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ELIZABETH ELSTOB, THE SAXONIST.

Outlines of the Life of a Learned Lady, in the (so-called) Augustan Age of English Literature

CHAP. III.

BY MRS. CAROLINE A. WHITE.

In spite of Dr. Hick's recommendation the English Saxon Homily found but a few subscribers at Oxford, which according to the epigram was wholly Tory:

"The King to Oxford sent his troops of horse;
For Tories own no argument but force.
With equal care to Cambridge books he sent ;
For Whigs allow no force but argument;"

The old city of Canterbury must have always had a special interest for Elizabeth Elstob, not only from her girlish associations with it, but from its connection with her Saxon studies, and the lives of the early saints and prelates. City and suburbs must have been full of interesting reminiscences, hidden and remote from antiquarians who were not Saxonists like herself. The quaint carved-timbered houses of which the and the dedication of the book to the Queen principal streets consisted, were as yet undis-offended their party prejudices. At Cambridge turbed and the remains of ecclesiastical build-it met with greater success, and it must have ings, crypt-like cellars, archways with sunken steps, vaulted passages, and canopied niches more numerous and striking than modern visitors to the shrine of A'Becket can imagine, must have afforded abundant subjects for her pencil, although the only one of her sketches of it which has been preserved for us in words is the "cut" (as Broome calls it) of the font of St. Martin's Church, which she probably engraved-a font so crude in form and ornamentation, so old and rugged, that all antiquarians agree in believing it of Saxon workmanshipThe very font, perhaps, in which the Saxon Queen Bertha received, at the hands of St. Augustine, the repetition of the sign of Christianity. Thus she busies herself, in spite of the needful rest her studious London life requires.

In the meantime her work, which she dedicated to the Queen (Anne), was announced as "An English Saxon Homily on the Birthday of St. Gregory, anciently used in the English Saxon Church: giving an Account of the Conversion of the English from Paganism to Christianity. Translated into modern English, with notes, by Elizabeth Elstob. London," &c. This edition (a large octavo, beautifully printed by Bowyer the elder, at the White-house, Little Britain) contains a copy of the original Saxon Homily, with Mrs. Elstob's translation on the opposite column, and desrves the character of pompous book," which Thoersby, who intended to give a notice of its publication in the Ducatus Lead (p. 129), calls it. Here he styles its authoress the "justly- celebrated Saxon nymph❞—a proof that her remarkable studies had already attracted attention, and that her brother made no secret of the important assistance she had intermediately afforded him. Unfortunately for the service which Thoersby meditated, his work did not appear till after the publication of the homily to which he was a subscriber, and thus fell still born,

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been very gratifying to the author to find that nearly forty of the subscribers for it were her townsmen, who to this day are proud of, and love to describe her as "the most learned woman who ever lived." "A gentleman of Newcastle who has kindly made some inquiries on the subject, has informed the writer that a copy of the Homily in 8vo., 1709, is preserved in Dr. Tomlinson's Library, connected with St. Nicholas' church in that town; in which is also a thanksgiving sermon of William Elstob's on the accession of Queen Anne, 1709.

In one of the " blooming letters," which Thoersby describes as adorning her work (the initial G of the "English Saxon Homily on the birthday of St. Gregory") appears the portrait of the author;t while the countenance of the saint in the Saxon L., is that of their learned friend, Mr. Thwaites, to whom William Elstob had been much indebted for his knowledge of Saxon, and who was as remarkable for the beauty of his countenance as for his charming manners and the agreeableness and vivacity of his conversation.

The portrait of Elizabeth, not more than an inch in length and less in breadth, gives us the idea of a young person, pleasing and intelligent looking, rather than handsome; her forehead is broad and high, her nose straight, with a short upper lip and rather full under one; the chin is small and round. It is a pleasing face, neither wanting in dignity or firmness. She

*Mackenzie's History of Newcastle.

Also in the initial G of the Saxon grammar. The copy of the Homily on the Birthday of St. Gregory, in the Bodleian, has marginal corrections, made most probably by E. E. herself, and on the titlepage she has written after "By Elizabeth Elstob," Quae et hoc exemplar grati animi ergo Bibliotheca Bodleinna dono dedit."

wears a gown, cut square and low upon the bosom; and her hair, which is dressed rather high, is laid in curls all over the head, and falls in one long full one on the shoulder, such as Queen Caroline, wife of George II., wears in her portrait at Hampton-Court.

