270399

270399

I send here inclosed a second Bill of Exchange, in case the first I sent you in my last hath miscarry'd: So, my dear Nephew, I embrace you with both my Arms."

R. B., Esquire, at Grundesburgh"; that
Howell implies that his correspondent is a
new friend, calls him "my dear Nephew,'
and says
"I am glad you are so well return'd
to your own family”—one can hardly
imagine that this could be Baron; and that
(4) is headed "To Mr. R. B. at Ipswich."
Howell refers to his correspondent's having
visited him, and says:-

On the strength of the latter sentence
Mr. Knight, differing from Warton, thought
that a relationship by blood or marriage
existed between Howell and Baron. The
terms of Baron's Letter of Dedication of
his book are strongly against any such
thing, while Howell's pedigree (Harl. MS.
4181) disproves it again. We must suppose
that the bill of exchange either represented
a gift made by the elder man in considera-
tion of the Dedication, or represented
Baron's own money, and Howell had under-1
taken to dispatch it to Paris. Howell
seems to address more than one of his young
friends as nephew.'

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As to the part played by Baron in Howell's 'Epistolæ Ho-elianæ,' there is room for great doubt. Apart from the letter addressed to him by name, from which I have quoted, there are four letters which might plausibly be supposed to be addressed to him, viz. :

July, 1646, To Mr. R. Br."-Book II.

XXXV.; Jacobs, p. 428.

travel. I shall be.......glad to steed you in anything "I presume you are constant in your desire to that may tend to your Advantage; for......I take much contentment in this inchoation of Friendship. .If you meet Master R. Brownrig in the Country, I pray present my very kind respects to him: for profess myself to be both his and Your most affectionate Servitor."

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Mr. Jacobs considers even this letter to be written to Mr. Robert Brownrigg, and that the Master R. Brownrig" whom it mentions was another man of the same name. I am inclined to think that of the four letters this one, at any rate, was addressed to Baron. Mr. Jacobs was probably not aware that there was any tie between Baron and Robert Brownrigg. The latter had, however, been admitted to Gray's Inn on 10 May, 1645 (a year and a half before Baron), son of Matthew Brownrigg, of Clopton, Suffolk, clerk," and verses of his

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(3) 26 July, 1646, To R. B., Esquire, at Grundes-To his much respected and learned friend burgh."-Book III. xi.; Jacobs, p. 534.

(4) 15 Aug., 1646, "To Mr. R. B. at Ipswich."Book II. xxxii.; Jacobs, p. 425.

Mr. Knight assumes that (1) was addressed to Baron, while Mr. Jacobs, admitting that (3) might be addressed to Baron, believes that more probably its recipient was (an unknown) Richard Blois, and that the other letters were addressed to Mr. Robert Brownrigg, who was a Counsellor of Law, married a Mary Bloss (which name Mr. Jacobs considers as = Blois, though it existed independently in Suffolk), and died at Bexley in 1669 (Page's 'Suffolk,' p. 484).

The question seems to be too much entangled to unravel. One can only point out that Howell in (1) says he had received a letter from his correspondent "by Master Bloys," and refers to his correspondent's "sweet blossoms of ingenuity," on which it were not amiss "if some foreign air did blow" that the heading of (2) is "To Mr. R. Br.," which suggests Brownrigg rather than "Baron," while Howell seems to be addressing the same man as before when he says I hope you persist in your purpose for foreign Travel,' and "I have already discover'd such.... parts of ingenuity in you," &c.; that the heading of (3) differs from the others in being To

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Master Robert Baron' are prefixed to 'The
Cyprian Academy.' It was possibly through
Brownrigg that Baron introduced himself to
Howell.

After his Letter of Dedication Baron inserts a letter 'To the Ladies and Gentlewoemen of England,' in which he modestly refers to his work as 'this babe.' Then follow commendatory verses from "William Beversham of Grayes Inne Esquire," Robert Brounrigg of Grayes Inne Gent.," "J: Hall, è Soc: Gray. hosp. Gent.,' "Tho: Bradford," Henry Bold Fell. N.C. Oxon," "John Gleane Cantabri.," "ChristophorusBaretus Londinensis. Coll. Cere [=Corp.] Chr. Cantb.,' Joh. Quarles ex æde St Petri Cantabridg.,' Carol. Cremer, Coll. Corp. Christ. Cantabr.," "Wil.: Smith Gent.," and

'Jos. Browne Gent."

Of these William Beversham was called to. the Bar on 19 May, 1647; John Hall, after making a reputation at St. John's College, Cambridge, as an essayist and poet, had left Cambridge in 1647 for Gray's Inn, where he had already been entered on 10 May, 1643; Thomas Bradford had been admitted to Caius in 1643 from Norwich School, of which he eventually became Master (1667); Henry Bold was a poet, soon to be ejected' from his fellowship at New College (1648);