Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 3.djvu/89

 ii s. in. FEB. 4, 1911.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

The last writer for whom a claim has been put in is Sir Francis Bryan, who, according to Michael Drayton (' Elegies,' 1627), had a share in the ' Miscellany.'

As I had found little difficulty in tracing PuttenhanVs quotations from Tottel and others, it occurred to me that some success might follow from an inquiry into the ante- cedents of some of these charming little gems in the * Miscellany,' for it seemed to me to be a lamentable thing that no progress had been made in unearthing the authors and history of a collection of songs and sonnets which had passed through seven editions by 1587, and which must have exercised very great influence on writers and men and women of culture up to King James's time, if not beyond. I soon found that Sir John Harington the Elder had been a contributor to the collection, and that one of his poems is of high historical interest ; and that another piece in it was composed by Sir Antony St. Leger, who was Lord Deputy of Ireland from 1540 to shortly before his death in 1559. But I was more than surprised to find Chaucer in the ' Miscellany,' although I had noted that there is verse in Tottel which must belong to writers of about 1400, or much earlier than Tottel's time.

In the Aldine edition of ' Chaucer's

Works ' there are two versions of one of the

poet's * Minor Poems,' headed ' Good

Counsel 1 of Chaucer,' both commencing,

Fie fro the pres, and duell with sothfastnesse, <kc.

Vol. VI., pp. 295 and 316-17.

The shorter version consists of three stanzas of seven lines each, and has various readings from the longer one, which adds a stanza, also of seven lines, as the 'Envoy.' Now, if one turns to Tottel, pp. 194-5, this poem will be found there, headed " To leade a vertuous and honest life." The Tottel poem sometimes agrees with one version of the Chaucer poems, and sometimes with the other where it differs from its fellow ; but it omits the ' Envoy.' Chaucer is said to have written the verses " upon his dethe bedde leying in his great anguysse," but doubts have been cast upon the genuine- ness of the work. Tyrwhitt, however, and Godwin admitted its authenticity, and it is included in most or all authoritative editions of Chaucer issued in recent years.

I think this evidence is sufficient to justify us in putting down Chaucer as one of Tottel's authors, and so leave it.

There is another little matter concerning Chaucer which may as well be cleared up

now, especially as it concerns Puttenham,. who quotes as from the poet twice, a*. ollows :

O soppe of sorrow soonken into care, &c.

P. 221 When faith failes in Priestes sawes, &c.

P. 232.

The latter quotation, of course, comes from

he ' Minor Poems,' where it is headed

Chaucer's Prophecy ' ; but the other does

not belong to the poet, and is the property-

)f Robert Henryson, forming the opening

>f ' The Complaint of Cresseid ' (see ' Dunbar

Anthology,' p. 17], Oxford Universty Press,'

1901). Puttenham found his quotation in

he 1532 edition of Chaucer's Works, printed,

y Thomas Godfray,* which is really a

iscellany, for it contains pieces by Lyd-

gate, Occleve, Gower, Scoggin, and others,

n prose and verse. CHARLES CRAWFORD.

"TERRA SUSANA."

THIS is a term of rare occurrence. The only published work in which it seems to- lave been noticed is in an undated list of 3ury, following the ' Chronica ' of William Thorn in Roger Twysden's ' Decem Scrip- tores,' col. 2202. Thorn wrote about 1397. The principal passages are these, Arabic numerals being used in place of Roman :
 * he possessions of St. Augustine's, Canter-

' In marisco cum aqua 418 acr. 3 virg. 2 Day- works et de terra Susana 400 acr. dimid.

3 Dayworks. Item de feodo camerse 130 acr. 5 Dayworks et dimid. Item de feodo vesturse- de terra marisci 48 acr. Item ;de feodo vestures- de terra Susana et bosco 42 acr.. 1 rod.

4 Dayworks Item apud Stodmersch de terra.

Susana prati et marisci 488 acr. 1 virg. dimid."

The word is always printed in italics.. Somner, who compiled a glossary to the means worn-out land, the condition of which has been exhausted by over-cultivation,, from the French suranne, " which exceeds a. year." Ducange, quoting passages in the above list where the word occurs anJ Somner' s opinion, adds significantly : " Sed, ut verum fatear, vim vocis non assequor omnino." Kelham in his dictionary of the 'Norman or Old French Language' (1779) has the entry : " Susanne, suranne (terre)^ land worn out with too long ploughing." This corroborates Somner, and proves that the word has been found in its French form. I have not been able to trace any instance- of this, and should be glad to hear of one.
 * Decem Scrip tores,' says that " terra susana"

What has suggested the present note is that the word occurs in the foundation.