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"Both of these portraits," Nichols tells us, were engraved by Gribelin, though Michael Burghers, David Loggins' Dutch journeyman,

who succeeded his master at his death, and was considered the best general engraver in England, was then engraver to the University of Oxford; and had, not improbably, given lessons in his art to the fair authoress.'

Warm summer weather and soft winds bring healing with them to consumptive patients; and William Elstob seems for the time to have had renewed visions of health and strength. He has planned for himself sufficient work to occupy a long life, and in his scholarly ardour, buoyed up by the encouragement of friends, his own enthusiasm, and the persuasive hopes of his beloved sister, pooh! poohs! the sudden flushes and cold sweats that mark the encroachments of his disease. He has too much to do to note the growing frequency of their recurrence, and is thus working unconsciously against time.

"Which Dr. Hickes," says, Ballard, "well knowing what use had been and might be made of them in the Church of England, designed to publish, but for want of further encouragement [subscriptions] he could not carry out his scheme. It was therefore no small pleasure to him to see one of the most considerable of incredible industry hath furnished a Saxon Homilathem attempted by Mrs. Elizabeth Elstob, who, with

learned and useful notes, and for the printing of
rium, &c., which she hath translated and adorned with
which she hath published proposals.
6 And I cannot
but wish,' he adds, in his heavy English, that, for
for her own sake, as well as for the advancement of
Septentrional learning, the service of the Church of
England, the credit of the country, and the honour of
her sex, that learned and studious gentlewoman may
find such encouragement as she and her great under-
taking deserves." "

Dipping again into Thoersby's diary I find, under the date of August 11, 1712, Die Dom:

"Heard Mr. Elstob preach at St. Swithin's. He expatiated upon the Apostle's character of a Bishop, paraphrasing that part of the chapter relating to the office of a minister. I dined with him, and was much pleased with his learned design of the Saxon laws, which he showed me in manuscript, and the curious transcript of the Textus Roffensis, and gave

me a specimen of it, wrote, as is the whole manu

script, from the original by a boy under ten years of age, who waited at table."

He is busy with a translation of St. Gregory's Pastorals, which Keppist thinks was intended to include both the original and Saxon version, and with the adorning of which Elizabeth had charged herself. He is also engaged on a From the antiquary's silence on the subject transcript of King Alfred's Anglo-Saxon version of the learned lady, as he delighted to call Miss of "Orosivus," and while writing on various Elstob, it is probable she was from home at the other subjects, especially a work on the period of this visit. Meanwhile, it became "Affinity of Law and Religion," is seized with a necessary to stimulate the interest of clergydesire to produce an edition of the "Saxon men and scholars generally in the progress and laws with great additions, and a new Latin success of her work; and accordingly, while version, with notes of various learned men, and Dr. Hicks canvassed for subscribers amongst a prefatory discourse on the origin of the his friends and acquaintances, we find Bowyer English laws and their progress down to Magna- printing for the author "some testimonies of learned men" in a letter from the publisher to a Dr. of Divinity (probably Dr. Hicks himself) in favour of the intended edition of the Saxon Homilies and the advantage to be hoped from

Charta."

The preparation of an edition of "St. Gregorie's Pastorals" appears to have been commenced immediately after the publication of the Saxon Homily; and Elizabeth, writing to Thoersby in the autumn of the same year, October, 1709, tells him, that having nothing else to do, she thinks of bringing out a set of Saxon Homilies. This is the Saxon Homilarium, or collection of English Saxon Homilies, of Alfric, Archbishop of Canterbury :

*The Rev. J. T. Treacher has informed the author that there is in the Hope collection of portraits at Oxford one of Elizabeth Elstob, a print by Reading, copied from the one engraved in her English Saxon grammar.

At the fire in the manuscript-room of the British Museum, the Anglo-Saxon MS. known as St. Gregory the Great's Pastorals, given by Alfred the Great to Plegmund, Archbishop of Canterbury, was destroyed July 18th, 1865.

