Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 2.djvu/171

 us. viii. A. so, IMS.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

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in prison for this incitement to rebellion, and the book became the nucleus of ' Mira- bilis Annus. ' Chapman had been imprisoned earlier in the year for publishing Marchamont Nedham's ' Letter Intercepted ' with the same object in view. (See Lambert van den Bos's ' Floras Anglicanus.')

The astrologer John Gadbury answered Jessey by appending to his ' Britain's Royal Star,' published 22 Nov., 1661 (sic, 1660), " A Brief Examination of that nest of sedi- tion and phanatick forgeries published by Mr. H. Jessey," printing letters refuting the stories. Robert Clark preceded Gad- bury with a pamphlet, published on 20 Sept., 1660, entitled :

" The Lying Wonders ; or, rather, the wonder- ful lyes lately published in a lying pamphlet entitled ' Strange and tru^ newes from Glou- cester.' With some observations on another such like pamphlet, the ' Lord's Loud Call to England.' "

(B.M. press-mark E. 1035 [12]) is the story of the frogs and toads, told also by Jessey.
 * Strange and true newes from Gloucester '

In his Life of Jessey which the ' D.N.B.' does not quote on this point Anthony a Wood says (Fasti,' i. 436) :

" This book [' The Lord's Loud Call '] begins with certain matters relating to Oxon, which being very false the reader cannot otherwise but judge the rest so to be. In 1661 came out an imposture of a most damnable design called ' Mirabilis Annus ; or, the year of prodigies and wonders,' &c., and in 1662 the first and second (?) parts of 'Annus Mirabilis Secundus,' and probably other parts, but such I have not yet seen. When these came out, which were advanced by several hands, it was verily sup- post -d that Ilenry Jessey had a principal share in them."

See also Mr. A. Clark's * Life and Times ' of Wood, i. 322, and notes.

A good idea of Jessey's character can be gained from the following letter, written by him when he was imprisoned for his share in ' Mirabilis Annus.' He was 63 at the time.

"Hon. S. Having sent this day to that party of whom I verily thought I had (upon my desire) obteined to get y book for me. The Answer of the Party is to this effect. I know nothing ol this. I!,- XKVER HAD y 9 Book from me. <>r never desired me to procure it, &c. The Irueth is, 1 thought I had obteined it by this parties meanes, but now it appeal's I was mis- taken. And now I cannot say from whom I

had it.

S r. It being thus, y or best Advice and fur- therance of the Enlargement of one of known Innocency in things Charged, until a day be set to hear him & Accusers face to face (fro an lime whereby many noyses till midnight, very early, hinder rest, have occasioned Aches in Head. eyeSj teeth, Aguishness, symptomes of Pttee, & if not helped may hasten death) is

humbly desired By S* An Ancient servant qf Jesus Christ though an unworthy one. H Jessey.

"10 of X 1661 from the Lamb Inne by St. Clement Danes. For Mr. William Howard,. Esq., over against Dunstans West." * S. P, Doin. Car. II.,' vol. 45, No. 33.

J. B. WILLIAMS, (To be continued.)

THE USKOKS. This distinctively Slavonic word is probably unfamiliar to many Slav scholars, and I must confess that I had not heard of Uskoks until the appearance of my friend Prof. L. Leger's work ' Serbes, Creates, et Bulgares,' where a chapter is devoted to these bold frontiermen, dreaded foes and embarrassing allies.

The erm Uskoks (Italian uscocco) i* derived from uskociti, to escape (allied to Russian skakat, skotshit, to leap, spring), and is applied to refugees in Venetian Dal* matia after the occupation of Servian territory by the Turks. Under their chiefs,. voievodes (dux), the Uskoks maintained a kind of Cossack warfare against the Turks on the Austrian frontier, and ravaged the Bosnian coast. While the Venetians were at war with the Turks the Uskoks formed useful allies, but when peace reigned and the Venetians were asked to keep the Uskoks within bounds, these irregularly paid warriors attacked and plundered the galleys and warehouses of the Doge. (The old Baltic Slavs learned from their Viking neighbours how to conduct maritime raids on Danes and Swedes.) In combating the Uskoks, the Venetians were said to be like a lion at war with mosquitoes. In consequence of representations, the Austrian Government in 1617 withdrew the Uskoks to the interior of Croatia, where they became fused with the natives.

M. Leger proceeds to relate some of the exploits of Uskok chieftains, e.g., Ivo Senkovic, hero of a duel with the aga of Ribnik, Yanko Mitvic, defender of Sibenik against the Turks, and others. Their lives were as adventurous as those of the heroes of Gogol's ' Tarass Bulba,' or the Jomsburgers of old, and still live in songs, of which my friend says : "II semble vraiment qu'on retrouve dans ces recits tout penetres de fantaisie orientale comme un echo des Mille et une Nuits." I note that an Uskok standard-bearer has the name Komnen, which at once suggests the eminent Byzantine Imperial family Comnenus.

FRANCIS P. MARCHANT.

41, Fernwood Avenue, Streatham.