Page:Notes and Queries - Series 12 - Volume 10.djvu/21

 12S. X.JAN. 7, 1922.] NOTES AND QUERIES. 11 ' covered with his blood. She was delivered of a stillborn child and went raving mad, so that it was necessary to place her under forcible restraint. Mr. Thornton Hall's version is more favourable to the unhappy girl's family. According to him Co'onel Fitzgerald followed her to Mitchelstown Castle, the family seat in County Cork, not to receive the child, but to car y out a second elopement. Lord Kingsborough and his son heard of his pre- sence in disguise, went to his hotel and burst in the door of his room, on which a desperate struggle took place. Fitzgerald had pointed a pistol at Colonel King's head and was about to fire when Lord Kingsborough shot him dead. Lady Mary was not insane, but was j sent to the family of a Welsh clergyman, where she lived under an assumed name. .She recovered her old health and gaiety and married the clergyman, who was a widower. Colonel Fitzgerald's wife demanded ven- geance for his death, but the family were too strong for vengeance to reach them. Colonel King was tried at Cork Assizes in April, 1798, but acquitted, as no one came forward to prosecute. A month later his father, who had in the interval succeeded to the Earldom of Kingston, was brought to trial by his peers, but found " Not guilty," as no one appeared to prosecute. Mr. Thornton Hall describes this trial as taking place at Westminster, but it is clear from Sir Jonah Barrington's narrative that it took place in the chamber of the Irish House of Commons on College Green. The Com- tesse de Boigne declares that the Earl and his son aroused " great indignation " and " general opprobrium " by their action. Sir Jonah Barrington says that he had a " high regard " for the Earl, and Mr. Thornton Hall says that he was welcomed by con- gratulating friends. As to Lady Mary King's fate, it is clear that the Comtesse's story is inaccurate, and that Mr. Hall's is nearer the truth if not exactly correct. Burke records that Lady Mary Elizabeth King married, in April, 1805 (about eight years after the death of Fitz- gerald), George G. Meares, Esq. (whose ad- dress is given in Debrett as Richmond Place, Clifton, Co. Gloucester). She died in 1819, leaving three sons and three daughters. Apparently the Gloucestershire layman has been metamorphosed into the Welsh clergy - man - R. S. PENGELLY. 12, Poynders Road, Clapham Park. 181, 202, 225). It may interest MB. DUG- DALE SYKES and perhaps others if I quote from an entry made in one of my note- books on Elizabethan dramatic subjects, the entry having been made not later than 1918, probably in 1917 : Anything for a Quiet Life Middleton and Webster. Middleton II., III., IV. 2, 3, V. la (to George's entry), 3; Webster I., IV. 1, V. lb, 2. The Webster in I. from. Knavesby's entrance and in V. 2, and IV. 1, is very characteristic. I have much more doubt in considering the other author Middleton. The work does not bear many of his marks ; but I think it is his nevertheless. It will be seen that I divided the final act into three scenes, whereas Mr. Sykes, doubtless following Dyce, divides it into two only. As I have not the play by me, I cannot say to what extent I differ from him in regard to that Act. As for the rest of the play, he gives no reason for his belief that the earlier part of IV. ii. is Webster's ; but I am very ready to admit that he has made out a good case for adding II. i. amd III. i., or at least a share in them, to the scenes which so long ago I credited to Webster. In reference to Mr. Sykes' s remark regard- ing * Appius and Virginia,' another memo in my notebook, dating probably about 1914, sets down my idea of the authorship as " Webster and (?) Heywood." This was before I had seen any attribution of the play to Heywood. Another entry which I find in my notebook, attributing ' The Bloody Banquet' to Middleton and (?) Dekker, indue 3S me to suggest that Mr. Sykes should turn his undoubted enthusiasm and energy to that play. I pointed out years ago in an article in Modern Philology (Jan., 1911) that external evidence favoured Dekker' s authorship, and the discovery of Anthony a Wood's play-list (Mod. Lang. Rev., Oct., 1918) has confirmed that view. One scene is really like him ; but so much of the rest of the play as is not Middleton's is not very characteristic. I am not aware that, except for any unpublished effort, any attempt has been made to solve the authorship of this play. E. H. C. OLIPHANT. THE FIFTH PETITION IN THE LOBD'S PBAYEB (12 S. ix. 508 ). -" Debt" is defined in the ' N.E.D.' as " That which is owed or due"; "Obligation to do something, duty." " Trespass " is the same as trans- gression, a going beyond the limits of duty to God or man, hence its use as denoting
 * ANYTHING FOB A QUIET LIFE ' (12 S. ix.