The exquisite transcript of Orosivus in William Elstob's own hand, clear and precise as the best manuscripts, is preserved in the Bodleian Library,

them.

taking, Elizabeth, accompanied, in all probaHaving finished some portions of her underbility, by her brother, proceeded to Oxford, for the purpose of submitting specimens of her work to the chief Teutonic linguists, and of procuring subscribers to it.*

It was on this occasion that Dr. Hicks wrote to his friend and fellow-septentrionalist, Dr. Charlett, under the date of December 23rd, 1712, Ormond-street:

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honour, at home and abroad, by the Saxon books printed there, as well as by those printed in Latin and Greek, and the publication of the MSS. she hath brought (the most correct I ever saw or read) will be of great advantage to the Church of England against the Papists, for the honour of our predecessors, the English Saxon clergy-especially of the episcopal order, and the credit of our country, to which Mrs. Elstob will be counted abroad as great an ornament in her way as Madame Dacier is to France. I do not desire you to give her all encouragement, because I believe you will do it of your own accord, from your natural temper for promoting good and great works. But I desire you to recommend her and her great undertaking to others; for she and it are both very worthy to be encouraged, and, were I at Oxford, I should be a great solicitour for her; and had I acquaintance enough with Mr. Vice-Chancellor, I had troubled him with a letter on her behalf. I will add no more but to tell you that the news of Mrs. Elstob's encouragement in the University will be very acceptable to me; because it will give her work credit here,

where it shall be promoted to the utmost power by your philosax and philogoth, and

"Most faithful humble servant,

"GEORGE HICKES."*

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Visiting Oxford must have been at all times like going home to the Elstobs; but especially at this season of the year, for it is more than probable, from the date of Dr. Hick's letter, that they took advantage of a Christmas invitation to carry down the precious MSS. with them. A few years previously, the stage," or "leathern conveyance," as it was called, would have occupied two winter days in the journey from London to Oxford, but at this date the "flying coach" performed the whole distance between sunrise and sunset, and landed its passengers at six o'clock, or a little after, opposite the ancient front of All-Souls. How pleasant the familiar streets, the recognition of acquaintances in them, the visiting of old friends, and the kindly criticism of that knot of Teutonic scholars, who vied in admiration of the first

* Dr. Hicks was the younger brother of that unfortunate John Hicks, who had been found hidden in the malt-house of Alice Lisle. James had, in spite of all solicitations, put both John Hicks and Alice Lisle to

death.

Persons who did not know the strength of the Dean's principles, thought that he might possibly feel some resentment on this account, for he was of no gentle or forgiving temper, and could retain during many years a bitter remembrance of small injuries. But he was strong in his religious and political faith; he reflected that the sufferers were dissenters, and he submitted to the will of the Lord's Annointed, not only with patience, but complacency. He became indeed a more loving subject than ever, from the time his brother was hanged and his brother's benefactres beheaded.-MACAULAY'S "History of England," vol. iii. p. 458. (a)

(a) At a meeting of the Archæological Institute, May 5th, 1865, O. Morgan, M.P., exhibited the only portrait known of Alice, Lady Lisle, who was beheaded for sheltering the brother of Dr. George Hicks in 1685. -"Athenæum," May 20th, 1865.

lady Saxonists' exquisite transcript and careful translation of Bishop Alfric's Homilies!

Subsequently, we find the brother and sister again at Oxford, for the purpose of completing arrangements for the printing of the "Saxon Homilarium;" and Dr. Hicks, who appears to have been as warm a friend as he could be a bitter hater, repeats his application to Dr. Charlett on behalf of his protégée in a letter dated February 24th, 1712-13:

"Mr. Elstob and his sister [he writes] set out tomorrow for Oxford. I renew my hearty request to you to promote subscriptions to her most useful book. Had I the honour of so much acquaintance with Mr. Vice-Chancellor as to write to him, I would entreat him also to be one of her subscribers; for the reputation of the Oxford subscription will procure many here and in Cambridge."

the

Few things, I think, go farther to prove the unoffending and amiable dispositions of the brother and sister than the fact that at a period when party spirit raged most fiercely, and Whig and Tory were the watchwords of violent political and religious antagonism, Elstob's, who, in common with the most liberal and learned persons of the day, had given in their adherence to the ruling powers, and had ranged themselves on the side of the whigs, were yet upon the most friendly terms with many of the opposite party, and especially high in favour with this most sternly-prejudiced of Nonjurors, Dr. George Hicks, Dean of Worcester, who appears to have believed with Eubuluis in the old drama of Gorboduc:

the

No cause serves, whereby the subject may Call to account the doings of the Prince.

