Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 8.djvu/311

 n s. VIL APRIL 19, i9i3.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

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that date, for it might have been one of those " airy nothings " to which the poet gave " a local habitation and a name."

C. C. STOPES.

WE must request correspondents desiring in- formation on family matters of only private interest to affix their names and addresses to their queries, in order that answers may be sent to them direct.

THE YOUNGER VAN HELMONT.

IN a foot-note to his edition of ' The Diary and Correspondence of Dr. John Worthing- ton,' ii. 100-101, James Crossley, Esq., states, in regard to the celebrated Francis Mercury van Helmont, the son of John Baptist van Helmont. that " in the early part of his life he traversed the greater part of Europe with a caravan of Bohemian Gipsies." and that during his residence in England

" several portraits were taken of him, now remain- ing in various collections An accurate list of

his works, printed and in manuscript, has never

yet been given The editor of this work [i.e. Mr.

Crossley] has what he believes is a complete series of them, and has long collected whatever he could glean from manuscripts and printed sources, with a view to some biographical account of their very extraordinary author.' 5

If any of your readers can answer the following queries, the undersigned will be greatly indebted to such for their kindness in furnishing the desired information.

What are the authorities for the above statement as to Van Helmont's association with gipsies ? In what English collections are portraits of him preserved ? Mr. Crossley did not, I believe, carry out his intention of publishing the proposed bio- graphy of Van Helmonib. But what became of Mr. Crossley's manuscript notes on this subject when his library was dispersed in 1884 ? Also, is anything known concerning the dispersion of Mr. Crossley's collection of F. M. van Helmont's works ?

Any further biographical or bibliographical information in regard to works by, and works treating of, F. M. van Helmont will be most welcome.

Is the author of the following letter known ? I believe that the initials are not really those of the author, but that they stand for the Words " nullum nomen," or the like.

" N. N. : A'letter to a Gentleman, touching the Treatise entituled : Two Hundred Queries mode-

rately propounded concerning the Doctrine of the Revolution of Human Souls. London, 1690," in 8vo.

The treatise with which the above letter is concerned was published anonymously by Van Helmont. printed for Robert Kettle - well, London, 1684.

In the same year and by the same printer was also published the following anonymous work : "A Dissertation concerning the Pre-existency of Souls. London. Printed for J. Wickins and Rob. Kettlewell, 1684," in 12mo. On the title-page it is said that the * Dissertation ' was

"originally written in the Latine Tongue, several years since, by the Learned C. P., and now made English by D. F. D. P. upon the recommendation of F. M. H. their friend."

The initials " F. M. H.," I feel certain, stand for Francis Mercury van Helmont. But who is the author, " C. P." ? And who the translator, " D. F. D. P." ? The ' Epistle Dedicatory ' is addressed by the translator to "his friend, Thomas Martyn of Putney, Esq.," and is signed only by the first two of his initials, namely, D. F. Also, is anything known about " Thomas Martyn of Putney, Esq." ?

On the title-page of the English edition of F. M. van Helmont's ' Paradoxal Dis- courses,' London, 1685, in 8vo, it is said that the work in question was " set down in writing by J. B.," whose initials also appear at the end of the Preface. Who is J. B. ? A Hollander, to judge from his Preface. Who is the second Hollander, the associate to whom he refers ?

The following is one of the anonymous publications of F. M. van Helmont :

"Opuscula Philosophica, quibus continentur Principia Philosophise antiquissimse et recentis- simse ac Philosophia Vulgaris Refutata, quibus subjuncta sunt CC Problemata de Revolutione Animarum, Amstelodami, 1690," in 12mo.

In this collection the ' Principia ' are a translation of a Work written originally in English by the Lady Anne, Viscountess Conway, to whom Van Helmont served as the family physician between the years 1670 and 1679. The ' CC Problemata' are a translation of a work by Van Helmont, referred to above, and first published in English in 1684. Is Van Helmont also the author of the ' Philosophia Vulgaris Refu- tata ' ? and was this last work first published in French ? Anonymously ? If so, when and under what title ?

Can exact information be also furnished concerning a German edition of Van Hel- mont's " Qusedam prsemeditatae et con- sideratse cogitatipnes super quatuor priora capita libri Moysis Genesis nominati, Amste- lodami, 1697,'Mn 8vo ?