Notes.

AUTOGRAPH OF EDWARD OF LANCASTER, SON OF HENRY VI.

In the Museum of Antiquities of Rouen is preserved an original document, thus designated, "Lettre d'Edouard, Prince de Galles (1471)." It is kept under a glass case, and shown as "an undoubted autograph of the Black Prince," according to the testimony of the gentleman who has very obligingly placed a transcript of this interesting relic at my disposal. It is as follows:

"Chers et bons amis, nous avons entendu, que ung nostre homme lige subject, natif de nostre pays de Galles, est occupé et détenu es prisons de la ville de Diepe, pour la mort d'un homme d'icelle ville, dont pour le dict cas autres ont esté exécutez. Et pour ce que nostre dict subject estoit clerc, a esté et est encores en suspens, parce qu'il a esté requis par les officiers de nostre très cher et aimé cousin l'archevesque de Rouen, afin qu'il leur fut rendu, ainsi que de droict; pourquoy nous vous prions, que icelui nostre homme et subject vous veuillez bailler et delivrer aux gens et officiers de mon dict cousin, sans en ce faire difficulté. Et nous vous en saurons un très grant gré, et nous ferez ung essingulier plaisir. Car monseigneur le roy de France nous a autorisez faire grace en semblable cas que celui de mon dict subject, duquel desirons fort la delivrance. Escript à Rouen, le onziesme jour de Janvier.

The error of assigning this signature to Edward the Black Prince is sufficiently obvious, and somewhat surprising, since we here have an undoubted, and, I believe, unique autograph of Edward of Lancaster, Prince of Wales, only son of Henry VI. by Margaret of Anjou. He was born at Westminster, October 13th, 1453, and was therefore, in January, 1471 (no doubt the true date of the document), in the eighteenth year of his age. He had sought refuge from the Yorkists, in France, with his mother, ever since the year 1462, and in the preceding July or August, 1470, had been affianced to Anne Neville, the youngest daughter of the Earl of Warwick. At the period when this letter was written at Rouen, Margaret of Anjou was meditating the descent into England which proved so fatal to herself and son, whose life was taken away with such barbarity on the field at Tewksbury, in the month of May following. The letter is addressed, apparently, to the magistrates of Rouen or Dieppe, to request the liberation of a native of Wales (imprisoned for the crime of having slain a man), and his delivery to the officers of the Archbishop of Rouen, on the plea of his being a clerk. The prince adds, that he was authorised by the King of France (Louis XI.) to grant grace in similar cases. As the signature of this unfortunate prince is at present quite unknown in the series of English royal autographs, it would be very desirable that an accurate fac-simile should be made of it by some competent artist; and perhaps the art of photography might in this instance be most advantageously and successfully used to obtain a perfect copy of the entire document.

F. Madden.

ROBERT BLOOMFIELD.

Presuming that some of the many readers of "N. & Q." may feel an interest in the author of The Farmer's Boy, whom I knew intimately (a sickly-looking, retiring, and meditative man), and have often seen trimming his bright little flower-garden fronting his neat cottage in the City Road—a pastry-cook's shop, an apple and oyster stall, and part of the Eagle Tavern ("To what base uses," &c.) now occupy its, to me, hallowed site,—I send you a few extracts from his sale catalogue, an interesting and a rare document, as a mournful record of a genius as original and picturesque, as it was beautiful and holy. His books, prints, drawings (215 lots), and furniture (105 lots) were sold in the humble house in which he died, at Shefford, Beds, on the 28th and 29th May, 1824. The far greater number of his books had been presented to him by his friends, viz. the Duke of Grafton (a very liberal contributor), Dr. Drake, James Montgomery, Samuel Rogers, Mrs. Barbauld, Richard Cumberland, Sir James Bland Burges, Capel Lofft, &c. His autograph manuscript of The Farmer's Boy, elegantly bound, was sold for 14l.; of Rural Tales, boards, for 4l.; of Wild Flowers, for 3l. 10s.; of Banks of the Wye, for 3l.; of May-day with the Muses (imperfect), for ten shillings; and Description of the Æolian Harp (he was a maker of Æolian harps), for 15s. His few well-executed drawings by himself (views of his City Road cottage and garden, &c.) produced from 5s. to 18s. each. Among his furniture were "A handsome inkstand, presented to him by the celebrated Dr. Jenner" (in return for his sweet poem of "Good Tidings"), and the "celebrated oak table, which Mr. Bloomfield may be said to have rendered immortal by the beautiful and pathetic poem inscribed to it in his Wild Flowers. The first was sold for 6l. 10s., the second for 14l. I am happy in the possession of the original miniature (an admirable likeness, and finely painted) of Robert Bloomfield, by Edridge. It is the first and most authentic portrait of him that was engraved, and prefixed to his poems:

George Daniel.

