2°d S. V. 119., April 10. '58.] NOTES AND QUEEIES. 



293 



in the Christian monasteries of Mt. Athos." — Studies of 

 Secret Records, by Thomas de Quincey, 1868, pp. 49. 60., 

 JVote. 



What authority had De Quincey for such state- 

 ment ? 



From the 1. and 4. sources, viz. the palimpsests 

 and the monasteries on Mt. Athos, we have al- 

 ready derived some results. Query, may we ex- 

 Kect any farther discoveries ? The Pompeian 

 ISS. have wholly disappointed the expectations 

 raised. Has any recent progress been made in 

 their examination? What is the latest report 

 upon the work already performed ? Where is the 

 letter of Lord Holland to be found ? 



There ought not to be any difficulty now in 

 obtaining access to the Sultan's collection. Surely, 

 if a single JVIS. of value is to be found, there are 

 thousands of litterateurs visiting his capital should 

 have indicated it. Yet, if De Quincey's informa- 

 tion were based upon mythical or defective in- 

 formation, one would imagine he would have 

 corrected or modified his expressions in a book 

 reprinted in 1858. 



Curiously enough, he does not refer to a fifth 

 source, which has recently afforded some interest- 

 ing matter, viz. the mummy papyri. The acci- 

 dental acquisition of the MSS. of Hyperides shows 

 the desirability for some active and acute agent 

 being charged with the supervision of the Egyp- 

 tian diggings, of which I suppose there is small 

 chance under the present dynasty. 



Have the fragments of Homer, from a mummy 

 at present in the Louvre, been edited ? Do they 

 offer any noticeable peculiarities of recension ? 



Cy. 



THE PLAIN MANS PATHWAY TO HKAVEN, ETC. 



This work, which is written dialogue-wise, is 

 the production of Arthur Dent (the Rev.) of 

 Shoobury in Essex, and first appeared in 1601. 

 By 1625 it had passed through nineteen editions. 

 The important part it had in forming the cha- 

 racter of John Banyan may be gathered from a 

 comparison of it with his most popular writings. 

 I should be glad to see a'good notice of this re- 

 markable book and its author. Will not some 

 one of your correspondents learned in this lore 

 favour us therewith ? 



In the meantime, let me give you an extract, to 

 the former portion of which I desire to direct 

 special attention. Will some one kindly charac- 

 terise the " pleasant and merry books " there 

 enumerated ? Some of them are, I suppose, not 

 generally known : — 



"Antileg.* — *Tush, tush, now I see you are in a melan- 

 choly humor. If you will goe home with me I can give 

 you a speedie remedie : for I haue many pleasant and 

 merry bookes, which if you should heare them read, 



* Antilegon. 



would soone remedy you of this melancholy passion. I 

 haue the Court of Venus ; the Palace of Pleasure ; Beuis 

 of Southhampton ; Ellen of Eummin ; The Merrie lest of 

 the Frier and the Boy ; The pleasant Storie of Clem of 

 the Clough ; Adam Bell, and William of Cloudesly ; The 

 Odde Tale of William, Richard, and Humfrey; The 

 prettie Conceit of John Splinter's last Will and Testa- 

 ment : which all are excellent and singular bookes against 

 heart qualraes : and to remooue such dumpishnesse as I 

 see you are now fallen into.' 



" Asune.* — ' Your vaine and frivolous books of tales, 

 iests, and lies, would more increase my griefe, and strike 

 the point of sorrow deeper into my heart.' 



" Antile. ' Nay, if you be of that mind, I haue done 

 with you.' 



" Phila.X ' I pray you if a man may be so bolde with 

 you; How came you by all these good bookes? I shovdd 

 have said, so much trash and rubbish.' 



" Antil. ' What mattereth it to you ? What haue you 

 to doe to enquire ? But I pray you. Sir, What meane you 

 to call them trash and rubbish ? ' 



" Phila. ' Because they bee no better. They be goodly 

 geere, trime stufFe. They are good to kindle a fire, or 

 to secure a hot ouen withall. And shall I tell you my 

 opinion of them.'' I doe thus thinke, that they were de- 

 uised by the diuell, seene and allowed by the Pope, printed 

 in Hell, bound up by Hobgoblin, and first published and 

 dispersed in Rome, Italic and Spaine ; and all to this end, 

 that thereby men might be kept from the reading of the 

 Scriptures. For euen as a Lapwing with her busie crie 

 draweth men away from her nest, so the Popish genera- 

 tion, by these fabulous devices, draw men from the Scrip- 

 tures.' ^ 



" Antil. ' Ah, Sir ; I see now, a fooles bolt is soone 

 shot. You are more precise than wise. The Vicar of 

 Saint Fooles shall be your ghostly father. What tell you 

 mee of your opinion ? I would you should well knowe I 

 neither regard you nor your opinion. There bee wiser 

 men than you, which do both reade, allow, and take 

 pleasure in these bookes.' " 



I wish to add a memorandum: that in the 

 writings of the early Puritans may be found 

 many excellent examples of English proverbs, 

 and of words now obsolete. This fact has often 

 forced itself upon my notice, and recently more 

 strongly than ever during an examination of the 

 works of William Perkins of Cambridge, and of 

 Robert Harris of Hanwell, n^ar Banbury. The 

 latter writer is often eloquent, and supplies illus- 

 trations of a good number of Shakspearian words. 



B. H. COWPEB. 



Hackney. 



Minav ^Lxieviti. 



Draycott Arms. — Wanted the arms and crest 

 of the family of Draycott of Draycott in the 

 county of Derby, and who were living there about 

 the year 1750. Belgrave. 



Largest Parish in Ireland.— What is the extent 

 of the largest parish in Ireland ? I have heard 

 that one in the west — I think in the county of 

 Mayo — is forty miles in length, and not very 

 narrow. Abhba. 



Aaunetns. 



t Philagathus. 



