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seated on the throne, after the decisive battle near the walls of Toro, she exacted from many of the nobles-especially the Marquis of Cadiz-the full restitution of the domains, and royal fortresses which had been wrested from the crown. (See Prescott's Ferdinand and Isabella, vol. i. p. 255, ed. London, 1849.) Similar concessions were demanded and obtained from the Duke of Medina Sidonia. Moreover, "the grandees were prohibited from quartering the royal arms on their escutcheons, from being attended by a macebearer and a body guard, from imitating the regal style of address in their written correspondence, and other insignia of royalty which they had arrogantly assumed" (ut suprà, p. 268.)

It was necessary, however, to proceed with great caution in dealing with such a powerful and jealous body as the Castilian aristocracy. The Catholic sovereigns, by little and little, soon curtailed the immense power of the turbulent nobility. Two measures especially promoted this important object to a great extent. The first consisted in making all official appointments to posts of responsibility, depend more on personal merit than upon noble birth and rank. Hence we find that Ferdinand and Isabella often passed over the grandees of the court, and promoted individuals of humble origin, but of commanding virtues and talents, to the highest civil and ecclesiastical dignities. A remarkable instance of this wise measure occurs in the case of the great Cardinal Ximenez, who, though not noble by birth, was elevated to the archiepiscopal see of Toledo after the death of Cardinal Mendoza. This high post had before been always filled by men of rank and opulence. But in Ximenez, though nobility of birth would have been an accidental advantage to him, yet its absence was amply compensated for by the united splendour of his virtue and talents.

The other measure which the Catholic sovereigns adopted was the boldest of all, viz. that by which the nobles were compelled to contribute a part of their revenues towards replenishing the funds of the royal exchequer, the annual revenues of which, under Henry IV. amounted to no more than 30,000 ducats. The retrenchment seems to have been conducted with strict impartiality. (See Crónica del Gran Cardenal de España, cap. 51, Toledo, 1625, por Señor Doctor de Salazar y de Mendoza.)

The policy adopted by Ferdinand and Isabella, in reference to the military orders of Castile, also tended to curtail the power of the grandees, and to centre it solely in the sovereigns. The subject is fully discussed by Spanish writers, and also by Mr. Prescott. The history of the three great military orders in the peninsula is exceedingly interesting. They were composed of the Order of Santiago of Compostella, of the Knights of Calatrava, and of the Order of Alcantara. The Moorish wars gave

rise to their institution, though the Knights of Santiago were originally intended to protect pilgrims from the incursions of the Saracens on their way to the shrine of St. James at Compostella, in Galicia. These orders gradually became so rich and so powerful, that, in the time of Ferdinand and Isabella, the rents of the Mastership of Santiago amounted to 60,000 ducats, those of Calatrava to 45,000, and those of Alcantara to about 40,000; while, at the same time, there was hardly a district or province which was not covered with their castles and religious houses. Hence the possessors of the "Grand Masterships," from the extensive patronage and the authority which they obtained, were raised almost to the level of royalty itself.

Isabella, by the assistance of the Pope, gradually managed to have the control of these military orders vested in herself and her consort, who were thereby enabled to reform the various abuses which had impaired their ancient discipline. Afterwards, the affairs of these orders were conducted by a tribunal called the "Council of Orders," which took cognizance of all their temporal and ecclesiastical concerns.

Charles V. reduced the number of grandees to sixteen families, viz. Medina-Sidonia, Albuquerque, Escalona, Infantado, Naxera, Alva, Arcos, Bejar, Medina del Rio-Seco, Frias, Astorga, Aquilar, Benevente, Lernos, and the Dukes of Segorba and Montalto. (See Dunlop's Memoirs of Spain during the Reigns of Philip IV. and Charles II. vol. ii. p. 378, ed. Edinburgh, 1834.) Every noble was not necessarily a grandee. Grandees of the "first class" were elevated far above the rest of the nobility, by their ancient privilege of remaining covered in presence of their sovereign. This was the most prized of all their privileges. Those, however, who possessed it were divided into three classes: 1. Grandees, who covered themselves at once, before addressing the king; 2. Grandees, who covered themselves after they had spoken, but before they received their answer; 3. Grandees, who were only permitted to cover when they had made their last obeisance, and mingled with the crowd of courtiers. Their titles might be Duke, Marquis, or Count; but a grandee always bore the ducal coronet, and was addressed by the appellation of Excellencia. The same privileges are still enjoyed by certain grandees in the court of her Catholic Majesty, Isabella II.

