Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 12.djvu/470

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NOTES AND QUERIES. m s. xii. DEC. n, 1915.

Aurelius,' published in 1529, "is said to contain less truth than fiction," and that his ' Golden Epistles ' were translated into French and English. Thomas also states that, he began a 'History of Charles V.' which was never published.

There was a later Antonio de Guevara, almoner to Philip II. of Spain, who " wrote several commentaries on the Scriptures." What is known of this man ? Was he the author of ' The Mount of Calvarie ' ?

Father Ram6n Ruiz Amado, S.J., LL.D., Ph.L., of the College of St. Ignatius, Sarria, Barcelona, writing in ' The Catholic Encyclo- paedia,' vol. x. p. 477, says : " Fray Antonio de Guevara, a classical writer, preacher, and chronicler for Charles V., shed lustre on the See of Mondofiedo."

There seems to be a great gulf fixed between the historical Catholic Bishop of Mondoiiedo, who died in 1544, aged about 54, and the supposed heretical aspirant to the Arch- bishopric of York who died at the wonderful age of 114! JOHN B. WAINEWBIGHT.

THE SOCIETY OF CONSTITUTIONAL IN- FORMATION. Where can I obtain informa- tion about this society, which flourished during the eighties of the eighteenth cen- tury ? Is there a list of its presidents ? HORACE BLEACKLEY.

DR. JOHNSON ON FISHING. We are all familiar with the " worm at one end and a fool at the other " as a reflection on the angler and his art, which is commonly attributed to Dr. Johnson. Hawker, on worm-fishing, quotes Johnson, and criticizes his idiom out of his own mouth as well. Thus :

But I name such a diversion only as a pastime for the juvenile performer, though not with the contempt as does Dr. Johnson, who says, Fly fishing may be a very pleasant amusement ; but angling, or float fishing, I can only compare to a stick and a string, with a worm at one end, and a fool at the other.'

" If, however, the poor angler should feel sore at the wit, he might, in his turn (if scavenger enough to descend to verbal criticism), have a little pleasantry with the philologer, by brandish- ing his rod and exclaiming,

' . . . .almost as bad, good doctor,' as a wag and a worm-fisher, with a comparison at one end and nothing to compare with at the other ! And when he has put away the stick and the string (and washed his hands) he may sub- stantiate the propriety of his retort by looking out the words ' compare to ' in the doctor's own dictionary; which we should be as unkind to the doctor, as he has been to the angler, if we did not estimate as the best authority in existence." But where does Hawker get the passage quoted ? Johnson says nothing anywhere

about the worm and the fool ; there is nothing of the kind in Boswell, nor yet in traditional Johnsoniana of any weight at east I never came across it in the reading of my Johnson. As an old and keen angler of more than fifty years' standing I have no quarrel with the satire quite the contrary ; t I simply ask, What right has Johnson to the credit of it ? MONA.

' AN EXTRAORDINARY ODE.' I have a small pamphlet of eight pages, the title of which is as follows :

An Extraordinary Ode

to an Extraordinary Man

on an Extraordinary Occasion

Forsaken of all Good ; I see thy Fail Determined.

Milton's Paradise Lost, Bk. v.

London

Printed for W. Cooke, in Queen St, May-Fair, and T. Jones, in Fett?r Lane, near Fleet St

MDCCLXVI.

Can any reader inform me who the author was ? It deals with the elevation of Pitt to the peerage. ERIC N. BATTERHAM.

16, Fonthill Road, Tollington Park, N.

DAUGHTERS OF SECRETARY THURLOE. Secretary John Thurloe, by his second wife, Anne, daughter of Sir John Lytcott of East Moulsey, co. Surrey, left two daughters, Mary and Anne. I should be glad if any of your readers could tell me whom they married. A. VERE WOODMAN.

Boscombe, Hants.

AUTHOR AND COMPLETION WANTED.

habuerim tali ingenio praeditum."
 * ' Omnes omnia bona dicere .... qui natum

Will any correspondent kindly fill in gap and confirm me as to authorship Cicero I imagine and give rne reference ?

Hie ET UBIQUE.

LETTER-BOOKS OF CHESTER. Have the Letter-Books of the City of Chester been pub- lished, either in whole or in part ? Particulars of any municipal records of the Chester Corporation which have been published will be gratefully received. H. EGAN KENNY.

PORTRAITS WANTED. Where can good portraits be obtained of W. J. Thorns (founder of ' N. & Q.' ), F. Barnard (Dickens illustrator), and F. P. Dunnb (creator of " Mr. Dooley ") ? J. ARDAGH.

[A good portrait of Thorns was given with the Jubilee number of ' N. & Q.' (4 Nov., 1899).]