264 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



[2»'J S. VI. 144., Oct. 2. '58. 



Consilii deliberacione in tanta necessitate et discrimine 

 positi. — Et quia nostris raagia Religiosis et subditis, 

 quam externorura auxiliis uti in nostra angustia statu- 

 imus Tenore prresentium Vobis Venerabili Priori commit- 

 timus ut visis prajsentibus Assembleam prjeceptorum et 

 fratrum dicti prioratus convocetis vel aliter provideatis 

 sicut vobis melius videbitur — la qua quidem prinio pro- 

 videatur de Religioso provide Vestro locumtenente in 

 dicto prioratu — et de persouis idoneis priECupacione re- 

 sponsionum ordinariaruni et areragiorum et aliarum 

 rerum pertinentium nostro comuni tesauro — Ita ut or- 

 dinatis temporibus ab omnibus qui debebunt integralis 

 fiat satisfactio pro nostri Conventus sustentacione. Dein- 

 de eligantur quatuor prjeceptores bene dispositi et apti 

 bello — quibus quidem quatuor prseceptoribus sic ut prte- 

 mittitur electis et omnibus fratribus Conventualibus dicti 

 Nostri Prioratus extra Conventum existentibus sub vir- 

 tute Sanctoe obediential ac poena condemnataj rebellionis 

 ac privacione officiorum et beneficiorum babitorum atque 

 habendorum in Nostro Ordine praecipimus et districte 

 priEcipiendo mandamus, quatenus sine mora ipsi pnecep- 

 tores electi arendent [ ? ] suas prajceptorias quibuscumque 

 eis possibile sit ad annos tres pecuniis anticipatis — Super 

 quo Vos Venerabilis Prior eis licentiam dabitis — et ipsam 

 ibl ad cautelam concedimus et donaraus — Salvis taraen 

 responsionibus ordinariis et juribus Nostri Coraunis te- 

 sauri ac oneribus impositis et imponendis per Nostram 

 Religionem quas et quae reservari et infallibiliter solvi 

 volumus pro dicti Nostri Conventus manutencione. — Et 

 prtemissi sic electi et alii fratres Conventuales de quibus 

 supra fit mentio bene fulciti armis pecuniis et servitoribus 

 ex partibus in armis eis sustinendis propriis expensis 

 possibilibus cum primo passagio magis propinco [ ? ] et 

 comodo hue Khodum celeriter proticiscantur — Sciinus 

 aut' [autem] nos esse opus mandatis aut aliis admoni- 

 tionibus Vos Venerabiles Priores solicitare ob vestrara 

 affectionem, quam ad Religionem Nostram geritis sed 

 Vos rogamus ut personaliter cum decenti coramittiva et 

 armis sufficientibus fratres vobiscum praemissos electos et 

 alios supradictos ad memoratum Nostrum Conventum 

 contcndatis — et nullo modo deficiatis, et acceleratis iter 

 et gi'essus vestros quia nunc tempus est ut pro Nobis et 

 fide Catolica senipiternam gloriam comparemus. — Si qui 

 vero prajceptores dicti Nostri Prioratus erunt debiles, 

 senea et infirmi qui venire nequeant, eos taxetis ut in 

 pecuniis tantum quid solvant — QuiE pecuniae in artil- 

 liariis et rebus bello necessariis expendantur et pro defen- 

 sione hujus Nostras Urbis trajiciantur vel potius vobiscum 

 feratis — Interim tamen Nos paramus — et quantum pos- 

 snmus ad defensionem nos munimus licet pauci simus et 

 pauperes. Nam his causantibus Teucri prosperitatibus 

 ijecesse est ad debita magna pro hujus loci ac Insularum 

 Nostrarum tutela et defensione descendere et declinare. — 

 In cujus rei testimonium Bulla Nostra Magistralis in cera 

 nigra praesentibus est impressa. Datura Rhodi in Nostro 

 Conventu die VI. mensis Julij Anno ab Incarnato Christo 

 Jhesu Domino Nostro Millesimo qnadrigesimo quinqua- 

 gesirao tertio." 



THE midshipman's THREE DINNERS. 



I do not think there is any harm in putting the 

 following story on record. It was told me, many 

 years ago, by the hero of it, my very valued friend 

 Captain (afterwards Admiral Sir Francis) Beau- 

 fort. There are many men in whose mouths such 

 a story would pass for a flourisli : but all who 

 knew Sir Francis Beaufort also know how sin- 

 gularly and eminently free he was from all dispo- 



sition to exaggerate. In fact, nothing but the 

 notoriety of his character in this respect, and in 

 several others which tend the same way, would 

 justify the publication : to gain him the reputa- 

 tion of a mender of good stories would be rather 

 a difficult task. The oddity of the circumstance 

 struck me so much that I remember the details, 

 and almost the phrases. We were talking of a 

 midshipman's appetite, as a thing which bears a 

 high character for energy and punctuality, and 

 Capt. Beaufort said it had never been fully tried 

 how many dinners a midshipman could eat in 

 one day. " I," said he, " got as far as three." I 

 begged to know the particulars, and he gave them 

 as follows : — "I had eaten my dinner at the mid- 

 shipman's table, and a very good one, as I always 

 did. After it, the captain's steward came up, and 

 said : ' The captain's compliments, and desires the 

 favour of your company to dinner.' ' But I've 

 dined,' said I. ' For mercy's sake, don't say that, 

 Sir,' said he, ' for I shall be in a scrape if you do ; 

 I ought to have asked you this morning, but I 

 forgot.' So I thought I must go ; and two hours 

 afterwards I did go, and I dined, and I think I 

 made my usual good dinner. Just as we rose 

 from table, a signal was made by the admiral to 

 send an officer on board, and, as it was my turn, I 

 had to go off in the boat. AVhen I got on board 

 the admiral's ship, the admiral said to me : 'Ah ! 

 Mr. Beaufort, I believe.' ' Yes, Sir,' said I. 

 ' Well, Mr. Beaufort,' said he, ' the papers you 

 are to take back will not be ready this half hour ; 

 but I am just sitting down to dinner, and shall be 

 glad of your company.' Now, you know, as to a 

 midshipman refusing to dine with the admiral, 

 there are not the words for it in the naval dic- 

 tionary. So I sat down to my third dinner, and 

 I am sure I did very well ; and I got back to my 

 own ship just in time for tea." 



Admiral Beaufort's career strikingly shows 

 through how many dangers a human life may be 

 preserved to the age of eighty-four. He had a 

 very large share both of shot-risks and sea-risks. 

 He was wrecked in early youth on the very reef 

 his ship was sent to look out for. He was twice 

 wounded to the utmost extent of danger short of 

 what " will do." He was fully drowned : and his 

 account of the sensations, as given to Dr. AVol- 

 laston, is perhaps the clearest and most trust- 

 worthy narration that we have on that subject. I 

 never knew till about two months before his death, 

 long as I had known him, that our connexion was 

 of a much earlier date than our acquaintance. He 

 commanded the convoy of the fleet in which I was 

 brought home from India in infancy. He was then 

 thirty-three years old ; and an officer would not 

 have been nominated, in time of war, to take home 

 more ships than he had years over his head, if a 

 very high opinion had not been formed of his 

 judgment and presence of mind. The last note I 



