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Wherein is largely discussed the question whether a Catholicke or any other person before a magistrate, being demanded upon his Outh whether a Prieste were in such a place, may (notwithstanding his perfect knowledge to the contrary) without Perjury, and securely in conscience, answer No; with this secret meaning reserved in his mynde, That he was not there so that any man is bounde to detect it. Edited from the Original Manuscript in the Bodleian Library, by DAVID JARDINE, of the Middle Temple, Esq., Barrister at Law. London: LONGMAN, BROWN, GREEN, and LONGMANS. Printed by THOMAS CLARK SHAW, of No. 8. New Street Square, at No. 5. New Street Square, in the Parish of St. Bride in the City of London; and published by GEORGE BELL, of No. 186. Fleet Street, in the Parish of St. Dunstan in the West, in the City of London, Publisher, at No. 186 Fleet Street aforesaid. - Saturday, May 17. 1851. A MEDIUM OF INTER-COMMUNICATION FOR LITERARY MEN, ARTISTS, ANTIQUARIES, GENEALOGISTS, ETC. 402 404. 405 406 407 MINOR QUERIES ANSWERED: "Many a Word". Villenage 411 - 410 Maclean not Junius Replies to Minor Queries: -The Ten Commandments -Mounds, Munts, Mounts San Graal-Epitaph on the Countess of Pembroke MEASURE FOR 412 474 Price, Threepence. {Stamped Edition, 4d. Whereupon (according to the reading of the folio To which Isabella replies (according to the "O, 'tis the cunning livery of hell, The damned'st body to invest and cover In prenzie guards! Dost thou think, Claudio, Thou might'st be freed?" Claudio, still incredulous, rejoins: The word prenzie has given rise to much anno¬ tation, and it seems to be universally agreed that the word is a misprint. The question is, what was the word actually written, or intended, by Shakspeare? Steevens and Malone suggested "princely;" Warburton, " priestly;" and Tieck, "precise." Mr. Knight adopts "precise," the reading of Tieck, and thinks "that, having to choose some word which would have the double merit of agreeing with the sense of the and passage be similar in the number and form of the letters, nothing can be more unfortunate than the correc414 tion of "princely;' Mr. Collier, on the other 415 hand, follows Steevens and Malone, and reads "princely," observing that Tieck's reading ("precise") "sounds ill as regards the metre, the accent falling on the wrong syllable. Mr. Collier's choice is determined by the authority of the second folio, which he considers ought to have considerable weight, whilst Mr. Knight regards the authority of that edition as very trifling; and the only point of agreement between the two distinguished recent editors is with respect to Warburton's word "priestly," which they both seem to think nearly conveys the meaning of the poet. The Third Act of Measure for Measure opens with Isabella's visit to her brother (Claudio) in the dungeon, where he lies under sentence of death. In accordance with Claudio's earnest entreaty, she has sued for mercy to Angelo, the sanctimonious deputy, and in the course of her allusion to the only terms upon which Angelo is willing to remit the sentence, she info: ms him that he "must die," and then continues: "This outward-sainted deputy, – VOL. III.-No. 82. I have over and over again considered the several emendations which have been suggested, and it seems to me that none of them answer all the necessary conditions; namely, that the word adopted shall be (1.) suitable to the reputed character of Angelo; (2.) an appropriate epithet to the word "guards," in the reply of Isabella above quoted; (3.) of the proper metre in both places in which the misprint occurred; and (4.) similar in appearance to the word " prenzie." "Princely" does not agree with the sense or spirit of the particular passage; for it is extremely improbable that Claudio, when confined under sentence of death for an absurd and insufficient cause, would use a term of mere compliment to the man by whom he had been doomed. "Precise" and "priestly" are both far better than "princely;" but "precise" is wholly unsuited to the metre in both places, and "priestly " points too much to a special character to be appropriate to Angelo's office and position. It may also be remarked, that both "princely" and "priestly" differ from the number and form of the letters contained in "prenzie." The word which I venture to suggest is "PENSIVE," a word particularly applicable to a person of saintly habits, and which is so applied by Milton in "Il Penseroso : " to "Come, pensive nun, devout and pure, The word "pensive" is stated by Dr. Johnson serious," or melancholy; and that such epithets mean "sorrowfully thoughtful, sorrowfully are appropriate to the reputed character of Angelo will be seen from the following extracts: "I implore her, in my service, that she make friends To the strict deputy." Claudio, Act I. Sc. 3. "I have deliver'd to Lord Angelo, Stands at a guard with envy; scarce confesses That his blood flows, or that his appetite Is more to bread than stone:" Duke, Act I. Se. 4. "A man, whose blood Is very snow-broth; one who never feels Wherein (let no man hear me) I take pride, 66 sive" is an appropriate epithet to the word "guards." If Messrs. Knight and Collier are correct in construing guards" to mean the "trimmings or border of a robe," this question must be answered in the negative. But it appears to me that they are in error, and that the true meaning of the word "guards," in this particular passage, is "outward appearances," as suggested by Monek Mason; and, consequently, that the expression "pensive guards" means a grave or sanctified countenance or demeanour "the settled visage and deliberate word" which "nips youth i' the head, and follies doth emmew." It requires no argument to establish that the word "pensive" is suitable to the metre in both places in which the misprint occurred; and it is equally clear that "prenzie" and "pensive" in manuscript are so similar, both in the number, form, and character of the letters, that the one might easily be printed for the other. The two words also have a certain resemblance, in point of sound; and if the word "pensive" be not very distinctly pronounced, the mistake might be made by a scribe writing from dictation. concordance of Shakspeare, it appears that the Referring to Mrs. Cowden Clarke's admirable word "pensive" is used by Shakspeare in the tert of his plays twice; namely, in Romeo and Juliet, Act IV. Sc. 1., where Friar Laurence addresses Juliet thus: 66 My leisure serves me, pensive daughter, now." and again, in the Third Part of Henry VI., Act IV. Sc. 1., where Clarence is thus addressed by King Edward upon the subject of his marriage with the Lady Grey: Now, brother Clarence, how like you our choice, That you stand pensive, as half mal-content?" I also find that, according to the stage directions (both ancient and modern) of Act II. Sc. 2. of Henry VIII. (see Collier's Shakspeare, vol. v. p. 534., note), the king is described to be found reading pensively," at a moment when he is meditating his divorce from Katharine of Arragon, not "because the marriage of his brother's wife had crept too near his conscience," but "because his conscience had crept too near another lady." I might extend the argument by further observations upon the reference last cited, but not without risk of losing all chance of a place in the passage immediately under "NOTES AND QUERIES." This outward-sainted deputy, Whose settled visage and deliberate word, Nips youth the head, and follies doth emmew." Isabella, Act III. Sc. 1. Thus much as to the propriety of the word "pensive," in relation to the reputed character of Angelo. Query, Whether pensive was ever written or printed penzive in Shakspeare's time? If so, that word would bear a still closer resemblance to "prenzie." LEGES. RHYMING LATIN VERSION OF THE SONG ON ROBIN GOODFELLOW. In the same MS. from which I extracted Braith The next question is, whether the word "pen-wait's Latin Drinking Song, the following version occurs. of the well-known song on Robin Goodfellow It is apparently by the same hand. I give the English, as it contains but six stanzas, and affords some variations from the copy printed by Percy; and indeed one stanza not given by him. Peck attributes the song to Ben Jonson, but we know not on what foundation. It must be confessed that internal evidence is against it. The publication of Percy's Reliques had a no less beneficial influence on the literature of Germany than it had on our own; and Voss had given an admirable version of nine stanzas of this song as early as the year 1793. The first stanza will afford some notion of his manner : "Von Oberon in Feenland, Dem Könige der Geister, Komm' ich, Knecht Robert, abgesandt, Durchschwarm'ich Nacht vor Nacht. Wohlauf, ihr alle, gelacht, gelacht !" Although the classic ear may be offended by the "barbarous adjunct of rhyme," and by the solecisms and false quantities which sometimes occur, "et alia multa damna atque outragia," others may be amused with these emulations of the cloistered muse of the Middle Ages. The witty author of Whistlecraft has shown that he had a true relish for them, and has successfully tried his hand, observing at the same time: "Those monks were poor proficients in divinity, And scarce knew more of Latin than myself; Compar'd with theirs, they say that true Latinity Appears like porcelain compar'd with delf." Honest Barnaby had no intention of rivalling Horace his humbler, but not less amusing, prototypes were Walter de Mapes