Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 1.djvu/329

 ,

S. I. APRIL 23, '98.]

NOTES AND QUERIES.

321

LONDON, SATVEDAY, APRIL 23, 1898.

CONTENTS. -No. 17.

SOTES King James I. and the Preachers, 321 'Dic- tionary of National Biography,' 322 Alexander Brome Sanctity of Dirt, 324 Virgil and Lord Burghclere Un- warrantable Travesty" Devout female sex," 325 Watch- men's Verses Posts in 1677-Zephyr " Tiger," 326.

OUERIES "Dargle" Cervantes on the Stage Burial- place of Thurlow Tintagel Corpus Christi Military Trophies Noblemen's Inns in Towns Capt. Morris " The Hempsheres," 327 Moon through Coloured Glass- Goethe Wenhaston Doom Branding Prisoners Portrait of Countess of Suffolk Malcolm Hamilton Florio and Bacon "Twopence more and up goes the donkey" Hands without Hair John Loudoun Middlesex M.P.s, 3J8 Bibliography of British Birds Species of Fish- Puddle Dock Authors Wanted, 329.

REPLIES :" For time immemorial," 329 Fir-cone in Heraldry-" Capricious " in H. E. D.' Duels in Waverley Novels, 330 "Hoist with his own petard " Possible Gloucestershire Origin for Chaucer ' Secret History of the Court,' 331 Nicholson S. Wilderspin Novels with the same Name Source of Quotation, 332 Marifer R W. Buss Man tegna " Fret "City Names in Stow's ' Survey.' 333 General Wade The Charitable Corpora- tion, 334 " One touch of nature" " Elephant" Anne Manning-The Glacial Epoch, 335-" Difficulted " Auto- graphs Pattens, 336-Goudhurst-" Hoast": "Whoost" Dedication of Ancient Churches, 337 Orders of Friars- Derivation of Foot's Cray" Dressed up to the nines," 338.

NOTES ON BOOKS : Lee's ' Dictionary of National Bio- graphy ' Law's 'Royal Gallery at Hampton Court' Lang's Scott's ' Old Mortality 'Foster's 4 Bibliography of Skating' Grey's 'Classics for the Million." Attwell's ' Pansies from French Gardens ' Huysmans's ' The Cathe- dral.'

Notices to Correspondents.

gaits.

KING JAMES I. AND THE PREACHERS.

A SMALL volume of sermons preached and printed in the time of James I. has come into my possession. It seems to be of such rarity that possibly even Prof. Gardiner may not be aware of its existence. Sermons, to be sure, are not State papers ; but, for all that, they sometimes throw strong sidelights on con- temporary events and characters of far higher historical value than many tons of Blue-books. This fact finds remarkable illustration in the little volume now before me. It is still in I the panelled leather binding of the period, but is evidently a bound collection of sermons each published separately.

Of these the first four are by the Bishop of Landaff (sic on title), and the fifth is a sermon by Henry Greenwood. Unfortunately the title-pages are wanting to two of the bishop's sermons ; the other two are perfect. One of these bears date 1624, and was *' Printed at London by Miles Flesher, for Nath. Feild." The second bears date 1625, with the imprint ' Printed by M. F. for Nathaniel Feild, and ire to be sold at his shop in the Blacke Fryers." fhe sermon by Henry Greenwood has < not the name on the title-page, but it is given U the end both of the dedication and the

prefatory address to the " Christian Header." It is dated 1618, and was " Printed at London by George, Purslow, for Henry Bell, and are to be sold at his shop without Bishopsgate." The copy of this sermon is "the fourth edition corrected and amended," and is printed in black letter, excepting the quotations from the Bible and the Fathers, which are numerous, and are generally given in Latin with a free translation.

So far the little book would be no more than a book -lover's curiosity ; but the contents throughout are almost painfully interesting by reason of the lurid sidelights they cast on certain contemporary incidents. It is school- boy's knowledge that James I. was by no means, at least in his later years, a pattern of all the personal virtues ; but not even all readers of Prof. Gardiner's priceless ten volumes may have a clear impression of the moral estimate of the king held by the bulk of his English subjects. What this was these sermons make even too painfully plain.

Henry Greenwood's sermon is dedicated to " The Right Worshipfull and my verie dear friends, Sir Lestrauiige Mordaunt of Massing- ham Hall, in the countie of Norfolke, Knight Barronet, and Lady Frances Mordaunt, his most louing Bed-fellow." The dedication is dated " From Hempsted in Essex, January 10, 1618."

And it is a discourse that can only be de- scribed as a tremendous trumpet-blast against abounding iniquity in high places. It is entitled " Tormenting Tophet, or, a Terrible Descrip- tion of Hell, Able to breake the hardest heart, and cause it quake and tremble. Preached at Paul's Crosse the 14 of lune 1614." The text is " Esay 30. 33 ; Tophet is prepared of old; it is euen prepared for the King: he hath made it deep and large : the burning thereof is fire, &c." The substance of the discourse well justifies its appalling title. The preacher from the outset adopts the tone of an ancient Hebrew prophet an Ezekiel in his most impassioned moods ; denounces the prevalent ungodliness and wickedness of the people, particularly of the Court and the nobility; lays special emphasis on the statement of his text, that Tophet is prepared even for the King, and directly appeals to James in good set terms : " I beseech thee, O King, by the tender mercies of God, reforme these and these things." James, I infer from this appeal, was conspicuously present as a hearer on this occasion.

One of the Bishop of Landaff's sermons (unfortunately wanting title and date) seems intended as a counterblast against Greens