Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 10.djvu/327

 11 S. X. OCT. 24, 1914.]

NOTES AND QUERIES.

LONDON, SATURDAY. OCTOBER 21., 191L

CONTENTS.-No. 252.

KOTES : Sir Thomas Browne and his Books, 321 Holcroft Bibliography, 323 'The Cirencester Flying-Post,' 325 Inscriptions in the Ancien Cimetiere. Mentone, 326 "Mid-Keavel." 327225, Hampstead Road " Trooper " " Freelage "Bell Inscription Sir Alexander Cuming " Onto," 328.

OU KRI KS : Poets' Birthplaces American Slang : "Nixie," "C2K," "Husky" St. Richard of Andria, 329 Biographical Information Wanted Walter Scott : Spurious Waverleys, Piracies, and Attacks Cant. Peter Fyers, R.A. John Pigott= Johanna Walshe, 330 R. B. Sheridan and ' The Duenna ' Scoles and Duncombe Families " Kultur " Gothic Mason-Sculptors, 331.

BEPLIES: De Glamorgan. 331 Between Winchester and London, 332 Judges addressed as " Your Lordship" Origin of Street-NamesBaker of Ashcombe Bonar Renaming London Streets, 333" Cordwainer " "The Hero of New Orleans " Notes for the ' N. E.D.' : The Tailor's Hell Devotions on Horseback, 334 Site of the Globe Theatre ' Almanach de Gptha ' Authors Wanted, 335 Walter Bagehot : Pronunciation of Name- France and England Quarterly" We " or "I" in Author- ship, 336 Father John of Cronstadt Latin Jingles' The Diary of Lady Willoughby,' 337.

NOTES ON BOOKS : ' The Life of Charles, Third Earl Stanhope' ' The Records of the Cockburn Family.'

Booksellers' Catalogues. Notices to Correspondents.

SIR THOMAS BROWNE AND HIS BOOKS.

SIR THOMAS BROWNE, when writing his 4 Religio Medici,' regrets that the work was penned in such a place and with such dis- advantages that, from the first setting of pen unto paper, he had not the assistance of any good book whereby to promote his invention or relieve his memory. (The ' Religio Medici ' was written at Shipden Hall, near Halifax, about 1635, and Browne was then a young man of 30. ) Whether he could have said this with truth at any subsequent period of his life is extremely doubtful. No one who is at all familiar with Browne's writings can fail to be impressed by the extraordinary diversity of his interests and the vast range of his reading. Unfortunately, no specimens of his conversation have been preserved, but that he talked books and collected books cannot be doubted. He was in easy circum- stances, and had ample opportunities for such collecting. In his letters he refers again and again to the books he was reading, and the books he bought and borrowed and lent.

I have recently had in my hands a copy of the sale catalogue of his library, which was sold, wuth that of his son Edward, in London in 1711. The books were disposed of by Thomas Ballard, bookseller, at the " Black Boy " Coffee-House in Ave Mary Lane, near Ludgate. The sale commenced on 8 Jan., 1710/11, and was continued every evening at 4 o'clock until January 24th, when it was concluded. The sale was advertised in The, Daily Courant on 1 Jan., and daily from 8 to 24 Jan., with notes stating each day the number of the lot with which the sale would commence. The books are divided into Greek and Latin, French, Italian, Spanish, Libri Teutonice et Belgice (including Latin books and books in German and Dutch), and English books. Altogether the library works out at something under 2,500 volumes. Of these some 420 are dated after 1682, the year of Browne's death, and must have .belonged to Edward Browne.

The catalogue is an extremely interesting document. Browne is not an easy writer to understand. His references are frequently obscure, and it rmist necessarily be a help to us to know what books he used. It brings us into very close touch with Browne when he refers to a favourite author Athenaeus, for instance to know that it was the edition in Greek and Latin of 1612, with notes by J. Dalechamp and Isaac Casaubon,* which he read and used. It is instructive, too, to have further light thrown on Browne's unquench- able love for whatever was odd and out-of- the-way. Anything and everything was of interest to him. His letters and writings are full of unexpected notes and inquiries. What stone it was that stoned St. Stephen pebble, flint, or freestone ? b Whether the elephant bendeth the knees before and behind differently, as Aristotle observeth ; c oes- tridges/ 1 East Indian drugs, 8 sauces and pickles, f flying machines,* King Charles I.'s " cassaware or emeu,'" h how many thousand coaches there were in Mexico, 1 necromancy, witchcraft, and the Philosopher's Stone these and a hundred other entertaining topics

a ' Athensei Deipnosophistar. Lib. XV., Gr., Lat., cum Not. Jac. Daleuhampii et Is. Casauboni,' 2 vols., 1612.

b 'Works,' ed. Wilkin, 4 vols., 1836, i. 178.

c Id., i. 215.

Id., i. 281, 326-8, 329, 456. Id., i. 246.

< Unpublished letter, Sloan MS. 1847, fol. 238. h Id., i. 281.
 * Wilkin, i. 270.

1 Id.,i. 288.