MINOR CORRESPONDENCE. J. remarks," that on the font in St. Martin's, Ludgate, is the following Greek inscription: NIYON ANOMHMA MH MONON OYIN. This, it will be observed, may be read either backwards or forwards. . inquires whether it is to be found elsewhere?-We answer, that we have no doubt it was a motto frequently inscribed on fonts, and can supply him with another example; namely, on the lofty spiral cover of the font at Worlingworth Church, Suffolk, as appears in the engraving published by Vertue in 1753. The piece with the hand on one side, and cross on the reverse, of which a drawing is sent by C. D. is certainly not a coin. We take it to be a counter, and the metal probably brass, but for what purpose such pieces were struck it is difficult to form an opinion; though most probably for reckoning counters, or for cards. The piece is probably not of great antiquity, perhaps about two centuries old. Such pieces are not valued by Collectors. In answer to R. G. we have good authosity to state, that "The coif, hood, and cap of mail are anterior in point of date to the camail, which was introduced in the time of Edw. II. The coif is a covering for the head and neck, opening on one side, and fastened with a strap of leather, as in the monumental effigy at Gloucester, pretended to represent Robert Duke of Normandy; the capuchon or hood was for the same purpose, but large enough to allow the head to pass through the aperture for the face, that it might rest on the shoulders, as in the instance of the effigy of Rous, in the Temple church; and the cap was a mere covering for the head. The camail, so called from its resemblance to the tippet of camel's hair, was a guard for the neck, attached by a cord to the basinet, which was a conical skull-cap of steel, and these were worn from the time of Edward II. to that of Henry IV. inclusive." E. M. says, "T. T. (p. 317) is right in the Yorkshire term of leathering or tanning his hide; as I well remember, when a boy, a speech made from one to another in playing at Schoolmasters: Sirrah, my son, thou hast no grace, And if that day should never come, CLIONAS (last vol. p. 482) will find the date of the death of" Alithea, youngest daughter and co-heiress of Gilbert 7th Earl of Shrewsbury, and widow of Thomas How ard Earl of Arundel," given in the pedigree of Howard, Duke of Norfolk, in Mr. Hunter's Hallamshire, p. 100, where it is stated that she died on the 24th of May, 1654. A. Z. enquires in what year Sir Edward Dineley, of Charlton Castle, Worc. knighted by Charles II. in 1684, died, and the place of his interment? Whether he did not die without leaving male issue, and thereupon the title and estates did not descend to Sir Edward Goodere? How did the latter hecome the inheritor? When did he die, and where buried? Upon the death of Sir Edward Goodere, the title and estates devolved upon his elder son, then living, John Goodere, who took the name of Dineley. Sir John Dineley was murdered by his brother Captain Goodere at Bristol, in 1740, and leaving no issue, the title became extinct. John Foote, esq. of Truro, a nephew of Sir J. Dineley, became the purchaser of the estates under the will of his uncle, and took the name of Dineley." P. P. would be thankful for information where to obtain a certificate of the marriage of Captain Henry Berkeley (brother to Lord Berkeley), with Dorothea Bridgeman, daughter of Sir John Bridgeman. Captain Henry Berkeley was one of the confidential Lieutenants in King Charles's Army of Array, and was killed in the skirmish which took place the day before the battle of Worcester. The place of his interment, and any particulars respecting him, will be received with gratitude. E. B. requests information respecting the family of Rutt, he believes of Cambridgeshire, from the reign of Henry VIII. to Elizabeth. D. O. will thank any of our bibliographical friends to inform him, whether the translations of Pliny and Erasmus, mentioned in the letter from Edmund Curle to Dr. White Kennet, Bishop of Peterborough (see Literary Gazette, Feb. 5, p. 88), were ever published; and likewise, whether the letter from the Bishop of Carlisle to Humphrey Wanley (ibid. p. 89), was not written by Bishop Nicolson, and not Bishop Newton, as there stated.-The same Correspondent must excuse our inserting the "eccentric epitaphs" he has transmitted: the more valuable matter he promises from the same source will be acceptable, if not already in print. The contributions of X. M. O. will be acceptable. His present communication is omitted solely in consequence of an article on the same subject being printed in the current Nuniber. ERRATA.-P. 478, b. 1, read Hon. Mrs. Cox; 10, read Hon. Mary Prittie; 31, read daughter of the late Fred. Trench, esq. and sister, &c.-P. 648, a. 11, for Greece read France. THE GENTLEMAN'S MAGAZINE. JULY, 1825. ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS. SIR WALTER SCOTT AND THE SCOTTISH NOVELS. Mr. URBAN, tale was written, is absurd, because it bears a relation to the tale itself, and A dentally mentioned in the "John is a cunning sneer on the conduct of Bull" newspaper, that Sir Walter Scott had twice publicly declared himself, not to be the Author of Waverley. As this intimation may have "staggered the faith" of many true believers, I think it my duty to contribute all I can to clear up their doubts, and prove that the chivalric poet is the writer of the Scottish Novels. The two anecdotes referred to are these. Our present Monarch, when Regent, directed a plate of fruit to be carried from his table "to the Author of Waverley." They were instantly taken to Sir Walter Scott, then in London, who culled a few of the inferior fruits, and declared himself unworthy of more. From this it is, forsooth, inferred that he merely wrote the poetry which is scattered here and there in the tales, and had no connection with the other part. But may not this anecdote rather intimate that he is so modest as to consider himself unworthy of any great reward, and thus refuse the valuable gift so sent him. Besides, the poetry of the novels is so inseparably connected with the text, that the two authors (if there are two) must evidently be near and intimately acquainted with one another. Yet report ascribes no such constant acquaintance to any writer whom it has named as the Author of Waverley, but rather places them at a distance from Sir Walter, even so far off as beyond the waters of the Atlantic. Could two persons thus separated write the "Bloody Vest" in "The Talisman," just published, and the text which environs it? To suppose that the poem was sent over to America before the the heroine, Lady Edith Plantagenet, as she herself informs us directly after. And yet can we suppose that Sir Walter would so servilely follow the text, as to change the verse, metre, length of the feet, &c. according, as Richard remarks, to these changes. We must then suppose that Sir Walter wrote both the prose and poetry of that chap ter. Yet it is connected with all the others, and is extremely well written. Why then cannot he who writes a' part, write a whole?-That chapter preserves the character, &c. of Cœur de Lion, and all the characters introduced, as well as any of the others. But, perhaps, it may be objected that there may be coadjutors more near to Sir Walter Scott than those above mentioned. Let us examine. Report ascribes the authorship to three different persons,-a Bishop of the Church of Scotland, and Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Scott, whom it states to be residing in America. We have already examined the claims of the two latter. Let us now consider the "right and title" of the episcopal dignitary. "The Bishop" seems to exist merely in ima gination; for his diocese is never mentioned, even by those who pretend to know much about it. But let us ask, would one of the clerical character describe such ferocious brutes as we find in the third volume of the Pirate, or use such language as that of Triptole mus Yellowley in the same work, when he is found by Magnus Troil in a wretched hut? Certainly not. Who is this Bishop? If any one can tell me, I will peruse his sermons (if published), and can then easily decide by the Sir Walter Scott, and the Scottish Novels. the style if he be or be not the "GREAT UNKNOWN." The same objections which apply to the Bishop apply to Mrs. Thomas Scott, supposing her to be near enough to write the Novels. Let us now proceed to the second anecdote. At a meeting at which Sir Walter Scott took the chair, a member proposed the health of the Author of Waverley. The chairman observed that he had not the honour of knowing that gentleman, but that as he came to him so strongly recommended, he would willingly drink his health." This is by a great many regarded as a flat denial of the Authorship. How ever it may be to their minds, that it is not in the writer of the Scotch Novels' opinion, can be easily proved, and it will thus be made an additional proof FOR and not against me. In Ivanhoe, vol. I. when the hero is asked concerning Ivanhoe, he replies, that he "does not know him." Ivanhoe, as all the 'readers of that excellent romance must know, is a mirror of honour and knighthood, consequently, the author, in assigning him this speech, means no blot upon his character, and thus the sentence merely intimates that he did not know himself, as a man is commonly said not to know himself. Ergo -Since the Author of Waverley thinks an evasion not dishonourable, which Sir Walter Scott afterwards publicly uses (who is strongly suspected to be the Author of Waverley), that is an additional proof that he is so. As we have now (we flatter ourselves) successfully answered the objections raised by these two anecdotes, we shall proceed to more general proofs that Sir Walter Scott is the "Great Unknown." One of the strongest is the resemblance of the style, phrases, &c. used in the Poems to those found in the Novels. The singular and ungrateful word "undid" is common in Both, as well as the curious phrase "louted" for "bowed." "To Rokeby next he louted low, This is used in the excellent poem [July, ordinary publications are produced; but this circumstance, which is no proof at all for them, is one of the greatest in favour of the general opinion. For they assert it impossible that one man should in so short a time write so much and so well,-and so indeed it is to all but one author of the day, and that author is Sir Walter Scott, who in one year edited Sir Ralph Sadler's State Papers, and all the Poetical Works of the voluminous Anne Seward, and wrote the admirable poem of "The Lady of the Lake." Two arguments still remain, the last of which must convince every one who has not determined not to be convinced. In 1823 appeared "Military Memoirs of the great Civil War, being the Military Memoirs of John Gwynne," &c. avowedly edited by the Bard of Marmion. In this work, before unpublished, we find several incidents detailed which are met with nowhere else but in the notes to Sir Walter Scott's Poems, and (alluded to en passant) in