Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 10.djvu/413

 9*s.x.Nov.22,i902.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

405

George I.'s landing and coronation, suggest to me that the annexed poem, printed as a broadside nearly contemporaneously with those events, may entertain your readers. The English colony at Leghorn in Novem- ber, 1714, seems to have had amongst its number some one quite equal to a poet laureate in ability to give expression to joy- ful aspirations, and to glorifications, on the advent of a new British signing house. I may add that my copy, probably unique, is printed on fine red satin, with well-displayed headings in capitals :

Tribute di Lealta, ed Ossequio

Delia Nazione Brittanica

In occasione di Celebrare 1' Incoronazione

Del Loro Augustissimo Monarca

Giorgio Primo

Re della Gran Brittagnia, &c. In Livorno il dl 27 Novembre 1714. A Voi gran Re, che il Cielo Destinovvi a calcar 1' Anglico Soglio, Ecco da Tosci Lidi Npi Vostri Servi fidi Di Piaceri in un Mar tutti sommersi, Oh fortunati auspicij ! Bramar dal Ciel tranquillita di mente, Felicita di Vita, e Serie d' Anni Di Content! ricolma, e senza affanni, Si che con stil Giocondo L' Alte Vostre Virtu, R Grande, e Forte Legga, e stupisca ammiratore il Mondo. E mentre del Tamigi Ogni Valle, ogni Speco Viva Giorgio risuona ; anche Livorno Tutto di luce adorno Replicar oggi s' oda Ma con Vqce pii\ lieta, e piu Giuliva II Britannico Giove Giorgio il Grande, 1' Invitto Viva, Viva.

ARIA.

Alle Glorie dell' Anglico Marte Tutto lieto con Voce festiva II Cielo risuoni La Terra rimbombi Di Britannia 1' invitto Monarca Giorgio il Grande Viva, Viva. In Lucca, MDCCXIV. Con licenza de Superior!.

FREDK. HENDRIKS. Kensington.

DICKENS, OVERS, AND DR. ELLIOTSON. (See ante, p. 132.) I omitted to mention in my former note the full title of Overs's little book, which is "Evenings of a Working Man : being the Occupation of his Scanty Leisure. By John Overs. With a Preface relative to the Author by Charles Dickens. 1844." In 'Hints to Dickens Collectors,' in 'Dickens Memento ' Mr. John F. Dexter describes the book, and writes of the preface Jby Dickens as follows :

" I cannot say that I think it does him much credit, as it has always struck me as being par- ticularly objectionable, not to say snobbish. There

is an air of patronage about it that is positively irritating; it may not have been in the writer's intention, still there it is. There was only one edition of it, and it now sells for 31."

When I read the preface it did not appear to me to justify Mr. Dexter's criticism My present object in adding to my former note is chiefly to state that the preface, in case any of the readers of ' N. & Q.' would like to judge for themselves, will be found in ' The Plays and Poems of Charles Dickens, with a Few Miscellanies in Prose,' by E. H. Shep- herd (Allen & Co., 1882), vol. ii. p. 299. Mr. Dexter does not, I think, sufficiently take into consideration the facts stated by Dickens about Overs, and- that his object in writing the preface was to aid the sale of the book. Mr. Shepherd (vol. i. p. 94) says :

" To the plays and poems, which it was our essential and primary plan to reproduce in these volumes, have been added some miscellanies in prose, also now first collected ; none of them, we believe, unworthy of their great writer."

Mr. Shepherd's book is a somewhat unlikely

Elace to find this jweface, and it w.as only a jw days ago, in looking over my copy, that I accidentally found it there. .

As you have printed Thackeray's dedica- tion of 'Peuderinis' to Dr. Elliotson, might it not be well to preserve in 'N. & Q.' the dedication to the good doctor by the work- ing carpenter? Dickens in his preface thus refers to it :

" He has inscribed this book to one whose skill will help him, under Providence, in all that human skill can do. To one who never could have recog- nized in any potentate on earth a higher claim to constant kindness and attention than he has recog- nized in him."

This is the dedication, which has not yet been reprinted :

This little book Is affectionately dedicated

to Dr. Elliotson,

By one Who has felt his kindness

To those

Who have no other claim upon him (and on such a man can have no higher claim)

Than Sickness and obscure condition.

Mr. Kitton also refers to the Overs incident at p. 128 of his recently published ' Life of Dickens.' The book has been sold for as much as 5l. ; the original price of it was only a few shillings. HARRY B. POLAND.

Inner Temple.

THE GOLDEN HORN. Some years ago I saw a query as to the origin of the above name. I never saw a reply, and I have many a time thought upon the subject. I believe I have