I believe that the title of Duque necessarily implies "grandeeship," but it by no means follows that every grandee is a duke The rank of a grandee is conferred by the sovereign addressing the individual with the word cubraos,

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cover yourself." Hence the dignity, as in the case of a cardinal, is called a hat. It was (and no doubt is still) the ambition of many gran dees, to unite in themselves as many grandee

ships as possible, by the marriage of heiresses, &c.; for dignities descend through females, ad infinitum, and the names and titles are assumed by the husbands, who take great pride in having "four or five hats." Each hat brings with it a whole string of family names, whence comes the amusing story of a benighted grandee, who knocked at a lonely inn; and being asked the usual question-"Quien es? ("Who is there?") replied, "Don Diego de Mendoza Silva Ribera Guzman Pimental Osorio Ponce de Leon Zuniga, Acuña Tellez y Giron, Sandoval y Roxas, Velasco." "In that case," interrupted the landlord, shutting his window, "go with God; there is not room for half of you." (See an article in the Quarterly, No. cxxiii. entitled "Spanish Genealogy and Heraldry." It is there that Mr. Ford, who evidently wrote the article, mentions this story.)

Spanish heralds classify blood, like we do Admirals, into red and blue. Simple blood is the vulgar blood of the base-born plebeian; but red blood is the noble fluid which is found only in the veins of the hidalgo; while the sangre azul, the blue blood, par excellence, flows only in a grandee

of the first class! The least mixture of Moorish or Jewish blood is supposed to taint a whole family to the most distant generations. A person free from tainted blood is defined by law Christiano viejo, limpio de toda mula raza y mancha, "An old Christian, clean from all bad race and stain." (Doblado's Letters from Spain, Letter II. London, 1822.) It is, however, quite true that many of the Spanish grandees derive a large portion of their blood both from Moors and Jews.

In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries the wealth of the grandees was almost fabulous. Most of their families were connected with individuals who were or had been viceroys in Mexico or Peru, and hence enormous quantities of gold and silver plate were exhibited on their sideboards on grand occasions. Some grandees, it is said, possessed 1200 dozen of silver dishes, and as many plates; indeed, a nobleman was considered to be poorly provided, who had not at least 800 dozen of dishes, and 200 dozen of silver plates! (Dunlop's Memoirs of the Court of Spain, vol. ii. p. 381). The pride and indolence of many of the grandees were almost as proverbial as their opulence. Lady Fanshawe, in her Memoirs (ed. London, 1830, p. 168), gives a curious instance of the former in the following account:

"That afternoon the Duke of Albuquerque came to visit my husband, and afterwards me, with his brother, Don Melchor de la Cueva. As soon as the duke was seated and covered, he said: Madam, I am Don Juan de la Cueva, Duke of Albuquerque, Viceroy of Milan, of His Majesty's Privy Council, General of the Galleys, twice Grandee, the first Gentleman of His Majesty's Bedchamber, and a near kinsman to His Catholic Majesty, whom God long preserve!' and then rising up, and making me a low reverence, with his hat off, he said- These,

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"N. & Q." is the new Foundling Hospital for Wit; the receptacle, not only of original articles, but of literary waifs and strays of every kindan universal anonymiana, scrapiana, omniana, and de-quibusdam-rebus-ana. Here are garnered flyleaf scribblings and marginalia of old-world booklovers, unpublished (why do people say edited," which ought to mean, if English at all, quite a different thing?) letters of eminent men, and their forgotten anecdotes, deedes, and gestes." Here, too, are appropriately localised, as it were, matters of interest and importance to literary men, which, although actually in print, are buried in scarce, forgotten, ephemeral, or purely local publications unknown or inaccessible, and to which reference neither could nor would be made; while, on the other hand, no future editor or biographer will consider his duty performed till he has searched the Index of "N. & Q." for anything that may give value and completeness to his own labours.

