Act 4 — Queries.

BOY BISHOP AT ETON.

In Heywood's edition of the Statutes of King's College, Cambridge, and Eton College (Longman, 1850), a MS. is quoted under the title of Consuetudinarium vetus Scholæ Etoniensis (sic), Harl. MSS. 7044, p. 167. From a MS. in Corpus Christi College, Cambridge.

It is a sort of Fasti Etonenses, recording in somewhat quaint terms the old customs which were then traditionary in the school. In the month of November, according to this authority, "in die Sti Hugonis Pontificis solebat Etonæ fieri electio Episcopi Nihilensis, sed consuetudo obsolevit."

Again, in the statutes as given by Mr. Heywood, p. 560., it is provided that on the Feast of St. Nicholas, but "nullatenus in festo Sanctorum Innocentium," the Episcopus puerorum Scholarium, who was to be elected from among the boys every year for the purpose, might celebrate all the divine offices except the "missæ secreta."

Can you, or any of your correspondents, inform me—

1st. What is the date of the MS. in question, with any further particulars of its history?

2nd. What is "Pope St. Hugo's Day," and whether it was in any way connected with the election of the boy bishop in other places as well as Eton?

3rd. Whether any reason can be assigned why Holy Innocents Day, being that on which the boy bishop was usually appointed, should have been expressly excluded by the founder.

L. C. B.

"¶ SPECULUM CHRISTIANORUM MULTA BONA CONTINENS."

I have a small black-letter tract which bears the above title: I am desirous of learning the author's name, and that of the printer, together with the date and place of its production. It extends from signature A 1 to G 8, and ends abruptly on the verso of G 8 without any colophon. On the verso of the title page is a small woodcut representing the Holy Dove hovering over the Virgin, who is surrounded by nine kneeling figures, all under a depressed arch, supported by two pillars whose shafts have a kind of chevron ornament worked on them, somewhat similar to the pillars of the crypt of Canterbury Cathedral. Perhaps if I give the title-page of this curious little tract in extenso, it will be more easily identified:

It should be noted that this table of contents is by no means a fair representative of the subjects on which the pamphlet treats. On the verso of page E iii. is the following curious passage:—

"¶ Peccata britonum et causa depositionis eorum. Negligentia prelatorum | rapina potentu | cupiditas indicu | rabies periuriorum | inordinatus cultus vestimentorum: detestanda luxuria | omne petm publicum & notorium clamat vindicta ad deum. Sed precipue quattuor: merces mercenarii, pctm sodomiticum, homicidium, oppressio innocentiu. Heu heu heu quot clamores vindicte sunt nunc ante deum."

This passage is introduced without any farther connexion with the subjects under discussion, than the mere heading of the section gives it. Permit me to trouble you with one more extract, before I leave my Query in the hands of your readers:

"¶ De duabus scalis: una dirigente ad celum: et altera ad infernum.

¶ Scala ad celum Perseverantia bona Patientia in adversis Obedietia in preceptis Patientia in vita Cotritio et cofessi pcti Cognito tui Caritas ¶ Scala ad infernum Desperatio Obstinentia in peccatis Furor in adversis Iniusticia facti Odiu boni et dilectio pcti Ignorantia Malicia."

On the recto of C vj.

Any information which some of your bibliographical correspondents may give concerning this little work, will be very acceptable.

W. Sparrow Simpson, B.A.

MASSACRE OF THE WELSH BARDS.

Barrington, in his Observations upon the Statutes, raises some historic doubts whether that massacre of the Welsh bards, upon which Gray founded his magnificent ode, actually occurred:—

"But", he says, "a manuscript history, written by Sir John Wynne of Gwydir, authorises the supposed tradition of a massacre of the bards; nor could the writer of that most admirable ode have made his bard so warmly express, or his reader feel, the tyranny of Edward, if he had not probably raised an indignation and fire in his own breast, and by reading of other materials, which I have not happened to meet with."

Has the question of this real or pretended massacre been raised, or proved beyond doubt?

As to Gray requiring "materials" for his fancy, poets even of inferior genius contrive to weave a web out of airy nothings, and the liveliest description by an old Cymric bard of the slaughters of the thirteenth century, will not carry conviction of the truth of the narrative in the nineteenth.

H. T. H.