Page:Notes and Queries - Series 10 - Volume 2.djvu/321

 ii. OCT. i, low.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

261

LONDON, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1, 190U.

CONTENTS. No. 40.

NOTES :-(Me on Purcell's Death-Webster and Sir Philip Sidney, 261 The Mussuk, 263 Another Heuskarian Rarity, 24 Vicar executed for Witchcraft" In puris naturalibus " Arago>n Newton, 265 New Style, 1582

"Reduce" Age of Oaks "Freshman" Women "Stricken field, "266.

QUERIES : French Burdens to English Songs Pawn- shop " Pelfry " used by Johnson The Pelican Myth "Pelham,"a Bridle French Heraldry * Experiences of a Gaol Chaplain' Parish Documents, 267 Holy Maid of Kent Cromwell's Bed-Linen Italian Lines in Shelley- Nelson and Warren Decanter Andrew Edmeston North- umberland and Durham Pedigrees 'Prayer for Indiffer- ence ' Carter and FJeetwood " Silesias " : " Pocketings " Upton Snodsbury Discoveries, 2*58 Font Consecration Chirk Castle Gates Conditions of Sale-Col. Sir John Gumming Semi-effigies Acqua Tofana Anna C. Lane Lord Kelvin on the Tides Blind Freemason Kiplin or Kipling Family " Apple " in Many Languages, 269.

REPLIES : Purcell's Music for The Tempest,' 270-Naval Action of 1779 Zola's 'Rome' Pin Witchery, 271 Martyrdom of St. Thomas : St. Thomas of Hereford, 273 "Get a wiggle on" Jersey Wheel Graham Joannes v. Johannes, 274 St. Thomas Wohope Jowett and Whewell -De Keleseye Family Westminster School Boarding- houses Battlefield Sayiugs " Bearded like the pard. 275 Author and Correct Text Godfrey Higgins Uncle Remus in Tuscany Morland's Grave Willock of Bordley

Latin Quotations, 276 Tickling Trout Fingal and Diarmid Irresponsible Scribblers, 277.

NOTES ON BOOKS:-' English Miracle Plays '-Blake's

' Jerusalem ' Asser's ' Life of Alfred." Death of the Rev. W. D. Parish. Booksellers' Catalogues.

ODE ON PURCELL'S DEATH. THE ode printed below is not among the odes and poems printed in the first, econd, and third editions of the 'Orpheus Britannicus,' and it may therefore prove wel- come to all who take interest in anything concerning Henry Purcell. It is to be found in vol. ii. (pp. 184-6) of " The Works of | John Sheffield | Earl of Mulgrave | Marauis of Normanby I and | Duke of Buckingham | Printed for John Barber, and sold | by the Booksellers of London and Westminster."

ODE

ON THE DEATH OF HENRY PURCELL. Good angels snatch'd him eagerly on high ; Joyful they flew, singing and soaring through the

Sky,

Teaching his new-fledg'd Soul to fly ; While we, alas ! lamenting lie. He went musing all along, Composing new their heavenly Song. A while his skilful Notes loud Hallelujahs drown'd ; But soon they ceas'd their own, to catch his pleasing

Sound.

David himself improv'd the Harmony, David, in sacred story so renown'd No less for Music, than for Poetry ! Genius sublime in either Art ! Crown'd with Applause surpassing all Desert ! A Man just after God's own Heart ! If human Cares are lawful to the Blest, Already settled in eternal Rest : Needs must he wish that Purcell only might

Have liv'd to set what he vouchsaf'd to write. For, sure, the noble Thirst of Fame With the frail Body never dies ; But with the Soul ascends the Skies, From whence at first it came. Tis sure no little Proof we have That part of us survives the Grave, And in our Fame below still bears a Share : Why is the Future else so much our Care, Ev'n in our latest Moments of Despair? And Death despis'd for Fame by all the wise and

brave ?

Dh, all ye blest harmonious Quire ! Who Power Almighty only love, and only that

admire !

Look down with Pity from your peaceful Bower, On this sad Isle perplex'd, And ever, ever vex'd

With anxious Care of trifles, wealth and power. In our rough Minds due Reverence infuse For sweet melodious Sounds, and each harmonious

Muse.

Music exalts Man's Nature, and inspires High elevated Thoughts, or gentle, kind Desires.

John Sheffield, Duke of Buckingham

(1640-1720/21).

Under the title of the poem stand the words "Set to Musick." It would be inter- esting to know by whom the music was composed. I have not been able to find any trace of it. J. S. S.

JOHN WEBSTER AND SLR PHILIP

SIDNEY. (See ow/e, p. 221.)

THE scene in ' The Duchess of Malfi ' where Ferdinand pays a visit to the darkened chamber of his sister, causes her to kiss the dead man's hand, and then, having had the room brilliantly lighted up, pulls aside a curtain and reveals the supposed bodies of Antonio and his children, is closely associated with the incident of the supposed decapita- tion of Philoclea in the 'Arcadia.' Ferdinand plays the part of Sidney's Cecropia, and the horror of the duchess at beholding what she believes to be the dead bodies of her children and husband parallels the anguish of Pyrocles at witnessing what he thinks is the execution of Philoclea. The resemblance between the two incidents is particular as well as general in character. Pyrocles tries to brain himself, and the duchess, equally resolved not to survive long the supposed death of her husband, expresses a determina- tion to starve herself to death. At this point, in both pieces, a person enters who speaks words of comfort. The following parallel establishes the relation between Webster's scene and the story in the 'Arcadia':

"It happened, at that time upon his bed, toward the dawning of the day, he heard one stir in his chamber, by the motion of garments, and with an