Here then we have in this giant Charlemagne and his successors, the power and glory of the Papacy, and the miserable thraldom of the Christian people. Una having learned the fate of her knight, now appeals to Prince Arthur, whom she meets; and he fights and slays the giant, delivers the knight, and strips and exposes Duessa, who flies to hide her shame in the wilderness. Prince Arthur, the poet tells us, is Magnificence, i. e. the doing of great deeds. He is the impersonation of British royalty as shown forth in the house of Tudor, and we have here the victory of that house over the papacy and its abettors. In order to restore her knight to the vigour requisite for his conflict with the dragon, Una now leads him to the House of Holiness, where he is put through a course of instruction and discipline by Faith, Hope, and Charity, the daughters of Holiness. He then engages the dragon, whom he overcomes and slays after a perilous conflict of three days' duration. At the end of the first day, when the hero's strength is nearly exhausted, it is restored by his falling into the Well of Life; and at the end of the second day he is again saved by falling into the "stream of balm" that flowed from the Tree of Life. By the well and tree I think the two sacraments seem to be indicated. The remainder of the allegory is simple and easy to be understood. I will only further observe, that the allegorical characters cease with this book. So when we meet with the Red-cross Knight and Satyrane again, they are simply knights of Faerie, Archimage a mere enchanter, and Duessa the Queen of Scots. THOS. KEIGHTLEY. LETTERS OF NELL GWYNNE AND KITTY CLIVE. DEAR MR. EDITOR In your interesting Miscellany you have recently introduced two letters from Nell Gwynne. I think it might please your readers to have a copy of her letter which is in my collection of autographs. It is, no doubt, authentic, and was formerly in the possession of Mr. Singer, at whose sale I bought it. It was so well illustrated by our dear mutual friend Mr. Bruce, and introduced by him, with some others, into the Camden Miscellany (vol. v.), that I add to it his valuable notes. I also enclose another curious specimen, written by the famous Kitty Clive, addressed no doubt to her friend Miss Pope the actress, of whom Horace Walpole, writing to the Countess of Ossory on July 15, 1783, says:— "Miss Pope has been at Mrs. Clive's this week, and I have not been able to call on them. I wrote a line of excuse, but hoped very soon to salute Miss Pope's eye. Excuse my radotage, but what better can you expect ? " The glorious old gossip of Strawberry Hill, in a letter to Lady Ossory of Oct. 23, 1784, furnishes another account of the incident mentioned in Kitty's letter: "It is very true Madam we are robbed in the face of the Sun, as well as at the going down thereof. I know not how other districts fare, but for five miles round us we are in perpetual jeopardy. Two of our justices, returning from a Cabinet Council of their own, at Brentford, were robbed last week before three o'clock, at the gates of Twickenham: no wonder; I believe they are all hoodwinked, like their Alma Mater herself, and, consequently as they cannot see, it is not surprising that both she and they should often weigh out their goods with unequal scales." Can you or any of your readers tell me who Mrs. Hart was, and the "old Weasel which she left behind "? WILLIAM TITE. 43, Lowndes Square. pray Deare Mr. Hide1 forgive me for not writeing to you before now for the reasone is I have bin sick thre months & sinse I recoverd I have had nothing to intertaine you withall nor have nothing now worth writing but that I can holde no longer to let you know I never have ben in any companie wethout drinking your health for I loue you with all my soule. the pel mel is now to me a dismale plase sinse, I have uterly lost Sr Car Scrope 2 never to be recourd agane for he tould me he could not live allwayes at this rate & so begune to be a littel uncivil, which I could not sufer from an uglye baux garscon. M▪ Knights Lady mothers dead & she has put up a scutchin no beiger then my Lady grins scunchis. My lord 1 Mr. Hide is conjectured to have been the handsome Lory or Lawrence Hyde, second son of Lord Chancellor Clarendon, created Earl of Rochester in 1682. In May and June 1678 he was at the Hague on diplomatic business. (Correspondence of Clarendon and Rochester, i. 16, 20.) 