ApriL 6. 1850.] 
NOTES AND QUERIES. 
363 
tually affixed his name to the epistle, as it appears 
in “ C. H.’s” and in other copies. Robert Crowley 
was a fellow of Magdalen College, Oxford ; vicar 
of St. Giles, Cripplegate ; a printer and publisher ; 
but to this singular combination of titles, we can- 
not add that of author of the treatise in question. 
“ C. H.” has seen that he did not enter Oxford 
till 1534; and in his Prefatory Epistle, Crowley 
speaks of the author of the treatise as a person 
distinct from himself. 
I do not wish, however, to be considered as 
positively affirming the treatise to be Tyndale’s. 
Foxe, the martyrologist, edited Tyndale’s works 
for Day, and he has only said that this treatise 
was “compiled, as some do gather, by M. Wm. 
Tyndale, because the method and phrase agree 
with his, and the time of writing are [sic] concur- 
rent.” On the other hand, the authorship is un- 
hesitatingly assigned to Tyndale by Mr. C. Ander- 
son (Annals of the English Bible, § ix. ad finem), 
and by Mr. Geo. Offor (Mem. of Tyndale, p. 30.), 
the two most pains-taking and best informants as 
to his works. But still there are objections of 
such force, that I must confess myself rather in- 
clined to attribute the treatise to Joy’s pen, if I 
could but be satisfied that he was capable of writ- 
ing so correctly, and of keeping so clear of vulgarity 
in a controversy with a popish persecutor. 
gob c 
FOLK LORE. 
Palm Sunday Wind.—\t is a common idea among 
many of the farmers and labourers of this imme- 
diate neighbourhood, that, from whatever quarter 
the wind blows for the most part on Palm Sunday, 
it will continue to blow from the same quarter for 
the most part during the ensuing summer. 
Is this notion prevalent in other parts of the 
country, as a piece of “ Folk-Lore ?” R.V. 
Winchester, March 26. 
Curious Symbolical Custom. — On Saturday last 
I married a couple in the parish church. An old 
woman, an aunt of the bridegroom, displeased at 
the marriage, stood at the church gate and pro- 
nounced an anathema on the married pair. She 
then bought a new broom, went home, swept her 
house, and hung the broom over the door. By 
this she intimated her rejection of her nephew, and 
forbade him to enter her house. Is this a known 
custom? What is its origin? 
H. Morzanp Austen. 
St. Peter’s, Thanet, March 25. 1850. 
The Wild Huntsman.—'The interesting contri- 
butions of your correspondent “ Setxucus,” on 
“Folk Lore,” brought to my recollection the 
“ Wild Huntsman” of the German poet, Tieck; of 
whose verses on that superstitious belief, still cur- 
rent among the imaginative peasantry of Germany, 
I send you a translation, done into English many 
years ago. The Welsh dogs of Annwn, or “ cou- 
riers of the air” —the spirit-hounds who hunt the 
souls of the dead—are part of that popular be- 
lief existing among all nations, which delivers up 
the noon of night to ungracious influences, that 
“fade on the crowing of the cock.” 
“ THE WILD HUNTSMAN. 
«“ At the dead cf the night theWild Huntsman awakes, 
In the deepest recess of the dark forest’s brakes ; 
He lists to the storm, and arises in scorn, 
He summons his hounds with his far-sounding horn: 
He mounts his black steed; like the lightning they fly, 
And sweep the hush'd forest with snort and with ery. 
Loud neighs his black courser: hark his horn, how 
tis swelling ! 
He chases his comrades, his hounds wildly yelling. 
Speed along ! speed along! for the race is all ours; 
Speed along! speed along! while the midnight still 
lours: 
The spirits of darkness will chase him in scorn, 
Who dreads our wild howl, and the shriek of our horn. 
Thus yelling and belling they sweep on the wind, 
The dread of the pious and reverent mind : 
But all who roam gladly in forests, by night, 
This conflict of spirits will strangely delight.” 
J. M. 
Oxford, March 13. 
ON AUTHORS AND BOOKS, NO. VI. 
In the union of scholarship, polished manners, 
and amiability of character, wé have had few men 
to surpass the reverend Joseph Spence. His 
career was suitable to his deserts. He was fortu- 
nate in his connections, fortunate in his appoint- 
ments, and fortunate in his share of fame. 
His fame, however, is somewhat diminished. 
His Essay on the Odyssey, which procured him the 
friendship of Pope, has. ceased to be in request ; 
his Polymetis, once the ornament of every choice 
library, has been superseded by the publications of 
Millin and Smith ; his poems are only to be met 
with in the collections of Dodsley and Nichols. 
If we now dwell with pleasure on his name, it is 
chiefly as a recorder of the sayings of others —it 
is on account of his assiduity in making notes! I 
allude to the volume entitled Anecdotes, observa- 
tions, and characters of books and men, which was 
edited by my friend Mr. Singer, with his wonted 
care and ability, in 1820. 
The Essay on the Odyssey was first published 
anonymously in 1726-7. It was reprinted in 1737 
and-1747. A copy of the latter edition, now in 
my possession, contains this curious note : — 
“Tt is remarkable that of twelve passages objected to 
in this critique on the English Odyssey, two only are 
found in those books which were translated by Pope. 
«From Mr. Langton, who had his information from 
Mr. Spence. 
“ When Spence carried his preface to Gorbodue in 
none ene oe 
