Notes.
Reading edition
LEGENDS AND SUPERSTITIONS RESPECTING BEES.
The Vicar of Morwenstow, among the beautiful poems to be found in his Echoes from Old Cornwall, has one entitled "A Legend of the Hive:" it commences—
"Behold those winged images! Bound for their evening bowers; They are the nation of the bees, Born from the breath of flowers: Strange people are they; a mystic race In life, and food, and dwelling-place!"
As another poet has sung:
"His quidam signis, atque hæc exempla secuti, Esse Apibus partem Divinæ mentis et haustus Ætherios dixere."
Mr. Hawker's Legend is to this effect: A Cornish woman, one summer, finding her bees refused to leave their "cloistered home," and "ceased to play around the cottage flowers," concealed a portion of the Holy Eucharist which she obtained at church:
"She bore it to her distant home, She laid it by the hive To lure the wanderers forth to roam, That so her store might thrive;— 'Twas a wild wish, a thought unblest, Some evil legend of the West. "But lo! at morning-tide a sign, For wondering eyes to trace, They found above that Bread, a shrine Rear'd by the harmless race! They brought their walls from bud and flower, They built bright roof and beamy tower! "Was it a dream? or did they hear Float from those golden cells A sound, as of some psaltery near, Or soft and silvery bells? A low sweet psalm, that griev'd within In mournful memory of the sin!"
The following passage from Howell's Parley of Beasts, Lond. 1660, furnishes a similar legend of the piety of bees. Bee speaks:
"Know, Sir, that we have also a religion as well as so exact a government among us here; our hummings you speak of are as so many hymns to the Great God of Nature; and ther is a miraculous example in Cæsaries Cisterniensis, how som of the Holy Eucharist being let fall in a medow by a priest, as he was returning from visiting a sick body, a swarm of bees being hard by took It up, and in a solemn kind of procession carried It to their hive, and there erected an altar of the purest wax for It, where It was found in that form, and untouched."—P. 144.
Pliny has much to say about bees. I shall give an extract or two in the Old English of Philemon Holland:
"Bees naturally are many times sick; and that do they shew most evidently: a man shall see it in them by their heavie looks and by their unlustines to their businesse: ye shall marke how some will bring forth others that be sicke and diseased into the warme sunne, and be readie to minister unto them and give them meat. Nay, ye shall have them to carie forth their dead, and to accompanie the corps full decently, as in a solemne funerall. If it chaunce that the king be dead of some pestilent maladie, the commons and subjects mourne, take thought, and grieve with heavie cheere and sad countenance: idle they be, and take no joy to do any thing: they gather in no provision: they march not forth: onely with a certain doleful humming they gather round about his corps, and will not away.
"Then requisite it is and necessarie to sever and part the multitude, and so to take away the bodie from them: otherwise they would keepe a looking at the breathlesse carcasse, and never go from it, but still mone and mourne without end. And even then also they had need be cherished and comforted with good victuals, otherwise they would pine away and die with hunger."—Lib. XI. cap. xviii.
"We bury our dead with great solemnity; at the king's death there is a generall mourning and fasting, with a cessation from labour, and we use to go about his body with a sad murmur for many daies. When we are sick we have attendants appointed us, and the symptoms when we be sick are infallible, according to the honest, plain poet:
"If bees be sick (for all that live must die), That may be known by signes most certainly; Their bodies are discoloured, and their face Looks wan, which shows that death comes on apace. They carry forth their dead, and do lament, Hanging o' th' dore, or in their hives are pent.'" Howell, p. 138.
Of bees especially the proverb holds good, that "Truth is stranger than fiction." The discoveries of Huber, Swammerdam, Reaumur, Latreille, Bonnet, and other moderns, read more like a fairy-tale than anything else, and yet the subject is far from being exhausted. At the same time modern naturalists have substantiated the accuracy of the ancients in many statements which were considered ridiculous fables. The ancients anticipated us so far as even to have used glass hives, for the purpose of observing the wonderful proceedings of this winged nation. Bochart, quoting an old writer, says:
"Fecit illis Aristoteles Alveare Vitreum, ut introspiceret, qua ratione ad opus se accingerent. Sed abnuerunt quidquam operari, donec interiora vitri luto oblevisset."—Hierozoicon, Lond. 1663, folio, Part II. p. 514.
Eirionnach.
OXFORD JEU D'ESPRIT.
