250 



NOTES AND QUEEIES. 



[No. 101. 



Sharon Turner, who bowever does not quote 

 the passages having a special topographical in- 

 terest. It is remarkable that the name of Wen- 

 dune, for which among Anglo-Saxon -writers 

 there appears the single authority of Simeon of 

 Durham, is confirmed by the testimony of the 

 Saga : at least there can be little doubt, that the 

 Vinheida of the Saga is but a Norse form for 

 the AVendun or Weondune of the Anglo-Saxon 

 chronicle!-. The natural and other features of the 

 locality are not neglected by the author of the 

 Saga, who describes it as a wild and uncultivated 

 spot, surrounded by woods, having the town of 

 Vinheida not far distant on the north. These 

 particulars I take from the Latin of the Saga ; but 

 the reader of the Icelandic would possibly find 

 more minute characteristics, which may have been 

 lost in the process of translation. As, by his resi- 

 dence in the neighbourhood, Mr. Hesleden is 

 favourably situated for the further prosecution of 

 this inquiry, I should be glad to find whether his 

 conclusion as to the site of the battle received 

 confirmation, or otherwise, fi'om the passages of 

 the Saga to which I have now ventured to direct 

 attention. 



I may here observe, that if we consider the 

 situation of Joj-vik, or York, the capital of the 

 then Norse kingdom of Northumbria, we shall 

 perhaps conclude tliat it was on the Yorkshire 

 rather than on the Lincolnshire side of the Hum- 

 ber, that — 



" Atliclstan, king, 



of earls the Lord, 



of heroes the bracelet-giver, 



And his l)rother eke, 



Edmund ethcling, 



life-long-glory 



in battle won 



with edges of swords 



near Brumby." 



This conclusion is to some extent confirmed, 

 when we connect with the above the tradition or 

 historical lact, whichever we regard it, that it was 

 after this battle that Athelstan, in redemption of 

 a previotis vow, made various costly offerings on 

 the altar of St. John of Beverley, and endowed 

 tliat church with great privileges, the memory of 

 which exists to the present day. It must how- 

 ever be admitted, that such a presumption is any- 

 thing but conclusive in regard to a topographical 

 (question of this description. In conclusion, Iwoald 

 suggest that the Domesday Eook for Yorkshire 

 aufl Lincolnshire shoidd be carefully examined, in 

 order to ascertain whether the place in question, 

 under any of the names assigned to it, is there to 

 be found. John Thuknam, M. D. 



Devizes. 



THE CAXTON COFFEK. 



" Sans litres on fait des romans; pour (5erire I'histoire il 

 faut des preuves aulhentiques, des monumens cer- 

 tains." — J. J. Oberlin, Annales de la vie de Jean 

 Gntenlerff, 



Gratified by the approbation with which my 

 suggestion of a Caxton memorial has been received, 

 both publicly and privately, and acquiring iiesh 

 confidence in its success, it is my intention to 

 make a second appeal to the lovers of literature 

 when the excitement of the present year shall 

 have passed away, and home- subjects shall rc- 

 assume their wonted powers of attraction. 



In the mean time, I recommend an assemblage 

 of notes on the life and works of Caxton, designed 

 to correct current errors ; to expose baseless 

 conjectures ; to indicate probable sources of in- 

 formation, or to furnish such novel information as 

 research may produce ; and to assist in establishing 

 the principles on which such a memorial as that sug- 

 gested should be prepared and edited. 



In justification of this advice, I must express 

 my belief that there have been few men of celebrity 

 on whose life and labours so many erroneous state- 

 ments, and inadmissible conjectures, have been 

 published in works of general repute. 



Requesting the favour of contributions to The 

 Caxton coffer from such persons as may take an 

 interest in the success of the enterprise, I now 

 proceed to set an example : — 



" I have a great number of books printed by Caxton, 

 and in very good condition, excej)! a very few. I think 

 the number is forty-two. Have you any notes relating 

 to that good honest man ? I think he deserves those 

 titles, and I mny add industrious too." — Edward, earl 

 of Oxford, to Thomas Hearne, 1731. 



" In Osborne's shop-catalogue for 1749; No. 5954, 

 occurs the ' Catalogue of the late E. of Oxford's 

 library, as it was purchased, (being the original) inlaid 

 with royal jiaper, in 16 vols. 4to. with the prices pre- 

 fixed to each book — pr. 10. 10. 0. — N. B. There never 

 was any other copy of this catalogue with the prices 

 added to it.' — The same article, at the same price, is 

 repeated in his cat. for 1750, No. G5S3, and for 1751, 

 No. 6317 — after which, being discontinued in his sub- 

 sequent cats, it was probably sold. Qu^. to whom and 

 where is it now?" — liichard Heber, c. 1811. 



The first of the above notes is copied from 

 Letters icriticn hy eminent persons., London [O.x- 

 ford], 1813. 8°. The second note, which concludes 

 with a query, i'nrms p.art of some manuscrijjt me- 

 moranda, now in my possession, on the matchless 

 library to which it refers. Bolton Cokkey. 



ACCURACY OF FBINTING. 



]\Inch of the copu forwarded by the contributors 

 to ''Notes akd Queries" contains qiio(ations 

 from old books; which I presume are accurately 

 given, without alteration of spelling or punctuation. 