2 Sir Carr Scrope was created a baronet 1667-8, and died unmarried 1680. He was one of the witty companions of Charles II., and author of various poetical effusions, to be found in Dryden's Miscellanies. Johnson notices him in his life of Rochester. 3 Mrs. Knight, a singer of great celebrity, and a rival to Nell Gwynne in the tender regard of Charles II. She is mentioned by both Evelyn and Pepys, although the latter had not heard her sing up to the period at which his diary closes. The name of her Lady-mother has not been found. &Q 3rd S. viii. 413). Lady Greene, who escaped the researches of MR. BRUCE, has been identified by MR. J. G. NICHOLS She was another favourite of Charles II., by whom she was the mother of his son Charles Fitz-Charles, created in 1675 Earl of Plymouth, and of a daughter Katherine. Lady Greene was Katherine, daughter of Thomas Pegge, Esq. of Yeldersley, co. Derby; became the wife of Sir Edward Greene, Bart. of Sampford in Essex, who died in Flanders in 1676. Lady Greene herself had probably died shortly before this letter was written.-ED. "N. & Q." 4 a Probably the writer misplaced the n in this word, writing scunchis for scuchins. 8 Rochester is gon in the cuntrei. M' Savil has got a misfortune, but is upon recovery & is to mary an hairres, who I thinke wont wont [sic] have an ill time ont if he holds up his thumb. My lord of Dorscit apiers wonse in thre munths, for he drinkes aile with Shadwell & Mr Haris at the Dukes house all day long. my Lord Burford 10 remimbers his sarvis to you. my Lord Bauclaire 1 is is [sic] goeing into france. we are a goeing to supe with the king at whithall & my lady Harvie.12 the King remembers his sarvis to you. 11 John Wilmot, the poetical Earl of Rochester, who, as Johnson remarked," blazed out his youth and his health in lavish voluptuousness," and with "avowed contempt of all decency and order." The history of the contrast presented by the close of his life is a well-known book by Bishop Burnet. He died on the 26th July, 1680, at the age of 34. The gentleman who could govern by rule of thumb was Henry Savile, the future Vice-Chamberlain, for whom see the Savile Correspondence, edited by Mr. W. D. Cooper for the Camden Society in 1858. The projected marriage did not come off. 7 The Earl of Dorset was one of the wildest of the mad companions of the merry monarch. His doings are written at large in all the scandalous chronicles of that period. Nell Gwynne was living with him as his mistress when the king took a fancy to her, and the terms of the bargain and sale by which she was transferred to the sovereign may be read in Cunningham, p. 68. Dorset or Buckhurst, for the latter was his title whilst Nell Gwynne lived with him, is more creditably known by his song "To all you ladies now at land," and by his conduct at the close of the reign of James II. His life is included among Johnson's Lives of the Poets. 8 Thomas Shadwell the poet, who owed to the influence of the Earl of Dorset his appointment as laureate on the ejection of Dryden at the Revolution of 1688. However mean his poetry, his conversation is said to have been highly witty and amusing. From his companionship with Rochester and Dorset, it is not to be wondered at that it was also often indecent and profane. Joseph Harris, the celebrated actor, who drew sword for Charles I. at Edgehill, and lived to delight the town, after the Restoration, with his Othello, Alexander, Brutus, and Catiline. Pepys describes him as a man of most attractive qualities. "I do find him a very excellent person, such as in my whole acquaintance I do not know another better qualified for converse, whether in things of his own trade or of other kind; a man of great understanding and observation, and very agreeable in the manner of his discourse, and civil as far as is possible. I was mightily pleased with his company." Lord Braybrooke stated in a note to Pepys (ii. 196) that Harris probably died or left the stage about 1676. The present letter postpones that date for a year or two, and Dr. Doran in his most amusing treasury of information respecting the drama (Their Majesties Šervants, vol. i. p. 63), dates his retirement from the stage in 1682, and his interment at Stanmore Magna in 1683. 