Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 9.djvu/109

 9*s.ix.F E R.8,i902.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

101

LONDON, SATURDAY, FEBRUARYS, 1902.

CONTENTS. No. 215.

NOTES : The Earl of Oxford and Thomas Watson, 101 The Essenes, 103 Rollo on North Wyke, 104 Early Hotels of Rome" Pattle "Letter of 1673, 105 Discovery at Malvern Priory Gentleman of Colour Knighted "Gun" Gourou Nut, 106.

QUERIES : " Pour oil upon the waves " Thackeray Quotation Milton : a Tract on Logic Earl of Cromartie Royal Descendants Sir G. Fenton Waterloo En- gravings F. B. Irving Dakin Family, 107" Roof-tree" Funeral Folk-lore Stoning the Wren " Skirret " Burke's Visits to Monmouthshire " Saulies " Kingsman Antinomian Sect Gazlay Family, 108 Tib's Eve Denn or Denne Uncovering at the National Anthem Gwyneth W. G. Hamilton, 1729-96 Silver Ornaments "Wyrall," 109.

EPLIES : Obelisk at St. Peters, 109-Staunton, Worces- tershire Brummel and B. d'Aurevilly Gates of Caroline Park, Edinburgh, 110 -Heuskarian Rarity William the Conqueror's Half Brothers and Sisters " Alright "=A11 right Breadcrumbs and the Devil- Cossen " God speed you and the bt-adle," 111 Mortara : Arro Earl of Chester "Two blades of grass "' Vindex Anglicus,' 112 Ad- jectival Change Tontine "Gentle shepherd, tell me where" Arms of Married Women Sorrow's 'Zincali,' 113 -Oldest Borough in England "Eve stood at the Garden gate " " Mischief-Night,";il4 Hognel Money 'Outrider" Freaks of Nature, 115 Majolican Bacini Machine "=Coach " Fadge "Flower Games, 116-Fire kept. Burning Horn Dancers "Johnian Pigs" Biblio- aphy of the Bicycle Adulation Extraordinary, 117 rms of Dutch East India Company Locomotive and Gas Bishops' Signatures Keys to Novels, 118. NOTES ON BOOKS : ' Lancaster Pleadings and Depo- sitions'' Who's Who ' ' Whitaker's Peerage 'Reviews and Magazines. Notices to Correspondents.

EDWARD DE VERB, EARL OF OXFORD,

AND THOMAS WATSON.

WHILST looking through the ' Shakespeare

Anthology,' edited by Prof. Arber, I recently

came across a sonnet which, on the strength

of a manuscript in the Bodleian Library, is

attributed to the above noble poet. But the

words seemed so familiar that I felt certain I

md read them elsewhere and that they were

w a different writer. The same indefatigable

editor furnished me with the means of show-

ng that I was not mistaken, for, on turning

x> his reprint of Thomas Watson's poems, I

iound that the lines form the sixtieth and

ast sonnet of * The Tears of Fancie ; or, Love

Disdained,' published in 1593. The discovery

is so curious and interesting that I hope to

be excused for quoting both pieces. De

Vere's, printed for the first time in 1899, is as

follows :

Who taught thee first to sigh, ' Alas !' my heart?

Love,

Who taught thy tongue the woeful words of plaint'

Love Who filled your eyes with tears of bitter smart?

Love

Who gave thee grief, and made thy joys so faint?

Love

Vho first did paint with colours pale thy face ?

Love.

Who first did break thy sleeps of quiet rest ? Love.

Above the rest in Court, who gave thee grace ? Love.

Who made thee strive in honour to be best ? Love.

n constant troth, to bide so firm and pure ? Love.

To scorn the World, regarding but thy friends ?

Love.

Vith patient mind, each Passion to endure? Love.

In one desire to settle to the end ? Love.

Love then thy choice ! wherein such choice thou

bind; As nought but death may ever change thy mind. *

I will now give the sonnet as it was printed more than three hundred years ago, when England : Who taught thee first to sigh Alasse sweet heart?
 * he last of the Tudors sat on the throne of

love. Who taught thy tongue to marshall words of plaint?

love.

Who fild thine eies with teares of bitter smart ? love. Who gave thee griefe and made thy ioyes so faint?

love.

Who first did paint with coullers pale thy face ? love. Who first did breake thy sleepes of quiet rest ? love. Who forst thee unto wanton love give place ? love. Who thrald thy thoughts in fancie so distrest ? love. Who made thee bide both constant firme and sure ?

love. Who made thee scorne the world and love thy friend ?

love. Who made thy mind with patience paines indure?

love.

Who made thee settle stedfast to the end ? love. Then love thy choice though love be never gained, Still live in love, dispaire not though disdained.!

Now, as they stand, it is manifestly im- possible that these poems could have been written by two separate persons, for the one is almost a copy of the other, as the reader may see for himself. It is, however, very strange that the imitator should have ascribed the verses to De Vere, Earl of Oxford, as I shall show. Thomas Watson's life was short ; he was about forty-five years old, or there- abouts, when he died in 1592. De Vere, born in 1545, ended his career, about which there was no " odour of sanctity," in 1604, so there could not have been much difference between the ages of the poets. But now conies in the curious fact that Watson's poem 'The c EKaTo//,7ra06a, or Passionate Centurie of Love,' published in 1582, is dedicated "To the Right Honorable my very good Lord Edward de Vere, Earle of Oxenford, Vicount Bulbecke, Lord of Escales, and Badlesmere, and Lord High Chamberlaine of England,"

your in the third line, and friends at the end of the tenth, are enough of themselves to prove that the MS. is valueless. See the corresponding lines in the next poem.
 * ' The Shakespeare Anthology,' p. 48. The words

f Thomas Watson's ' Poems,' p. 208. Arber's reprint, 1870.