the Waverley Novels!! Sir Walter had been a long time their sole possessor. My last argument has been anticipated in a note to "WALLADMOR." If Sir Walter be not the real author of these Novels, most certainly, knowing them to be generally ascribed to him, he would ere now, as a gentleman and a man of honour, have disavowed the connection. If he is not the author, and still suffers the public to believe the contrary, he is one of the meanest men that ever breathed. The only argument that can be brought against this is, that he is bound by some promise not to reveal what he knows of the matter. Indeed, if this had never been asserted, I should have rested my cause on this single part of my present letter. I should be much obliged, Mr. Urban, if you would insert any arguments that can be brought against this letter, and remain YOUR CONSTANT READER, AND NEW CORRESPONDENT, Mr. URBAN, Ω. July 2. LITERATURE is to me the purest source of intellectual enjoyment, and of the highest pleasure that 1925.] On Cheap Periodical Literature. that sweetens life; therefore I read, with a feeling of deep interest, the valuable article in your Part i. p. 483, on the "Minor Periodicals of the Day."-" Writers of genius," says the Abbe Raynal, "are born magistrates of their country;" and your Correépondent has done well to direct the attention of that worshipful body to a matter so peculiarly within their jurisdiction as the nature and present state of a department of literature which promises to influence the general aspect of society, and to effect, more immediately, an important alteration in the character, moral and intellectual, of the working classes. The utility of their particular vigilance in this case is forcible and obvious. When the cultivation of Literature is extended into districts which have laid fallow since the origin of letters, it is rational to expect that the product will be gross and redundant, and that the tares will demand a laborious and persevering eradication. It is well known that the hordes of Parnassus have always "pressed against the means of subsistence," as Malthus would say; but, of late, the excess of population, notwithstanding the vast increase of demand, has become truly awful. Indeed I am sometimes inclined to think that the converse of Pope's position, that "Ten judge wrong for one who writes amiss," would hold good at the present time. But we are nearly all writers and critics now, and the temptation to cupidity is proportionably strong. The Children of the Muses," I fear, are 100 often driven to unworthy means for the support of themselves and their offspring. I will not now enter into the state of criticism which would lead me beyond the compass of your pages; but I cannot help remarking that the identity of critic and author is not very favourable to the growth of intel lect; and that the facility of meeting with a "friend in the line," ready, with a view to an "interchange of civilities," to give the literary bantling a favourable introduction to the world, is not likely to promote the increase of good taste and sound judgment. The besetting sin of the cheap publications appears to me to be a desire to pander to that appetite for novelty and the marvellous, which is the univer sal characteristic of the uninformed. It may be urged that strong excitement is necessary to create a taste for read ing, which will afterwards subside into a more rational channel. But I am old enough to remember the effect which followed the publication of that daring and erratic production of genius, "The Monk;" and I know that it gave birth to an insatiable thirst for that dangerous species of composition, which was met by an immense supply from the circulating libraries and pamphlet shops. The chief consumers of this kind of manufacture were the fair sex; and sad was the havoc which it made upon the nervous system. The hapless maiden would banquet upon these supernatural horrors, till she became as tremblingly alive to every breath of sentiment as was the flame of the midnight taper, by which she consumed her health and time, to the slightest impulse of the air. Like the effect of ardent spirits upon the physical powers, they enervate instead of enlarging and strengthening the mind. Imaginative and supernatural tales of terror are not the only staple of our current Literature. The" horrible realities," the revolting facts, which stain the history of our species, are set forth in all their ghastly attraction. The Newgate Calendar has not only been ransacked, but republished entire, in a cheap form, for the edification of the young student in the "proper study of mankind." I think I need not point out the pernicious consequences of hus bringing forward in so prominent a manner, uncontrasted, unrelieved, and unsoftened, the most disgusting traits of humanity. Another error in these works, very inimical to correct thinking, is a con tempt for authority and authenticity, which generally marks their selections. Forgotten legends, old wives' tales, es» tablished history, impudent imposture, and fanciful invention, are all indis criminately mixed together, and "sent forth without a name:" thus affording the reader no means of judging and comparing, and storing his memory with real and with correct information. 66 A splendid exception to this com plaint is to be found in Mr. Hone's Every-Day Book," which is, in fact, no every-day book. Your Correspondent justly observes, that he has not scrupulously adhered to the plan laid down in his prospectus; but his book |