Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 10.djvu/409

 9*s.x.Nor.22,i902.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

401

LONDON, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 1902.

CONTENTS. -No. 256.

NOTES : Bishop Racket's Life of Archbishop Williams, 401 Baulked Coronation of Arthur, 402 George I.: Coronation Ceremony at Leghorn, 404 Dickens, Overs, and Dr. E I liotson The Golden Horn, 405 Kurish German "Ttrriers," 406 -Sir R. Phillips, Publisher Bream's Buil<1igs Latin Conversation" Kparchy," 407.

QUBRIBS : Seventeenth - Century Queries Irish and Sco cb. Old Houses Carrodus Family - Samuel Clarke, D D.- De Trafford Estates Houbiliac's Bust of Pope - "Oh! the pilgrims of Zion," 408 Crossing the Line ' Lea Psaumes de Beze' " Warth"-^-Manor Court Rolls Rectors of BUhop-Wearmouth " Bi mingham's dress" Izaak Walton, 409 Bodley Pedigree Heareey Family St Martin's Abbey, Com post ella Pre-Conquest Karls of Devon and Cornwall Tennyson's 'In Memoriam,' 410.

REPLIES : -Inverness Coat of Arms, 410 " Trance " "Peace, Retrenchment, and Reform " " Pert, Pert, Pert" "Policy of pin-pricks" Shakespeare's Seventy- sixth Sonnet. 412 Baker Family, 413 Amelm, Abbot <f St. Bdmund's Lightowler Maid of O'leans, 414-"The" as Part of Title" What has posterity done for us?" "Carant" or " Corant." 415 Beer: Bur Old Pewter- Marks Oldest Wooden Church and University Rhodes's Ancestors, 416 "In petto" Mommsen and Brutus Evolution of a Nose Le Brun " Teens " Crooked Usage, Chelsea, 417

N'JTKS ON BOOKS : Macaulay's ' Gower' Benham's 'Red-Paper Book of Colchester' 'Handbook of Boston' " Chiswiek Shakespeare" Wheatley's 'How to Form a Library ' ' Popular Studies in Mythology, Romance, and Folk-lore' Browning's 'Poems' on India Paper 'Lost MS. of Lewis Rwu' Cassell's 'Encyclopaedic Dictionary' Blackie's "Little French Classics."

Death of Samuel Timmins.

BISHOP HACKET'S LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP WILLIAMS.

COLERIDGE, in his ' Table Talk,' under date 22 June, 1833, has this remark (ed. 1851, p. 254) :

" What a delightful and instructive book Bishop Racket's Life of Archbishop Williams is ! You learn more from it of that which is valuable towards an insight into the times preceding the Civil War than from all the ponderous histories and memoirs now composed about that period."

The life thus referred to was first published in folio in 1693 (abridgments appeared in 1703 and 1715), and as it is now a very scarce book it may be as well to give here the wording of the title-page :

"Scrinia Reserta: A Memorial Offer'd to the Great Deservings of John Williams, D.D. Who some time held the Places of L d Keeper of the Great Seal of England, L d Bishop of Lincoln, and L d Archbishop of York. Containing A Series of The Most Remarkable Occurrences and Transact ions of his Life, in Relation both to Church and State Written by John Hacket, Late Lord Bishop of Litchfield and Coventry. [Greek and Latin mottoes.] Imprimatur, Nov. 27, 1692. J. 0. Cant. In the Savoy : Printed by Edw. Jones, for Samuel Lowndes, over against Exeter-Exchange in the Strand. M.DC.XC.III."

The folio is divided into two parts, the first containing (including "The Proem")

228 pages. The second has a separate title- page, and extends to 231 pages, including the leaf of memoranda and errata. A perfect copy should have a portrait of Arch- bishop Williams by Robert White, one of the best portrait engravers, as I venture to think, of the seventeenth century. This portrait of Williams is, indeed, a brilliant bit of work, and to a collector, especially if it be in fine condition, a desirable possession.

As already mentioned, this biography first appeared in 1693; but from a memorandum on the last leaf, presumably by the publisher, it was written above forty years earlier (Hacket died in 1670) :

"This Manuscript was writ by the Reverend Author above Forty -years since In a small white Letter ; it was printed in haste, to prevent a sur- reptitious Copy, and in the Absence of a Friend best acquainted with it ; whereby the Greek Quota- tions are often false accented, besides other Mis- takes in English, which the Reader is desired to excuse and amend."

The author himself, however, has left us in no doubt, as will appear from the follow- ing passage record/ed at the end of his biography :

" That which my Prayers and Studies have long endeavoured, the dispatch of this Labour, is come to pass by the good Hand of God this Seventeenth of February 1657. which is some hearts-ease, but with respect, that I wait the Consolation of the Lord in better times."

Canon Perry in a short sketch of Hacket's life in the 'D.N.B.' remarks :

" It [Williams's Life] displays great learning and much wit, but has the common biographical defect of defending top indiscriminately the many question- able passages in the lord keeper's life ; neverthe- less it remains one of the best biographies in the English language."

In many respects it is truly a remarkable book rich /in learning, rich in wit, with a thousand and one striking passages which call for the warmest expression of admira- tion. Hacket was at the mature age of over sixty years when he wrote this biography, and with all his faults he was not the least notable man in an age of great men. Endowed with a memory of uncommon tenacity, joined to great intellectual ability, almost amount- ing to genius, he tells his story in an easy way which is nothing less than marvellous. He plays with his subject like a man who is conscious that he is master of it ; and his digressions, if I may be pardoned the use of the word, are where he is seen at his best. I wish I could add that he had more toleration for many of the eminent men who differed from him on the burning questions of those stirring times. Hacket was a most rigid Royalist and Churchman, and knowing this