Notes and Queries, Number 189, June 11, 1853

Among the Ashmolean MSS. (No. 36, art. 296.) is a poem of 110 lines "Upon the most hopeful and ever-flourishing Sprouts of Valour, the indefatigable Centrys of the Physick-Garden." This, I apprehend, is a MS. copy of the first broadside mentioned by your correspondent.

I shall merely add, the Bobarts, father and son, were personal friends of Ashmole and Ray, and that, in all probability, among their correspondence much curious and minute information might be obtained.

    Edward F. Rimbault.

"ITS."

(Vol. vii., p. 510.)

I was somewhat surprised to find, in No. 186. of "N. & Q.," two instances quoted of the use of the word "its" in the version of the Bible. It has long been an established opinion that this word did not exist in it; and the fact has been recently referred to by two different authorities, Mr. Keightley in "N. & Q.," Vol. vii., p. 160., and Mr. Watts of the British Museum, in a paper "On some philological peculiarities in the English authorised Version of the Bible," read before the Philological Society on December 10, 1852.

Feeling curious on the subject, I have taken the trouble of referring to several different versions of the Bible in the British Museum, and the following variorum readings of the verses quoted by your correspondent B. H. C. are the result:

1. The Wickliffite version, before 1390 (edit. Forshall and Wadden):

"And he shal ben as a tree, that is plauntid beside the doun rennyngis of watris; that his frut shal ȝive in his time."—Ps. i. 3.

"Duke of the weie thou were in his (sc. the vine) siȝt; and thou plauntidist his rootis, and it fulfilde the erthe."—Ps. lxxx. 10.

2. Coverdale's Bible, 1536:

"Y

brīgeth forth his frute in due season."

"Thou maydest rowme for it, and caused it to take rote, so y

it fylled the lōde."

3. Matthews, 1537:

"That bryngeth forth his frute in due season."

"Thou madest rowme for it, and caused it to take rote, so that it fylled the lande."

4. Cranmer, 1539:

"Y

wyll brynge forth hys frute in due season."

"Thou madest rowme for it, and whan it had taken rote it fylled y

lande."

5. The Bishops' Bible, 1568:

"That bryngeth foorth her fruite in due season."

"Thou madst roome before it, thou causedst it to take roote, and it hath filled the lande."

6. Geneva Bible, 1578. In this there are two translations, one "according to the Ebrewe," the other "used in the Common Prayer":

i. "That wil bring forth her fruite in due season."

ii. "That will bring forth his fruite in due season."

i. "Thou madest roome for it, and when it had taken roote, it filled the lande."

ii. "Thou madest roume for it, and didest cause it to take roote, and it filled the land."

7. The Douay Bible (Roman Catholic version), 1609-10:

"Which shal geue his fruite in his time."

"Thou wast the guide of the way in the sight thereof; thou didst plant the rootes thereof, and it filled the earth."

8. Authorised version, 1611:

"That bringeth forth his fruit in his season."

"Thou preparedst roome before it, and didst cause it to take deepe roote, and it filled the land."

It will thus be perceived that "its" is wanting in all the above passages, and that "his," "her," and "thereof" invariably supply its place. I have been equally unsuccessful in detecting the word in the Common Prayer-Book version of the Psalms, which is well known to be that of the "Great Bible," or Cranmer's edition of 1539, and which has remained in use without alteration ever since. May I therefore ask B. H. C. to be so good as to point out the particular "Old version of the Psalms" from which he has derived his quotation?

    W. B. Rye.

BOHN'S EDITION OF HOVEDEN

(Vol. vii., p. 495.)

In reply to your correspondent's remarks (May 21) on my translation of Hoveden, I beg to state that, in suggesting Cork, I did not allude to the city of Cork, but the territory of Desmond or Cork, which probably extended to within a short distance of Waterford. Hoveden more than once, in his foreign geography, confounds places with territories or kingdoms; this fact, and the similarity of the names, Croch and Corch, as the kingdom of Cork is elsewhere called by him, led me to believe that a landing in the territory of Cork was meant. "Crook," "Hook Point," or "The Crook," is only supposed to have been the place of landing on this occasion. I confess that I was not aware that "Erupolis" was an alias of the diocese of Ossory: I cannot find it mentioned as such in the dictionaries at my command. My Note, however, was worded in such a way as to give offence to no reasonable person: and, among the many hundreds, perhaps thousands of suggestions, made in the notes (in a proper spirit, I hope,) I should be greatly surprised to find that I had miscarried in none. For your correspondent's information, I beg to state, that I am not an Irishman either by birth or descent; and that I have never had the good fortune to pay a visit to that country. Were I inclined to follow his example in making remarks upon the "ominousness" of names, I might perhaps retaliate upon him with interest.

Why I have forfeited all claim to be treated by this gentleman with courtesy or common politeness, I am quite at a loss to conceive; but I beg to remind him that vituperation does not carry conviction, and that criticism is enfeebled by an alliance with abuse.

    Henry T. Riley.

BOOKS OF EMBLEMS

(Vol. vii., p. 469.)

In your 185th Number, two or three Queries are proposed by the Rev. Mr. Corser in connexion with that interesting branch of literature called Books of Emblems. To these it shall be my endeavour to reply.

First. Some years ago I made particular inquiry from the surviving relatives of the late Rev. William Beloe, whether among his manuscripts there had been found any "Treatise on Emblems," or any notices which had a bearing on the subject? They informed me that they had made search, but without success.

Second. Of Thomas Combe, mentioned by Meres in his Palladis Tamia, I have been unable to learn anything.

Third. It appears certain that Bunyan never published any Book of Emblems, whatever may have been hawked under his name; nor can I find, in the Account of his Life and Writings just published in Glasgow, Edinburgh, and London, or in any preceding edition of his works, that such a production was ever contemplated by him.