestershire," consisting of standard works in English history, and the best editions of Latin, Italian, and French Classics, &c. all in the choicest old morroco, russia, and other handsome bindings.

We have received the following Catalogues:—

"Number I., for 1850, of John Miller's Catalogue of Books, Old and New, on Sale at 43. Chandos Street, Trafalgar Square."

"John Petheram's Catalogue of Old and New Books on Sale, for Cash only, at 94. High Holborn (Part cvii., No. I. for 1850)."

"Catalogue d'une Collection extraordinaire d'un choix de beaux Livres Gothiques Romans de Chevalerie, Elzevirs, Novellieri, Manuscrits d'une superbe condition, recueillis pendant dix années et tous reliés par Bauzonnet, Niédrée, Duru, Capé, en vente chez M. Gancia, 73. King's Road, Brighton."

BOOKS AND ODD VOLUMES

WANTED TO PURCHASE

(In continuation of Lists in former Nos.)

BURTON'S ANATOMY OF MELANCHOLY. 4to. 1621

BURTON'S ANATOMY OF MELANCHOLY. Folio. 1651

Odd Volumes

DODSLEY'S OLD PLAYS. 8vo. 1825. Vols. II. and III.

DODSLEY'S OLD PLAYS. Suppl. or 13th Vol.

BEWICK'S BIRDS. VOL. I. Large paper; original edition, russia or uncut.

BEWICK'S BIRDS. Vol. II. Large paper; original edition.

*.* Letters, stating particulars and lowest price, carriage free, to be sent to MR. BELL, Publisher of "NOTES AND QUERIES," 186. Fleet Street.

NOTICES TO CORRESPONDENTS

T.S.D. (with many thanks.) We will communicate privately as soon as possible.

COMMUNICATIONS RECEIVED.—W. Robson.—G.M. —C.H.—T.T.W.—J.J.—Belvoir.– C.H.C.—A.G.—J.O.H.—H.K.– G.W. (yes)—A.P.H.—W.C.jun.—P.C.S.S. —R.S.S.—E.L.N.—J.F.M.—J.G.– J.W.G.G.—Q.D.—Naso.—W.P.P.– J.C.—G.W.—Hermes.—J.R.F.– B.C.(Norwich)—A.H.E.—Rufa.—J.J.– J.M.—C.B.—C.H.—A.B.—J.P. jun. H.W.—G.O.—R.C.—Search.—F.M. —Melanion.

We are again compelled to omit Notes, Queries, and Answers to Queries, as well as Answers to Correspondents.

PUBLISHED BY GEORGE BELL,

186. Fleet Street.