Page:Notes and Queries - Series 5 - Volume 11.djvu/359

5th S. XI. 3, ’79.] Belles Lettres, consisting of, &c. Vol. I. New Series. London, printed for Charles Knight, Pal Mall East, 1826, 8vo. Vol. i. was for Jan. to June, 1826; vol. ii., July to Dec., 1826; vol. iii. Jan. to June, 1827; vol. iv., July to Dec., 1827. In the volumes brought out by Charles Knight are found an interesting series of papers called “The Living Poets of England,” a tale named “The Gentleman in Black,” verses by J. H. Wiffen, ballads by John Clare, poems by William and Mary Howitt, epigrams, &c., by S. T. Coleridge, poetry by Mrs. Henry Rolls, stanzas by Mary Anne Browne, &c. It is not, however, always easy, from the way the magazine is edited, to say precisely which are the original articles and which only reprints. The eight volumes described above I believe form a complete set of The Literary Magnet. In conclusion, I wish to make the inquiry, Who was the editor of the first series of this magazine who used the pseudonym of “Tobias Merton, Gent.”? 

 (5th S. ix. 61, 101, 413, 451, 471, 497; xi. 269, 318.)—I should feel grateful to D. P. for his correction of my “misunderstanding” with regard to the arms of Guelders, if that “misunderstanding” had any existence except in his own imagination. D. P. does not appear to be aware that although, as he quite correctly says, the arms referred to contain two distinct coats—those of Guelders and Juliers—they are yet constantly referred to in their united condition as the arms of the duchy or province of Guelders. They are so in a modern Dutch heraldic work of the highest authority now lying before me, no reference being there made to the fact, well known to every tyro in heraldry, that a portion of the coat was assumed for Juliers. Spener says, “Geldriæ insignia sunt duo in bipertito scuto se respicientes leones,” &c., as I blazoned them, though he does go on to say (what it seemed to me perfectly unnecessary to refer to in my brief note) that one of the lions was assumed for Juliers. Not long ago, in Paris, a gentleman politely directed my attention to the fact that in a certain place were visible what he termed “les armoiries de l’Angleterre.” The shield really contained the quartered coats of England, Scotland, and Ireland, and so (strictly speaking) was not the arms of England, but those of the united kingdoms of Great Britain and Ireland. But I did not think it necessary to assume that the French gentleman was ignorant of this fact simply because he called the whole arrangement by its conventional name, though, instead of thanking him for his politeness, I might have pointed out “a misunderstanding of his,” and displayed at one and the same time his very painful inaccuracy and my own highly superior knowledge. It is, however, pleasant to be assured that D. P.’s confidence in my powers of observation, and in my general honesty of description, still survives the shock which I appear to have inflicted upon him; and that, upon the whole, he has “no doubt that has related them faithfully.” Of such kind patronage I feel myself all unworthy; for I am not quite so confident myself. There are one or two little points with regard to which I have already had to correct my own report, and one or two more where I have had a little doubt whether my transcription of some travel-worn pencil notes was quite so faithful as I intended it to be. Had D. P. addressed himself to these, it is conceivable that some addition might have been made to our knowledge, and it is certain that in this case no one would have welcomed his correction of my “misunderstanding” more thankfully and respectfully than myself. 

 (5th S. xi. 148, 190.)— interesting communication is suggestive of various speculations. Did Dante consider the account of this voyage given by Pliny and others to be fabulous, or to have had foundation in fact? In my Verona edition of 1750 the commentator (Pompeo Venturi) holds the former theory, viz., that the poet treated the subject as he did his own poem, as imaginary. I cannot be satisfied with this theory. Dante was one of the most learned men of his day, and we may reasonably expect to derive from him the most advanced knowledge attained in his times. It appears to me that there must have been more than mere fancy in the idea of the ancients of a wide ocean extending far west of Europe and having land beyond it. Some ships in the course of ages may reasonably be supposed to have been driven out into the Atlantic by stress of weather, and, even if wrecked, some accounts of their disaster may have reached Europe through survivors of the crew. I believe it is widely admitted in the present day that Greenland was peopled from Norway or Iceland long before the Cabots discovered North America. Again, it must have been more than fancy which upheld the great Columbus in his heroic enterprise. I should be glad if could throw any light upon the inquiry whether Columbus was acquainted with this account of Ulysses and his last voyage, either in Homer, Pliny, or Dante.

The first printed edition of the Inferno came out, I believe, in 1472, and Columbus’s first voyage was undertaken in 1492, so that, if he had seen or heard of this passage in Dante, it might have encouraged him to persevere in his scheme. Dante’s account would almost have furnished him with sailing directions towards the West Indies. Ulysses passed through the Straits of Gibraltar,