Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 10.djvu/114

 106

NOTES AND QUERIES.

s. x. AUG. 9, 1902.

a tradition to the effect that the north attic of the house used to be known as "Queen Mary's garret." The venerable structure has an aspect that creditably supports the claims thus made for it. Historic dignity and haunting legend are suggested by its style and its manifest familiarity with the move- ment of centuries. The journalist already mentioned considers it as "certainly the oldest dwelling-house in the city."

THOMAS BAYNE.

FERDINANDO. (See .ante, p. 60.) In your review of the ' Registers of the Parish Church of Wigan ' note is made of the infrequency of the use of the name Ferdinando, and the second Lord Fairfax, born 1584, is mentioned as an example. It must have escaped the memory of the reviewer that the name of the fifth Earl of Derby was Ferdinando. The occurrence of the name at Wigan would very probably be due to the proximity of the powerful owner of the uncommon Christian name. In none of my books of reference is it stated exactly when Ferdinando, Earl of Derby, was born, but it is said that he died 16 April, 1594, leaving behind him, from his wife Alice, third daughter of Sir John Spencer, Knt., of Althorpe, three daughters. Hence he was born some considerable time before 1584, the date of the birth of Lord Fairfax.

In Baines's 'History of Lancashire,' vol. iv. 17-18, is given an extract from Harl. MS. 247, fos. 204a, 205, containing an account of the death of Ferdinando, which is therein attributed to witchcraft, though others have suspected that the death was due to poison administered by his master of the horse.

The three daughters were :

(1) Anne, married first Grey Brydges, Lord Chandos ; secondly, Mervin, Earl of Castle- ham.

(2) Frances, married John Egerton, Earl of Bridge water.

(3) Elizabeth, married Henry Hastings, fifth Earl of Huntingdon. J. H. K.

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON'S SPANISH PRAYER BOOK. In Wadham College Library there may be found in a separate room a valuable collection of Spanish books, pre- sented to the college by the representatives of the late Mr. B. B. Wiffen. The collection has been catalogued by the skilful and scholarly hand of Mr. George Parker, M.A., Senior Assistant in the Bodleian Library. Among the books which have thus found in Wadham a safe and quiet retreat are rare copies of translations of the Bible into Spanish, translations of the Book of Com- mon Prayer, and many commentaries and

works on controversial divinity by famous Spanish Reformers, for the most part printed in the Netherlands. Among the Prayer Books there is a Common Prayer entitled "La Liturgia Ynglesa o El Libro de la Oracion Comun. Hispanizado por D. Felix de Alvaradp, Ministro de la Yglesia Anglicana. Edicion Segunda Corregida y Augmentada. Londres, MDCCXV." This copy contains some pages of MS. notes in the hand of Mr. Wiffen, a portion of which are copied from memoranda in a copy of the same book in the sale of the library of Dr. Bliss, Registrar of the Uni- versity of Oxford, which took place in July, 1858. The first extract in Mr. Wiffen's copy is a letter from the Duke of Wellington to "The Rev' 1 P. Bliss, Registrar of the Uni- versity, Oxford. Free. Wellington." Besides the letter in Mr. Wiffen's handwriting there is a tracery of the Duke's letter and of the address in facsimile. I give the letter as it appears in the facsimile :

London May 31 1837.

MY DEAB SIR

I am much obliged to you for the account of the Prayer Book.

It was given me by Lady Elinor Butler & Miss Ponsonby two Irish Ladies of whom you may have heard who resided at Llangollen in North Wales. It probably descended to Lady Elinor from Her Ancestor the Duke of Ormond who I bel[i]eve resided in Spain after His Attainder.

Has it ever been printed by the University. The translation is so good that I am astonished that you should not print an Edition of it.

I beg you will keep it till you will have satisfied yourself that you have obtained all the information that can be got.

Beleeve me Ever Yours most faithfully,

The Rev d D r Bliss. WELLINGTON.

Here follows Dr. Bliss's note, which Mr. Wiffen says was written on the fly-leaf :

" When the Duke of Wellington first went to Spain he had from adverse winds, a much longer passage than usual, during which with a copy of this Liturgy and a common Spanish Grammar he niade himself master of the Language, so much so indeed that as his Grace himself told me, he was surprised to find that he could make out nearly the whole of a speech addressed to him on landing by the principal officer of the Port at which he and the troops under his command disembarked.

" The Duke being anxious to know something of the Book and the translator sent it to me in 1837, when 1 made out the best account I could and for- warded it with the volume which his Grace had given to a Lady."

Mr. Wiffen notes that the first edition of the ' Liturgia ' appeared in 1707, and that the translator, Don Felix de Alvarado, is also known for his translation of Barclay's '.Apo- logy,' 1710, of which a thousand copies were printed by the Society of Friends.