Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 1.djvu/190

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NOTES AND QUERIES. [11 8. i. MAR. 5, 1910.

inference as to the presence or absence of hedges, and the accuracy of a surveyor's plan can hardly be expected from an artist's sketch.

4. " Almost the only important theological works which came forth from a rural parsonage were those of George Bull, afterwards Bishop of St. David's ; and Bull never would have pro- duced those works had he not inherited an estate, by the sale of which he was enabled to collect a. library such as probably no other country clergy- man in England possessed." P. 331.

The first part of this statement has been several times circumstantially controverted. The authority given for the second is Nelson's ' Life.' This is what Nelson says :

" Mr. Bull wrote and published this his learned and judicious Treatise, of the Defence of the Nicene Faith, during the tune he was Rector of Suddington, where he had now continued about twenty-seven years ; and for twenty years of that time had no other preferment in the Church, but those two parishes united after the manner that hath been already related, the income whereof did not amount to above 100Z. a year, clear of taxes. He found himself very early under a necessity of making such a provision of books, as might enable him to carry on his theological studies, which cost him several hundred pounds, for he was placed at a distance from any public library, which is a great advan- tage to those who can enjoy such a benefit. His family grew numerous by a large stock of children, who were to be maintained and educated ; his friends were always received with great hospi- tality, and the poor with a charity that bordered upon profuseness ; with all this he had several great losses, and had no great talent in that wisdom which consisteth in managing an estate to the best advantage ; by these means he was reduced to great straits, and by degrees, was under a necessity of selling his patrimonial estate, to maintain himself in the service of the Church." Ed. 1713, p. 347.

5. "Sir Dudley North expended 4,OOOZ

on the rich furniture of his reception rooms in Basinghall Street." P. 351.

Roger North (whose ' Life l Macaulay gives as authority) says (ed. 1826, iii. 134) :

" He parted with his house in Basinghall Street and took that great one behind Goldsmiths' Hall .... He furnished it richly, especially one state apartment of divers rooms in file. The whole cost him at least 4,OOOZ."

6. " Ralph Thoresby, the antiquary, was in danger of losing his way on the great North Road between Barnby Moor and Tuxford." P. 372.

Thoresby says (21 Oct., 1680) that through the drunkenness of a companion, who " would not stir a foot farther than Tux- ford, n he " had to ride alone eight tedious long miles in a place easy enough to mistake the way in, especially in a dark evening over Shirewood Forest.^

7. " He [Thoresby] was afterwards detained at Stamford four days "on account of the state of the

roads, and then ventured to proceed only because fourteen members of the House of Commons, who- were going up in .a body to Parliament with guides and numerous attendants, took him into their company." P. 372.

The delay was caused not by the *' state of the roads, " but " the prodigious quantitv of snow " (Diary, 30 Dec., 1708) ; and there were not fourteen members of the House of Commons. What Thoresby says is that, " having the encouragement of some of the Scotch gentry, who must of necessity be at the Parliament at the time appointed, we ventured upon our journey (being fourteen in company) ; having the post and a guide, we found some part of the road better than we expected." 3 Jan.,. 1709.

8. " Vanbrugh . . . .described with great humour the way in which a country gentleman. . . .went up to London. On that occasion all the exertions of six beasts, two of which had been taken from the

E lough, could not save the family coach from being nbedded hi a quagmire." P. 376.

What Vanbrugh says is : " They have added two cart-horses to the four old geldings." ' Journey to London,' I. i.

He does not mention a quagmire.

9. " Cotton seems, from his ' Angler,' to have found room for his whole library in his hall window." P. 392, foot-note.

Nothing can be inferred as to the number of Cotton's own books from the fact that Piscator says to Viator (chap, x.) : "I will myself dress you this dish of fish for your dinner ; walk but into the parlour [not the hall], you will find one book or other in the window to entertain you the while. 5 * Churchill Babington has already pointed out that, even if a personal application could be given to the passage, Cotton would have most of his books in a library or study.

10. " For the copyright [of the Fables] Dryden received 250Z." P. 401.

The contract to which Macaulay refers says that the sum was 250 guineas for the first edition. Dryden also received some hun- dreds for the complimentary Epistles and Dedications ; and his widow received fifty guineas for the second edition.

11. " The second edition was not required till the author had been ten years in his grave." P. 401.

Dryden died in 1700 ; the second edition was published in 1713.

IV. QUERIES.

1. In a foot-note on p. 282 some^lines'are said to be quoted from ' Great Britain's Beauty, 1671. s I have failed to find this poem in the Catalogue of the British Museum (probably because I do not know the author's name), but the title closely