52 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



[No. 116. 



perhaps more easily attain the object of his wishes 

 in this manner than by that which he has hitherto 

 pursued. When a selection is to be made from 

 the works of any author, much will depend upon 

 the taste and discretion of the editor. Now I 

 gather from Mr. Corney's letter, that he is fully 

 prepared to undertake that office himself; and I 

 may be permitted to add that his scrupulous ac- 

 curacy and unwearied diligence afford the best 

 guarantee that the work will be executed in such 

 a manner as to fully satisfy the public interest in 

 Caxton, and to form a graceful and appropriate 

 tribute to the illustrious father of the English 

 press. Beriah Botfield. 



Norton Hall, Jan. 3. 1852. 



SETTLES FEMALE PRELATE, OR POPE JOAN; A 

 TRAGEDY. 



I have not seen it anywhere noticed that 

 this play, printed under Elkanah Settle's name, 

 ■witli a long dedication by him to the Earl of 

 Shaftsbury, in 1680, 4to., was certainly a mere 

 alteration of an old play on the same subject. It 

 is impossible for any one to read many pages of it, 

 •without seeing everywhere traces of a much more 

 powerful hand than " poor Elkanah's," although he 

 needed no assistance in managing the ceremony of 

 pope-burning. Take at random the following 

 quotation, which is much more like Middleton's 

 or Decker's than the debased style after the 

 Restoration : 



" Saxony. And art thou then in earnest ? 

 Come, prithee, speak : I was to blame to chide thee ; 

 Be not afraid ; speak but the fatal truth, 

 And by my hopes of heav'n I will forgive thee. 

 Out with it, come ; now wouldst thou tell me all. 

 But art ashamed to own thyself a bawd : 

 'Las, that might be thy father's fault, not thine. 

 Perhaps some honest humble cottage bred thee. 

 And thy ambitious parents, poorly proud. 

 For a gay coat made thee a page at court. 

 And for a plume of feathers sold thy soul ; 

 But 'lis not yet, not yet too late to save it. 



Amir. Oh, my sad heart ! 



Sax. Come, prithee, speak ; let but 

 A true confession plead thy penitence, 

 And Heaven will then forgive thee as I do. 



Amir. But, Sir, can you resolve to lend an ear 

 To sounds so terrible, so full of fate, 

 As will not only act a single tragedy. 

 But even disjoint all Nature's harmony. 

 And quite untune the world ? for such, such are 

 The notes that I must breathe. 



Sax. Oh, my dear murderer. 

 Breathe 'em as cheerfully as the soaring lark 

 Wakes the gay morn. Those dear sweet airs that 



kill me 

 Are my new nuptial songs. My Angelinc 

 Has been my first, and Death's my second bride," 



Fern. Prel. p. 59. 



Or the following : 



" Sax. Carlo, she must die ; 

 The softest heart that yon celestial fire 

 Could ever animate, must break and die. 

 We are both too wretched to outlive this day ; 

 And I but send thee as her executioner. 



Carlo. I flie to obey you. Sir. 



Sax. Stay, Carlo, stay; 

 Why all this haste to murder so much innocence ? 

 Yet, thou must go. And since thy tongue must kill 

 The brightest form th' enamoured stars can e'er 

 Receive, or the impoverisht world can lose. 

 Go, Carlo, go ; but prithee wound her soul 

 As gently as thou canst ; and when thou seest 

 A flowing shower from her twin-orbs of light 

 All drown the faded roses of her cheeks ; 

 When thou beholdst, 'midst her distracted groans. 

 Her furious hand, that feeble, fair revenger, 

 Rend all the mangled beauties of her face. 

 Tear her bright locks, and their dishevell'd pride 

 On her pale neck, that ravisht whiteness, fall ; 

 Guard, guard thy eyes : for. Carlo, 'tis a sight 

 Will strike spectators dead." — Fem. Prel. p. 61. 



In the Biog. Dram. (vol. iii. p. 237.), it is stated 

 that the same play, with the same title, was printed 

 in 4to., 1689, except that it was there said to be 

 written by a person of quality. The play is, how- 

 ever, claimed by Settle in his dedication to Lord 

 Shaftsbury, prefixed to the edition of 1680, now 

 before me. I do not, however, believe he had more 

 to do with it than in adapting it, as he did 

 Philastes, for representation. Tlie only question 

 seems to be by whom the original play was written ? 

 Tills I will not at present attempt to deoide, 

 though I entertain a strong opinion on the subject, 

 but will leave it to be resolved by the critical 

 acumen of your readers. Jas. Crossley. 



HISTORICAL BIBLIOGRAPHT. 



(^Eustache lo Nolle.') 



Having been favoured by Mr. Gancia, of 7?- 

 King's Road, Brighton, with an opportunity of 

 examining the following work, I venture to send 

 you a notice of its contents, with some account of 

 the author. Such books have, I conceive, their 

 utility to historians and historical readers. We 

 gain through tliem an accurate idea of party 

 spirit, are brouglit into more immediate com- 

 munion with the opinions of the times to which 

 they refer, and can thus trace more closely the 

 means by which parties worked, were consolidated, 

 and advanced their schemes. Even from their 

 personalities, we gain some gleams of truth. In 

 this case, I am assured that perfect copies of the 

 work are very scarce. I cannot find that any 

 other copy lias recently been offered for sale. 

 This appeared to me an additional reason for 

 submitting a notice of it to your readers. 



