Page:Notes and Queries - Series 10 - Volume 1.djvu/28

 NOTES AND QUERIES. no* s. i. JA v _>, 1904,

i'ects. In its early days the Surtees Society was ridiculed in influential quarters for publishing ancient wills, which were regarded as quite useless for those who possessed even a little common ense; and the reverence shown for illustrious descent by Sir Francis Palgrave in more than one passage in his ' History of Normandy am England ' was said, at the time of publica tion, to have injured the sale of the work. A .happy change has, however, taken place, -vnd in some degree, at least, we ought to thank our American cousins for the improvement. The -educated classes of that great democracy were .always free from some of those prejudices which overshadowed us, and were therefore anxious to -connect themselves, not only in imagination, but in fact, with the families of the old land ; so a large number of race-histories have been produced some, at is true, executed on wrong lines, but others based on the soundest principles of modern research. We .may safely say that no work of the nature of the one before us could possibly have come into exist- ence half a century ago. The times were not ripe ior it, nor was there a fitting architect to plan nor workmen to execute. It is the first book we have ever encountered wherein even an endeavour has teen made to carry out on an extended and sys- tematic scale the royal descents of the Britisli people. Tlie Marquis of Ruvigny does not go back beyond Edward IV. and Henry VII. He thus gives the families dependent from the Houses of York and Lancaster in the female lines, so far as un- wearied research and hard work have enabled him to collect and arrange them. A like course has been pursued with regard to the descendants of James III. of Scotland Many families inherit the blood of the Plantagenets and Stuarts without 'being aware of the fact ; but the Marquis's labours will be of special advantage to those who, while .aware of their royal ancestry, do not know the intervening links between themselves and their distinguished progenitors. We wish it had been possible for the author to begin his work at an earlier period say with Henry II. Human life iand energy have, however, their limitations; we therefore dare not complain. We are too glad that so large an instalment has been carried out and done so well. The author tells us in the preface some facts which we are sure are unrecognized by many who have a special interest in knowing theni. He enumerates, for example, some of the world- renowned heroes, with all of whom the descendants of Henry VII. count kinship. He might have added .others ; but as it stands the catalogue is highly instructive. Among them occur Alfred the Great, ISt. Louis of France, Roderigo Diaz de Bivar (com- jnonly known in England as the Cid), the Em- perors of the East (Isaac II. and Alexius I.), and, by far the greatest of all. Charlemagne, to whom we owe the redemption of the greater part of the European continent from barbarism, and its return to such civilization as has been found attainable.

It has been commonly assumed by those who have never given attention to such subjects that royal descent is very uncommon, and that when it does occur it is found almost solely in the families of our older aristocracy, whose existence is well - nigh hidden in the crowded pages of the modern peerage. This is a strange mistake. We have personally known men and women in a very humble class of life whose descent from Alfred and, indeed, from Odin and Arthur, if these latter be any thing beyond

dream - figures is as unimpeachable as that of royalty itself. The Marquis mentions a butcher, a gamekeeper, a glass-cutter, an exciseman, a toll- bar-keeper, a baker, and a tailor who are descend- ants, through the Seymours, of Mary, the younger daughter ofKing Henry VII.

In almost every direction care has been taken to make the work as complete as possible. Thus we have a little shield put against those persons who have a right to quarter the royal arms of the Plan- tagenets. It has often been assumed that all who inherit the blood have a right to the arms also ; but this is a mistake, in order to guard against which we wish the author had explained what are the prin- ciples by which this right is protected. There is but one family that of the Duke of Athol and his cousin Miss Caroline F. Murray who have a right to this " unique distinction " three times over.

This great compilation is well worthy of an extended commentary. We hope it will excite others to imitate it in directions which might be indicated. It must become a necessity for every one studying the history, and especially the local history, of the last four centuries.

MESSRS. ARROWSMITU, of Bristol, publish A Patience Pocket- Book, compiled by Mrs. Theodore Bent.

We must call special attention to the following notices :

ON all communications must be written the name and address of the sender, not necessarily for pub- lication, but as a guarantee of good faith.

WE cannot undertake to answer queries privately.

To secure insertion of communications corre- spondents must observe the following rules. Let each note, query, or reply be written on a separate slip of paper, with the signature of the writer and such address as he wishes to appear. When answer- "ng queries, or making notes with regard to previous entries in the paper, contributors are requested to put in parentheses, immediately after the exact leading, the series, volume, and page or pages to which they refer. Correspondents who repeat queries are requested to head the second com- munication " Duplicate."

SIR E. T. BEWLEY. " Heardlome" shall appeal- next week.

P. P. A. (" They sa. Quhat sa the: ? Lat them sa "). In its familiar form, "They say," &c., it is he motto of Aberdeen University.

S. PEARCE. The death of " Henry Seton Merri- iian" was noticed in tbeAthenmtm of 28 November ast.

J. ELIOT HODGKIX. Please forward new address. A proof sent was returned through the Dead Letter Office.

XOTICE.

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