Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 10.djvu/251

 9* S. X. SEPT. 27, 1902.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

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combe; from there he removed to Black- heath ; but he longed to spend his last days in his beloved native town, so returned to Nottingham, where he led a life of quiet retirement among his books and the flowers in his old-fashioned garden.

On the 27th of October, 1896, he had the great sorrow of losing his wife, the Clara of his poem, after a perfectly happy life of thirty-three years. Since her death he had been surrounded by loving relatives, and had enjoyed the companionship of his son. All did their best to mitigate his loss. The close of the long life came after but a short illness.

On the 1st of September his niece wrote to me that "at the beginning of August the pleasant seat in the garden had to be given up, and he stayed upstairs in his study adjoining his bedroom, amongst his beloved books, and did not wish to go down again." When he was a boy his father had given him a copy of 'Childe Harold,' just after its publi- cation. This he at once learned by heart, and it remained through life one of his favourite poems. One morning, after a very restless night, he told her that " last night when I was awake I repeated the fourth canto of 'Childe Harold,' one of the finest poems." On Saturday, the 6th of September, he peace- fully passed away, almost his last words being "Good-bye for a little while." After his death by his express wish they placed him in the scarlet toga of his old university, Glasgow, which last year conferred upon him the degree of LL.D. On the Tuesday follow- ing he was buried in the beautiful church cemetery at Nottingham, in the same grave as his wife, and close to that of others who had been very dear to him. One is glad to read in the sympathetic notice which ap- peared in the Athencewn of the 13th inst. that the writer anticipates for ' Festus ' a glorious revival. May this be so, and the poet's prayer be realized :

Grant us, O God, that in Thy holy love The universal people of the world May grow more great and happy every day, Mightier, wiser, humbler, too, towards Thee, And that all ranks, all classes, callings, states Of life, so far as such seem right to Thee, May mingle into one. like sister trees, And so in one stem flourish.

JOHN C. FRANCIS.

A BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ACCOUNT OF THE WORKS OF CHARLES DIBDIN.

(Continued from p. 1%4-J '

1789 (circa). Dibdin's Celebrated Songs as Sung

by him, in his Entertainments, adapted for the

German Flute, Book I. Price 3s. London Printed

& Sold by Preston & Son, at their Wholesale Warehouses 97 Strand. Oblong 8vo. Title, verso blank ; index on p. 1 ; music, pp. 2 to 36, contains 36 melodies from 'Whim of the Moment' and prior productions.

I have not seen a second book.

1789. The Bystander ; or, Universal Weekly Ex- positor, by a literary association. =Aut per ridi- culum aut severe dicere. (7icero=London : Printed for the Association, and sold by H. Thomas, at their office, under the Piazza, Covent Garden. M D ccxc. 4to ; vi, 409 pp. ; also engraved plates, music, and words of the following songs (written and composed by Dibdin except where stated) :

1. The Bystander.

2. Hymn on the recovery of a gentleman lately wounded, written by himself.

3. The Lover's Petition.

4. Norah, written by Theophilus Swift.

5. Cupid's Plumes.

6. Greenwich Pensioner (No. 15, ' The Oddities').

7. Crazy Kate, written by Moore.

8. The Wily Fox (No. 30, ' The Wags').

9. Love's Solicitude, written by T. Swift.

10. Song, I vow I thought you at first sight (No. 21, 'Whim of the Moment r ).

11. Glee, Come round me and weep (No. 19, ' Whim of the Momef^ ').

12. Little Ben (in 'Musical Tour Ent. ''and No. 33, 'The Wags').

13. I don't believe a word on't^No. 17, 'Whim of the Moment').

14. 'Tis true the marks of many years (No. 22, ' Whim of the Moment').

15. The Fairy Train (No. 20, 'Whim of the Moment ').

16. Catch, The Philosopher.

17. The Portrait (No. 27, 'Whim'; No. 17, ' Oddities ').

18. The Flowing Cann (sic) (No. 3, 'Oddities').

19. The Invitation (No. 20, 'Oddities').

20. Bachelors Hall (No. 2, 'Oddities').

21. Peggy Perkins (No. 4, ' Oddities ').

22. Saturday Night at Sea (No. 5, ' Oddities').

23. Rondeau, Alas, where shall I comfort find? (No. 22, ' Oddities.')

24. I 've made to marches Mars descend (No. 26, ' Oddities ').

25. Marriage and Music (No. 21, ' Oddities ').

26. Bonny Kate (No. 25, 'Oddities' ; and No. 32, 'Wags/).

27. How much I love thee girl, would'st know (No. 23, ' Oddities ').

I have not seen separate parts of this serial, which was issued weekly, price sixpence, for six months, commencing August, 1789, each part containing 16 pages and an engraved sheet of music (2 pages, back blank). Nearly everything in it was written by Dibdin, and I am inclined to think it was printed at his house, and published by him under the alias of H. Thomas. The ' Bystander ' songs were also sold as a separate publication, without the text, price 9s., but I have not seen a copy.

1789. The Oddities ; or, Dame Nature in a Frolic. Table Entertainment written, composed and per- formed by C. Dibdin. First performance 7 DeQ 1 ' 1789.