10 Lord Burford, as we have already noticed, was the elder of Nell Gwynne's two children by the king. He was born 8th May, 1670, created Lord Burford on the 27th December, 1676, and Duke of St. Alban's on the 10th Jan. 1683-4. 11 Lord Beauclerk, Nell Gwynne's younger son, was born 25th December, 1671, and died, as we have before remarked, at Paris in September, 1680. 12 Lady Harvey was Elizabeth, sister of Ralph third now lets talke of state affairs, for we never caried things so cunningly as now for we dont know whether we shall have pesce or war, but I am for war and for no other reason but that you may come home. I have a thousand merry conseets, but I cant make her write um & therfore you must take the will for the deed. god bye. your most loueing obedunt faithfull & humbel My dear Popy, sarvant E. G. Twickenham Oct' ye 17, 1784. The Jack I must have, and I suppose the Cook will be as much delighted with it, as a fine Lady with a Birthday Suit; I send You Wallnuts which are fine, but pray be moderate in your admiration for they are dangerous Dainties; John has carried about to my Neighbours above six thousand and he tells me there [are] as many still left; indeed it is a most wonderfull tree M Prince has been robd at Two o'Clock at Noon of her Gold Watch and four Guineas, and at the same time our two Justices of three and sixpence a Piece, they had like to be shott for not having more. Every body inquires after You and I deliver your Comp. Poor Mrs Hart is dead-well spoken of by every body. I pity the poor old Weassel that is left behind. I do not know that I have much that is new to say respecting Mons Vultur; but it is so seldom that a traveller penetrates to this secluded part of Italy, that anything, however trifling, will be interesting to some of your readers, particularly to the admirers of Horace and his works. It was a little beyond the middle of June that I mounted this beautiful mountain, clothed with oaks, elms, Lord Montagu of Boughton, afterwards Earl and Duke of Manchester. Elizabeth married Sir Daniel Harvey, a conspicuous person at that time; as ranger of Richmond Park he gave shelter in his house to Lady Castlemaine during her quarrels with Charles II. Her ladyship, according to Pepys, rewarded Lady Harvey by encouraging "Doll Common," or Mrs. Cory, who was the distinguished representative of that character, to mimic Lady Harvey on the stage, in the character of Sempronia. Lady Harvey "provided people to hiss her and fling oranges at her," and, that being unsuccessful, procured the Lord Chamberlain to imprison her. Lady Castlemaine "made the king to release her," and a great disturbance was excited both in the theatre and at court. In the mean time Sir Daniel Harvey was sent away ambassador to Constantinople. "Me fabulosa Vulture in Appulo, Ludo fatigatumque somno Woodpigeons are still as numerous as they were in the days of Horace; while the cooing of the dove and the humming of the bees invited to sleep. I approached the mountain from the side of Melfi, which gives name to the highest peak, "Il Pizzuto di Melfi," four thousand three hundred and fifty-seven feet above the level of the sea. The approach to the mountain is through vineyards, which grow with great luxuriance, as vines always do on volcanic soils. The wine is strong, and requires dilution for the sober Italian. In At the foot of the mountain to the north, the Aufidus could be traced for many miles by the winding of the valley through which it runs. its upper course it is a stream of no great size in summer, though evidently a violent torrent from the winter snow and rain. I can easily understand why its presiding nymphs should have been propitiated by the superstitious, as the following inscription shows: It is particularly interesting to find the name of Magius Velleianus in this neighbourhood, and we cannot but imagine that we may have here Magius Celer Velleianus, brother of the historian Velleius Paterculus, who served as legate to Tiberius in the Dalmatian war A.D. 9, and shared in the honours of his commander's triumph. At the time of Augustus's death (A.D. 14), he and his brother were the "candidati Cæsaris" for the prætorship (Vell. Pat. II. 115, 121, 124). It is the more likely that this should be so, as the family, though originally of the highest rank in Capua (Liv. xxiii. 