Page:Notes and Queries - Series 10 - Volume 3.djvu/26

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NOTES AND QUERIES. [io* s. in. JAN. 7,

CIIILTERN HUNDREDS (10 th S. ii. 441, 516). A very valuable and authoritative work on the above is 'The Stewardship of the Chiltern Hundreds,' by F. S. Parry, C.B., published officially by Eyre & Spottiswoode in 1893. FRANCIS G. HALEY.

'THE DEATH OF NELSON' (10 th S. ii. 405, 493). The epitaph on the Duke of Cumber- land, subsequently used in ' The Death of Nelson,' was printed in ' The Words of such Pieces as are most usually performed by the Academy of Ancient Music,' second edition, 1768, p. 199. T. Norris, Mus.Bac., is given as the composer's name. H. DAVEY.

15, Victoria Road, Brighton.

NOTES ON BOOKS, &c.

The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques, and Discoveries of the English Nation. By Richard Hakluyt. Vols. IX., X., and XI. (Glasgow, MacLehose & Sons.)

ALT, but completed is the worthy task, boldly and patriotically undertaken and brilliantly executed by Messrs. MacLehose, of placing within reach of the reading and studious public the record of English adventure and empire-building in the most brilliant period of our national history. The work is, indeed, virtually in the hands of the student, what remains, though indispensable and all-important, being to a great extent in the nature of index and appendix. With the appearance of each succeeding instalment the sense of the importance of the task accom- plished becomes augmentingly obvious. To say that 'The Principal Navigations' is unknown would be extravagant. It is an avowed classic, standing side by side with the works which are our chief national treasures, and leagues in front of our chronicles. At the same time, it is unfamiliar to the general public, for the reason, before all others, that it has long been inaccessible. That excuse for ignorance is now withdrawn, and Hak- luyt must henceforward form part of every library claiming consideration. Perusal has hitherto been practically confined to those occupied with historical studies. It should now extend to al! interested in the growth of empire and the exploration of countries outside the range oi classical knowledge. Deeply interesting chapters are opened out in the later volumes. In vol. ix we are occupied ^yith voyages to Florida and New Mexico, explorations of the Gulf of California, anc visits to the city of Mexico. Of poignant interest is the account of the attempt, under Rene Goulaine de Laudonniere and Jean Ribaut, at the direction of Coligny and with the sanction of Charles IX., t found a Huguenot colony in Florida. At first th attempt met with a certain amount of success, anc the relations between the native chiefs and the French invaders were of the most amicable nature The deplorable result was that the Spaniards, treat ing the Huguenots after their fashion, massacrec the whole of the prisoners. Apart from othe matters of interest, it is pleasant to read of th protection afforded the fugitives by Hawkins, wh

upplied Laudonniere with food and clothing, and >laced at his disposition a vessel on which t< scape. These incidents belong to 1564-6. French, authorities, in dealing with Laudonniere, make ittle mention of Hakluyt. Laudonniere himselr mblished in 1586 ' Histoire Notable de la Floride r ontenant les Trois Voyages fails en icelle par des- Japitaines et des Pilotes Francais.' It is in a sense atisfactory, though it has nothing to do with the ubject, to find that these murders by the Spaniards, at which Charles IX. connived, were revenged by Dominique de Gourgues, a celebrated mariner, who- n consequence had to fly France for his life .and accept employment from Elizabeth. A novel on he subject of these conflicts, entitled ' Le Tahon, appeared in Le Siecle in 1857- A portrait of Lau- donniere by Crispin de Passe, from the Grenville ^ibrary in the British Museum, is given ^at }>. 4.. Much interesting information concerning Florida is- supplied, and we hear of the practice of scalping, of the existence of bison, &c. Some of the statements are somewhat hard to credit, as when we are told ot people considerably over two hundred years old, A portrait of Raleigh, which serves as frontispiece, s after an original attributed to Zucchero in the- Dublin Gallery. An admirable portrait of Hawkins, a map of the world by Peter Plancius, 1594, maps of Florida and of the coast of China, with views or ships in the navy of Henry VIII., are in the same volume. Fine portraits of Drake, Sir Robert Dudley, and Sir Anthony Sherley, with other maps and plans of surpassing interest, follow in vol. x. Among the contents of this volume are the exploits of Drake and Hawkins, both of whose deaths are described, as well as those of other Ehzabetnau neroes. In the eleventh volume are descriptions or explorations of the coast of Brazil, the Straits ot Magellan, the South Sea, "and round about the circumference of the whole earth." Herein we have a brief account of the two voyages of Mr. William Haukins of Plimmouth, father to Sir John Haukius, Knight, and his bringing over the Brazilian king, who was presented to King Henry VIII., but died on the return voyage. Portraits of Thomas Cavendish and Sir Christopher Hatton, with other designs of surpassing interest, are given. We might easily go on for ever, since there is no point at which to stop ; but considera- tions of space forbid further amplification. 1 he- volumes are, of course, a treasure-house rich ana inexhaustible, and the manner in which the task or republication is executed is such as to commend the work to every lover of fine books. It is pleasant t know that the reception of the reprint has surpassed expectation, and has emboldened the publishers to undertake the issue in a similar form of ' Hakluyt u Posthumus; or, Purchas His Pilgrimes, a work even rarer than that of which it is a continuation. This, founded on materials left by Hakluyt, has not previously been reprinted. All the maps (over seventy in number) in the 1625 edition will be reproduced, the fine title-page will be executed in facsimile, and the work will be enriched by a com- plete index upon a scale corresponding to modern requirements. Of this a thousand copies only, all of which will doubtless be subscribed for before publication, will be issued. Two volumes wil appear in the autumn, and it is hoped that t entire work will within a couple of years be in the hands of the subscribers. The last copy of t original, in anything like a good condition, though, defective in some respects, brought by auction 44/.