Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 6.djvu/562

 466 NOTES AND QUERIES. [9* s. vi. DEC. 15,1000. now left us, but our generous harts, and devout soules: whereas this Barbarous Scitkian (it may be our sinnes have been the cause thereof) hath en- creased his forces and hath amplified his Empire beyond all discourse of humane reason." Hamlet. A little month, or ere those shoes were old With which she followed my poor father's body, Like Niobe, all tears: why she, even she— O God ! a beast, that wants discourse of reason, Would have mourn'd longer—married with my uncle, My father-'s brother, but no more like my father Than I to Hercules. ' Hamlet,' I. ii. Hector. Now, youthful Troilus, do not these high strains Of divination in our sister work Some touches of remorse ? Or is your blood So madly hot that no discourse of reason, Nor fear of bad success in a bad cause, Can qualify the same. ' Troilus and Cressida,' II. ii. The phrase " discourse of reason " is used twice by Shakespeare : once in ' Hamlet,' I. ii., and once in ' Troilus and Oessida,' II. ii. It is perhaps -worthy of remark that, although " discourse of reason" only occurs once in this scene in ' Troilus and Cressida,' the word " reason " is there used ten times in the space of twenty-six consecutive lines. " Discourse of reason " is one of the phrases which, though now obsolete, were used fre- quently by the old authors throughout the reign of Queen Elizabeth. In my next I will give some examples of the use of this phrase from the works of old authors published long before Shakespeare wrote any of his plays. W. L. RUSHTON. ( I'D be continued.) SIE RICHARD HOLLOWAY, KNT., CIRCA 1628- 1700.—The' Diet. Nat. Biog.,' vol. xxvii. p. 180, gives incorrectly the dates when this judge was admitted to the Inner Temple and called to the Bar. The books of that Inn show that he was admitted 7 May, 1647, and was called 24 November, 1653. The dictionary seems to cast doubt on the statement that he was a Fellow of New College, Oxford ; but it is well established that he became Fellow of that college in 1644, and was expelled by the Parliamentary Visitors in 1648 (see the 'Visitors'Register,'Carnden Soc. Publ., 1881, p. 529). He had previously been scholar of Winchester College (see Kirby's 'Winchester' Scholars,' p. 178). His family's pedigree appears in the Visitation of Oxford County, 1634 (see Harleian Soc. Publ., vol. v. p. 290), and states that his mother was Susan, sister of Dr. Anyan, prebendary of Canterbury. The dictionary says that the date of the judge's death is unknown; but his will, dated 12 January, 1695/6, was proved 20 February, 1699/1700, P.C.C. 25 Noel, by his two younger sons Henry and Peter. The will also men- tions his eldest son John and his daughter Elizabeth. H. C. THE ' D.N.B.'—I am personally very grate- ful to MR. HARLAND-OXLEY for the paragraph (ante, p. 343) placing on record in 'N. <fe Q.' the fact that this "monumental work is not to be found or easily get-at-able every- where." It is all very well for town readers, or those in touch with our great libraries, to be continually meeting a modest query with " See ' D.N.B.,'" " Refer to ' D.N.B.?" &c. But how 1 There's the rub. Suppose one is miles away from a copy of the'D.N.B.' Imagine his chagrin when he contemplates this sphinx-like reply to his question. Surely it would be a far kinder and more courteous plan to give him a few words of practical help. I take it that the columns of ' N. & Q.' do not exist solely for the use of experts who never ask questions until they nave tho- roughly ransacked the British Museum or the Bodleian. Is there not also a small corner reserved for those less fortunate brethren of the pen whose needs are greater, because their libraries are small and their opportuni- ties for original research circumscribed ? It is much to be hoped that the mighty tomes of the ' D.N.B.," H.E.D.,1 <fec., will in future be less often used as cudgels for the heads of belated querists. No one has more cause than myself to speak of the many courtesies and kindnesses he has received from readers of ' N. & Q.' This being so, I must also say I have observed with regret the growing desire on the part of some to seize opportuni- ties of administering snubs to luck less querists who very probably might have refrained from jiving trouble had they been in touch with JOHN T. PAGE. West Haddon, Northamptonshire. PARALLEL PASSAGES. (See 9th S. v. 373.)— might have added the following parallel passages to the others :— Thee I account still happy, and the chief Among the nations, seeing thou art free, My native nook of earth ! Thy clime is rude, Replete with vapours, and disposes much All hearts to sadness, and none more than mine. But once enslaved, farewell! I could endure Chains nowhere patiently ; and chains at home, Where I am free by birthright, not at all. . I should then with double pain Feel all the rigour of thy fickle clime; And, if I must bewail the blessing lost,
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