7, 10), were evidently settled in this direction, as the "atavus" of Velleius Paterculus is called by him "Asculanensis" (Vell. Pat. II. 16), distinguished in the Social War (B.C. 90) by his fidelity to the Romans. Now Asculum Apulum Ascoli is at no great distance from the banks of the Aufidus, and the property of Magius might be often subjected to the inundations of the river. The forest Monticchio, with its lofty and aged trees, afforded a pleasant shade as I ascended the slopes. There can be no doubt of the volcanic nature of the mountain: there are several craters, but one in particular far more perfect than that of Vesuvius. The sides of this crater rise in nearly an unbroken line around, dotted with finer specimens of timber than I have ever seen, even in our northern regions. Historical records are silent as to the time when it was in operation; but the intelligent inhabitants maintain that they would be in a great measure relieved from the earthquakes that desolate their country if it were again to burst forth and let off the pent-up gases underground. It is curious that I should have heard the same observation when I was at Casal Nuovo, in southern Calabria, the central spot, where the earthquake of 1783 had been felt most severely, and where the Princess Gerace and many thousands of the inhabitants had been swallowed up. Towards the south my host pointed to the highest mountain, Aspromonte, and said that all their calamities arose from that central point. This was the opinion of one who had watched for half a century the shocks to which they were constantly subject, and this man, abnormis sapiens, was probably not far from the truth. In the largest crater of Mons Vultur are two small lakes, from which at times issue sulphureous exhalations, like those which rise from Lacus Ampsanctus, which is at no great distance, and is no doubt connected with this ancient volcano. The inhabitants feel that they are resting on a volcano that might burst out at any moment, as Vesuvius did eighteen hundred years ago; but the Italians are in general a pious race, and have much dependence on a Higher Power. They have frequent admonitions by slight shocks; and I was told that the appearance of the lakes gave warning of what was likely to happen, as they became more turbulent and threw out exhalations more largely before a severe shock took place. There are more than a dozen cones scattered over the surface of the mountain, but, what is very curious, no appearance of any extensive stream of lava. To my eye, the little lava I saw had much more of a basaltic structure than what I had been accustomed to see round the base of Vesuvius. Sulphureous springs are abundant. I heard of una mofeta con due bocche" at La Rendina, where the country was efflorescent with sulphur. At Barile, originally a colony of Albanians, there is another very powerful spring, which is used for chronic diseases by the inhabitants of the surrounding country. Near Atella there is said to be another still more strongly saturated; indeed, on every side of the mountain such springs abound. There is an idea prevalent among Italian geologists that Mons Vultur was in distant ages close to the Adriatic, as they believe that Puglia Piana, as it is called, was then submerged, and only raised gradually by the violent throes of nature. There is no doubt that this part of Italy is only slightly raised above the level of the sea, and the land lying between the plains of Cannæ and Venusia would have then formed an inland bay. I travelled for thirty miles along the banks of the Aufidus, from Cannae to Venusia, and I was particularly struck by the level nature of the country till I arrived near to the birth-place of Horace. Venusia stands in the water-shed of a ridge, on one side of which the waters flow into the Aufidus and hence into the Adriatic, while on the other they fall into the river Bradanus, now Bradano, at the mouth of which I found, some fifty miles farther south, the ruins of the celebrated temple at Metapontum, now known to the inhabitants as "Tavola dei Paladini." The Bradanus has a long course, taking its rise at the foot of Mons Vultur, and flowing southward into the Gulf of Taranto, it formed the boundary between Apulia and Lucania. At the time when Puglia Piana is supposed to