48 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



[2nd g. Yiii. jpLY 16. '69. 



lished in Dove's Life of Andrew Marvell, but in 

 such a mutilated form, that I am induced to re- 

 print it from an attested copy of the original : the 

 words in Italics being the omitted paragraphs or 

 other alterations. It would seem that not only 

 the Protector, but the writer, and Mr. Oxenbridge 

 also, had presentation copies of the book referred 

 to. This Mr. John Oxenbridge was born in Da- 

 ventry, co. Northampton, Jan. 30, 1608; was 

 pastor of a church at Beverley in Yorkshire, in 

 1664 ; went to South America, and, eventually, 

 in 1669, to New England, where he became pas- 

 tor of a church in Boston, and died there in 1674. 



" Honoured Sir, — I did not satisfie my self in the 

 account I gave you of presentinge your Book to my Lord, 

 although it seemed to me that I "writ to you all which 

 the messenger's speedy returne the same night from 

 Eaton would permit me ; and I perceive that, by reason 

 of that hast, I did not give you satisfaction neither con- 

 cerninge the delivery of your letter at the same time. 

 Be pleased therefore to pardon me, and know that I ten- 

 dered them both together. But my Lord read not the 

 letter while I was with him, which I attributed to our 

 despatch, and some other businesse tendinge thereto, 

 which I therefore wished ill to so farr as it hindred an 

 affaire much better and of greater importance, I mean 

 that of reading your letter. And to tell you truly mine 

 own imagination, I thought that he would not open it 

 while I was there, because he might suspect that I, de- 

 livering it just upon my departure, might have brought 

 in it some second proposition like to that which you had 

 before made to him by your letter to my advantage. 

 However, I assure myself that he has since read it, and 

 you, that he did then witnesse all respecte to your person, and 

 as much satisfaction concerninge your work as could be ex- 

 pected from so cursory a review and so sudden an account 

 as he could then have of it from me, Mr. Oxenbridge, at 

 his returne from London, will I know give you thanks for 

 his book as I do with all acknowledgement and humility 

 for that you have sent me. I shall now studie it even to 

 the getting of it by heart: esteeming it, according to my 

 poore judgment (which yet I wish it were so right in all 

 things else) as the most compendious scale for so much to the 

 height of the Roman Eloquence, when I consider how 

 equall}' it turnes and rises with so many figures it seems 

 to me a Trajan's columne, in whose winding ascent we 

 see imboss'd the severall monuments of your learned vi^ 

 toryes. And Salmatius and Morus make up as great^ 

 triumph as that of Decebalus, whom too, for ought I 

 know, you shall have forced, as Trajan the other, to 

 make themselves away out of a just desperation. I have 

 an affectionate curiosity to know what becomes of Colonell 

 Overton's businesse. And am exceeding glad that Mr. 

 Skj-nner is got near you, the happinesse which I at the 

 same time congratulate to him, and envie there being 

 none who doth, if I may so say, more jealously honour 

 you then, 



" Honoured Sir, 



" Your most afifectionate humble servant, 

 " Andrew Marvell. 

 " Eaton, June 2nd, 



« 1654. 

 (Addressed) " For my most honoured freind, 



John Milton, Esquire, Secretarye 

 for the Forrain aifaires, 

 at his house in Petty France, 



Westminster." 



Cl. Hopper. 



Minax flattio 



Gat-toothed. — Have you had the following, 

 which I think will help us to understand the 

 expression gat-toothed ? 



" I pray you do not tell it unto my maister, and I will 

 never call you hard-favoured, wrinkled, neither tooth- 

 gaper." — Hollyband's Frenche Littleton, 1566. 



It may be gate -toothed, as wide apart as the 

 bars of a gate ; or gap-toothed, teeth with wide 

 gaps between them, an unlovely thing, producing 

 an expression of coarseness. G. H. K. 



Nomination of a Memher of Parliament hy a 

 Bishop. — The following are extracts from the 

 proceedings of the corporation of Wells on the 

 occasion of the death of King James I. and the 

 accession of King Charles I., when a new parlia- 

 ment was summoned. 



\st April, 1625 (meeting of the corporation) : — 



" This day it was agreed by the Company abouesaid 

 that forasmuch as it was certainly informed of the death 

 of o'r late souraigne Lord Kinge James, who dved on 

 Sunday last. That therfore the Company do appoint to 

 meet at the pallace by the desyre of m)' Lord Buishoppe 

 that now is, to take such further direction as shalbe then 

 considered of." 



The corporate body, no doubt, went to the 

 palace according to appointment, and then comes 

 the following entry, under date 6th April, 1625 : — 



"This day was pclaimed the pclamacon, that the 

 high and mighty Prince Charles is now, by the death of 

 o'r late Souraigne of happie memorie, become o'r lawfull 

 lyneall and rightful! liege Lorde Charles by the Grace of 

 God Kinge of Great Britaine, France, and Irelande, de- 

 fender of the Faith, &c." 



The writ for electing members for the city was 

 received from Thomas Windham, the sheriff, on 

 the 11th April, and a meeting of the corporation 

 immediately convened ; the following notice of it 

 is recorded : — 



" Those that are pposed vnto this house for Burgesses 

 of the pliament for this Cittie : — 



S-^ Edw. Eodney. ( M' Pawlett. 



S"- Tho. Lake. | M' Henry Southworth. 



" It is agreed that the Mayor, w"> two or three of the 

 rest of his brethren, shall goe vnto my Lord Bpp, and 

 certifie that it is concented that his Lo'pp shall com- 

 raende one discrete and sufficeent worthj' Burges to s've 

 in the next P'liament, w'ch man soe by him tobenolated, 

 the Company here p'sent will make election of, soe that he 

 come and take his oath of a Burges for the observacoa of 

 the Lib'tie of this Cittie." 



The election took place on the 22nd April, 1625, 

 when Sir Edward Rodney and Sir Thomas Lake 

 were elected, the latter being the bishop's (Dr. 

 Arthur Lake) brother and nominee. Ina. 



Wells, Somerset. 



A Snuff-hox of the First Napoleon. — Perhaps 

 the following may be found worthy of a " nook " 

 in " N. & Q." A young friend of mine, Barry 