The following jeu d'esprit appeared at Oxford in 1819: printed, not published, but laid simultaneously on the tables of all the Common Rooms. No author's name was attached to it then, and therefore no attempt is now made to supply this deficiency by conjecture. Since the attention of the discerning public has lately been directed towards the University of Oxford, probably with the expectation of finding some faults in her system of education, it is possible that some of those who are engaged or interested in that inquiry may be amused and instructed by the good sense, humour, logic, and Latinity of this satire.
"ERUDITIS OXONIÆ AMANTIBUS SALUTEM.
"Acerrimis vestrûm omnium judiciis permittitur conspectus, sive syllabus, libri breviter edendi, et e Prelo Academico, si Diis, i. e. Delegatis, placet, prodituri: in quo multa dictu et notatu dignissima a tenebris et tineis vindicantur; multa ad hujusce loci instituta et disciplinam pertinentia agitantur; plurima quæ Academiæ famam et dignitatem spectant fuse admodum et libere tractantur et explicantur. Subjiciuntur operis illustrandi ergo capitum quorundam Argumenta,
'Ἐκ Διὸς ἀρχώμεσθα.'
1. Ælfredi magni somnium de Sociis omnibus Academicis ad Episcopatum promovendis:
'With suppliant smiles they bend the head, While distant mitres to their eyes are spread.' Byron.
Opus egregium perutile perjucundum ex membranis vetustissimis detritis tertium rescriptis, solertiâ plus quam Angelo-Maiana, nuperrime redintegratum.
2. Devorguillæ, Balliolensibus semper carissimæ, pudicitia laborans vindicatur.
3. Contra Kilnerum et Mertonenses disputatur, Pythagoram Cantabrigiæ nunquam docuisse:
'Δεδαιδαλμένοι ψευδέσι ποικίλοις Ἐξαπατῶντι μῦθοι.'—Pind.
4. Wiccamici publicis examinationibus liberi, sibi et reipublicæ nocentes.
5. Magdalenenses semper ædificaturientes nihil agunt:
'Implentur veteris Bacchi.'—Virg.
6. Orielensibus, ingenio, ut ipsi aiunt, exundantibus, Aula B. M. V. malevole denegatur:
'Barbara Celarent Darii.'—Ars Logica.
7. De reditibus annuis Decani et Canonicorum Ædis Christi, sive de libris Canonicis.
8. Quæstiones duæ: An Alumni Ædis Christi jure fiant Canonici? An Alumni Ædis Christi re-verâ fiant Canonici?
9. Respondetur serenissimæ Archiducissæ de Oldenburg quærenti:
'What do the Fellows of All-Souls do?'
10. E Collegio Ænei Nasi legati Stamfordiam missi Nasum illum celeberrimum, Collegii ἐπώνυμος, solemni pompâ Oxoniam asportant.
11. Nummi ad ornandam faciem occidentalem Collegii Lincolniensis erogati unde comparati fuerint?
... 'Lucri bonus est odor ex re Qualibet.'—Juv.
12. Note.—The original heading of this chapter was altered in a later edition, and therefore is not reprinted here.
13. Ex Societatibus cæteris ejectos Aula S. Albani pessimo exemplo ad se recipit:
'Facilis descensus Averni.'—Virg.
14. De Golgotha et de Golgothitis.
15. Prælectores an Prælectiones numero sint plures.
16. Viro venerabili S. T. P. R. prælegente pecunia a clientibus sordide admodum exigitur.
17. Magistri in Venerabili domo Convocationis necessario adsistentes more Attico τὸ τριώβολον recipere debent.
18. De Academicorum in Venerabili domo Convocationis sedentium podicibus igneo quodam vapore calefaciendis:
'Placetne vobis Magistri?'—ὁ ἀεὶ Vice-Can.
19. De viris clarissimis Bibliothecæ Bodleianæ Curatoribus.
'Scene II.—Enter Quince the Carpenter, Snug the Joiner, Bottom the Weaver, Flute the Bellows-mender, Snout the Tinker, and Starveling the Tailor.
Quince. Is all our company complete?'
Shakspeare.
20. De matulis in Bibliothecâ studentibus copiosius suppeditandis:
'Ἀμὶς γὰρ ἢν ὀυρητιάσῃς ἀυτὴ Παρὰ σοὶ κρεμήσεται ἐγγὺς ἐπὶ τοῦ πάτταλου.' Aristophanes.
21. De Bibliothecario et ejus adjutoribus.
'Captain. What are you about, Dick?
Dick. Nothing, Sir.
Captain. Thomas, what are you doing?
Thomas. Helping Dick, Sir.'
22. Examinantur Examinatores.
23. Cuinam eorum Doctoris Planissimi cognomen jure optimo concedendum sit.
24. De Dodd.
25. De Magistris Scholarum.
'Who made that wond'rous animal a Soph?' Oxford Spy.