Thus it is that I have thought fit to transcribe a most interesting letter of S. T. Coleridge, which, so far as I know, has only appeared in a defunct local periodical--The Birmingham Iris and Midland Counties Monthly Magazine for April 1839. This magazine one of the thousand-and-one abortive attempts to establish a local literary periodical in this town-was set on foot by Mr. T. J. Ouseley, then resident here as editor of a local newspaper, but became extinct after a struggling existence of four months. The letter, addressed to the editor himself (?), conveys its own history, and is as follows:

"2nd September, 1826.

"Oh it is sad, Sir, to know distress, and to feel for it, and yet to have no power of remedy. Conscious that my circumstances have neither been the penalty of sloth, nor of extravagance, or vicious habits, but have resulted from the refusal, since earliest manhood, to sacrifice my conscience to my temporal interest, and from a practice of writing what my fellow citizens want, rather than what they like, I suffer no pang of shame, in avowing to you that I do not possess as many shillings as you mention pounds: and that if I were arrested for a debt of eight sovereigns, I have no other means of procuring the money but by the sale of my books, that are to me the staff of life. The whole of my yearly income does not amount to the prime cost of my necessary maintenance,clothes, shelter, food, and medicine; the rest I owe to the more than brotherly regard of my disinterested friend, Mr. Gillman; to whose medical skill I owe it, under God,

that I am alive; and to whose, and his amiable wife's Georgio Mylio." It is dedicated to Augustus, unceasing kindness, I am indebted for all that makes life Duke of Saxony. This also had belonged to endurable. Even when my health is at the best, I can Melanchthon, as it contains very many notes in his only exert myself for a few hours in the twenty-four, and these I conscientiously devote to the completion of the handwriting. Both these works are beautiful great works, in the matter and composition of which, I copies, but they had been bound after leaving the have employed the last twenty years of a laborious life-possession of the original owner, and the careless if hard thinking and hard reading constitute labour. But binder had slightly cut in some places the margin, for the last six months such has been the languor and and thus injured partially some of the notes. debility of my frame-languor alternating with severe pain, that I have not been able to maintain the scanty correspondence with the few friends I possess. By publications I, or rather two or three generous friends, have lost about 3007.; for I cannot, at least will not, write in reviews; and what I can write, the public will not read. So that I have no connection with any magazine, paper, or periodical publication of any kind; nor have I had interest enough to procure, in any review or journal, even the announcement of my last work-the Aids to Re

flection.' I neither live for the world nor in the world.

"I read your poem not without pleasure, or what would have been pleasure, could I have detached the lines from the distress of their writer. My utter want of access to all the editors of magazines, and of influence with the London publishers, will explain my remitting them to you, together with your letter, which no eyes but mine have seen since its receipt; and with most sincere wishes that the occasion of this correspondence may be of short continuance, and that I may, without knowing it, hereafter meet you more than a conqueror over your present perplexity, I remain, Sir, with every kind wish, and distressed that I have that only to offer, "Yours respectfully,

Edgbaston.

"S. T. COLERIDGE."
WILLIAM BATES.

Bayle, in a note on the life of Melanchthon, mentions his daughter's marriage to Sabinus; and after eulogising the poetry of the latter, reveals the heart-burnings between the son-in-law and the father, arising out of Melanchthon declining in any way to assist him in his ambitious views. This family discord is singularly confirmed by the autograph statement of Melanchthon in the very remarkable note which he has written on the title of the poems.

Sabinus's wife, Anne, died at Königsberg in 1547; Sabinus died in 1560, the same year with his father-in-law. His wife was but fourteen when he married her at Wittenberg, Nov. 16, 1536. She was an excellent Latin scholar, and very beautiful. His only sister married Gaspar Peucer in 1550. Of Melanchthon's genuine piety and amiable disposition, Bayle has this anecdote. A gentleman one day found Melancthon with a book in one hand, and rocking a child with the other. Observing the surprise of his visitor, this excellent man discoursed so piously on the duties of parents that the stranger went away deeply impressed by what he saw and heard. J. M.