No,not in secret thought, the subject may rebel agains his lord,

Or judge of him who sits in Caesar's seat
With grudging mind, to damn those he mistakes,
Though Kings forget to govern as they ought
Yet subjects must obey as they are bound."

For though James had proved his royal prerogative by putting his brother to death for no other crime than that of being a dissenter, the Dr. upon principle continued to uphold the doctrine of the inalienable rights of kings, and refused to the last to acknowledge the supremacy of William and Mary, or of Queen Anne. Macaulay, as we have seen, describes him as the fiercest and most intolerant of all "Nonjurors." Having refused at the revolution to take the oaths to King William the Third, he was deprived of his benifices; but, after

his return from the little court of the exiled king at St. Germains, whither he had been sent in 1673 with a list of the non-compounding clergy, he appears to have settled in London, having, through the influence of the leader of the Whig party, the accomplished and liberal Lord Keeper Somers, "obtained permission to

study Teutonic antiquities in freedom and safety."

His residence in Ormond Street brought him within visiting distance of the Elstobs, for whom he appears to have entertained a sincere and active friendship, while their congenial studies won for them his entire sympathy and whatever influence he could command.

In the meanwhile the printing of the Homilies is commenced, and the following title prepared for them: "The English Saxon Homilies of Alfric, Archbishop of Canterbury, who flourished in the latter end of the Tenth Century and the beginning of the eleventh; being a Course of Sermons collected out of the writings of the Ancient Latin Fathers; containing the Doctrines of the Church of England before the Norman Conquest, and showing its purity from many of those Popish innovations and corruptions which were afterwards introduced into the Church. Now first printed and translated into the language of the present time by Elizabeth Elstob."

able an encouragement to my necessary expenses to go through with that work. At the same time I expressed that confidence in your friendship that made me hope I should not fail your asisstance upon a proper occasion such as now offers, there being two vacancies at Canterbury, one by Dr. Belk and the other by Mr. Nixon, who died yesterday. Perhaps, if my Lord Treasurer were put in mind of me, and were made acquainted that Mr. Somers' collection of books are deposited in the library there, which you know is pretty large, and consisting of a good choice of such books in the cause of civil and common law as he judged proper in the work I have engaged in, and most of them adorned with annotations and improvements in his own hand, his lordship would, out of his great generosity, and his known favour to learning of this kind be pleased to give me his patronage and recommendation to the Queen for the supplying of one of these vacancies. I would not desire anything of you that might be in any way to your prejudice; but if it could, by you, be any way insinuated into my Lord Somers or my Lord Harley, how happy I should be, and highly grateful for their countenance in this matter, it might do me a singular kindness, which I should always own with the utmost gratitude. As the Spring advances and the days brighten, It might give some furtherance to this affair to have so do the hopes of the fair Saxonist-for her it represented that our city livings are very small in subscription list lengthens, and the first part of revenue, and our expenses great in comparison; that the Homilarium is being printed in a very beau- our houses are out upon a forty years' lease, and we are tiful manner. It was necessary for the au- forced to rent houses for our own convenience. For thoress to be on the spot for the correcting of my part, you know that I have neither the strength, proofs, and, as it is more than likely that her nor at least the assurance,* requisite for a man to brother remained with her, we can imagine improve his fortune by popular preaching; and yet them revisiting all the fair places associated I have been, I believe, as constant as anyone both in with their former residence in the city. Walk-residence and preaching for the ten years I have lived ing side by side or hand in hand-for arm-inarm did not come into fashion till a much later period-through the broad walk, sauntering in the soft spring twilight in Christ Church Meadows, watching the boats glide to and fro; or lingering in the tree-shaded "water-walks" of Magdalen.

Sometimes, too, we can see them looking over the treasures in the Ashmolean Museum, which, by fair or foul means, its astute founder had contrived to obtain of the widow of the younger Tradescant-who, by the way, had planned and planted the Physic garden, then one of the shows of Oxford-and, when the antiquities and curiosities were exhausted, turning into the library of Antony A. Wood, and the fine collection of Sir Thomas Bodley.

But all the while the Homilarium must have had the first place in their thoughts, for the after fortune of Elizabeth mainly depended on its success.

In proof of what I have already said, that William Elstob only desired promotion for the sake of leisure, or the increased means it would afford him to pursue his literary labours, I will here quote a letter of his to Dr.Wamley, which, though undated, we incidentally learn, from allusion to the time he had been in London, must

have been written in 1712-13.

