124 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



[2°* S. No 83., Aug. 16. '56. 



from deference to his judgment. It is therefore 

 necessary to bear in mind that, whilst in modern 

 Europe the marriage tie is generally held to be of 

 a religious character, it was deemed in ancient 

 Greece little more than a mercantile bargain ; for 

 there the married women were not so much the 

 companions of their husbands, as slaves in a su- 

 perior grade. The heteerce were almost the only 

 accomplished women of the time, and they were 

 immoral ; nevertheless, Greeks of distinction, and 

 even men proud of their ethics, visited these 

 women. (Xenoph. Memor., iii. 11.) With respect 

 to affection for their offspring, the Scriptores 

 erotici Grceci make the exposure of infants, from 

 comparatively slight causes, a turning incident in 

 their novels. A view of the ancient Greek, in his 

 domestic aspect, will explain very clearly the com- 

 paratively loose hold which the husband and 

 child had, in fact, on the aflfection of wife and 

 mother. The cause of the strong afi'ection sub- 

 sisting between brothers and sisters is explained 

 by Aristotle. (De Moribus, viii. 12. 14.; Polit., 

 vii. 7.) T. J. BucKTON. 



Lichfield. 



KEV. MR. THOMAS CRANE, M.A. 



The Puritans of England holding a distinguished 

 place in the annals of her liberties, their writings 

 and memories ought to be specially cherished. In 

 their works will often be found an account of those 

 feelings and incidents that animated them, which 

 convey to the mind a much more striking portrait 

 of their characters than what may be gathered 

 from the illustrations of modern commentators. 

 I dare say some of the thick massive venerable 

 tomes, with their strong rude strapped bindings, 

 which were in those days issued from the press, 

 and greedily bought up for spiritual consolation 

 and remembrance of the dearly beloved pastor, 

 may now be considered by not a few persons as 

 repulsive, and the subjects as heavy, elaborately 

 treated, and quaint in style, and which, when com- 

 pared with the present flimsy religious literature, 

 must be admitted as true; yet I cannot help 

 thinking that in general a patient reading of those 

 old-fashioned records will be adequately recom- 

 pensed by a valuable addition to our knowledge. 

 1 might adduce many examples of such, were it 

 necessary; in the meantime I may mention one 

 book, the perusal of which has lately given me 

 both pleasure and instruction ; in size it is but a 

 child (8vo. pp. 544.) to some of the giants belong- 

 ing to the same school of divinity, and I suppose 

 has now become rather a rarity : 



" Isagoge ad Dei Providentiam ; or, a Prospect of Di- 

 vine Providence. By T. C, M.A. London : printed by 

 A. Maxwell for Edward Brewster, at the Sign of the 

 Crane in St. Paul's Churchyard, 1G72." 



Having been pleased with an author, we are 



naturally inclined to know as much of his history 

 as we can obtain, and disappointed at any obstacle 

 in exploring it. It may be remarked as not a 

 little curious the practice that then prevailed of so 

 many of the Puritan divines burying their names 

 in their publications under initials, while their 

 printers and booksellers displayed themselves and 

 their addresses on the title-pages at full length. 

 From " T. C." we might have conjectured long 

 enough to whom we were indebted for this mas- 

 terly exposition of Ood's Providence. The benefit 

 of Captain Cuttle's advice in " making a Note," 

 may here be Instanced. A contemporary of 

 Crane's, and who had likely been himself one of 

 the persecuted brethren, takes up the volume be- 

 fore me, and probably, as a memorial of friendship 

 inscribes on it the following, which at once eluci- 

 dates the point : 



" The Rev. Mr. Thomas Crane, M.A. (the Author of 

 this Book) was Ejected from Rampisham in Dorsetshire. 

 He had his Education in y" University of Oxford, had 

 been assistant to the Rev. Mr. Richard Allein. He was a 

 learned good man, and a great observer of the steps of 

 Divine Providence towards himself and others. He was 

 a hard Student, and had a penetrating Genius, and his 

 Composures were remarkably Judicious. He was a good 

 Textuary and an excellent Casuist. After his Eject- 

 ment he settled at Bedminster, where he was a constant 

 Preacher, at which place he Died in the year 1714, aged 

 84 years." 



Feeling anxious to be acquainted with a few 

 more particulars respecting this divine, I have 

 consulted Neal and other sources, but can find no 

 traces of him, and I am disposed to think he has 

 been omitted among the Puritan worthies. The 

 editor's kind insertion of this may elicit further 

 notices from correspondents, and if not, he will at 

 least be better preserved in the pages of " N. & 

 Q." than by a fragile piece of manuscript in a 

 worm-eaten volume, till some future historian 

 enrol him in his lists- G. N. 



According to the Chronicle of the Quiche 

 tribes of Guatemala, when Jepeu, the Creator, be- 

 gan the creation of living animals, after an un- 

 successful attempt to make the animals bow to 

 the deities, tliey were destroyed; wooden men 

 were tried, with no better success, and also de- 

 stroyed. Various other attempts at creation were 

 made, but always unsuccessfully. 



" The destruction of several ' Criadores,' arrogantly 

 mutinj'ing against the sun and moon, though, properly 

 speaking, neither of the two were in existence, is nar- 

 rated at some length. The destruction planned for these 

 demi-gods is of various kinds. Two of them are enticed 

 into the infernal regions, where they are treated with cigars 

 by the Princes of Hell (seiiores del inflerno). At all 

 events, the smoking of tobacco must be a very old inven- 

 tion, if the Central Americans considered it to have been 

 indulged in at the time of the creation of man." 