PHILIP MELANCHTHON AND HIS SON-IN-LAW. A notice of a literary curiosity of some interest may not be unacceptable to the readers of "N. & Q." It is the first edition of the poems of George Sabine, the son-in-law of Philip Melanchthon, in whose possession it had been, and who seems to have carefully perused it.

--

The following is a copy of the title :"Georgii Sabini Brandeburgensis Elegia, argumentis utiles ac variæ, et carminibus elegantibus compositæ, et nunc primum conjunctim expressæ. Lipsia, in officina Valentini Papæ. Anno MDL."

On the title-page is written in the distinct hand of Melanchthon

"Sabinus Philippi Melan. gener factus, anno c. 1536." This was evidently written shortly after the publication; and at a later period there was added

"Qui postea semper ad magnas dignitates et opes aspirare cœpit, donec a socero per discidium separatus in Borussiam ad Academiam venit. Socer non ægre ferebat ejus insolentiam ut qui semper humilitatem amare et sectari solebat. . M."

It bears evidence of Melanchthon's anxious revision, and is full of his autograph notanda. There is bound up with it "Declamatiuncula cum carmine elegiaco et Sapphico de salutifera nativitate servatoris ac domini nostri Iesu Christi. Autore

EARLY SURNAMES.
[NO. IV.]

The subjoined surnames are to be met with in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Gillingham, Dorset, now in the possession of the Marquis of Westminster. These records form a very fine and almost unbroken series between the years 1290 and 1690, and are about 400 or 500 in number. In selecting the following specimens of curious nomenclature, most of which do not appear in Mr. Lower's standard treatise, it has been deemed unnecessary to give more than the reign in which the names occur, in order to avoid a complication of figures:

Edw. I.-Amicia Godesengel, Gilbert le Snake, Joh. de Cruce (Cross is a modern Dorset name), Anastasia Scoketil or Skoketil, John le Glywere, Nicholas, son of William le Eorl; Peter le Cheyndut, William Wlechwater, John le Vilur, John Pleystret, Walter Gompe, Thomas le Melkere, Richard le Packere, John and William le Coyt, Hugh le Pipe, Robert le Wulfische, Roger le Gandere, Robt. le Gentil, Hen. le Dykere, Rog. le Ghonge, John Fughelere, Will le But, Hen. le Sope, Thos. le Vox (Fox occurs further on in the rolls), Walt.

le Ermite, Ric. Schaunk, Matilda le Swones, Wm. le Machun, John Dogerel of Wincanton, Somerset (there are Dogerels even yet at Gillingham); Thos. Blikenin, Hugh le Yrays (Irish still exists in the county), Thomas Strikemeche, Wm. Loterype, Joh. Blakyernstak, Roger le Swynheler (a pig doctor?), Walter Shepeshened, Constantia le Balleres, Christina la Lormineres, Ric. le Northerne, John Tougud (Too-good), Ric. le Wymplere, William Bakerman, William le Priche, Adam le Pope, Benedict de Piro, Joh. Charenchons.

Edw. II.—Hen. le Soper, Godwin Gulofr, Thos. le Deer, Peter Damegoude, Hen. le Cholomr, Thos. le Hopere of Byndon, Wm. Levelief, John Lytegrey, Thomas le Somenour; Adams, son of John Fynybird, Wm. Musket, Wm. Makepays, Alice Tredegold, John Metegod, John fil John Atte Bottine, Alice Faderes, Robt. Hyldebrond, Thomas le Smeremonger (smeremonger means a seller of butter, oil, cheese, &c.), John le Porkere, Ric. le Saghiere (sawyer?), Thomas Boderstak.

