April 26. 1851.] 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



315 



the record sliould be confined to monuments in 

 cliurches, or whether it sliould be extended to 

 those in churchyards? I think it should be so 

 extended, partially — that is, that all the monu- 

 ments in churches should he given ; and such of 

 the monuments in churchyards as, upon a careful 

 inspection, may appear to be in any way worthy 

 of preservation. AYe do not perhaps want the ten 

 thousand " afflictions sore " which ten thousand 

 John Smiths are stated to have " lonji time bore." 



The inscriptions in churches should be accom- 

 panied with rubbings of all brasses ; and, as far as 

 possible, with drawings of the most interesting 

 monuments. 



I am satisfied the thing can be done, if it be 

 imdertaken with prudence, and continued with 

 energy. Tiie copies should be certified by the 

 signature of the p3i\son making them, and they 

 should all be transcribed on paper of the same 

 description, so that they might be bound in 

 volumes. 



The expense would probably be considerable, 

 because in some instances paid laJjour might be 

 requisite ; but it would be as nothing compared 

 with tlie magnitude and importance of tlie result; 

 and if, as is probable, the Society of Antiquaries 

 might hesitate at undertaking the whole charge, I 

 doubt not tliat many would contribute towards it, 

 and amongst them Q. D. 



A very slight consideration of tlie object which it is 

 proposed to acco.nplish, and the meins by whioli it can 

 be attained, will show that it falls properly into three 

 distinct operations, nara.'ly, Coiieotion, Preservation, 

 and Publication. 



The first and most important is, the Collection of 

 Materials. In this, it is obvious, the co-operation of 

 individuals well qualified for the work may be secured 

 in all parts of the country, provided some well-defined 

 plan of operation is furnished for their guidance, by 

 some reogulsed centre of union. A Committee of the 

 Society of Antiquaries, who should well consider and 

 determine upon some uniform plan of recording the 

 inscriptions, &c., is clearly the body who, from their 

 position, could most effectually, and with the greatest 

 propriety, issue such circulars. That the Antiquaries 

 would ill this receive the support of both tlie Ar- 

 ch.x-ologlcal Societies, there cannot, of course, be any 

 doubt. 



And as we have in the .Society of Antiquaries a 

 machinery already established fjr the proper collection 

 of the tnitcrl.'ds, so wo have an existing and most ap- 

 propriate place for their preservation in the British 

 Museum, where they m ly be consultcl at all times, 

 by all parties, with the greateit facility, and free of 

 charge. 



These two great points, then, of Cjllection and Pre- 



servation, it is clear may be attained at an expense so 

 inconsiderable, compared with the benefits to be gained 

 from their accomplishment, that we cannot believe In 

 their failure from want of funds. 



For the accomplishment of the third great end, that 

 of Publication, there is no existing machinery. But 

 let the work of collection and preservation be once 

 fairly entered upon — let it be seen how valuable a 

 collection of materials has been gathered ready to the 

 hand of a Society which should undertake Its publica- 

 tion, and there need be little fear that from the sup- 

 porters of the various Antiquarian, Archieological, and 

 Publishing Societies, now spread throughout the 

 country, there would be found plenty of good men and 

 true ready to lend their aid to the printing and pub- 

 lishing of the MONUIIENTARIUM AnCLICANUM. 



But as the first step is Collectio.v — and that step 

 is the one in which the Societv of Antiquaries can 

 best move, we trust that the present year, in which this 

 Society celebrates t!ie centenary of its chartered exist- 

 ence, will be signalised by its promotion of such a 

 Record of Existing Monuments as is here proposed ; 

 which cannot be otherwise regarded — (and we use the 

 words of the Society's Charter) — than as "good, use- 

 ful, honest, and necessary for the encouragement, ad- 

 vancement, and furtherance of the study and know- 

 ledge of Antiquities and the History of this Country." 



miti. 



ILLUSTRATIONS OF CHAUCER, NO. IV. 

 The Pilgrimage to Canterhury. 

 " Whanne that April with his shoures sote 

 The droughte of March hath perced to the rote. 

 And bathed every veine in swiche licour 

 Of which vertue engendred is the flour ; 

 When Zephyrus eke with his sote brethe 

 Enspired hath in every holt and hethe 

 The tendrc croppes — and the yonge Sonne 



Hath in the Uam his halfe cours vronne ; 



* * » ■ * 



Than longen folk to gon on pilgrimages — 



* « * • 



* « * * 



Befelle, that in that soson, on a day." , 



Prologue. 



I quote these lines because I wish to show tiiat 

 Tyrwhitt, in taking them as indicative of the very 

 day on which the journey to Canterbury was per- 

 formed, committed a great mistake. 



The whole of the opening of the prologue, down 

 to the line last (puited, is descriptive, not of any 

 particular day, but of the usual season of pilgrim- 

 ages ; and Chaucer himself' i)Liinly declares, by the 

 words " in th.d seson, on u day "— that the day is 

 as yet iadefuiite. 



