Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 8.djvu/243

 ilS. VII. MAR. 22, 1913.] -NOTES AND QUERIES,

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Athence Canfabriffienses. By C. H. and Thompson

Cooper. Vol. III. 1609-1611. (Cambridge, Bowes

& Bowes.)

A THIRD VOLUME, of which only sixty pages had been printed, had been planned in continuation of this work by the Coopers. The sheets were acquired by Messrs. Bowes and Bowes, and form the first part of the present work, to which are added notes derived from corrections and additions to the two previous volumes appearing in copies of them be- longing to Henry Bradshaw, Prof. J. E. B. Mayor, and J. Gough Nichols, together with similar matter from the University Grace-Books and other sources. Comparisons have also been made between the biographies here brought together and those in the 'D.N.B.' There is further included an excellent index to all three volumes of ' Athense Canta- brigienses,' giving dates of degrees and death.

Of the lives which fall within this division several are of general interest. The most conspicuous figure is Richard Mulcaster, first High Master of Merchant Taylors' School, a man who seems to have devoted so entirely to his work his remarkable endowments of intellectual capacity, wisdom, originality and power of character, that he made for himself, outside that sphere, a name less famous than he deserved, and is only nowj by the students of educ.ation, being disinterred from oblivion and being given a more adequate recognition. Then there is the romantic John Bolle, hero of the well-known ballad ' The Spanish Lady's Love,' of whom we are here told that he was not only, as every one knows, distinguished for valour, but also concerned himself with the drainage of the Lincoln- shire fens. Another interesting figure is William Lee, of stocking-knitting fame. Aubrey and Aaron Hill contrary alike to the testimony of those who knew him, and to the inscription on the picture by Balderston maintain that the inventor of the stocking-frame was an Oxford man. Here also appear Giles Fletcher, author of one of the first English books on Russia, he having been sent to that country on a special embassy in 1588 ; Calverley, whose terrible history formed the sub- ject of that 'Yorkshire Tragedie, not so new as lamentable and true, written by W. Shakespeare,' published by Thomas Pavyer in 1608 ; and Eliza- beth's energetic and capable servant, George Carey, Lord Hunsdon.

We learn that there are still about 750 names in the 'Athenae' not included in the 'D.N.B.' The arrangement of the additional matter incorporated in this volume, and the Index, are the work of Mr. G. J. Gray.

A History of Banstead in Surrey. By H. C. M.

Lambert, C.B. (Oxford University Press.) THE records of this peaceful little parish, a few miles east of Epsom Downs, go back as far as Saxon times.

In the volume before us Mr. Lambert gives us a series of documents arranged in chronological order from the period of the Domesday survey to modern days. They are supplemented by many explanatory notes, with an interesting historical introduction, and although, as Mr. Lambert points out, there is much that is necessarily more of local than of general interest, yet one finds here and there in- teresting side-lights on historical events.

Banstead, we are told, possessed a church as far back as the days of William the Conqueror, although' the oldest portion of the present building is believed to date from about the year 1180. Tirel de Man- niers granted this church to the priory of St. Mary Overie, in whose hands the advowson remained until the dissolution of the monasteries.

Perhaps the most important historical association of which the village can boast is that with Hubert de Burgh, who, subsequent to the battle of Lincoln in 1217, succeeded William de Mowbray in posses- sion of the manor, where he died in 1243. There is some uncertainty as to the exact site of Hubert's house, but Mr. Lambert informs us that it is traditionally placed at the east end of Banstead churchyard.

The manor afterwards passed from the hands oi Hubert's son, Sir John de Burgh, into the possession of Edward I., and it remained the property of the rulers of England until the middle of the sixteenth- century. In 1509 Henry VIII. granted it to Queen Catherine, and later Sir Nicholas Carew of Bed- dington obtained a grant in reversion from her death. Carew was shortly after attainted and beheaded for high treason, but his estates were returned to his son " Frauncis Care we " by an Act of Parliament passed in the reign of Edward VI. r and the manor was retained by the family until the eighteenth century.

We find an echo of Jack Cade's rebellion in the pardons granted to certain inhabitants of Banstead and neighbouring villages in respect of their participation in the affair. In the later years of the Civil War there were some minor military operations in the district connected with an abortive Royalist uprising in Surrey. The incident cul- minated, however, in the Royalist troops being pursued from Reigate to Ewell and attacked there, whereupon they retired on Kingston and dispersed.

It is here interesting to note that a horse race on Banstead Downs was to have been instrumental in drawing the populace together ; indeed, from this time forward horse and foot races would seem to have been established as an attraction of the- neighbourhood, from which we trace the origin of the famous course on Epsom Downs.

The book has some excellent illustrations from- photographs, and an index.

Dr. Arnc and ' Rule, Britannia.' By William

Hayman Oummings. (Novello & Co.) AFTER Purcell, Dr. Arne is, perhaps, the most popular of English composers. ' Rule, Britannia/ has, of course, helped to win for him that popu- larity ; but, apart from it, he wrote beautiful songs which have given pleasure to thousands of persons. We need mention only those which, he wrote for ' As You Like It,' 'The Tempest,' and " The soldier tired of war's alarms " frpm ' Artaxerxes.'

Dr. Oummings has told the story of the com- poser's life in an " attractive and entertaining manner." He has corrected many errors which have got into print respecting the composer's father. At an early age Arne the composer showed a passion for music, but he was articled to an attorney for three years ; at last, however, his family saw that he must devote himself to music. His wife was remarkable both as singer and actress, and she materially helped to make his songs known. Mrs. Gibber also helped ; it was she, by the way, who sang in ' The Messiah '