iod S. N» 4G., Nov. 15. '66.] 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



383 



THE TESTON. 



In his excellent little work, Things Not Gene- 

 rally Known, Mr. Timbs states that the small 

 silver coin called a teston was so much reduced in 

 the reign of Henry VIII., that it did not repre- 

 sent at that time more than one-fourth of its 

 original value of \2d. As a proof of the exces- 

 sive debasement it had undergone, I am glad to 

 have it in my power to furnish Mr. Timbs and 

 yourself with a correct copy of the following, 

 which was issued on April 10, in the 2nd year of 

 the reign of Edward VI., and is entitled " A Pro- 

 clamacion for the Callyng in of Testons." 



" Where as it is come to the knowledge of our soue- 

 raigne Lorde the kynges Maiestie, what fraude and cor- 

 rupeion, hath of late tyme been vsed, in the falsyng of 

 his highnes coyne, nowe currant, specially of the peces of 

 xii. D. comonly named Testons, by reason that the same 

 sort of coyne, for the greatnes and facilitee of counter- 

 faictyng, hath the rather giuen occasion, to diuerse eiuill 

 persones, to stampe or caste peces of the same forme and 

 bignes, in greate multitude, the practizers whereof (as is 

 knowen) are not onely menne here dwellj'ng, but also for 

 the moste parte haue been straungers, dwelling in forain 

 partes, who haue found the meanes to conueigh priuely, 

 and disperce the said counterfeict peces abrode, in his 

 maiesties dominions, to the greate deceipt and detriment 

 of his liignes moste louyng Subiectes, which haue re- 

 cieued the same: His maiestie therefore myndyng the 

 due reformacion hereof, and to preuent the like practice 

 hereafter, by the aduise and assent of his derest vncle, 

 the lorde Protector, and others of his counsaill, doetli will 

 and commaunde, that from the last day of December next 

 commyng, after the date hereof the saied coyne or peces 

 of xii. D. commonly named Testons, shal no more be 

 currant, within any of his highnes realmes or dominions, 

 bu(^bee taken onely for Bullion. And further straightly 

 chargeth and commaundeth al singuler his highnes sub- 

 iectes, and others whatsoeuer, beyng within any his 

 maiesties saied realmes or dominions, that from the said 

 last dale of December, thei or any of theim, shall not 

 vtter, or receiue in paiment, any of the said Testons, as 

 his highnes coyne currant. And also, his hignes by the 

 aduise aforesaid, willeth and commaundeth, that no ma- 

 ner of persone or persones, after the saied last dale of 

 December, shall buye or amasse, into his or their handes, 

 any of the said Testes for a peculier gain to be had thereof, 

 to hym or theim wardes, vpon pein of forfeicture. 



" Neuertheles, his hignes most gracious clemencie, 

 tenderyng his subiectes and others interestes, whiche by 

 lawful! meanes dooe possesse the saied Testons, as their 

 proper goodes, and for advoyding of the losse, whiche 

 Otherwise thei should sustein hereby; is pleased, and 

 doth ordein by the aduise aforesaid,' that euery persone 

 or persons, so hauyng and possessyng the said testons, 

 beyng of his hignes iust standarde, shall and male bryng 

 or send the same, to the Officers of any of his Maiesties 

 Mintes, where in exchaunge shalbe deliuei'ed vnto him 

 or them the iust value and recompence thereof, as thei be 

 now currat, either in grotes or other his highnes coynes, 

 accordyngly." 



Henry EIensington. 



which I believe to be the first edition, bears no 

 date. It has the following title : 



" A full and true Account of a horrid and barbarous 

 Revenge by Poison on the Body of Mr. Edmund Curll, 

 Bookseller, with a faithful Copy of his last Will and Tes- 

 tament. Publish'd by an Eye Witness. 



" So when Curll's Stomach the strong Drench o'ercamo 

 (Infused in Vengeance of Insulted Fame), 

 Th' Avenger sees with a delighted Eye, 

 His long Jaws open, and his Colour fly ; 

 And while his Guts the keen Emeticks urge, 

 Smiles on the Vomit, and enjoys the Purge, 



Sold by J. Roberts, J. Morphew, R. Burleigh, J. Baker, 

 and S. Popping. Price Three-pence." [Fol.] 



On comparing this with the " Account," as it 

 stands in Bowles's Pope, I find, among other vari- 

 ations, the following : — 



After the words, " settling the title-page of" — 

 Wicqueforfs Ambassador. 



After, " he takes no copy-money," the following 

 passage : 



" The Book of the Conduct of the Earl of N m is yet 



unpublished; as you are to have the profit of it, Mr. Pem- 

 berton, you are to run the risk of the Resentments of all that 

 noble Family. Indeed, I caused the Author to assert several 

 things in it as facts which are only idle Stories of the 

 Town ; because I thought it would make the Book sell. Do 

 you pay the Author for the Copy-money, and the printer 



and publisher. 1 heartily beg God's and my L — d N ?»'s 



pardon ; but all trades must live." 



W. M. T. 



Edmund Curll (2"'^ S. ii. 321.) — I have before 

 me another publication in which Curll was en- 

 gaged, thQ first year of his entering business : 



" The Memoirs of the Marquis de Langallerie. London : 

 printed for R. Burrough and F. Baker, at the ' Sun and 

 Moon,' in Cornhill ; E. Curll, at the ' Peacock ' without 

 Temple Bar ; and E. Sanger, in Fleet Street. 1708." 



In this instance he does not appear so closely 

 allied with E. Sanger, as in the case of the Lutrin, 

 published in the same year, as mentioned in " N". 

 & Q," (2"'i S. ii. 302.)^ I presume that it is im- 

 possible to say which of the two books was pub- 

 lished first. Henry T. Riley. 



CURLIANA. 



CURLIANA. 



7'he Poisoning. — This story was, I believe, 

 published in 1716 ; although the copy before me, 



Edmund Curll ; R. FrancMin ; Nicholas Am- 

 hurst (2"'" S. ii. 321.) — It would appear that 

 Francklin, like most of his fellow men, became 

 alienated, in the course of a few years, from his 

 qtiondam master, Edmund Curll. 



Although Nicholas Amhurst, the author of 

 Terrce Filius, was a favourite protege of Franck- 

 lin, he would hardly have allowed the coarse but 

 witty Oxonian to speak so disrespectfully of Curll, 

 as we find him doing, had he himself retained the 

 slightest good feeling towards Curll. 



In vol. i. p. 142. of the TerrcB Filius (edit. 

 1726), published by Francklin himself, Curll is 

 satii'ised as being the publisher of the efi'uslons of 

 the "Oxford Poetical Club," — a body presided 