NOTE FOR LONDON TOPOGRAPHERS.

I send you a note for London topographers. The charter is dateless, but, inasmuch as Walter de Langeton was appointed to the bishopric of Coventry and Lichfield in 1295, and Sir John le Bretun was "custos" of London 22 to 25 Edw. I., i.e. 1294 to 1297, we may fairly assign it to the years 1296 or 1297:—

"Omnibus Christi fidelibus ad quos presentes litere pervenerint, Johannes de Notlee salutem in domino. Noveritis me remisisse, et omnino quietum clamasse pro me et heredibus meis, Domino Waltero de Langeton, Coventrensi et Lichfeldensi episcopo, heredibus, vel assignatis suis, totum jus et clameum quod habui, vel aliquo modo habere potui, in quadam placea terre cum pertinenciis in vico Westmonasterio sine ullo retenemento, illam videlicet que jacet inter exitum curie et porte domini Walteri episcopi supradicti, ex una parte, et tenementum Henrici Coci ex altera, et inter altum stratam que ducit de Charryngg versus curiam Westmonasterii, ex parte una et tenementum domini Walteri episcopi supradicti, ex altera; Ita quod ego predictus Johannes, aut heredes mei, sive aliquis nomine nostro nuncquam durante seculo in predicta placea terre cum omnibus suis pertinenciis, aliquod jus vel clameum habere, exigere, vel vendicare poterimus quoquo modo in perpetuum. In cujus rei testimonium, sigillum meum apposui huic scripto. His testibus, Dominis Johanne le Bretun tunc custode civitatis Londonii; Roberto de Basingg, militibus; Johanne de Bankwelle; Radulpho le Vynneter; Adam de Kynggesheued; Henrico Coco; Reginaldo le Porter; Henrico du Paleys; Hugone le Mareschal, et aliis."

Lambert B. Larking.

SERMONS BY PARLIAMENTARY CHAPLAINS.

Perhaps there is nothing in ecclesiastical writings more ludicrously and rabidly solemn than the sermons preached before "The Honourable House of Commons" during the Protectorate, by that warlike race of saints who figure so extensively in the history of those times. I possess some thirty of these, and extract from their pages the following morsels, which may be taken as a fair sample of the general strain:

From

"'Gemitus Columbæ,' the Mournful Note of the Dove; a Sermon preached," &c.: by John Langley, Min. of West Tuperley in the Countie of Southampton. 1644.

"The oxen were plowing, the asses were feeding beside them ('twas in the relation of one of Job's messengers). By the oxen wee are to vnderstand the laborious Clergie; by the asses, that were feeding beside them, wee may vnderstande the Laity" (!).—P. 8.

"The worde set on by the Spirit, as Scanderbags' sworde, by the arme of Scanderbags, will make a deepe impression."—P. 16.

Query, what is the allusion here?

"We came to the height, shall I saye, of our fever (or frenzie, rather), when wee began to catch Dotterills, when wee fell to cringing and complimenting in worship, stretching out a wing to their wing, a legge to their legge."—P. 18.

"Time was when the Dove-cote was searched, the Pistolls were cockt; the Bloudie-birdes were skirring about: then the Lord withdrew the birds."—P. 29.

"When your ginnes and snares catch any of the Bloudie-birdes, dally not with them, blood will have blood; contracte not their bloude-guiltinesse vpon your owne soules, by an vnwarranted clemencie and mildnesse."—P. 30.

"(Note.—The 'Bloudie-birdes,' i. e. the cavaliers.)"

From

"A Peace Offering to God: a Sermon preached," &c., by Stephen Marshall, B.D. 1641.

"Not like tavernes, and alehouses, howses of lewd and debauched persons, where Zim and Jim dwels, dolefull creatures, fitt only to be agents to Satan."—P. 50.