26. Baccalaurei ad Clepsydram determinantes.
'Nor stop, but rattle over every word, No matter what, so it can not be heard.' Byron.
27. De Vocum Great-go, Little-go, By-go, in concione quâdam nuperâ perperam felici usu.
'Ἔτι τὸ ἀυτὸ ὑποκορίζεσθαι· ἔστι δὲ ὑποκορισμὸς ὃς ἔλαττον ποῖει κ. τ. λ. ἐυλαβεῖσθαι δὲ δεῖ.'—Aristotle.
28. De statuà matronæ venerabilis τῆς Goose nuper defunctæ in medià Scholarum areà collocandà.
29. De statutorum nostrorum simplici perspicuitate.
'Ἀναρχαῖόν τε καὶ ἀτελενταῖον τὸ πᾶν.' Ephraim Jenkins, apud the Vicar of Wakefield.
30. An Procuratorum pedissequi recte nominentur Bull-dogs?
31. De passere intra Templum B. Mariæ concionantibus obstrepente per statutum coercendo.
'Ὢ Ζεῦ βασιλεῦ τοῦ φθέγματος τοὐρνιθίου.'
32. Typographium Clarendonianum famæ Universitatis male consulit, dum Cornelium Nepotem et alios, id genus, libellos, in usum Scholarum imprimit.
'Fama malum.'—Virg. 'Quærenda pecunia primum.'—Horat.
33. De celeberrimà Matronà Knibbs ex Horatii mente deificanda.
'Divina tomacula porci.'
34. Exemplo viri clarissimi Joannis Gutch probatur mortales errori obnoxios esse.
35. Petitur ut memoria viri prosapià ingenio et moribus spectatissimi Gulielmi Stuart oratione annuà celebretur.
'Integer vitæ scelerisque purus.'—Hor.
'The merry poacher who defies his God.' Oxford Spy.
36. Oxonià novo lumine vestità, gaudent Balænæ Atlanticæ, exulant meretrices, Procuratores otio enecantur.
'Ὣς ἐκτὸς ὦμεν τῆσδε τῆς ἀλαμπίας.' 'Jam redit et Virgo, redeunt Saturnia regna.'—Virg.
37. Probatur Bedellum Academicum vero et genuino sensu esse quartum Prædicabile; quippe qui comes adsit Vice-Cancellario omni soli et semper. Doctissimus tamen Higgenbrockius Differentiam potius esse putat, eujus hæc sunt verba:
'Bedellus est de Vice-Cancellarii Essentia, Nec potest dispensari cum absentia: Nam sicat forma dat Esse Rei, Sic Esse dat Bedellus ei.'
Nec errat forsan vir clarissimus, si enim Collegii eujusvis Præfectum (genus) recte dividat Bedellus adstans (Differentia), fit illico Species optata.—Dominus Vice-Can.
38. Tutorum et Examinatorum Oxoniensium petitio Mediolanum transmissa, ut Auctorum deperditorum restitutor nequissimus Angelus Maius, iste malè feriatus, oculis et virilibus mulctetur.
39. Statuto quamprimum cautum sit, idque sub pœnis gravissimis, ne quis ad Universitatis privilegia admissus auctoris cujuspiam libros feliciter deperditos invenire audeat, inventos huc asportet, imprimat, imprimendos curet, denique impressos legat.
Hæc sunt et horum similia, Academici, quæ favore et Auspiciis vestris auctor sibi evolvenda destinat. Ei investigandi tædium, vobis delectatio, adsit, et honos et gloria. In quantam molem assurgat materies tam varia tam augusta non est in præsenti ut pro certo affirmetur. Spes est, ut omnia rite collecta, in ordinem breviter et ἐγκυκλοπαιδικὼς redacta, voluminibus, formà quam vocant 'Elephant-Quarto,' non plusquam triginta contineantur.
Omnes igitur qui famam aut Academiæ aut suam salvam velint, moras excutiant, Bibliopolam nostrum integerrimum præsto adeant, symbolas conferant, deut nomina, ut hanc saltem a nobis immortalitatem consequantur, alià fortasse carituri."
J. B. O.
Loughborough.
ANSAREYS IN MOUNT LEBANON.