have been submerged, geologists imagine that the Gulf of Taranto was united to the Adriatic across the neck of land which joins Brundusium to Tarentum: so that the Japygian peninsula must then have been an island. No doubt this neck of land is at no great height above the sea level. I travelled along it from Manduria, through Uria, to Brundusium. I found that it was at Uria the central point, where the ridge began to rise, which runs northward and forms what is known to the Italians as Puglia Pietrosa. A very slight subsidence would again make the Japygian peninsula into an island. CRAUFURD TAIT RAMAGE. LONDON COFFEE HOUSES. I have in my possession a copy of Mendez's Collection of Poems, which you are aware was published in 1767 as a supplement to Dodsley's Collection. I am not about to make any remark upon the book itself; but on the fly-leaves, at the beginning and end, are written in the neatest of hands two poems. One is called "The Quakers' Meeting, by Mr. John Ellis:" this I do not propose to trouble you with, as it has no great merit, and would not suit the taste of the present day. The other, however, may be interesting, not as a poem, but as illustrating the manners and customs of our ancestors, and as recalling the memory of many houses of public resort and entertainment in the neighbourhood of the Royal Exchange, many of them probably being no longer in existence. It is called an "Epistle from M. Mendez, Esq., to Mr. J. Ellis"-no doubt the author of the other poem, but of whom the biographical books at present at my call do not give any account. He was, no doubt, a choice spirit of the day, or, more correctly perhaps, the night. I give you the whole poem, but there is one LEGAL COMMON-PLACES, temp. JAMES I. I have a dilapidated common-place book in which are entered several MS. notes of cases, rules and orders of Court, dicta of judges, and legal memoranda, in two different hands-those dated 1601, 2, 3, apparently copied from original notes by a clerk, and those of 1604, 5, 6, 7 in the reporter's own handwriting, which is somewhat difficult to decipher. The Lord Keeper named was doubtless Sir Thomas Egerton, afterwards Lord Chancellor; the Attorney-general, Sir Edward Coke. Mr. Bacon was Francis Bacon, who became Lord Chancellor; Hunt, LL.D., a Master in Chancery, and in 1605 Master of the Rolls. (but not as Clerke of the Crowne) [the clearke of] the Hamper and 4 more, or such as my Lord shall nominate, but he may name as manie as he like. The reason whie sett hand bookes or greene bookes be writt in vellum ys because that everye worde therin is written at length, as Richardus and noe Richūs, and not in course. Termino Michis anno R. Regis Jac' primo apud Winton 1603, 14 Novembr. This terme for the sicknes was adiorned vnto Winton Citty: till Crō. Martini. The moote poynt was hereon, whether the day of Cro. Martyni, or the 4 daye after (viz.) Twesday, shoulde be the firste daye or not, vt was resolued &c. Mr Tyndall tould us so in the King's Bedchamber at Winchester, that beinge made the chapple chamber for my Lode Chancellor. Dismission-Costs--Publicacōn-Demurrer-Examinacon of Wittnesses-Bre de Execucoe-ReplicationsReiunctio-Dedim Potestatem-Acute et graviter dicta. Mr Bacon sayd: the poore man went like a sheepe to a Bushe in a storme, and he robbed him of all his wooll. Let one devill torment the other sayd my Lord Keep' to a question asked him what should become of the Broker: that both Broker & vusurer had conspired to cosin a younge gentleman. One oath in the affirmative is better then a thowsand in the negative. Mr D'tor Hunt in Courte beinge demaunded the civill lawe rule in witnesses. My Lode Keep sayd no man goeth by the Kings highway but the doggs will barke at him; neaver lett an honest man care for yll wordes, they be but doggs barkinge. In a manne of yll carriage: althoughe there be no apparant proofes, yet everie suspicōn carrieth his force: and yf there be sundrie suspitions omnes suspitiones crescunt, sayth my Lode Keep. I will not cutt the bodye because the coate is too little, speakinge of a mans intent by his last will to estate some of his ffriends, but wanted forme. [Ld. Keep in margin.] Qui in p'tibus mentitur nefarius est. Qui vnam et eandem rem duobus vendit, fraudulentus You had the Bird in yor hand, you might kill him or