A Collection of Sentences out of some of the Writings of the Lord Bacon (i. 422. edit. Montagu), with the ensuing exceptions, is taken out of the Essays, and in regular order:
No. 1. p. 33. of the same volume.
No. 2. p. 21.
No. 3. p. 5.
No. 4. p. 8.
No. 51. My reference is illegible: the words are,"Men seem neither well to understand their riches nor their strength: of the former they believe greater things than they should; and of the latter, much less. And from hence, certain fatal pillars have bounded the progress of learning."
No. 68. pp. 173. 272. 321.
No. 69. p. 185.
No. 70. p. 176.
No. 71. Vol. vi., p. 172. The Charge of Owen, &c.
Nos. 72, 73. Vol. vii., p. 261. The Speech before the Summer Circuits, 1617.
S. Z. Z. S.Law and Usage.In The Times of September 1, the Turkish correspondent writes as follows:
"Mahmoud Pasha declared in the Divan of the 17th that 'he would divorce his wife, but would not advise a dishonourable peace with Russia.' This is an expression of the strongest kind in use amongst the Turks."
It is worth a Note that, in spite of polygamy and divorce, a common proverb is monogamic, and divorce is spoken of as the greatest of unlikelihoods.
M.Manichæan Games.Take any game played by two persons, such as draughts, and let the play be as follows: each plays his best for himself, and follows it by playing the worst he can for the other. Thus, when it is the turn of the white to play, he first plays the white as well as he can; and then the black as badly (for the other player) as he can. The black then does the best he can with the black, and follows it by the worst he can do for the white. Of course, by separating the good and evil principles, four persons might play.
M.Bohn's Hoveden.By way of expressing my sense of obligation to Mr. Bohn and his editors for the Antiquarian Library, perhaps you will suffer me to point out what appears to be an inaccuracy in the translation of Roger de Hoveden's Annals? At p. 123. of vol. ii., the word Suuelle (as it appears to stand in the original text) is translated into Swale: but surely no other place is here meant than the church of St. Mary's at Southwell2 (or Suthwell, Sudwell, Suwell, or Suell, as variously spelt, but never Swale), in Nottinghamshire.
I would also notice a trifling error (perhaps only a misprint) at p. 125.; where we are informed in a note, that the Galilee of Durham Cathedral is at the east end, whereas its real position is at the west.
J. Sansom.Oxford.
Milton at Eyford House, Gloster.In the British Museum (says Wilson in his description of Christ's College, Cambridge) is the original proclamation for Milton's appearance after the Restoration. Where was he secreted? I find this note in my book:At Eyford House, Gloucestershire, within two miles of Stow-on-the-Wold, on the road to Cheltenham, a spring of beautiful water is called "Milton's Well," running into a tributary of the Thames. The old house, &c., at the time would be out of the way of common information.
P. J.Queries
EARL OF LEICESTER'S PORTRAIT, 1585
There is at Penshurst, among many other interesting memorials of the Dudleys, an original portrait of Elizabeth's Earl of Leicester, with the following painted upon it: "Robert, E. of Leicester, Stadtholder of Holland, A.D. 1585." After this comes the ragged staff, but without its usual accompaniment, the bear. Under the staff follow these enigmatical lines, which I request any of your correspondents to translate and explain. I send you a translation in rhyme; I should thank them the more if they would do the same: as to explanation, the longer the better.
"Principis hic Baculus, patriæ columenque, decusque,
Hoc uno, ingratos quo beet, ipse miser."
This ragged staff by Leicester's potent hand,
Brought succour, safety, to this threaten'd land:
One thing alone embitters every thought,
He to ungrateful men these blessings brought.
Now for a word of commentary: and first as to "Stadtholder of Holland, A.D. 1585." The good woman who showed the picture informed us that it was painted by order of the stadtholder, and presented to Leicester; if so, there would have been a jussu provinciarum fœderatarum depictus, or something of that sort; but no such compliment was to be expected from the Dutch, for they hated him, complained of his conduct, memorialised the queen against him: see the pamphlets in the British Museum, 4to. 1587, C. 32. a. 2. But though it was most unlikely that the Dutch or their stadtholder should have presented this picture to Leicester, it well accorded with Leicester's vanity and presumption, and still more with that vanity and presumption as displayed in his conduct as commander-in-chief of the forces in Holland, to call himself The Stadtholder, and to order his painter to put that title under his portrait.
The verses may now be referred to in support of this view of the subject. Leicester therein represents himself as unhappy, because he had bestowed blessings on the ungrateful Dutch.
In conclusion, take the following full-length portrait of Leicester's indignation (Leicester, a Belgis vituperatus, loquitur):
"This ragged staff my resolution shows,
To save my Queen and Holland from their foes:
Still deeply seated in my heart remains
One cause, one fruitful cause, of all my pains;
'Tis base ingratitude'tis Holland's hate.
My presence sav'd that country, chang'd its fate.
But the base pedlars gain'd my sov'reign's ear,
And at my counsels and my courage sneer;
They call me tyrant, breaker of my word,
Fond of a warrior's garb without his sword.
A servile courtier, saucy cavalier,
Bold as a lion when no danger's near,
They say I seek their country for myself,
To fill my bursting bags with plunder'd pelf;
They say with goose's, not with eagle's wing,
I wish to soar, and make myself a king.
Dutchmen! to you I came, I saw, I sav'd:
Where'er my staff, my bear, my banner wav'd,
The daunted Spaniard fled without a blow,
And bloodless chaplets crown'd my conquering brow.
Dutchmen! with minds more stagnant than your pools,
(But in reproachful words more knaves than fools),
You will not see, nor own the debt you owe
To him who conquers a retreating foe.
Such base ingratitude as this alloys
My triumph's glory, and my bosom's joys."
Tunbridge Wells.
EARLY USE OF TIN
Mr. Layard, in his work upon Nineveh and Babylon, in reference to the articles of bronze from Assyria now in the British Museum, states, that the tin used in the composition was probably obtained from Phœnicia; and, consequently, that that used in the Assyrian bronze may actually have been exported nearly three thousand years ago from the British Isles.