304 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



[2nd s. N" 42., Oct. 18. '66. 



To my two loving sisters most dear, 



The whole of my store, 



Were it twice as much more, 

 Which God's goodness has granted me here. 



" And that none may prevent 

 This my will and intent. 

 Or occasion the least of law racket, 

 With a solemn appeal 

 I confirm, sign, and seal 

 This the true act and deed of 



WiM,. Jacket." 



NEWCOURT's " REPERTOmUM." 



As the diocese of London will shortly be sub- 

 jected to a new arrangement, it is much to be de- 

 sired that some steps should be taken to complete 

 to the present time the various lists of incumbents 

 contained in Newcourt's Repertorium Ecclesias- 

 ticum Parochiale Londinense. As a century may 

 elapse before we meet with another " Notary 

 Publick" to continue what this author so ably 

 commenced, it has occurred to me, that by a di- 

 vision of labour this desirable object might be at- 

 tained. The plan that suggests itself is a simple 

 one ; but One which perhaps can only be carried 

 out by the authorities of Sion College. ' Let the 

 librarian, with the consent of the president and 

 fellows, issue a circular to the present incumbents 

 of all the parishes enumerated by Newcourt, so- 

 liciting a return of the names of their predecessors 

 since the year 1700, when the author closed his 

 History. The returns should be made upon the 

 plan laid down by Newcourt, containing a short 

 biographical notice of each incumbent, and other 

 memoranda relating to his church. 



From two articles inserted in "N. & Q." (1*' S. 

 xii. 381., and 2"'' S. i. 261.), it appears that some 

 materials for a new edition of Newcourt's great 

 work have been collected by Bishop Kennett, Peter 

 Le Neve, and William Cole, the Cambridge an- 

 tiquary. "Whilst writing I find from the papers 

 that the Rev. William Henry Milman, M.A., 

 son of the Dean of St. Paul's, has recently been 

 appointed Librarian of Sion College ; and I am 

 sure there is no one who would more cordially 

 and energetically assist in any good work con- 

 ducive to the benefit of the church of the present 

 and future ages. J. Y. 



FORM OF PENANCE IN 1720. 



"The copy of a pennance which was done, and per- 

 form'd by Oliver Clark of this parish of Long Houghton 

 in the county of Northumberland, and diocese of Durham. 



" As appointed, he was present in parish Cliurcli afores'd, 

 in his penitential habitt, viz. bareheaded, bareleg'd, and 

 barefooted, with a white sheet about his shoulders, and a 

 white Rod in his hand, immediately after the Niceen 

 Creed, and stood upon a stool, in the said Church, before 

 the Minister and y° whole congregation, tlien and there 



assembled, he did acknowledge his offence in committing 

 the sin of Incest, by saying after the Minister, with a dis- 

 tinct and audible voice as folio weth, viz. : 



" Whereas (good neighbours) i, forgetting and neglect- 

 ing my duty towards Almighty God, and the care that I 

 ought to have had of my precious soul, have committed 

 the horrid and detestable Sin of Incest with Margret 

 Clark, Widdow of my Uncle Sam., to the great danger of 

 mj' precious soul, the evil and pernicious example and 

 encouragement of others, and the scandall of all good 

 Christians, I do here, in the presence of this congregation, 

 in most penitential and sorrowful manner, acknowledge 

 and confess my said sin and wickedness, and do declare 

 myself to be heartily sorry for the same ; humblj^ desiring 

 Almight}' God, from the bottom of my heart, and all good 

 Christians offended thereby, to forgive me this and all 

 other my sins and offences, and so to assist me with the 

 grace of his holy Spirit, that I may never committ the 

 like hereafter. To which purpose and end, I desire j^ou 

 all here present to pray unto Almighty God, with me and 

 for me, saying : 



" O Lord, we beseech thee, mercifully hear our prayers 

 and spare this penitent who confesseth his sins unto thee, 

 and give him grace so to reform and end his life, that he 

 whose conscience by sin is accused, by thy merciful 

 pardon may be absolved through Christ our Lord. 

 Amen. 



" most might}' God, and merciful Father, who hast 

 compassion upon all men, and hatest nothing that thou 

 hast made, who wouldest not the death of a sinner, but 

 that he should rather turn from his sins and be sav'd, 

 mercifully forgive this penitent his sins and trespasses ; 

 receive and comfort him who is griev'd and wearied with 

 the burthen of his sins : Thy property is always to have 

 mercy; to thee only it appertaineth to forgive sins. 

 Spare him, therefore, good Lord, spare this penitent whom 

 thou hast redeem'd ; enter not into judgment with this 

 thy servant, who is vile earth and a miserable sinner ; 

 but so turn thine anger from him, who meekly acknow- 

 ledges his vileness, and truly repents him of his faults ; 

 and so make haste to help him in this world that he may 

 ever live with thee in the world to come, through Jesus 

 X' our Lord. Amen. 



" Our Father w^ art in heaven," &c. 



« Sep. 27, 1720. 

 "Elisabeth, the most base daughter of Oliver Clark 

 (begotten on his Uncle Sam^s widow) Roper of Long- 

 Houghton, was Xtned." 



J. Mn. 



COMMON-PLACE BOOKS FOR THE BIBLE. 



I have been in the habit of filling an interleaved 

 Bible with notes from, or reference to, passages in 

 all classes of writers which serve to illustrate the 

 text. A commentary of this kind, taken from a 

 wide and varied range of reading, and compiled 

 with j udgraent, would prove much more profitable 

 and instructive than the heavy and jejune works 

 which often pass under that name. At the same 

 time, such a commentary need by no means clash 

 with a good commentary, compiled on a more 

 formal and restricted plan. Locke and Dodd's 

 well-known Common-place Book to the Bible by 

 no means corresponds to its name, except in a 

 disparaging sense. The Commentaries of the Rev. 



