2°-! S. N° 73., May 23. '67.] 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



411 



writings ; and the imperfect catalogue given by 

 Lowndes. 



Mk. Pishet Thompson, after quoting a passage 

 from Wood's Account of Howell {Athena: Oxoni- 

 enses), says he does not know the authority for 

 the following statements : — 



" At the Restoration Howell was appointed Historio- 

 grapher, which post he enjoyed until 1666, when he died, 

 and was buried in the Temple Church, where a monu- 

 ment is erected to his memory." 



The authority for the first assertion is "Wood, 

 whose words are these : — 



" After the king's return in 1660, Ave never heard of 

 his [Howell's] restoration to his place of Clerk of the 

 Council (having before flatter'd Oliver and sided with 

 the Commonwealth's men), only that he was made the 

 king's historiographer, being the first in England that 

 bore that title." 



The authority for the second statement is the 

 same indefatigable historian, who says, " he 

 [Howell] was buried on the north side of the 

 Temple Church in London, near the round walk." 

 Mr. Cunningham adds that his monument is still 

 to be seen in the triforium of the church. 



Mb. Thompson says, speaking of the Epistolcs 

 Ho-Eliance, " The first edition is said to have 

 been printed in 1650." This date is not correct; 

 the first edition appeared in 1645, quarto; again 

 in 1647. The edition of 1650 was the third. 



Howell's Familiar Letters are said to be "partly 

 historical, partly political, partly philosophical." 

 They afibrd a lively and graphic picture of the 

 times in which the author flourished, and contain 

 many curious and interesting anecdotes not to be 

 met with elsewhere. Notwithstanding certain 

 quaintnesses of ™t and expression, they are Avell 

 worthy of republication in the present day, espe- 

 cially if enriched with a few well-digested anno- 

 tations. If any readers of " N. & Q." will under- 

 take to bring about so desirable an object, I will 

 willingly contribute my mite of information, 



Edward F. Himbault. 



EARLIEST NEWSPAPER IN AMERICA. 



(2"" S. iii. 107.) 



In reply to your correspondent W. W., I beg 

 to furnish you with an abstract or short summary 

 of the contents of this first American newspaper, 

 which he refers to as being in existence at the 

 State Paper Ofiice, London. 



After a preamble, or introduction, pointing out 

 the designs of this publication, which is to be 

 monthly, or oftener, it states that — 



" The Christianized Indians in some parts of Plj-mouth 

 appoint a daj' of thanksgiving (a good example) for the 

 mercies of God in supplying the late want of corn, and 

 giving them the prospect of a comfortable harvest. — Not- 

 withstanding the great drawback in the departure of 

 forces for Canada, the favourableness of the season has 



prevented their feeling the lack of labouring hands. — Two 

 children, aged 11 and 9 years, belonging to an inhabit- 

 ant of Chelmsford missing, supposed to be fallen into the 

 hands of the Indians. — At Watertown, an old man having 

 recently buried his wife and fallen into a melancholy, 

 hanged himself. — Prevalence of fevers and agues, in some 

 parts a malignant fever runs through a whole family, 

 often proving mortal. — The small-pox, which has 

 been raging in Boston, now much abated, — more cases, 

 altho' not so mortal, than when it visited them 12 years 

 ago. — The number of deaths in the visitation from the 

 complaint in Boston about 320, June, July, and August, 

 being the most obnoxious months. Prayers oftentimes 

 in the congregations for above 100 sick. It even infected 

 children in utero. — There was a great fire a few weeks 

 since in Boston with 20 houses near the Millcreek burned. 

 Another fire broke out about midnight between the 16th 

 and 17th instant, near the South Meeting-house, which 

 consumed about 5 or 6 houses. The Meeting-house, a 

 handsome edifice, most wonderfully preserved. In the 

 house where the fire originated a young man lost his life. 

 The best furnished printing press in America destroyed 

 also, a loss not easily repaired. — Arrival at Piscataque of 

 one Papoon, in a shallop from Penobscot, whence he had 

 run away. He belonged to a small vessel bound from 

 Bristol to Virginia that put in at Penobscot thro' dis- 

 tress, when the Indians and French seized her and 

 butchered the master and several of the men. — Account 

 of the Western expedition against Canada. — An armj' of 

 near 2500 men and a navy of 32 sail started under the 

 command of Sir Wm. Phipps. Meanwhile the English 

 colonists in the West raised forces to the number of 5 or 

 600, with General Winthrop at their head. The Maquas 

 join him. Other Indian nations expected, but they dis- 

 appoint him. The Maquas invade the French territory 

 with some success, but use great barbaritj'. Misunder- 

 standing between the General and the Lieut.-Governor 

 of New York on the return of the former to Albany. — 

 Two English captives escaped from the Indians and 

 French at Pescadamoquady came into Portsmouth on the 

 16th inst. and relate an account of the barbarities exer- 

 cised at Port Ileal by Capt. Mason upon the Indians, who 

 in revenge butchered 40 of our people who were captives. 

 — Letter of News arrived vi3. Barbadoes to Capt. H. K. 

 of the 19th August. — Account from Plimouth of Sept. 

 22. Pegypscot fort surrounded on the night of the 12th 

 inst, but not finding any Indians they marched to Amo- 

 noscoggin. There on the Lord's day they killed 15 or 16 

 of the enemy and recovered five English captives. — At 

 Macquoit, j'oung Bracket makes his escape. They land 

 at Saco and meet with similar success, taking 9 canoes 

 and an English captive named Thomas Baker, &c. En- 

 gagement with the 'Indians in Cascoe Bay, the various 

 losses enumerated," &c. &c. 



" Sosto7i, Printed by R. Pierce for Benjamin Harris, at 

 the London Coffee House, 1690." 



Cl. Hopper. 



ESEMPLASTIC. 



(2"'i S. iii. 307.) 



The following is Coleridge's account of the 

 manufacture and intended meaning of this word : — 



" I constructed it myself from the Greek words, eis 

 kv TTkaTTtiv, i. e. to shape into one ; because, having to con- 

 vey a new sense, I thought that a new term would both 

 aid the recollection of my meaning, and prevent its being 

 confounded with the usual import of the word imagina- 

 tion." — Biogrnphia Literaria, 1st edit. chap. x. 



