518 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



[2»d s. V. 130., June 26. '58. 



and a defiance of the ordinary regulations of civi- 

 lised society the rule, rather than the exception, 

 of his life, could never have become a great poet 

 in the best sense of the term. A. A. W. 



P.S. The statement that Shakspeare was charged 

 by one of his contemporaries with being " a daw 

 in borrowed plumes," is new to rae, and could 

 have been alleged by no one whose testimony is 

 entitled to the slightest consideration. No writer 

 was ever more entirely undeserving of such an 

 imputation. Bishop Hurd, in his Discourse upon 

 Poetical Imitation (I quote from memory, not 

 having the book at hand to refer to), has justly 

 remarked that Shakspeare's language is every- 

 where so entirely his own, that it is difficult to 

 discover any direct example of literary appropri- 

 ation in his writings ; and that when he did con- 

 descend to borrow, he took the sentiment only ; 

 which was always so much refined in passing 

 through the alembic to which he subjected it, 

 that it invariably assumed a new and greatly im- 

 proved form. Gray was an extensive borrower, 

 but repaid his book- debts with such princely pro- 

 digality that, so far from having any pretext for 

 complaining of his appropriations, we havQ sub- 

 stantial reasons for regretting that they were not 

 more numerous than they really are. Of him, as 

 of Goldsmith, it may truly be said, that he touched 

 nothinor that he did not adorn. 



D. F. M'Cartht, in his article thus headed, seems 

 of opinion that Shelley could have no knowledge 



deeplj'-rooted was the insane idea which had taken pos- 

 session of his mind, I extract the suppressed passage : — 



" In the personal conduct of my hero and heroine, there 

 is one circumstance which was intended to startle the 

 reader from the trance of ordinary life. It was my object 

 to break through the crust of those outworn opinions on 

 which established institutions depend. I have appealed, 

 therefore, to the most universal of all feelings ; and have 

 endeavoured to strengthen the moral sense by forbidding 

 it to waste its energies in seeking to avoid actions which 

 are only crimes of convention. It is because there is so 

 great a multitude of artificial vices, that there are so few 

 real virtues. Those feelings alone which are benevolent 

 or malevolent are essentially good or bad. The circum- 

 stance of which I speak was introduced, however, merely 

 to accustom men to that charity and toleration which the 

 exhibition of a practice widely differing from their own 

 has a tendency to promote. Nothing, indeed, can be 

 more mischievous than many actions, innocent in them- 

 selves, which might bring down upon individuals the 

 bigotted contempt and rage of the multitude." 



To this paragraph is added a note, intimating that " the 

 sentiments connected with and characteristic of this cir- 

 cumstance have no personal reference to the writer : " so 

 that whilst he recommends the commission of a revolting 

 crime to his readers, he disclaims the practice of it in his 

 own person. Who can wonder at the " monstrous calum- 

 nies " which Mr. Hogg assures us followed the author of 

 such sentiments wherever he went; or that he should 

 have been sometimes charged with carrying out in his 

 own person the principles he so earnestly recommended 

 toothers? 



of Crashaw. In Leigh Hunt's Indicator of May, 

 1820, is a poem ("Music's Duel") quoted from 

 Crashaw with high and deserved commendation, 

 also referring to a critique (just before published) 

 of this author in the Retrospective Review. The 

 intimate acquaintance between Leigh Hunt, Shel- 

 ley, and Keats is well known, and it is therefore 

 highly probable that the merits of Crashaw had 

 been discussed between them, and that his poems 

 were admired by each. A. B. 



THE JEWS IN BRUSSELS AND TUB MIRACULOUS 

 HOSTS. 



(2"* S. V. 294. 406. 457.) 



One more book deserves to be noticed, as it is 

 probably the fullest history, and the most beauti- 

 ful work on this subject : — 



" Hoogweerdighe Historie van het Aldaer Heyligste 

 Sacrament van Mirakel, door Heere Petrus de Cafmej'er, 

 Priester ende Canoninck der Collegiate Kercke van SS. 

 Michael ende Gudula. Tot Brussel, 1735. FoL, pp. 48." 



To this there are two supplements, the first of 

 seventy, the second of sixty- four pages ; contain- 

 ing additions to the history, and accounts of the 

 annual processions in honour of the miracle. 



Nearly every page is adorned with a fine en- 

 graving, and many of the plates are folding. All 

 the windows of the chapel of Ste. Gudule are given. 

 (See Murray's Handbook of North Germany., p. 158.) 



The story does not materially vary from Mb. 

 Kessleb's outline. Catherine, however, is not 

 moved by remorse till an angel has appeared to 

 her (plate 8., p. 15.) ; and the Jews, who had been 

 tortured without effect, did not confess till they 

 were threatened with torture again. They were 

 taken in a procession to the place of execution, 

 and pinched with red-hot tongs at the corners of 

 the streets. The following inscription may afford 

 consolation to those who regret the brevity and 

 mildness of the punishment : — 



" Turba superstructis exuritur impia flammis, 

 Digna quidem poena deteriore mori ; 

 Sed levis ilia foret posituris morte dolores; 

 At superest, animas qui cremat usque rogus." 



They were burned on the eve of Ascension Day, 

 1370 ; and the Hosts were deposited in the chapel 

 of Ste. Gudule, where they fell into oblivion till 

 1405 : — - 



" So quam de devotie tot het aldaer H. Sacrament van 

 Mirakel, allenghskens te verminderen en als geheel op- 

 tehouden ; en de grootheydt van het selve wierdt by- 

 naer heel vernieghtet in de memorie der menschen ; soo 

 verre dan der goeden Godt hem daer over beklagte aem 

 sekern devoten jonghman door eene vermaenige ende 

 wonderlycke Veropenbaeringe." — P. 26. 



A light shines upon the devout young man 

 while he is praying, &c. After that, the dis- 

 covery and subsequent miracles go on in the usual 

 course, , 



