2»«S.VIII. JULTie. '69.] 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



47 



taken to ascertain with what degree of truth, and 

 upon what authority the assertion was in the first 

 instance made, they have been generally received 

 as bond fide productions of the individual to whom 

 they are ascribed. Of this description the words 

 attributed to Henry IV. of France, "La cou- 

 ronne vaut bien une messe," is a case in point. 



It is current!/ repeated that the king made the 

 above reply in reference to his reconciliation with 

 the Church. 



The impression which would naturally be made 

 upon the mind of anyone reading for the first 

 time these words would be, that the king had ut- 

 tered them lightly, and with the intention of 

 insinuating that his conversion to Catholicity had 

 been more the effect of policy than conviction. 



Surely this would not have been a very wise 

 course, or one which so politic a monarch as 

 Henry would, under the existing state of circum- 

 stances, have been likely to have pursued ; nor is 

 there any reason, from the king's subsequent con- 

 duct, to suppose that his reconciliation with the 

 Church was not sincere. 



In the Caqxiets de V Accouchee another version of 

 the story is given, and which would appear to be 

 the correct one : — 



" Je vous s^ay bon gre, dit la maistresse des requestes, 

 de parler ainsi h, coeur ouvert ; car il est vray, la hare 

 sent toujours le fagot, et, comme disoit un jour le Due de 

 Eosny au feu roy Henry le Grand, que Dieu absolve, lors- 

 qu'il luy demandoit pourquoy il n'alloit pas ^ la messe 

 bien que lui : Sire, Sire, la couronne vaut bien une messe ; 

 aussi une esp^e de connestable donne ti un vieil routier de 

 guerre merite bien de desguiser pour un temps sa con- 

 science et de feindre d'estre grand catholique." 



Here the reply is applicable, and coming from 

 the mouth of de Rosny is probable, and much 

 more reasonable than had it been uttered by the 

 king himself. 



The Caquets de T Accouchee was first printed in 

 1622. Henry was reconciled to the Church in 

 1593 : therefore, allowing the longest possible 

 period, this relation is made within 29 years after 

 the words could possibly have been spoken. 



What I wish to know is, whether any earlier 

 authority for the usually-received version of the 

 story is known ; and if not, by whom, and at what 

 date, was it first put into circulation? 



Philip Phillipson. 



A MUSSULMAN S VIEW OF ENGLAND : A FRAGMENT. 



Among the most amusing, and, if read aright, 

 sometimes not the least instructive literary pro- 

 ductions are foreigners' opinions of the manners and 

 customs of our noble selves. While in them we 

 frequently find plenty to gratify our self-love, our 

 foibles and weaknesses are often laid bare before 

 us with vigour and truth. A curious fragment of 

 this nature now lies before me, which has all the 



appearance of genuineness, and would seem to be 

 the production of a true believer, who, I take it, 

 was about to proceed to Persia in the train of Sir 

 Gore Ouseley, who had been appointed ambassa- 

 dor to the Persian court in March, 1810. I am, 

 however, unable to give more of the history of 

 this MS. than that it was picked up in some street 

 by a member of our family. The orthography 

 and punctuation are copied exactly : — 



" Coat, Every thing Very good — Sir Gore he 



tell me King Charles and King James, I say Sir Gore 

 they not Muzzle Men but I think God Loves them Very 

 much, I think God he Loves the King Very well for 

 keeping up that Charity there I see one small Regment 

 of Children f o to Dinner, one small Boj' he say thanks to 

 God for Eat for Drink for Clothes, other Little Boys they 

 all saj' Amen ; then I Cry a Little, my heart to much 

 Pleased, this all Very good for two things — one thing 

 God very much please, tAvo things Soldiers fite much bet- 

 ter, because see their good King take Care of old wounded 

 fathers and Little Children, Then I go to Greenwich that 

 two Very good place Such a fine Sight make me a Little 

 Sick for Joy all old men so happy, Eat Dinner so well 

 fine House fine beds, all Ver}' good, This Very good 

 Country English Ladies Very Handsome Very beautifull 

 I Travel great Deal I go Arabia ; I go Calcutta, — Hi- 

 derabad, Ponali Bomba}- Georgeia Areminia, Constanti- 

 nople Gibralter, I See best Georgian Circassion Turkish ; 

 Grick ladies, but Nothing not so Beautifull as English 

 Ladies all Verj' Clever Speak French Speak English Speak 

 Italian play Music very well, sing very. good, very glad 

 for me if Persian Ladies Like them, but English Ladies 

 Speak such sweet Words, I think tell a Little Stor3% that 

 not A'ery good, one thing more I see but I not understand 

 that thing good or bad. Last Thursday I see some fine 

 Carriges fine Horses Thousand people's go to look that 

 Carrige I ask why for. They say me Gentlemen on Boxes 

 they Drive their own Carriges, I say why for, take so 

 much Trouble, they say me he Drive Very well, that 

 Very good thing, it Rain'd Very hard, some Lord some 

 Gentleman, he got Very Wet, I say why he not go inside, 

 they tell me, good Coachmen not mind get wet Every 

 Day, will be much ashamed if go inside, that I not un- 

 derstand — 



" Sir my Lord good night 



" Aboo A L Hassan 



« 9 Mansfield Street, 



«' May 19«h 1810." 

 « Tee-Bek. 



ANDREW MARVELLS LETTER TO JOHN MILTON. 



In the year 1654 Milton forwarded to Cromwell 

 a copy oih.\s Second Defence by the bearer, Andrew 

 Marvell, together with a letter, the subject of 

 which does not transpire. The attention of the 

 Protector was so taken up with a despatch for- 

 warded by the same messenger, that while the 

 latter was present he neglected to open it. In 

 the subjoined epistle from Marvell to the poet we 

 have a detailed account of the interview. A 

 former letter from Milton to Cromwell is alluded 

 to, as it would seem, recommending Marvell to 

 some employment, and probably similar to that 

 written to Bradshaw, preserved among the State 

 Papers. This letter of Marvell's has been pub- 



