Page:Notes and Queries - Series 2 - Volume 1.djvu/196

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NOTES AND QUERIES.

2a S. N 10., MAR. 8. '56.

ministers, will have to decide between the persons so recommended. Despite some sinister reports, I cannot anticipate a result which would be a satire on the literary character of England, but shall conclude with a pertinent hint from the writings of one of its master-minds :

" LORDS AND COMMONS OP ENGLAND, consider what nation it is whereof ye are a nation not slow and dull, but of a quick, ingenious and piercing spirit, acute to in- vent, suttle and sinewy to discourse, not beneath the reach of any point, the highest that human capacity can soar to." Milton.

BOLTOJX CORNET.

The Terrace, Barnes.

GEORGE WHETSTONE'S WORKS.

On the back of the title-page to George Whet- stone's Enemie to Unthryftinesse, printed by E,. Jones in 1586, 4to., is the following very curious notice of the author's productions, which, as the volume is excessively rare, is worth recording in your pages :

" The Printer to the Header.

" To the intent that the variable humors of men (which delight as much in chaynge as they dyffer in opinions) may be satisfied with the varietie of M. Whetston's wofkes and writinge, I have, therefore, not (here) thought it amisse, to set downe the severall workes already printed and compiled, viz.

1. " The Enemie to Unthryftinesse."

2. " The Rocke of Regarde."

3. " The Honourable Reputation and Morall Virtues of a Souldier."

4. " The Heptameron of Cyvill Discourses."

5. " The Tragicall Comedie of Promos and Cassandra." G. " The Lyfe and Death of M. G. Gascoyne."

7. " The Lyfe and Death of Sir Nycholas Bacon."

8. " The Lyfe and Death of the good L. Dyer."

9. " The Lyfe and Death of the noble Earle of Sussex."

10. " A Mirrour of True Honor, shewinge the Lyfe, Death, and Vertues of Francis, Earle of Bedforde."

" Bookes redy to be printed.

11. " A Panoplie of Devices."

12. " The English Mirrour."

13. " The Image of Christian Justice."

EDWARD F. RIMBAULT.

ILLUSTRATIONS OF MACAULAY.

King James's Embarkation for France. Very few broadsides issued to the inhabitants of London, informing them of the progress of King William in Ireland, have come down to us. The anxiety manifested in this metropolis was very great ; and in the days when electric telegraphs were un- known, long indeed before the birth of Thomas Davenport (the Vermont blacksmith, who, by his discovery in 1834 of the electro-magnetic rotary motion, paved the way for the telegraph), the

anxiety of the public was relieved by the issue of placards, which contained a summary of events : one of these placards, announcing the departure of James from Ireland, after the battle of the Boyne, is to be found in the recently catalogued collection of King's pamphlets in the British Mu- seum (105. f. 17.). It was printed for R. Baldwin in the Old Bailey, 1690, and is intituled :

" An Exact Relation of the late King James's Em- barking for France, and of the Proclaiming K. William ; with the present Condition of Dublin, and other Places near that City. In a Letter from Dublin, dated Satur- day, July 5, 1G90."

"Honoured Sir, I presume, e're this, you have re- ceived the letter I sent you from our camp near the Boyne. Since that, you have known by other hands, that by one fight we have frighted and scattered our enemy, and were presently possessed of the strong town of Droghedah, and are now as quietly settled in this city ; yet in much better condition than was expected. They left stores filled with provisions of mouth and war. They have great stores likewise in the country, which are all open for our receipt.

" Their King is run away, with the Duke of Powis, Tyrconnel, and some few more, towards Kingsale ; their army all scattered in the country; so that the war seems now to be at an end. Galloway, Limerick, and Athlone are, as I hear, the only places like to stand out against us ; and having no ho'pes of relief will, as it is thought, be easily surrendered.

" His Majesty, you see, hath conquered this kingdom with a ' Veni, vidi, vici.' It will require more of his trouble to settle then to conquer it. I cannot now fur- ther enlarge, the express waiting the motion of my pen, but to tell you, this day by post if possible, will send you a more particular account."

Then follows a second letter, also dated from Dublin, July 5, 1690 :

" Honoured Sir, I sent you one of this date by the express; and have now to add, that we have sure and certain advertisement sent us by an express, that the late King James, on Wednesday night last, embarked at Duncannon, a fort that commands Passage-harbour, viz., the harbour of Wciterford ; and that he, Duke Powis, and Tyrconnel, and some others, are gone direct to France. Their army are scattered in the country, and are forced to turn Tories to get them a support ; so that it's believed our King's work will be apply'd now rather to settle then to make further conquests here. His Majesty is not yet come to this town, but is this night encampt within two miles of this city ; and, as we hear, intends to be here tomorrow.

' The Protestants of Wexford hath seized that garri- son, and declare for K. William and Q. Mary. The other towns, where Protestants are, will, we expect, fol- low that president ; of which we have already some re- ports, particularly Waterford and Kilkenny.

" We cannot learn that there is 5000 of the enemy in a body, nor understand that there are any of them appears within thirty miles of this city. What forces they Lately had of the Germans that were Protestants .ire gone in to us. The French are gone, with three field pieces, to- ward Lymerick, but its thought they will be met in the way. Our horse are now scattering to pick up the scat- torers of the enemies scattered army.

" We all believe that there will not be struck one stroke more in this war ; and we hare many reasons to wish and expect it; but none more important, then that