432 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



[2"-! S. V. 12G., May 29. '58. 



man, John Lord Campbell. The latter tells us 

 that — 



" When Sir Walter Scott, with a view to profit rather 

 than fame, published Paul's Letters to his Kinsfolk, with 

 some very indifferent verses to celebrate the battle of 

 Waterloo, Erskine, sitting at table, came out with the 

 following impromptu : — 



" * On Waterloo's ensanguined plain 

 Lie tens of thousands of the slain'* ; 

 But none, by sabre or by shot. 

 Pell half so flat as Walter Scott.' " 

 Lives of the Lord Chancellors, vol. ix. p. 87. 4th edit. 



We might suppose from the above extract that 

 the lines were incorporated with the Letters ; but 

 the two publications were distinct. 



When republishing this poem (" The Field of 

 Waterloo ") in the collected edition of his Works, 

 Sir Walter observes : — 



" It may be some apology for the imperfections of this 

 poem, that it was composed hastily, and during a short 

 tour upon the Continent, when the author's labours were 

 liable to frequent interruption; but its best apology is, 

 that it was written for the purpose of assisting the Water- 

 loo Subscription. 



" Abbotsford, 1815." 



The first edition was dedicated to the Chair- 

 man of the Committee of the Waterloo Fund, and 

 Lockhart repeats what Sir Walter has told us, 

 " that the profits of this edition (one hundred 

 pounds or guineas) was the author's contribution 

 to the fund raised for the relief of the widows and 

 children slain in the battle." Lord C, is, there- 

 fore, correct in stating that the poem was written 

 for profit ; but whom did it benefit ? There are 

 some redeeming passages in the poem, but it un- 

 questionably disappointed the public. 



Lord Campbell, in his preface to the fourth 

 edition of his work, says that " despairing of far- 

 ther improvements, the work is now stereotyped." 

 Was not this somewhat premature ? What work 

 is perfect ? J. H. M. 



GOD SAVE KING JAMES. 



The following curious " God save the King " 

 song is copied from a broadside lately discovered 

 in the binding of an old book. It is " Printed for 

 H. Gosson, 1606," and subscribed " John Rhodes," 

 the person, I imagine, who wrote A Brief e Summe 

 of the Treason intended against the King and State, 

 Sec, published in the same year : — 



" A Song of Praise and Thanksgiving to God for the 

 King's Majesty's Happy Reigne. 



" With cheerfull voice we sing to thee, 

 O Lord accept our melodic ; 

 For thou in mercy, as we see, 

 Hast dealt with us most lovinglj', 



* "How prostrate lie the heaps of slain" — another 

 reading. 



In giving us a royall King, 



Whose fame in all the world doth ring. 



God save King James, and still pull downe 

 All those that would annoy his crowne. 

 " In wisdome like to Solomon 



His grace doth sit in princely seate. 

 With sworde of justice in his hand. 



And maintaines truth for small and great : 

 He doeth succeede our Hester, shee 

 Who never will forgotten bee. 

 God save King James, &c. 



" Like Constantine the emperour. 

 He dooth begin his royall raigne. 

 Whereat his foes are daunted much, 



And seeke to him for grace amaine. 

 Lord make their peace to be in thee, 

 And then thrice happy shall we be. 

 God save King James, &c. 



" The Gospell pure he dooth maintaine. 



Among us preached as before : 



Blind ignorance it shall not raigne. 



As some did hope and threaten sore. 

 Our realm God hath established. 

 And former feares from us are fled. 

 God save King James, &c. 



" Lift up your hearts to God on hie. 

 And sing with one consent of minde. 

 Laud and prayse to the Trinitie, 



For our good King that is so kinde. 

 Let us rejoyce in God alway 

 That we have seen this happie day. 

 God save King James, &c. 



" AH countries joyne with us in love. 

 To beat down Turke and Pope apace ; 

 The King and counsel's acts approve, 



Let vertue now all vice deface. 

 Amidst all joyes prepare to dye, 

 That we may live eternally. 

 God save King James, &c." 



Edward F. Rimbault. 



THE DITFICULTIES OP CHAUCER. NO. XII. 



Spiced Conscience. — 



" He waited after no pompe ne reverence, 

 Ne maked him no spiced conscience." 



Cant. Tales, 527-8. 



We all know what is meant by salving the con- 

 science. The difficulty felt with respect to Chau- 

 cer's phrase, spiced conscience, arises solely from 

 our not taking note that spicing the conscience is 

 equivalent to salving it. What we now signify by 

 " salving the conscience " was formerly expressed 

 by "spicing the conscience." 



The reason is, that spices were formerly a choice 

 ingredient in the composition of salves. 



As this is our solution of the present "diffi- 

 culty," it is requisite to add a few words in expla- 

 nation. Spices once formed a chief part of the 

 materia medica, not only for doses, but for oint- 

 ments. Hence the Pharmacopola, and the Un- 

 guentarius too, bore the name of Aromatarius (Du 

 Cange, edit. Henschel). Hence " species " (spices) 