lett him flie at yor pleasure. Idem. Plus valent duo affirmantes quam mille negantes. Doc Hunt in curia. Volenti non fit iniuria modo non inductus sit fraude ad illam voluntatem. [Dns custos in marg.] You brushe yo sealf so longe that you brushe the dust into yor owne eyes. Lde Keeper to Sient Spurlinge that excused him sealf of an imputacon both longe & ernestlie. This cawse hath been carried in the heigth of witt and strength of wordes, and theirfore impar congressus for me to awnswer, in regard of my insufficyencye in the case betweene Francklyn and Gascoigne. Quis pinxit leonem, speakinge of a forged deede beinge in the partyes hande that complayned of the forgerye therof. [Mr Bacon in marg.] My Lds marks of an yll cause be manye. Amongste the rest one to make private peticons, and worke to pvert Justice by private tres and mocōn of great men. And my Lord vseth to say I am a blabber and p'sentlie will discover the content of the Ire and meanes vsed in the behalf of the ptye. [Dns Custos.] You warble in yo'sealf; you are nowe pushing to farr. [Das custos.] A bodye politique hath no sowle and therfore some of them ymagine they should have no conscyence [Dns Custos] speakinge of the Deane of Rochester D'cor Blange. Tantæ ne animis cœlestibus iræ. Speaking of clergiemens feirce psecučon of a cawse. Mr Attorney speakinge of the malicious carriages of a cause by ecclesiasticall and church psons. Clericus in oppido tanquam piscis in arido. Vt fælicitatis est posse quantum velis sic magnitudinis nullo quantum possis. in a demurrer int' Bowes et dñam Reginam. [Hitchcocke.] My Lord Keeper sayd that Cayus will was the beste; who would neaver make anie other Executors but his handes, nor anie other overseers but his eyes. (19 Maij 1° Jacobi.) You have made a longe entrie to a little howse speakinge to Mr Higgins that vsed a longe prface to a cause of little worth, and might have beene sooner answered. [Dns Custos.] Possibilitye is the mother of hope, and hope the nurse of desire. Mr Kinge at Powles crosse 25to Octobr. This cawse will fare like a froste, for yt will have a fowle end. Michis 440 et 45to. [Dns Custos.] My Loe asked what did the ptye give him that he should vndertake all their charges. all that he had my Lord awnswered they. All that he had sayd my Lord yt may be that was of small or no valewe. Much like yor awnswer to the sayinge of Peeter to Christe. Wee haue forsaken all and followed the. I knowe nothing St Peeter had but an owld boate and a broken nett. So may yo' all be, 14 Octo: 44° et 45o. The same to Mrs Fulliambe havinge ordered that an annuitye of lxxxi p annum should be pd to hir from hir husband (she beinge severed from him) and firste appoynted the Rolls for the place of payment at hir request, and then she alteringe that minde requested yt might be paid hir at Yorke, weh he likewise granted; Lastlie naminge a third place changinge hir former opinion; my Lord sayd, (seinge hir so variable) Mrs Fulliambe yt will trumpe a good Tayler to make a garment for the moone, you resemble becawse you waxe and wayne so often. This was spoken two yeares before the former about 14 Octo. Michis 44to et 45o," wch : [The following are in the second hand]:"Michis, 1604. Octob. 12. Ld Keep. Non refert de nomine modo constet de feofm: as yf a man be arested by the name of Sawkeld when his name is Salcott. Singularitas testium vitiat testimonium-Idem: as yf one by one have seene or hearde speake such a thing and not 2 or more at one tyme. 20 Octobris. Mr Attorney Generall dining at the 6 clearkes office with vs: sayed: Oleum in summo, vinum in medio, et mel in imo is all wayes best. 20 Nove. 1604. My La Chancel or taxed one choppinge of one an other before they had finished ther speaches out of St Jerom as he sayest touching speach. 1. Silendi patientia. 2. Loquendi opportunitas. 3. Virtutis Funda menta. Hillarii. 1604. 2. R. R. S. Tyll 32 H. 8. no man might devise his lande by will vnlesse it weare in certayne manners that had such a custom, and in my opinion it hath breade many ements that a dying man payned and distracted therby shoold in articulo mortis when his soule shood be prouiding viaticum for that neaver recoring iorney shoold bestow his thoughts (having no learned men by) on the inheritance of his lande. Idem. Cum factor rerum priuasset semina clerum |