DEAR SIR,-You may remember the talk which you and I had some time ago about a prebendary of Canterbury, how convenient that would be to my present design of the ancient Saxon laws, and how suit

in town."

He appears to have written a similar letter to Doctor Hicks, who, having known the Lord Treasurer in his Tory days, was still on easy terms with him, and forwarded the petitioner's letter in one of his own, in which he observes:

"You may be sure the person who wrote the enclosed is at a great loss for friends when he made ap plication to me, who have no friend and patron but yourself to whom I can speak for myself or others. He is a man of good learning and very great diligence, and equal to the work he is upon, and the least counttenance and encouragement from so great a judge and patron of learning as you, would make him proceed in it with all cheerfulness."

But in spite of this recommendation, some one with an intercessor less inimical to the Government than Dr. Hicks was known to be, received the desired appointment; and my Lord Harley, who desired to be regarded as the Macenas of his times, satisfied his conscience as far as the poor scholar was concerned, by leading him "Judge Hales' History and Analysis of the Common Law of England"—a favour for which Elizabeth joins her brother in thanking him; while the latter, with an evident distrust of himself where books are concerned, after promising to return it with all possible speed, adds, "If your honour will be pleased by Mr. Wamly to limit me to time, I shall be glad to be confined that I may not trespass"a characteristic request for one who probably

*In the sense of confidence, not want of modesty.

did not know when he was done with a book. This courtesy on Mr. Harley's part appears to have led the way to many similar ones, which Elizabeth subsequently acknowledges; and many of the rare tracts and pamphlets which form the Harleian collection of our times, and amongst which some of their own MSS. and letters were thereafter to be included, were kindly lent them in furtherance of their studies. In the catalogue of the Harl. MSS. vol. ii., p. 29, No. 1397, Art. 10, Mr. Wamley,* in a note observes of Elizabeth, "I only here take leave

* Mr. Wamley, or Walmly, was librarian or secretary to the Lord High Treasurer.

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"THE SALTED CLAIM."

(A Tale of the Diggings.)

BY EDWARD BRANTHWAYT.

AUTHOR OF THE WAYWARD HEART," ETC.

"Yes, I tried my luck once on the diggings, and drew a prize. As you seem inclined for spinning yarns round our camp fire, I will give you that chapter of my Australian experiences. I must go back a little in my history to tell you how I came to emigrate. My uncle, who became my guardian and protector when I was left an orphan at an early age, was a country practitioner with a good business. Naturally he wished me to enter his profession; but before I obtained my diploma, I was grieved and startled one day by a telegraphic message announcing his sudden death. This caused a complete disarrangement of all my plans, for, by the time I had qualified, a doctor of some standing had secured so large a share of my uncle's practice, that there would have been little remaining for me. Owing, also, to the suddenness of his death, he had left no will, and my share among a tribe of nephews and nieces was very sinall. While studying in London I had made the acquaintance of the son of a large shipowner, and through his interest I got the appointment of surgeon to an emigrant ship bound to Victoria. I soon found there was no lack of medical men in Melbourne, and my slender purse would not enable me to wait for a practice slowly growing up, so I determined to go further a-field. Hearing by chance from a digger that there was no doctor among a considerable gold-mining popula

tion on the Stanley Creek, I made my way thither, with sanguine hopes of attracting to my own pockets a fair proportion of the golden dust that seemed so abundant and so easily obtained, according to my "new-chum" ideas in those days.

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A few months' experience taught me that I had been too confident in my reckoning. The gold diggery continued most obstinately healthy, the few cases I had being slight, and of short duration. So far from making money, I had come to the end of the small store I had derived from the ship, and the situation was becoming critical. While I was in a very desponding mood, the storekeeper, who was acquainted with my position, offered me a way of escape from it.

"You see your doctoring won't bring you in enough to live on," he said: why don't you drop it, and take to something else? My clerk wants to leave me, and you can have his billet if you like. What do you say to it?"

I hesitated. Certainly this plan would relieve me from my present difficulty, and would even put a little money in my pocket; but I felt a repugnance to leave my profession and enter upon trade, especially in such a subordinate position. There were certain small sums due to me, and I determined to collect these if possible. I would try this one chance, and if there was no change for the better before my

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