408 



NOTES AND QUEEIES, 



[•2°d s, X. Nov. 24. '60. 



for cooling and washing. By P. P. (" N. & Q.," 

 1" S. ix. 599.) the vessel is more fully described as 

 " a kind of punch-bowl (sometimes of delf ware) 

 with scallops and indentations in the brim, the ob- 

 ject of which was to convert it into a convenient 

 tray for bHngiag in glasses without much jangling 

 or risk of breakage." In point of description this 

 is full and accurate, but still it does not specify 

 the main object of the utensil. Both from Dr. 

 Johnson's explanation and from this it might be 

 supposed that the vessel was to be used by the 

 servants only, but in fact it was intended for the 

 guests. We must imagine our great-grandfathers 

 sitting down with two kinds of bowls before them, 

 one the punch-bowl filled with their favourite 

 beverage, and the other the Monteth, containing 

 cold water, in which (as Bailey says) they cooled 

 their glasses, or (as Johnson more coarsely ex- 

 presses it) washed them from time to time, — 



..." when the table was clear'd and readorn'd with 

 fresh bottles, silver monteiths, and christal glasses." — 

 The Pagan Prince, 1690. 



I am helped to this quotation by the new edi- 

 tion of Nares's Glossary., by Halliwell and Wright, 

 1859 ; and it carries back the era of the inven- 

 tion from "about the time of Queen Anne" 

 (mentioned by P. in " N. & Q.," 1" S. ix. 

 452.) to the previous reign. But who was the 

 great Monteth, who, according to Dr. William 

 King, in the couplet quoted by Johnson from the 

 Art of Cookery, first published in 1709, made his 

 name immortal by the invention ? The mere 

 name, without an identification of the individual, 

 can scarcely be said to perpetuate the fame of 

 Monteth, Dr. King himself tells us (see " N. & Q.," 

 1'* S. xi. 374.) that "Monteth was a gentleman with 

 a scalloped coat ; " but is this anything more than 

 a jest ? A tavern-keeper or some such person was 

 not improbably the originator of the name : and I 

 would request those who are acquainted with the 

 more popular hosts of that day to confirm or com- 

 bat this conjecture. 



There are two Monteths still preserved among 

 the plate of the Stationers' Company. They were 

 provided in the years 1720 and 1721, at which 

 period Monteths appear to have been considered 

 so essentially necessary that several articles of old 

 plate were sacrificed to procure them. Each of 

 them was originally in two pieces, (now united, 

 and gilt,) — a plain bowl, and the scalloped rim or 

 collar. Of one the bowj is inscribed : — 



"The Gift of John Lilly, Esq', late Clark of this Com- 

 pany, 1720." 



And the collar : — 



" This Coller was made out of an old Salver, the Gift of 

 John North of London and Dublin, Stationer, 1680." 



The second : — 



"This Bowie and Coller was made ia the year 1721 

 out of 2 large Salts The Gift of Miles Flesher, Printer, 



to the WorshipfuU Company of Stationers, in the Tear 



The name Monteth is not obsolete, but it is now 

 transferred to that description of finger-glass which, 

 like the larger vessel, has an indentation to receive 

 the stem of a wine-glass. In the process of mo- 

 dern refinement every guest " washes" or " cools" 

 his glass in his own vessel, instead of sharing the 

 common vase. This is all I know of the Monteth, 

 but I hope to learn more from other correspon- 

 dents. John Gough Nichols. 



THE EMPEROR CHARLES V. 

 A small 4to. MS., evidently written at a con- 

 temporaneous period with that of the learned 

 Bacon, to whom it is dedicated, has come into my 

 possession. It bears as a title : — 



" A Supply of Follicles or the famous observations, w"'' 

 y* renowned Emperour Charles y« Fift gave to his son 

 Prince Phillip." 



May I ask if it is a translation from some known 

 printed source, or taken from an original MS. in 

 some depository abroad ? It is in fact a summary 

 of " proverbial philosophy," the result of a reflec- 

 tive mind, and a wise monarch's experience. Hav- 

 ing searched in vain for any cltie to the work or 

 its transcriber, I throw myself upon " N. & Q." 

 as the dernier ressort. Perhaps, as at the com- 

 mencement there is a letter dedicatory to Sir 

 Francis Bacon, it will be excusable if I give it 

 verbatim : — 



" To y® right honorable S' Francis Bacon, Knight, Lord 

 Keeper of y« Great scale of England, Heaven's paradice, 

 & world's happines. 

 " My good Lord, 

 " The proverbe is Quid ullulas Athenas ? W* should we 

 bring water to the sea, or wit to y« wise, or pollicy to 

 men, y* ar of deepe experience or knoledge, to y™ y* ar 

 grounded in y® affaires of y« world ? Yet y« wisest may 

 looke back to y' they knew before, & a second remem- 

 brance may setle a deeper impression. W'='» hath made 

 me bold to put y' into yo' Lordships hand, w'='' though it 

 be farre above my reach, yet you may make good use of, 

 though yo"^ reading and experience may soare higher. 

 And yf it be no more but for y« party from whom thees 

 poUicies ilowed, being on of y® most renoumed Emperours 

 in y® world, they ar worthily to be esteemed. Making 

 knoune to publick view, but principally directing to his 

 son King Phillip, all y® experienced pollicies, y» he had 

 made triall of in his lif. Who had allwaies speciall care 

 to make use of his pollicies, & to guide y™ by godlines, & 

 Christianity, & y® feare of God, & a good conscience. 

 Wth ye ^ch observation & charge he shuts up all his ob- 

 servations pollicies and counsels, y' he gave his son. 

 For this mighty potentat & famous monarch Charles y« 



