120 
one in question ; but this letter, if addressed by her 
to Sir Joseph Williamson, would be written under 
peculiar circumstances, and, being in her 84th 
year, she might naturally have asked the assistance 
of the ablest pen within her reach. I have the 
copy of an interesting letter, addressed by the late 
Mr. John Baynes to Ritson, in 1785, stating his 
admiration of the Countess’s “ spirit and industry, 
having seen the collections made by her order 
relative to the Cliffords — such as no other noble 
family in the world can show.” 
J join in wishing that Mr. Pickering would add 
a judicious selection from Drayton’s poetical 
works to his Lives of Aldine Poets. To the list 
given by your correspondent (p. 28.), may be | 
added a work entitled Ideas Mirrour Amours in 
quatorzains (London, 1594, 4to. p. 51.), which 
was lent to me about forty years ago, but which I 
have not seen since. Some notice of it, by myself, 
will be found in the Censura Literaria, with the 
following note by Sir C. Brydges : — ‘“‘ The ex- 
treme rarity of this publication renders a farther 
account desirable, and also more copious extracts. 
It appears wholly unknown to Herbert, and to all 
the biographers of Drayton.” It is unnoticed by 
Ritson also. Chalmers, in his Series of English 
Poets, has referred to this communication, but he 
has not printed the poem amongst Drayton’s 
works. 
The expression “a Flemish account” is probably 
not of very long standing, as it is not found in 
the most celebrated of our earlier dramatists, un- 
less, indeed, Mrs. Page’s remark on Falstaff’s letter 
may be cited as an illustration: — “ What an 
unweighed behaviour hath this Flemish drunkard 
picked out of my conversation, that he dares in this 
manner assay me. 
If the habit of drinking to excess prevailed in 
the Low Countries in the sixteenth century to the 
extent represented, may not the expression have 
arisen from that circumstance, and been equivalent 
to the contempt which is usually entertained for 
the loose or imperfect statements made by a tipsy 
or drunken man? 
When quoting opinions upon Burnet, we must 
not forget the brief but pregnant character which 
Burke has given of the Bishop’s History of his 
Own Times. In his admirable speech at Bristol, 
previous to the election in 1780, Burke says, 
“ Look into the History of Bishop Burnet; he zs a 
witness without exception.” 
Dr. Johnson was not so laudatory :—“ Burnet 
is very entertaining. ‘The style, indeed, is mere 
chit-chat. Ido not believe that he intentionally 
lied; but he was so much prejudiced, that he took 
no pains to find out the truth.” 
The reader may refer to Dr. Hickes’s Criticism 
NOTES AND QUERIES. 
[No. 8. 
expression is a significant, if not a very compli- 
mentary one, as regards Burnet’s candour (Life 
and Times, i. 59.). I. H.M. 
Bath, Dec. 1849. 
Viz., why the contracted form of Videlicet. 
I shall be much obliged if any one of your 
readers can inform me of the principle of the con- 
traction viz. for videlicet, the letter z not being 
at all a component part of the three final syllables 
in the full word. og 
[Is not our correspondent a little mistaken in sup- 
posing that the last letter in “ viz.” was originally a 
letter z? Was it not one of the arbitrary marks of 
contraction used by the scribes of the middle ages, and 
being in form something like a “z,” came to be repre- 
sented by the early printers by that letter? In short, 
the sign 5 was a common abbreviation in records for 
terminations, as omnib5 for omnibus, hab3 for habet. 
Vi5, corruptly viz., is still in use.] 
Authors of Old Plays. 
We are enabled, by the courtesy of several 
correspondents, to answer two of the Queries of 
Q.D., in No.5. p.77., respecting the authors of 
certain old plays. 
G.H.B. informs us that Sicily and Naples was 
written by Samuel Harding; of whom, as we learn 
from J. F. M., an account will be found in Wood’s 
Athene. 
Naso informs Q.D. that Nero was written by 
Matthew Gwinne; there are two editions of it, 
viz. 1603 and 1633, — and that a copy of it may 
be procured at 17. Wellington Street, Strand, 
for 2s. 
Birthplace of Coverdale. 
Can you inform me of the birthplace of Miles 
Coverdale ? W.C 
‘ 
[* Bishop Myles Coverdale is supposed to have been 
born in the year of our Lord 1488, in the district of 
Coverdale, in the parish of Coverham, near Middleham, 
in the North Riding of Yorkshire; and it is the opinion 
of the learned historian of Richmondshire, that it isan 
assumed, and nota family name.” These are the words 
of the Rev. Geo. Pearson, B. D., the very competent 
editor of the works of Bishop Coverdale, published by 
the Parker Society. His reference is to Whitaker’s 
Hist. of Richmondshire, vol. i. p. 17. ] 
Caraccioli — Author of Life of Lord Clive. 
In reply to K.’s query in No. 7., I have to 
inform him that ‘ Charles Caraccioli, Gent.” called 
himself “the Master of the Grammar School at 
Arundel,” and in 1766 published a very indifferent 
History of the Antiquities of Arundel; and depre 
cating censure, he says in his preface, “ as he (the 
author) was educated, and till within these few 
years has lived abroad, totally unconversant with 
the English tongue, he flatters himself that the 
Sa 
