Jan. 14. 1854.] 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



29 



Inconfusa Babel, Unguis et mole superba ; 



Celsior et fama, quam fuit ilia situ. 

 Gentibus et Unguis late celebrata ; tacere 



De qua nulla potest, nee satis ulla loqui. 

 Opprobria exuperans, pariterq; encomia : Linguis 



Et tot laudari digna, quot ipsa doces. 

 Haebrrcus Grascusq; uno cernuntur in Anglo ; 



Qui puer hue Anglus venerat exit Arabs. 

 Tercentum hie florent juvenes : mihi mira videtur 



Tarn numerosa simul, tarn quoque docta cohors. 

 Sic numero bonitas, numerus bonitate relucet ; 



Ut Stellas pariter lux numerusq; decet. 

 Arte senes, annis pueros mirabitur hospes; 



Dura stupet, in pueris nil puerile videns. 

 Consurgit, crescitq; puer, velut Hydra sub ictu; 



Florescitq; suis sa?pe rigatus aquis. 

 Stat regimen triplici fasces moderante magistro ; 



Doctaq; Musarum regna Triumvir habet. 

 Scilicet lias inter sedes quod regnet Apollo, 



Optime Apollineus comprobat ille Tripos, 

 artlua 

 Sic super invidiam sese effert oemula ; nullis 



Invida, sed cunctis invidiosa scholis. 

 Inde in septenas se digerit ordine classes; 



Dispositre, septem, quag velut Astras, micant. 

 Discit et Authores propria inter moenia natos; 



Et generosa libros, quos legit, ipsa parit. 

 Instar Araneola; Studiosa has exhibet artes; 



Quas de visceribus texuit ipsa suis. 

 Literulas docet hie idem Prasceptor et Author, 



Idem discipulis Bibliotheca suis. 

 Accipit hie lucem, non ultra. ca?cus, Homerus : 



Hue venit a Scythicis Naso reversus agris. 

 Utraq; divitijs nostris Academia crescit ; 



Use Schola ad implendas sutficit una duas. 

 Sic Fons exiguus binos excurrit in Amnes : 



Parnassi geminus sic quoque surgit Apex. 

 Huic collata igitur, quantum ipsa Academia praestat : 



Die, precor; Haec doctos accipit, Ilia facit. 



Rob. South. 

 Ann. Dom. 1652, 

 aut 1653." 



[MS. Harl. 7025, fols. 184, 185.] 



VI. 



The Earl of Orrery to Mr., afterwards Dr., 



Thomas Birch. 



[Addit. MS., Brit. Mus., 4303, Art. 147. Orig.~\ 



Caledon, Sept. 21, 1748. 

 Dear Sir, 



It either is, or seems to be, a long time since I 

 heard from you. Perhaps you are writing the 

 very same sentence to me ; out as the loss is on 

 my side, you must give me leave to complain. 



This summer has passed away in great idleness 

 and feasting : so that I have scarce looked into a 

 book of any sort. Mrs. Pilkington and Con. 

 Philips, however, have not escaped me. I was 

 obliged to read them to adapt myself to the con- 

 versation of my neighbours, who have talked upon 

 no other topic, notwithstanding the more glorious 

 subjects of Peace, and Lord Anson's voyage. The 



truth is, we are better acquainted with the stile of 

 Con. and Pilky, than with the hard names and 

 distant places that are mentioned in the Voyage 

 round the World. 



I have not peeped into the Anti-Lucretius : it 

 is arrived at Caledon, and reserved for the longest 

 evenings. Carte's voluminous History is weighing 

 down one of my shelves. He likewise is postponed 

 to bad weather, or a fit of the gout. Last week 

 brought us the first Number of Con's second 

 volume. She goes on triumphantly, and is very 

 entertaining. Her sister Pilkington is not so for- 

 tunate. She has squandered away the money she 

 gained by her first volume, and cannot print her 

 second. But from you, I hope to hear of books of 

 another sort. A thin quarto named Louthiana is 

 most delicately printed, and the cuts admirably 

 engraved : and yet we think the County of Louth 

 the most devoid of Antiquities of any County in 

 Ireland. The County of Corke is, 1 believe, in 

 the press ; and I am told it will be well executed. 

 I have seen the County of Waterford, and approve 

 of it very much. These kind of Books are owing 

 to an Historical Society formed at Dublin, and of 

 great use to this kingdom, which is improving in 

 all Arts and Sciences very fast : tho' I own to you, 

 the cheapness of French Claret is not likely to 

 add much at present to the encrease of literature. 

 If all true Hibernians could bring themselves to be 

 of your opinion and Pindar's, the glorious memory 

 of King William might keep the head cool, and 

 still warm the heart ; but, alas, it sets both on fire : 

 and till these violent fits of bacchanalian loyalty 

 are banished from our great tables, I doubt few 

 of us shall ever rise higher in our reading than 

 the Memoirs of that kind I first mentioned. 



I am, Dear Sir, and so is all my family, truly 



Yours, 



Orrery. 

 To the Rev. Mr. Thomas Birch, 



at his House in 



Norfolk Street, 



London. 



Free (Boyle). 



KEWSPAPER FOLK LORE. 



The following paragraph is now going the round 

 of the newspapers without reference to the source 

 of information. I copy it from the Morning 

 Chronicle of Friday, December 9. 



" Escape of a Snake from a Man's Mouth. — An ex- 

 traordinary circumstance occurred a few days ago to 

 Jonathan Smith, gunner's mate, who was paid off at 

 Portsmouth on the 6 th of May last, from her Majesty's 

 ship Hastings, 72 guns, on her return to England from 

 the East Indies. He obtained six weeks' leave. On 

 the expiration of that time, after seeing his friends at 

 Chatham, he joined the Excellent, gunnery-ship at 

 Portsmouth. After some time he was taken unwell, 



