46 



NOTES AND QUERIES. [s^o s. vi. 133., July 17. -58. 



skeen Lawn," Las the same sentlnient when dis- 

 cussing fair maids or brown, and expresses equal 

 admiration for "colleen dhuv no bavvn." Equally 

 close are Pope's — 



" At ev'ry word a reputation dies," 

 Chui'chiU's Apology — 



" And reputation bleeds in ev'ry word," 

 and Sheridan's prose remark of Sir Peter Tea- 

 zle — 



" A character dead at every word." 



Here I pause : not for lack of other examples, 

 but that the perfume of the bean blossoms which, 

 for the moment, have entire possession of old 

 Ric.'hborough Castle, invites me to a spot where 

 poets may have an antepast of Araby the Blest, 

 and prosaic gluttons dream of bacon. J. Doran. 



THE SEVEN CHAMPIONS AND SHAKSPEARK. 



We might suppose that no portions of Shaks- 

 peare's reading, no source whence he might have 

 derived ideas or images, could have escaped Mr. 

 Collier, Mr. Dtce, and so many others, who 

 seem, as it were, to live in the sixteenth and seven- 

 teenth centuries. It was, therefore, witli no small 

 surprise that, when lately reading the Seven 

 Champions of Christendom with a view to Spenser, 

 I discovered that it had evidently been a favourite 

 with Shakspeare ; so much so, as that he had 

 actually borrowed some of his most beautiful 

 imagery from it. I adduce the following in- 

 stances : — 



" The current that with gentle murmur glidea, 



Thou knowest, being stopped, impatiently doth rage ; 

 But, when his fair course is not hindered, 

 Ho makes sweet music with t/ie enameled stones. 

 Giving a gentle kiss to every sedge, 

 He overtaketh in his pilgrimage." 



Two Gentlemen of Verona, Act. II. Sc. 7. " 



" As they passed along by a river's side, which gently 

 running made sweet music with the enameled stones, and 

 seemed to give a gentle kiss to every sedge he overtook in his 

 watery pilgrimage." — Seven Champions, Part III. ch. xii. 



" Beauty's ensign yet 

 Is crimson in thy lips and in thy cheeks. 

 And Death's paie flag is not advanced there." 



Romeo and Juliet, Act V. Sc. 3. 

 " Where they found, in Dvike Ursini, Death's pale flag 

 advanced in his cheeks." — Seven Champions, Part III. ch. 

 xi. 



" As zephyrs blowing beneath the violet, 

 Not wagging his sweet head." 



Cymheline, Act. IV. Sc. 2, 



" It seemed indeed that the leaves wagged, as you nay 

 behold when Zepliyrus with a gentle breath plays with 

 them." — Seven Champions, Part III. eh. xvi. 



Cymbeline is one of the latest of Shakspeare's 

 plays, and this shows how the language of the 

 Seven Chanipiiimi had impressed itself on his 

 mind. I am hence induced to think that in 



" Fly with false aim ; move the still-peering air. 

 That sings with piercing," 



^ 'All's Well, Act III. Sc. 2. 



the poet's word for " stWl-peering," which is un- 

 doubtedly wrong, was " st'iW-JIeetiug ; " for in the 

 Seven Champions (Part III. ch. xiii.) we meet, 

 "Whose feathered arrows outrun the piercing eye, 

 and cut a passage through i.\\e. fleeting air." I do 

 not like " still piecing," which is the reading most 

 approved, though I know that piecing signifies 

 joining as well as eking, adding ; but there is an 

 unpleasant jingle between it and piercing, even 

 supposing the latter pronounced percing. I once 

 thought that " still-peering " might be right, 

 taking still in the sense of tranquil ; but I can 

 find no authority. When in composition, it al- 

 ways denotes continuance. 



I may have been anticipated in these dis- 

 coveries, but having examined the Boswell-Ma- 

 lone editions, and those of Collier (1st), Knight, 

 Singer, and Dyce, I have found no traces of 

 them. Thomas Keightlev. 



KING ALFRED S JEWEL. 



Upon a recent visit to Oxford, the place of my 

 nativity, I paid my accustomed devoir to the 

 many interesting antiquities which pertain to the 

 University, and amongst those in the Ashmolean 

 Museum. In this I'eceptacle of curiosities, there 

 is not one more rare than King Alfred's jewel ; 

 some particulars in relation to which may not in- 

 appropriately be recorded in the pages of " N. & 

 Q." I should be glad if any of its readers can 

 furnish me with more information in relation to 

 this precious jewel than is contained in Brayley's 

 Graphic Illustrator, which, I think, establishes its 

 authenticity beyond dispute. 



This very curious and beautiful specimen of 

 Anglo-Saxon art was found in the isle of Athel- 

 ney in Somersetshire about the close of the- seven- 

 teenth century. It is of pure gold enamelled, 

 and on one side partly faced by crystal ; the 

 weight is somewhat more than an ounce, and its 

 length about two inches and a half. 



We learn from Asser (his friend and biogra- 

 pher) that when King Alfred had by his victories 

 secured the blessings of peace, he resolved to ex- 

 tend among them a knowledge of the arts ; for 

 which purpose he collected " from many nations an 

 almost innumerable multitude of artificers, many 

 of them the most expert in their respective 

 trades." Among the workmen were " not a few " 

 who wrought in gold and silver; and who, acting 

 under the immediate instructions of Alfred " in- 

 comparably executed " (so says Asser) " many 

 things with those metals." In accordance with 

 the inscription on the jewel itself, therefore, which 

 records the name of Alfred in those peculiar cha- 



