272 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



t2°d S. V. 118,, April 3. '58. 



mended by the moderns. The letter is signed 

 " El Lie. Duron de Testa," who, with D. Mathia 

 de Retire, make up, doubtless, the two single 

 gentlemen who, when rolled into one, are repre- 

 sented by D. Tomas de Yriarte. 



The poem consists of 159 lines of no great 

 merit, and cannot bear comparison in style or 

 matter with any of the best, or much of the com- 

 monest, which in this style of poetry has been 

 written. 



The extracts given by M. Delepierre require to 

 be carefully collated with the original, and re- 

 printed in any future edition. I add a few lines 

 not printed by M. Delepierre, as examples of the 

 rest. 



The following rather indicates the pursuits of 

 certain readers of the British Museum, if the 

 complaints we occasionally hear of be justified : 

 " Ad quales partes, in fine, reducitur omnis 

 Humanistarum Sapientia tam celebrata ? 

 Rhetorica, et Critica, et Grafhmatica, Versific&re, 

 Historias, multasque Novelas atque Viages 

 Quotidie legere, et constaater in ungue tenere 

 Et Gazet&rum morr^lla, et Mercuriorum, 

 Sive Papeldtum, — quos nascere manfe vidimus 

 Nocte sepultantur." 



D. Tomas de Yriarte appears, like the late 

 Thomas Hood, to have been also no admirer of 



antiquaries, or of those who sign , , 



F.S.A. He also probably would have defined 

 the word antiquary as "A man whose head is 

 turned the wrong way, who looks backwards in- 

 stead of forwards." His verses, however, are not 

 (Calculated to give much pain : 



" Me quoque fastidit gens Antiquaria valdfe. 

 Quae rdtulos veteres legit, atque Neronis och^vos, 

 Sive manuscriptos, quando est mala littera in illis 

 Cum garrapd.tis, tamquam Grsecum, aut Arab^scum, 

 Et patientiam habent studiandi Mithologias, 

 Quae sunt Histdriae gentiles, magna Deorum 

 Peccata, et benfe ridiculas incredulitates." 



I am afraid the reader who may refer to this 

 squib of D. Tomas de Yriarte will find his wish 

 to be witty not quite fulfilled, or quite so appa- 

 rent to the sense of the reader, as it doubtless was 

 to that of the writer. S. H. 



POETRAITS OF MART QDEEN OP SCOTS AND 

 JAMES ANDERSON. 



This document occurs in a collection of " Ori- 

 ginal letters " in the Library of the Faculty of 

 Advocates, and is curious as showing that there 

 did exist a portrait of Anderson. What has be- 

 come of it is not known ; and it is much to be re- 

 gretted that there is no engraving of a man who 

 did so much for the history of Scotland. From 

 the artist having been employed by Anderson, 

 whose collections relative to Queen Mary were 

 afterwards printed, it is not unreasonable to sup- 

 pose that he considered the Hamilton piiinting 



genuine. He intended perhaps to have prefixed 

 an engraving of it to his projected work. 



" Mr. James Anderson, 

 Writter to her Mas"e 

 Signet, att her house near 

 the Potteraw Port 



Edinburgh. 

 « Sir, 



" I am asham'd I could no sooner send you Queen 

 Mary's picture, but my waitting to finish it by the ori- 

 gina'le (that your coppy might be more exact) was the 

 occasion of so long delay — for I hade waited several 

 times on Duke Hammilton — but hade never the good for- 

 tune to get him at leasure, till lately, after having waitted 

 a whole fornoon, I then hade the favour to gett the pic- 

 ture the rest of that day, so finished mine by it. I would 

 have sent you, your own picture till so good an occasion, 

 but the ship having fall'n down the river and not having 

 a box ready for it — besides M""'. Mary your daughter 

 haveing a great liking for it perswaded me you will be 

 content she have it. Mr. Paterson has honestly paid me 

 the money which you so liberally ordered me for Queen 

 Mary's picture and your owne. I doubt not good Sir you 

 will make this young gentil' M" Shipport (Mr. Camp- 

 bell's niece) welcome, and will help her when business so 

 far as it ly's in your way, for she designes to merchandise 

 in milHners' wares, your daugliter M". Mary is well and 

 presents her duty to yow. All friends kindly remmember 

 you, and Dearest Sir your most humble and obleeged Ser- 

 vant wishes you all health and happiness. 



" John Alexander." 

 " London, Sep. 12. 

 " 1710. 



" Please, Dear Sir, to present my humble service to Sir 

 Robert Sibbald and to Mr. Alexander Crow. I expect, 

 Sir, to go for Florence first, and that within three weekes 

 or a month at furthest." 



This letter appears to have been delivered by 

 Mrs. Shepherd, as Anderson has taken down her 

 address, " Mrs. Kath. Shepherd at the Top of the 

 Stair at the head of Gray's Gloss." J. M. 



Minor ^atsS, 



Rob Roy. — The following extract from the 

 obituary of the Gentleman^s Magazine for 1735, 

 may be worth recording in " N. & Q. : " " Jan. 2. 

 Rob Roy, the famous Stots Highlander." 



Tbague. 



Decay of Families. — The following paragraph, 

 which has appeared in the Illustrated London 

 News (March 6, 1858), may be deemed worthy 

 of a corner in " N. & Q." : — 



" A curious study has been made concerning the decay 

 of some great European families by the Court Journal, 

 A Duchess de Saint Simon is a. fimme de menage at Belle- 

 ville. The heir of the last Doge of Venice is a performer 

 at Saint Denis: the keys of Venice, gilt with care, con- 

 fided to the hereditary keeping of the family, repose be- 

 neath a glass shade on the mantel-piece of his back shop. 

 The Captal de Pue, a unique title, one of the noblest in 

 France, is a little actor, on little wages, at the little the- 

 atre of Beaumarchais. And the granddaughter of a 

 Duchess de San Severino works by the day at a fashion- 