In the romance of Trancred, Mr. D'Israeli mentions the Ansareys, one of the tribes of Lebanon, as worshipping the old heathen gods, Jupiter, Apollo, and Astarte, or Venus. A writer of fiction is certainly not expected to be bound to fact; but in such a matter as the present religion of an existing people, I feel doubtful whether to suppose this religion his own invention, or if he has any authority for it, and its connexion with pagan Antioch. A people to-day retaining the worship of the old gods of Greece and Syria, is a matter of great interest. I have looked into Volney's Travels in Syria and Egypt, and in some later writers, but none of them state the paganism of Tancred to be the religion of the Ansareys. It is, however, said to be a mystery, so not impossibly the account in Tancred may be the reality. In the same work, the Sheikhs of Sheikhs, and his tribe, the Beni-Rechab children of Rechab, are said to be Jews on horseback, inhabiting the desert, and resembling the wandering Arabs in their mode of life. This also is curious, if there be such a people; and some of your readers acquainted with the history and manners of Syria may give information on these matters. The other tribes of Lebanon are singular and equally interesting:—the Maronites, Christians of the Roman Catholic sect, who, however, allow their priests to marry; the Metualis, Mahomedans of the sect of Ali; and the Druses, whose religion is unknown, and, as Lamartine tells us, was entirely so to Lady Hester Stanhope, who lived years in the middle of them. Volney divides the Ansareys in several sects, of whom one worshipped the sun, another a dog, and a third had an obscene worship, with such lewd nocturnal meetings as were fabled of the Yesedee.
F.
PRIMERS OF THE REIGN OF QUEEN ELIZABETH.
Little is known respecting the Primers of this reign, and yet several editions were published. My object will be to give some information on the subject, in the hope that more may be elicited from your correspondents.
There is an edition of the year 1559, 4to. Two copies only are known at present; one in the library at Christ Church, Oxford, and the other at Jesus College, Cambridge. It has been reprinted by the Parker Society. This Primer contains certain prayers for the dead, as they stand in that of Henry VIII., 1545. In short, with the exception of "An Order for Morning Prayer," with which it commences, this Primer follows the arrangement of that of 1545; some things, relative to saints, angels, and the Virgin Mary, having been excluded.
But I have in my possession another edition in 12mo. of this reign, of which I can trace no other copy. My book wants the title, and consequently I cannot ascertain its date. It was formerly in Gough's possession. I am inclined to think that it is earlier than the edition reprinted by the Parker Society.
Unlike the book of 1559, mine commences with the Catechism, but the subsequent arrangement is the same. The differences, when any exist, consist in a more literal following of the Primer of 1545. The Prayers for the Dead are retained as in the book of 1559. The Graces, also, are more numerous in my edition, and some of them are not found even in King Henry's book. One consists of an address, as from the master of the family, with an answer from the other members. In some respects this is similar to a form in King Edward's Primer, while in others it is altogether different. At the close of the Graces, the book of 1559 has the words "God save our Queen and Realm," while in my edition the reading is the same as in the book of 1545, "Lorde, save thy Churche, our Quene, and Realme," &c.
In "The Dirige" there is a very singular variation. In 1559 we find "Ego Dixi, Psalm Esaic xxxviii.;" in 1545 it is only "Esa. xxxviii.;" in that of 1546 the form is "Ego Dixi, Psal. Esa. xxxviii.;" and my edition has "Ego Dixi, Psal. xxxv.," being different from all the rest.
Some curious typographical errors are also found in my edition. In the Catechism the word king is substituted for queen. In the third petition in the Litany for the Queen, we have "That it may please thee to be hys defendour, and gevinge hym," &c.; yet in the previous clauses the pronoun is correctly used. It would seem that the printer had the Primer of 1545 or 1546 before him, and that in these cases he followed his copy without making the necessary alterations.
Such are the more remarkable differences between my edition and that of 1559.
There is a Primer of this reign in the Bodleian, quite different from mine and that of 1559. In this the Prayers for the Dead are expunged, and the character of the book is altogether dissimilar. Two copies of this book exist in the Bodleian, which have been usually regarded as different editions. From a careful examination, however, I have ascertained that they are the same edition. One copy has the title, with the date 1566 on the woodcut border; the other wants the title, but has the colophon, bearing the date 1575. The latter is the true date of the book, and the date on the title is merely that of some other book, for which the compartment had been used in 1566. Such variations are common with early books. I have several volumes bearing an earlier date on the title than in the colophon. Thus, the first edition of Sir Thomas Elyot's Castle of Health has 1534 on the title, and 1539 in the colophon. The latter was the true date. It may be remarked that the two books in the Bodleian of 1575 will together make up a perfect copy.
Some of your correspondents may be able to mention another copy of the edition which I possess. I am very anxious to discover another.
Thomas Lathbury.
Bristol.