2»'i S. VI. 144., Oct. 2. '58.] 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



273 



Treasury of Wit, fcap. 8vo., Sunderland, 1788. 



Jemmy'Twitcher's Jests, 12mo., Glasgow, 179S. 



Versatile Ingenium, the Wittie Companion, 12mo., 

 Amst., 1G79. 



Wits, Fits, and Fancies, 4to., Lond., 1G14. 



YoriL-k's Jests, or Wit's Common-place Book, 12mo., 

 Lond. 1783. 



I have, I think, omitted a few, upon which I 

 cannot ininiediately lay my hand ; but if this list 

 is of sufficient interest to your readers, I may sup- 

 ply the deficiency at some future time. 



It is obvious that the list might be greatly en- 

 larged if we were to include the numerous publi- 

 cations of the same class which have issued from 

 the various provincial presses. Were a complete 

 enumeration intended, it would be proper to in- 

 clude collections of anecdotes ; which, although 

 rot purporting to be facetious, generally convey 

 some ingenious turn of thought, or happy expres- 

 sion. We should also mention the many volumes 

 of epigrams, and other compilations of short 

 poetical pieces of a humorous character, of which 

 perhaps the least that is said the better. I have 

 confined myself to such as are in the English lan- 

 guage, conceiving your querist's object to be thus 

 limited. It need not be remarlsed, however, that, 

 without reverting to classical times (when even 

 the fabulists might be ranlvcd among collectors of 

 jests), there are many collections in Latin of the 

 sixteenth and seventeenth centuries of a highly 

 grotesque character ; nor will your readers re- 

 quire to be informed, that in all the continental 

 languages books of a similar class are no less 

 abundant than in our own. 



Of all the collections which I have mentioned, 

 the Encyclopedia of Wit, Bannantyne's Modern 

 Joe Millei; Scrapeana, and Chambers's Scottish 

 Jests, appear to contain the largest quantity of 

 matter. I cannot commend the first two for their 

 freedom from indecorum. The third is perhaps 

 as little offensive as most books of the kind ; and 

 the same may be said of the last, which, indeed, 

 appears to me (speaking deferentially of the popu- 

 lar compiler) to be rather heavy, and to confirm 

 an opinion once pretty generally received that 

 the Scotch are not very much alive to the effects 

 of humour. The bulk of the other publications, 

 particularly those of early date, are, as may be 

 readily imagined, not such as could with pro- 

 priety be left open to general perusal. I can ex- 

 cept only Kett's Flowers of Wit, and the Polite 

 Jester. 



A detailed examination of the contents of the 

 several collections would be inadmissible in your 



Eages, and would ill repay the reader. What I 

 avc already said is perhaps sufficient to satisfy 

 M.'s inquiry. 



With regard to songs, I have not the same 

 quantity of material at my disposal, and I there- 

 fore leave that part of the Query to those whose 

 musical pursuits have led them to study the sub- 



ject. I merely observe that, as far as my own 

 observation has carried me, collections of songs 

 are more generally sentimental than comic in their 

 character ; and that such as are professedly of the 

 latter class, are usually more fit for the pot-house 

 than the drawing-room. The following may be 

 mentioned as among the largest collections of 

 songs : Aikin's, Dibdin's, Ritson's, Plumptre's. 

 These, I believe, are all unobjectionable ; but 

 there are innumerable others, which must be 

 known to most of your readers. B, S. Q. 



GREGORIANS. 



(2"'^ S. vi. 206.) 



" Some, deep Freemasons, join the silent race. 

 Worthy to fill Pytliagoras's place ; 

 Some botanists, or florists at the least, 

 Or issue members of an annual feast, 

 Nor past the meanest unregarded, one 

 Rose a Gregorian, one a Gormagon." * 



Dunciad, Bk. IV. v. 572. 

 The Gregorians had numerous lodges or chap- 

 ters. One exercised great influence at Norwich : 

 it bespoke plays, and the members attended with 

 all their decorations ; at contested elections for 

 the city they proceeded to the hustings in regular 

 order, and in full costume. The large rooni at 

 the principal inn is decorated with their arms. 

 Towards the close of their existence, for they are 

 supposed to be defunct, they were memorable for 

 their deep potations of Port wine. Sir Jacob Astley 

 of the day had his portrait painted, wearing the 

 insignia. The engraving is dedicated to him aa 

 " Grand " of the Gregorians. 



Their arms are azure, a fess wavy, between, in 

 chief, a dove volant ; in base, two snakes entwined 

 (caduceus fashion). Crest, Time, with his hour- 

 glass and scythe. Supporters, a wivern, and a dove 

 with the olive branch. Motto, in Hebrew charac- 

 ters, " Shalom," i. e. Peace. I have three different 

 medals or badges of the society, probably belong- 

 ing to different chapters. One, diameter two 

 inches, has the arms, supporters, and motto, but 

 not the crest. The Serpent of Eternity forms a 

 border. Another, about the same size, has the 

 crest, but not the serpent. The third has the 

 arms, supporters, crest, and motto. On the broad 

 rim is PONXErEACT, probably the place where the 

 chapter existed, and on a band below has been 

 something, now purposely obliterated, probably 

 the name of the member to whom the badge be- 

 longed. On the reverse is a philosopher seated, 

 pointing with one hand to the sun, which occupies 

 the whole field, and with the other to a scroll ly- 

 ing on a globe, and explaining something to three 

 youths who stand before him. Beiiind him is a 



* A sort of lay brothers, two of the innumerable slips 

 from the roots of the Freemasons, 