Edw. III.-Thomas le Oxenhurde (Cowhurd occurs in these rolls), Roger Melksopp, Joh. le Lord, Ric. fil Ric. le Halte, Walter Toulth, Steph. le Weytere, Mich. le Pleire, Agnes Faderfadul, John Twentimark, Robt. Schermtail, Thomas le Hostiler, Joh. le Taverner, Wm. Hyllary, Edith Fayrplace, Joh. Peccator, Roger Holylond, Joh. le Threscher, Joh. Bakhous, Robt. le Sunyere, Wm. Wellifedde, Ric. le Bolte, Robt. le Senyoghere (senior?), Walter Pylewyne, John Chacebal, Roger le Hoy, Roger Porcheman, Richard Cukeman, William Broketouth, Joh. de Culverhous, Wm. Mureweder, Walter Lugg, Margery Alte Wodesend (local in Gillinham), Walter Penystrong, Thos. Reynaldyn, Thomas Sureman, John Springalday, John Verkeday, John Bonswayn, John Goldwegg, Joh. le Threscher.

Rich. II. Ric. Workman, Joh. le Man, John Doo or Do, Joh. Canyngmerch, Joh. Sleywroghte, Geoffry Knappecalte, Joh. Goldhoppe, Ric. Northmost, Robert Dogg, Alice and Robt. Bryghtnet, Joh. Sexteyn, Nic Spelemaker, Joh. Kullepeke, John Aquebagelus (aquæ-bajulus, water carrier ?), Thomas Gondsgrom.

Hen. IV.-Joh. Hogeman, Wm. Goldreve. Hen. V.-Joh. Cutberd, Hugh Proteman. Hen. VI.-Simon de Peterespeny, Thomas Tuberer, John Homer, Jane, wife of Thomas Dawe ("a common scold, and disturber of the peace.") Edw. IV.-Joh. Dur (" native of the Abbot of Middleton "), John Spedehome.

Hen. VIII.-Thomas Honyball.

It will be observed that the more peculiar surnames become very much rarer after Edward III. until they are almost lost, comparatively speaking, in the days of the later Henries.

Y. Y.

"KING RICHARD III.:" "PUSH ALONG-KEEP MOVING."

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In the good old city of Durham some forty-five years ago there was a favourite comedian, whose sobriquet of "Push along-Keep moving" had been acquired by his habit of singing that then popular song on all possible occasions. It chanced that towards the end of a theatrical season the actor was waited upon by some of the merry "wags of Durham," who promised him a bumper if he would play Richard at his approaching "benefit." (These were the same "wags" who so strongly insisted that the monody on the burial of Sir John Moore" was written by Dr. Marshall of Durham.) After some misgivings and demurs, the actor, who really was a worthy obliging fellow, consented for that particular occasion to exchange the sock for the buskin. The eventful night at length arrived, and the little theatre was crammed from floor to ceiling by an audience impatient for the fun. On the rising of the curtain, Gloucester was so bewildered by the unusual compliments which greeted him, that he for some minutes stood with rolling eyes, and open mouth, quite unable to comply with a request from the "wags" in the pit, to "leave off his damnable faces and begin," or of one from "the gods," to "push along

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keep moving." At length, by a frantic effort "to do or die," he look up to the ceiling, waived his arms affectedly, and shouted "Now is the winter," &c. in tones so sepulchral, and style so absurdly bombastic, that his hearers actually roared again; and, until his death on the stage, to display his swordmanship, such a "Richard" was "in the field" as would have greatly astonished the shade of Shakspeare had it been present. Kichard, poor fellow, fought well, but Richmond was too much for him; and he was killed, and about to be taken away to be buried prematurely, when, on a simultaneous demand by pit, boxes, and gallery for "Push along-keep moving," up jumped the dead monarch, and gave the song in his best style. Having accomplished this astounding feat, he very gravely lay down again, stiffened his limbs, and was carried off feet foremost amid a demonstration of approval which threatened the safety of the house. There was a great attempt to encore this "sensation" scene, but the actor was only too glad to escape by making the bearers "push along-keep moving" until he was seen no more. The actor, now a veteran artist of no mean note, is still alive, and is wont to amuse his friends at social gatherings with the story of Richard III. and "Push along-keep moving;" but I never could learn if his Richard was a serious or a comic effort.

Seaton-Carew, co. Durham.

R. W. DIXON.

TEXT OF WALTER SCOTT'S NOVELS.

