Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 5.djvu/372

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NOTES AND QUERIES. &* s. v. MAY 5, igoo.

Stewartoun, Bute, and Cowal would be other titles to accompany Prince and Steward, only they were alienated at different periods. These matters are minutely dealt with in my articles in the Irvine Herald of 19 and 26 May, 1899. WALTER M. GRAHAM EASTON.

These queries are purely technical in pur- port ; but a new feature has been given to the Duchy of Lancaster. Lord Cross, who is in Her Majesty's confidence, states that this title is not merged in the Crown, but co- existent. So the Queen is Duke of Lan- caster, independently of the mere form of coronation as Queen regnant. It is the valid survival of an independent Palatine Govern- ment. A. HALL.

MACKY'S 'COURT CHARACTERS' (9 th S. v. 165). The following extracts, collected while making a bibliography of Andrew Fletcher's writings, may interest W. I. R. V.

1. Hearne's 'Diary,' cxxx. 126:

" 1731, Aug. 17, Tuesd. They are reprinting at London the scarce Pieces of that famed Republican

Fletcher of Saltoun, A Character of him will be

taken from a MS. said to be wrote by L d Somers, found in the Study of Thomas Rawlinson, Esq. ; and now penes Ric. Rawlinson, LL.D., wch is so scarce, that there are only two other copies in being."

2. Fletcher's ' Works,' 1732 : "Characters of the Author. I. From a MS. in

the Library of the late Thomas Rawlinson, Esq. ; [foot-note] In titled, Short political Characters of the chief of the Lords and Commons of England, of the then Ministry, and the most noted Officers both by Sea and Land : Of the Foreign Ministers, and Nobility and Gentry of Scotland before the Union of the two Kingdoms."

3. "Memoirs of the Secret Services of John

Macky, Esq. ; Including, also, The true Secret

History of the Rise, Promotions, &c., of the Eng- lish and Scots Nobility ; Officers, Civil, Military, Naval, and other Persons of Distinction, from the Revolution. In their respective Characters at large ; drawn up by Mr. Macky, pursuant to the Direction of Her Royal Highness the Princess Sophia. Pub- lished from his Original Manuscript ; As attested by his Son Spring Macky, Esq. ; London : Printed in the Year M.DCC.XXXIII. (Price 5s.)"

It was edited by A. R., and, according to the B.M. Catalogue, some copies have a new title-page bearing the words "Second Edi- tion."

4. "Codicum Manuscriptorum Bibliothecse Raw-

linsonianae Catalogus to be sold on Monday,

4 March, 17&3/4. By Thomas Ballard, Bookseller. [Written by Ric. Rawlinson.] Eleventh Day's Sale. Lot 1001, page 88 :

" Some short Political Characters of the Chief of the Lords and Commons of England, of the then present ministry, and the most noted officers both by sea and land. Of the Foreign Ministers, and of the Nobility and Gentry of Scotland before the Union. N.B. ' This Book is said to have been wrote by one Capt. Macky, a Commander of a Packet-

Boat, and for the use of the late Princess Sophia : tho' others ascribe it to a more eminent pen. At the End, of the first part of this Copy, it is said to have been finished Aug. 16, 1715. And an imperfect copy (as may be seen by comparing with this) has been lately published, which in the Additional Characters of the chief of Q. Anne's last ministry, are prudently omitted. The Book concludes with Mr. Bromley s Character.'"

It is placed among the folios, and was sold, according to a MS. note in the Bodleian copy, to Barker for 21. 2s.

5. Swift's ' Works,' edited by John Nichols, 1812:

" Remarks on the Characters of the Court of Queen Anne. These Characters, drawn up in the name of John Macky (but written by Mr. Davis, an officer in the Customs), were annexed to ' Me- moirs of the Secret Services of John Macky, Esq '

Dr. Swift's notes are transcribed from a copy formerly belonging to John Putland, Esq., a near relation to the Dean, who took them from Swift's own handwriting. This volume afterward came into the possession of Philip Cartaret Webb, Esq., and is now the property of Thomas Astle, Esq "

A similar copy of the printed edition, with notes from Dean Swift's MSS., was sold at the Bindley sale in 1818 ; and there are two in the B.M. in which the transcriptions were made by T. Birch and J. Reed respectively. Lowndes says that "in the British Museum is a copy with MS. notes by Dean Swift."

Perhaps some reader of ' N. & Q.' can tell whether Mr. Davis's claim to the authorship of these fascinating sketches has been refuted, and on what evidence it was originally based. In Spring Macky's attestation I have little faith. It seems more than possible that the original MS. was sent to Hanover, and that the copy used in preparing the printed edition of 1733 was a transcript in his father's hand.

My own MS. (the property in 1717 of Secretary Jphnstone) contains nothing that was not printed, and had I known of the Tixall copy I would willingly have paid 3. for it in the hope of recovering the lost characters. R. A. SCOTT MACFIE.

34, Moorfields, Liverpool.

CORONATION OF HENRY II. (9 th S. v. 210). In hunting through my books I am unable to find any mention of a second coronation of this monarch. That he is credited with the ceremony may be inferred from the statement of Speed that Henry was crowned, with his consort, at Worcester on Christmas Day, 1158, " this being now the third time in which, at three several places, he had been crowned." In a foot-note to p. 247 of his 'Glory of Regality,' Taylor remarks : "It is most likely, however, that this assertion is grounded on the custom of bearing the crown at festivals." Roger of Hoveden assigns to Queen Eleanor's