Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 10.djvu/309

 9 th S. X. OCT. 18, 1902.]

NOTES AND QUERIES.

301

LONDON, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18, 1902.

CONTENTS. No. 251.

NOTES : Ben Jonson's Verse Composing, 301 Roman Road over Blackstone Edge " Weigh "Prime Ministers : Irish and Scotch, 302 Mommsen and Brutus Dickens and Sweeny Todd Bell Inscriptions " Put his clog on his dial" Villon, 303 Baconian Cipher Introduction of the Hop " Oraculous " Cleopatra's Needle Sweden- borg's Earliest Publication, 304 Byron ' The Tower of London 'Brasses in Kirkleatham Church Barons Per- ceval, 305 Sexton's Tombstone * Honest " Epitaphs- Maid of Orleans, 306" Running amuck," 307.

QUERIES : Snowball Hodgson "Lee oers for meddlers" Lamb on the Ass " Sinews of war" Bask Books, 307 Pin Pictures Inverness Coat of Arms " Tandem," 308 Dyngham and Ockham Priories Notter Dr. James's Arms" Behind each cloud the sun," &c. " What has posterity done for us ? " Bouguereau " Ich dien," 309.

REPLIES : Coleridge Bibliography Descendants of Eliza- bethan Worthies. 310 " Galley ": " Qaleode " E. and J. Moore Sledges, 311" Petar " or " Petard " Dunwich or Dunmow American Knee-breeches, 312 St Epiphanius Sir A. Jackson Oxford in George I.'s Time, 313 Esquires Castle Carewe "Tout lasse, tout casse," &c., 314 " Raising the wind " Fynes Moryson's ' Itinerary 'Scott and Wilkie Evolution <>f a Nose, 315 " Kit-Cat" Por- traits, 316 A Travelled Goat Haydon-<!hrleton, 317 " Quite a few " Greek and Russian Ecclesiastical Vest- mentsLady Whitmore, 318 "Linney," 319.

NOTBS ON BOOKS : Hodgkin's ' Rariora ' Green's 'Bibliography of the Town of Hey wood.'

Mr. Lionel Johnson. Notices to Correspondents.

ltot.es,

BEN JONSON'S METHOD OF COMPOSING VERSE.

CUNNINGHAM'S edition of 'Ben Jonson's Conversations with Drummond of Hawthorn- den,' vol. iii. p. 486, says :

" XV. His Opinione of Verses. That he wrott all his first in prose-, for so his Master Cambden, had learned him."

The following is but a sample of the evi- dence that I have collected in corroboration of this statement :

" Money never made any man rich, but his mind. He that can order himself to the law of nature, is not only without the sense, but the fear of poverty. O ! but to strike blind the people with our wealth and pomp, is the thing ! what a wretchedness is this, to thrust all our riches outward, and be beggars within ; to contemplate nothing but the little, vile, and sordid things of the world ; not the great, noble, and precious ?" 'Discoveries : Amor nunmii.'

" Nor is it only in our walls and ceilings ; but all that we call happiness is mere painting and gilt ; and all for money : what a thin membrane of honour that is? and how hath all true reputation fallen, since money began to have any? . 'Discoveries: De stultitia.'

Cymbal. I am your servant,

Excellent princess, and would have you appear That which you are: come forth the state and wonder

Of these our times, dazzle the vulgar eyes. And strike the people blind with admiration. P. Canter. Why that's the end of wealth ! thrust

riches outward,

And remain beggars within ; contemplate nothing But the vile, sordid things of time, place, money, And let the noble and the precious go : Virtue and honesty ; hang them, poor thin mem- branes

Of honour ! who respects them ? O, the fates, How hath all just .true reputation fallen, Since money, this base money, 'gan to have any ! ' The Staple of News,' 111. i.

" We covet superfluous things, when it were more honour for us, if we would contemn necessary. What need hath nature of silver dishes, multitudes of waiters, delicate "pages, perfumed napkins? she

requires meat only, and hunger is not ambitious

O ! if a man could restrain the fury of his gullet, and groin, and think how many fires, how many kitchens, cooks, pastures, and ploughed lands ; what orchards, stews, ponds, and parks, coops and garners, he could spare ; what velvets, tissues, em- broideries, laces, he could lack ; and then how short and uncertain his life is ; he Were in a better way to happiness, than, to live the emperor of these

delights, and be the*dictator of fashions Have

not! seen the pomp of a whole kingdom, and what a foreign king could bring hither? Also to make himself gazed and wondered at, laid forth as it were to the shew, and vanish all away in a day? And shall that which could not fill the expectation of few hours, entertain and take up our whole lives? when even it appeared as superfluous to the possessors, as to me that was a spectator. The bravery was shewn, it was not possessed ; while it boasted itself, it perished." 'Discoveries : Amor nummi.'

Pennyboy Senior. Who can endure to see

The fury of men's gullets, and their groins ? What fires, what cooks, what kitchens might be

spared ?

What stews, ponds, parks, coops, garners, maga- zines ?

What velvety, tissues, scarfs, embroideries, And laces they might lack ? They covet things Superfluous still ; when it were much more honour They could want necessary : what need hath nature Of silver dishes, or gold chamber-pots ? Of perfumed napkins, or a numerous family To see her eat ? poor, and wise, she requires Meat only ; hunger is not ambitious : Say, that you were the emperor of pleasure, The great dictator of fashions, for all Europe, And nad the pomp of all the courts, and kingdoms, Laid forth unto the shew, to make yourself Gazed and admired at ; you must go to bed, And take your natural rest : then all this vanisheth. Your bravery was but shown ; 'twas not possest : While it did boast itself, it was then perishing.

Cymbal. This man has healthful lungs. [Aside.

Pennyboy Senior. All that excess

Appear'd as little yours, as the spectators : It scarce fills up the expectation Of a few hours, that entertains men's lives.

Cymbal. He has the monopoly of sole-speaking.

[Aside. ' The Staple of News,' III. ii.

C. CRAWFORD. 53, Hampden Road, Hornsey, N.