I have been from boyhood a reader of these works, and I look upon any tampering with the text as a literary offence of serious character. Before proceeding to point out one, of a very aggravated kind, I will state an anecdote told me by Dr. Lardner at the time when it happened.

As soon as the "History of Scotland" appeared in the Cabinet Cyclopædia, Mr. Lockhart called on Dr. Lardner, the editor, in somewhat of a fume. He pointed out scotticisms, solecisms, &c., and asked how they could possibly have been allowed to pass. "Why, what could I do?" said Lardner. "Do!" returned Lockhart, "alter them, to be sure!" "Alter Scott's writing!" said Lardner; "I should never have thought of taking such a liberty!" "We always do it," replied Lockhart; "Scott is the most careless fellow in the world, and we look at all his proofs."

This was all very well, as long as Scott was alive to sanction the alterations. A search through editions, will ascertain whether what follows was permitted by him: if so, his right hand had forgotten its cunning; if not, there is proof of meddling not guided by knowledge. I think it not improbable that a practice tolerated during Scott's life may have been continued, after his death, in a mode to which writers in general would not have been subjected.

In the Antiquary, as all know or ought to know, Mr. Dousterswivel attempts an astrological discovery of hidden treasure. He writes on a silver "Schedbarschemoth Schartachan, dat is, plate: de Intelligence of the Intelligence of de Moon; and I make his picture like a flying serpent, with a turkey-cock's head." In the first edition (1816) it was "Intelligency of the Intelligence:" this was soon altered, as above. In all the recent editions, it is altered into " Emblem of the Intelligence;" in which are two gross blunders. First, the flying serpent is made to be the picture of an emblem. Secondly, Scott's accurate transcript from Cornelius Agrippa is defaced. If there be anything which is more visible than another in old magic and alchemy, it is the tendency to reduplication of terms: the predecessor of this very Intelligence of Intelligence," in Agrippa, is the demon of the demons. See my 66 Budget of Paradoxes," No. II., Athenæum, No. 1877, Oct. 17, 1863.

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Scott aimed at correctness in his accounts of old demonology, &c.; and he read largely on the subject. There can be no greater offence against his text, than to bungle it into inaccuracy on points of magic. I do not know how far license may have been extended; but I should hope that the next edition of the novels will be carefully read with the originals. If the anecdote which I heard be correct-and Lardner's astonishment at

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NEW EDITION OF BISHOP BERKELEY'S "WORKS." I beg to inform you that a new edition of Bishop Berkeley's Works has been undertaken by Professor Fraser of Edinburgh, for the delegates of the Oxford Clarendon Press. Professor Fraser will have access to important unpublished MSS., including the Bishop's Commonplace Book, and other matter in possession of the Rev. H. J. Rose. It will much enhance the value of this edition, if those of your readers who are in possession of biographical facts, letters, or important annotated editions, or any unpublished works of Berkeley, not hitherto included in collected editions, will communicate to the editor, Professor Fraser, 12, Rutland Street, Edinburgh, or to me.

ALEXANDER MACMILLAN,

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E. H. A.

THE SKY AT SUNSET. I have frequently noticed at sunset that the sky, though blue, and perhaps intensely blue elsewhere, yet, in the neighbourhood of the setting sun, and for some degrees above the horizon, becomes of a cold, but very delicate greyish white, or silvery grey, the coldbrightened, up by a pink or yellow tinge. What ness being, however, in parts either warmed, or is the cause of this change of colour? Is it, perhaps, that the yellow and red rays from the setting sun falling upon the blue of the sky, combine with it and form a sort of white ? * At all events, it is only where the rays of the setting sun fall that the sky becomes thus pallid, and small clouds underlying this changed sky may be seen tinged red, yellow, orange, or salmon-colour. No doubt most of your readers have noticed the fact, and many, perhaps, may suggest a better explanation.

F. CHANCE.

THREE OF THE MOST POPULAR BOOKS IN ENGLAND IN 1594.-Looking through Bishop King's

excess of red or yellow rays. The pink or yellow tinge would thus arise from an

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