470 
NOTES AND QUERIES. 
[No. 29. 
respecting this painter ; as also any hints as to the 
name of the poet Ch. M. May I add, also, another 
Query ? Is any authentic writing or signature of 
Christopher Marlow known to exist ? mM. 
MS. Diary of the Convention Parliament of 
1660.—The editors of the Parliamentary History 
give some passages from a MS, Diary of the Con- 
vention Parliament of the Restoration, and state 
that the Diary was communicated to them by the 
Rey. Charles Lyttleton, Dean of Exeter (vol. iv. 
p- 73.). I am anxious to know where this Diary 
now is, and if it may be seen by — CH. 
Etymology of Totnes. —Can any of your readers 
suggest a probable etymology for Totnes, the 
“prime town of Great Britain,” as it is called by 
Westcote*, who supposes it to have been built 
by Brutus, 1108 years before the Christian zra. 
Mr. Polwhele, who supposed the numerous Hams 
in Devon to have owed their names to the wor- 
ship of Jupiter Hammon, would, I imagine, have 
derived Totnes from the Egyptian god Thoth or 
Taut; or, perhaps, directly from King Thothmes. 
Westcote observes that some would have the 
name from, — 
“The French word tout-d-l'aise, which is in English, 
all at ease; as if Brutus at his arrival in such a pleasant 
Soil ois, et should here assure himself and his fellow- 
travellers of ease, rest, and centent ; and the J, in this 
long time, is changed into n, and so from toué-d-lesse 
we now call it ¢owt-d-nesse, and briefly Totnesse. This 
would J willingly applaud, could I think or believe that 
Brutus spake so good French, or that the French tongue 
was then spoken at all. Therefore, I shall with the 
more ease join in opinion with those who would have it 
named Dodonesse, which siguifieth [in what language ?] 
the rocky-town, or town on stones, which is also agree- 
able with the opinion of Leland.” 
Totnes is denominated Totenais and Totheneis 
in Domesday Book; and in other old records 
variously spelt, Toteneis, ‘Totteneys, Toteneys, 
Totton’, Totten, Totenesse, Tottenesse, Tottonasse, 
Totonie, &c. Never, Donodesse. J.M.B. 
Totnes, April 23. 1850. 
Dr. Maginn’s Miscellanies. —Towards the end 
of 1840, Dr. Maginn issued the prospectus of a 
work to be published weekly in numbers, and to 
be entitled ‘“‘ Magazine Miscellanies, by Dr. Ma- 
ginn,” which was intended to comprise a selection 
from his contributions to Blackwood, Fraser, &c. 
Will any one of yeur multitudinous readers kindly 
inform me whether this work was ever published, 
or any portion of it ? J. M. B. 
Dr. Maginn’s “Shakspeare Papers.” — The Doc- 
tor published several very able critical disserta- 
* A View of Devonshire in mpcxxx., by Thomas 
Westcote, Esq., Exeter, 1845. 
tions under this, or some similar title, about the 
year 1837, in one of the montbly magazines, for 
references to which I shall feel obliged. J. M. B. 
Dr. Maginn’s Homeric Ballads.— Between 1839 
and 1842, the “* Homeric Ballads,” from thirteen 
to sixteen, appeared in Fraser's Magazine. Will 
any correspondent favour me with specific refer- 
ences to the numbers or months in which they 
were published ? I may add,. that I shall esteem 
it as a very great fayour to receive authentic re- 
ference to any articles contributed to Blackwood, 
Fraser, &c., &c., by Dr. Maginn. The difficulty 
of determining authorship from internal evidence 
alone is well-known, and is aptly illustrated by 
the fact, that an article on Miss Austen’s novels, 
by Archbishop Whately, was included in the col- 
lection of Sir Walter Scott’s prose works. 
J.M.B. 
Poor Robin's Almanack.— Who was the author 
or originator of Poor Robin's Almanack 2? Are any 
particulars known of its successive editors? In 
what year did it cease to be published? The only 
one I possess is for the year 1743,— “ Written 
by Poor Robin, Knight of the Burnt Island, a well- 
wisher to Mathematicks,” who informs his readers 
that this was his eighty-first year of writing. What 
is meant by Knight of the Burnt Island ? 
I must not omit to add, that at Dean Prior, 
the former vicar, Robert Herrick, has the reputa- 
tion of being the author of Poor Robin. 
J. M. B. 
Totnes, April 18. 1850. 
The Camp in Bulstrode Park.—Is there any 
published account of this camp having been 
opened? It is well worth the examination of a 
competent antiquary. . . . It is not even alluded 
to in Mr. Jesse’s Favourite Haunts, nor does that 
gentleman appear to have visited the interesting 
village of “ Hedgerley” (anciently Hugely), or 
Jordans, the Quakers’ Meeting-house, and burial- 
place of Penn, between Beaconsfield and Chalfont. 
Chalfont was anciently written Chalfhunt, and is 
by the natives still called Charffiint ; and Hunt is 
a very common surname in this parish: there was, 
however, Tobias Chalfont, Rector of Giston, who 
died 1631. ‘ Chal” appears to be a common pre- 
fix. In Chalfont (St. Peter’s) is an inscription 
to Sir Robert Hamson, Vycar, alluded to in 
Boutell’s Brasses. In a cupboard under the gal- 
lery staircase is a copper helmet, which, prior to 
the church having been beautified in 1822, was 
suspended on an iron bracket with a bit of rag, 
as it then looked, to the best of my memory. I 
have heard that it belonged to the family of Gould 
of Oak Iund, extinct. A.C. 
Hobit, a measure of corn in Wales ; what is the 
derivation ? A.C. 