and his cotemporaries. We may accept his own defence, if any is needed: "That paltry Patcher is a bald translator, Whose awl bores at the words but not the matter; A SONG ON ROBIN GOODFELLOW. "From Oberon in faery-land, Am sent to view the night-sports here. And make good sport with ho, ho, ho! There's neither hag nor spirit shall wag, But Robin I, their feats will spy, O'er hedge, o'er lands, o'er pool, o'er ponds, I eat their cake and drink their wine; In circle danee do trip it round, The Latine of the foregoing verses. Et translunaria penetrem We should This line is distinctly so written. probably read or instead of but. Mummes may mean mumbling, muttering. Si quis me prendat, et ascendat, Per prata, montes, vada, fontes, Tunc sterto, strepo, et dum crepo, Hæc basiatur; hic quis? clamatur, "Si quando cum consorte larva Et observemur nos per arva Et si spectator eloquatur Et combibonem me Robbinum Me dæmones, me lemures, FOLK LORE. DEVONSHIRE FOLK LORE. 1. Storms from Conjuring.—A common Devonshire remark on the rising of a storm is, "Ah! The there is a conjuring going on somewhere." following illustration was told me by an old inhabitant of this parish. In the parish of St. Mary Tavy is a spot called "Steven's grave," from a suicide said to have been buried there His spirit proving troublesome to the neighbour hood, was laid by a former curate one Sunday after afternoon service. A man who accompanied the clergyman on the way was told by him to make haste home, as a storm was coming. The man hurried away home; but though the afternoon had previously been very fine, he had scarcely reached his door before a violent thunstorm came to verify the clergyman's words. 2. The Heath-hounds. — The brutende heer are sometimes heard near Dartmoor, and are known by the appellation of "Heath-hounds." They were heard in the parish of St. Mary Tavy several years ago by an old man called Roger Burn: he was working in the fields, when he suddenly heard the baying of the hounds, the shouts and horn of the huntsman, and the smacking of his whip. This last point the old man quoted as at once settling the question. "How could I be mistaken? why I heard the very smacking of his whip." 3. Cock scares the Fiend.—Mr. N. was a Devonshire squire who had been so unfortunate as to sell his soul to the devil, with the condition that after his funeral the fiend should take possession of his skin. He had also persuaded a neighbour to undertake to be present on the occasion of the flaying. On the death of Mr. N., this man went in a state of great alarm to the parson of the parish, and asked his advice. By him he was told to fulfil his engagement, but he must be sure and carry a cock into the church with him. On the night after the funeral, the man proceeded to the church armed with the cock; and, as an additional security, took up his position in the parson's pew. At twelve o'clock the devil arrived, opened the grave, took the corpse from the coffin and flayed When the operation was concluded, he held the skin up before him, and remarked: “ Well! 'twas not worth coming for after all, for it is all full of holes!" As he said this, the cock crew; whereupon the fiend, turning round to the man, exclaimed: "If it had not been for the bird you have got there under your arm, I would have your skin too." But, thanks to the cock, the man got home safe again. it. 4. Cranmere Pool.-Cranmere Pool, in the centre of Dartmoor, is a great penal settlement for refrac tory spirits. Many of the former inhabitants of this parish are still there expiating their ghostly pranks. An old farmer was so troublesome to his survivors as to require seven clergymen to secure him. By their means, however, he was transformed into a colt; and a servant boy was directed to take him to Cranmere Pool. On arriving at | the brink of the pool, he was to take off the halter, and return instantly without looking round. Curiosity proving too powerful, he turned his head to see what was going on, when he beheld the colt plunge into the lake in the form of a ball of fire. Before doing so, however, he gave the lad a parting salute in the form of a kick, which knocked out one of his eyes. J. M. (4.) St. Mary Tavy, May 5. 1851. St. Uncumber and the offering of Oats (Vol. ii., pp. 286. 342. 381.).—A further illustration of this custom is found in the legend of St. Rhadegund, or at least in the metrical version of it, which is commonly ascribed to Henry Bradshaw. А сору of this very scarce poem, from the press of Pynson, is preserved in the library of Jesus College, Cambridge. We there read as follows: "Among all myracles after our intelligence Which Radegunde shewed by her humilite, Among the common people noted with hert fre At her holy aulters where myracles in sight |