I conclude with a rather interesting scrap, which I do not remember to have met with elsewhere, from

"The Ruine of the Authors and Fomentors of Ciuill Warre; a Sermon," &c., by Samuel Gibson. 1645.

"There was a good motto written ouer the gates at Yorke, at King James the Firste his firste entraunce into that city:

i. e. the sweete victorie is the love of the people."—P. 27.

R. C. Warde.

Kidderminster.

A PERSPECTIVE VIEW OF TWELVE POSTAGE-STAMPS.

In the advertising sheet of "N. & Q." for December 18, 1852, its unartistic readers have the tempting offer placed before them of being taught "the art of drawing and copying portraits, views, steel or wood engravings, with perfect accuracy, ease, and quickness, in one lesson! And when the gentle reader of "N. & Q." has recovered from the shock of this startling announcement, he is further instructed that, "by sending a stamped directed envelope and twelve postage-stamps, the necessary articles will be forwarded with the instructions." Who would not, thinks the gentle reader, be a Raphael, a Rubens, or a Claude, when the metamorphosis may be effected for twelve postage-stamps? And then, delighted with the thought that no expensive residence in Italy, or laborious application through long years of study, will be required, but that the royal road to art may be traversed by paying the small toll of twelve postage-stamps, he forthwith gives them to "Mr. A. B. Cleveland, 13. Victoria Street, Brighton," and in due course of time Mr. A. B. C. forwards him "the necessary articles with the instructions," the former of which the gentle reader certainly finds to be "no expensive apparatus," but as simple as A, B, C. The articles consist of a small piece of black paper, and a small piece of common tissue paper, oiled in a manner very offensive to a susceptible nose. The instructions are printed, and are prefaced by a paragraph which truly declares them to be "most simple:"

"The outlines must be sketched by the following means, and may be filled up according to pleasure. In the first place, lay what you intend to copy straight before you; then lay over it the transparent paper, and you will see the outlines most distinctly; pencil them over lightly, taking care to keep the paper in the same position until you have finished the outlines; after which, place the paper or card you intend the copy to appear on under the black tracing-paper, with the black side on it, and on which place the outlines you have previously taken, remembering to keep them all straight, and then, by passing a piece of wire (or anything brought to a point not sufficient to scratch) correctly over the said outlines, you will have an exact impression of the original upon the card intended, which must then be filled up. I would recommend a portrait for the first attempt, which can be done in a few minutes, and you will soon see your success. Of course you can ink or paint the copy according to pleasure."

"Why, of course I can," probably exclaims the now un-gentle reader; "of course I can, when I have the ability to do it,—a consummation which I devoutly wish for, and which I am quite as far from as when I was weak-minded enough to send my twelve postage-stamps to Mr. A. B. C.; and yet that individual encloses me a card along with his nasty oiled paper and 'instructions,' which card he has the assurance to head 'scientific!' and says, 'the exquisite and beautiful art of drawing landscapes, &c. from nature, in true perspective, with perfect accuracy, ease, and quickness, taught to the most inexperienced person in ONE lesson.'

"I should like to know how I am to lay the landscape straight before me, and put my oiled paper on the top of it, and trace its outlines in true perspective? I should like also to know, since Mr. A. B. C. recommends a portrait for the first attempt, how I am to lay the transparent paper over my wife's face, without her nose making a hole in the middle of it? It is all very well for Mr. A. B. C. to say that he 'continues to receive very satisfactory testimonials respecting the RESULT of his instructions, which are remarkable for simplicity (I allow that), and invaluable for correctness' (I deny that). But, although he prints 'result' in capital letters, all the testimonial that I can give him will be to testify to the (on his part) satisfactory result attending his 'art of drawing' twelve postage-stamps out of my pocket."

Thus, can I imagine, would the gentle reader soliloquise, on finding he had received two worthless bits of paper in return for his investment of postage-stamps. My thoughts were somewhat the same; for I, alas! sent "twelve postage-stamps," which are now lost to view in the dim perspective, and I shall only be too happy to sell Mr. A. B. C. his instructions, &c. at half-price. In the mean time, however, I forward them for Mr. Editor's inspection.

Cuthbert Bede, B.A.