Oct. 13. 1855.] 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



281 



answered the other. "I think you have," said 

 the first, " I feel quite confident that it is Cecil, 

 with whom we were at school, and who has been 

 missing for so long," The other magistrate then 

 recognised him, but they did not disturb his in- 

 cognito. 



Being disappointed in gaining the hand of Miss 

 Masefield, " the lord of Burleigh " then took more 

 notice of the beautiful and amiable daughter of 

 his landlord, Mr. Hoggins, of Hodnet (the village 

 in which Bishop Heber was born), who, being a 

 *' small " farmer, did not think it derogatory to 

 his dignity to marry his daughter to a person who 

 was in the position of his lodger, Mr. John Jones. 



This romantic union between two people of 

 such unromantic names as Sarah Hoggins and 

 John Jones, was duly consummated ; and the 

 happy couple lived together at their newly built 

 house for some few years (as it has been stated to 

 me), until the changes In the husband's family led 

 to his taking that journey to Burleigh House 

 which Tennyson has immortalised. 



This account will be found to harmonise with 

 the probabilities of the case much more so than 

 the versions of Hazlitt and Tennyson. The 

 former states, " it is said that the shock of this 

 discovery was too much for this young creature, 

 and that she never recovered from it." The 

 latter supplies (or rather suggests) the lapse of 

 time between the shock and its fatal effects : 



" So she droop'd and droop'd before him. 

 Fading slowly from his side ; 

 Three fair children first she bore him, 

 Then, before her time, she died." 



We will not wound the poet's feelings by sup- 

 posing that these three children were born at one 

 birth, or even that two-thirds of them were twins ; 

 we must therefore presume that they were born 

 "in due season," and that some few years had 

 elapsed before the birth of the third. It is there- 

 fore very evident that the "fading" of the 

 countess must have been an unusually slow one, 

 and that the " shock " was protracted much be- 

 yond the customary limits. Q.E.D. 



Has Tennyson any authority for the statement 

 contained In the last eight lines of his " Lord 

 Burleigh " ? Cuthbeet Bede, B.A. 



MNES FROM ALDENHAM PARISH REGISTER. 



I am not aware whether the following lines 

 have ever been printed ; but if not, I think, for 

 their quaintness and good feeling, they deserve 

 embalming In the pages of " N. & Q." 



They are written, in a hand of the time, at the 

 end of that portion of the earliest register- book of 

 the parish of Aldenham, in Hertfordshire, which 

 was appropriated to christenings, and the last 

 date In which is 1658. 



No. 311.] 



I presume they are by the Rev. Joseph Some, 

 vicar of Aldenham (" a very prudent, pious, and 

 learned man," according to Walker ; but one of 

 " the scandalous century," according to White) ; 

 who was ejected from his living in 1643, and re- 

 stored 1660. The handwriting appears to be his. 



" Lord have mercy upon us. 1665." 



" Reader, whatever thou art, rich or poore. 

 Rouse up thyselfe, for Death stands at y'= door. 

 If God says strike. He must and will come in ; 

 For Death, we know. Is the reward of sin. 

 His very breath Is so Infected growne. 

 He poisons every one he breathes upon ; 

 He Is the riche man's terror, makes him flye, 

 And beare away his bagge as loath to dye. 

 What shall the poore doe that behind doe stay ? 

 Death makes them rich by taking them away. 

 But what shall poore men doe y* here doe live ? 

 'TIs surely fit y^ rich should comfort give. 

 And weekly means unto them still afibrd : 

 Oh, such rich men shall be rich in the Lord ! 

 Death startles all, but more y^ guilt of sin, 

 W*^*" sinful man long time hath lived in. 

 Doth make them fearful of that punishment, 

 Due unto sin for time that's evell spent. 

 Oh, why was this not thought one long agoe, 

 When God expected our repentance soe ? 

 Seaven yeares sence, a lettell plaug God sent, 

 He shoke his rqd, to move us to repent. 

 Not long before that time, a dearth of corns 

 Was sent to us, to see If we would turne ; 

 And after that, there's none deny it can, 

 The beasts did suifer for y^ sin of man. 

 Grasse was soe short and small, that It was told, 

 Hay for fower pound a load was dayly sould. 

 These judgements God hath sent even to cite us 

 Unto repentance, and from sin to fright us. 

 Oh stubborn England ! childish and unwise, 

 Soe heavy laden with iniquities, 

 Returne, returne, unto thy loving Father. 

 Returne, I say, with speed soe much the rather 

 Because His Son, thy Saviour, pleads thy cause, 

 Though thou hast broken all His holy lawes. 

 Say to thyself, my sins are cause of all 

 God's judgements y* upon this land doe fall ; 

 And sin's the cause that each one doth complaine 

 They have to much, sometimes to little raine. 

 Say to thyself, this plague may be removed 

 If I repent, as plainly may be proved 

 By Nineveh, the city great and large ; 

 For God hath given unto His angels charge, 

 To strike and to forbear as He sees fitt. 

 If It be soe, then learne thou soe much witt, 

 To use thy best endeavours to prevent 

 A plague, w*^"^ thou mayst doe if thou repent. 

 Let all infected houses be thy text. 

 And make this use, that thine may be y® next. 

 The red-crosse still is used as it hath been,' 

 To shew they Christians are y* are within ;] 



