Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 9.djvu/170

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NOTES AND QUERIES. [ii s. ix. FEB. 28, 1911.

to the ' Essay,' and from the parody imme- diately following, as in Warburton, called ' The Universal Prayer,' while it sets out the whole of the concluding parody, ' The Veni Creator paraphrased.' A fourth poem, described by Kidgell and others notably by Wilkes's attorney (Add. MS. 30,885, f." 155) at the time, is not set out in the Information, but it appears in the two existing reliable versions we have, and is a close parody, line for line, of Pope's ' Dying Christian.' and contains one mock note in imitation of Warburton.

In the ' Essay,' as printed in the famous "" Dyce " copy and the quarto of 1871, there are eleven notes, four being parodies of Warburton, two being by " Burman," and the rest by creatures of the imagination, "who are given Latin names indicative of prowess in love. In the Information are set out two passages from the text and five notes, including two in close imitation of Warburton, one beginning with the very same words, " Hope humbly then."

So throughout the succeeding pieces the Information sets out objectionable passages corresponding in every particular with those we find in the reprints, though only certain passages are selected, save in the case of the final poem.

We may from this conclude that the bawdy or blasphemous passages which occur in the printed versions are correctly given, and represent the " divers other obscene, flagitious, and scandalous matters " denounced in the Information in general language.

In addition to the Information, we have other papers and printed evidence by which to test the accuracy of Kidgell arid Farmer, and incidentally that of the printed versions now existing. In the B.M. Add. MS. 22,132 and in the Guild. MSS. 214/3 are minute descriptions in writing which substantially agree with the description of the title-page and contents of the libel as set out in the Information, and with the quarto of 1871 and the Dyce copy.

We cannot, perhaps, regard them as con- firmatory of the ' Narrative,' though they agree with that save in a slight particular worthy notice. They describe three Latin words as being on the title-page immediately below the oval, in which was, as we learn from the Information itself as well as from the or sculpture " which it is needless to describe. The words in question are equally susceptible of an innocent or of a very gross meaning ^ species of wit we also find in the paper
 * Narrative,' "a certain obscene frontispiece

addressed to Sandwich seized under the general warrant.

It is a reasonable conjecture that these words may have been added to the engraved plate, as ordered by Wilkes in his letter of 14 Oct. If so, there might be first proofs without these words, and later ones with them. Kidgell may have rushed his ' Narra- tive ' through the press before those acting for Webb had, during one of the many meetings with Curry, obtained a copy of the frontispiece as finally executed. Faden's account rendered to Webb, and never settled (Faden to Webb, 1 July, 1767, Guild. MSS. 214/1), indicates several payments on different dates to Curry besides maintenance money (Guild. MSS. 214/1). It seems likely that on one such occasion a printed copy, as distinct from a proof, together with a " Frontispiece " in its final state, may have been handed over. It is to be noted that the solicitor writes of the " Printed Essay," &c., being put in on the trial. Does this mean to distinguish it from the " Re- vise " which was before the Lords ? Curry had distinguished in a former examination between " setting up at case " of proofs and " setting up at press " i.e., printing.

ERIC R. WATSON.

(To be continued.)

STATUES AND MEMORIALS IN THE BRITISH ISLES.

(See 10 S. xi. 441 ; xii. 51, 114, 181, 401 ; 11 S. i. 282 ; ii. 42, 381 : iii. 22, 222, 421 ; iv. 181, 361 ; v. 62, 143, 481 ; vi. 4, 284, 343; vii. 64, 144, 175, 263, 343, 442; viii. 4, 82, 183, 285, 382, 444; ix. 65.)

RELIGIOUS LEADERS, &c. (continued). TOPLADY.

Harpford, Devon. On 30 April, 1913, a handsome granite preaching-cross over 10 ft. in height, which had been erected in the churchyard in memory of Augustus Montague Toplady, was dedicated by Canon Pryke. It was raised by subscriptions from lovers of the hymn ' Rock of Ages ' in all parts of England and America. The memorial is the work of Mr. Harry Hems of Exeter, and incorporates a portion of the mediaeval cross which stood on the spot. The cross stands on three octagonal steps,the lowest having the inscription :

Restored A.D. 1913 In Memoriam A. M. Toplady

Vicar of this Parish 1766-1768, Author of ' Rock of Ages.'