from thence they issued to attack the Saxons, which they did with great success. But with returning prosperity came the vices of rebellion and unchastity, and Arthur fell, fighting against his own countrymen. His last battle was probably fought at Camelford, in the north-east of Cornwall, and from thence his body was borne to the-even thenancient ecclesiastical foundation of Glastonbury, where his remains were discovered in the reign of Richard I. The story as I have sketched it here, divested of myths and legends, may be gathered from Gildas, William of Malmesbury, and Giraldus Cambrensis. In fact Giraldus claims to have been present at the finding of the bodies of both Alfred and Guinivere. While the Britons were at first sunk in a despairing lethargy and afterwards fighting for very existence no records were kept. But around the memory of the last British hero clustered British, Welsh, and Breton legends and myths, till every story-teller added to the misty halo which surrounded him, and his personal identity has been well-nigh destroyed. I should like to refer Mr. Heard to three articles of mine on "King Arthur, in Somerset," which appeared last year in The Antiquarian Magazine and Bibliographer, edited by Mr. Walford, in the May, July, and December numbers. CHARLOTTE G. BOGER. St. Saviour's, London. INSCRIBED STONE AT HAYLE. (W.A., IV. S., pt. 4, p. 76)-I send an answer from Notes & Queries to the above query, which appeared also in N. & Q., 6th S., XI., 248.-B. H. S. "The inscription on the stone near Hayle, is given in a different form from that in the query of B. H. S. in Councils and Ecclesiastical Documents, by Haddan and Stubbs, Vol. I., p. 163, ox., 1869:- Upon a tall upright stone at Carnsew, near Hayle, in similar characters [with the preceding]: IC CEN-REQUIEVIT-CU NAT DO-HIC TUMULO IACIT VIXIT ANNOS XXXIII. The interpetation given of the first and third divisions of this inscription is exceedingly questionable, but it is apparently Christian, and of a time when Roman influence still operated.-Arch. Camb., third series, IV., 178." It is classified under the inscriptions, A.D. 450-700. A fuller account is to be found in the Arch. Camb. U.S. ED. MARSHALL. As there is one obvious mispri ntin the inscription-'jacit' for jacet-there may, perhaps, be another in 'do' for ao anno. The Roman numerals CV no doubt stand generally for 105, but as we sometimes say 'hundreds five,' perhaps the stone-cutter intended the two letters to be so read, or may there yet be a third mistake, and cv be meant for DV. ? If so, the translation would be right, save that 505 must be substituted for 500. W. E. BUCKLEY. (Notes & Queries, 6th S., XI., 335.) Reviews. The Literary History of England in the end of the This talented writer has once again placed the reading public under a deep debt of obligation. Of all the many and varied offsprings of her fertile brain and facile pen, she has produced few works having a greater charm and value than the one now before us. In The Makers of Florence, Mrs. Oliphant fully proved her ability to deal with Art and Artmasters, in the very cradle and home of Art-Florence. And now, she has quite as incontestably proved her qualifications both by talents and knowledge to speak of the literature and literary men of her own nation, if not exactly of her own time. The period treated in the present work (1790-1825) was wonderfully prolific of great writers, it was an era which almost rivalled the Elizabethan Age of our literature; hence the limitation of the work to the period named; for although the writer had originally intended that it should take a much wider scope and more comprehensive character, she found, as her labours progressed, that the period treated of was so rich and ample, that it would not allow of further additions. The reader, will perhaps rather rejoice at this than otherwise, as the limitation has enabled the author to deal more exhaustively with those subjects she has taken, and we may hope at no distant day, that Mrs. Oliphant will give the world another contribution to the literary history of her country by bringing it down to our own times. Among the "heroes of the pen" whose deeds are chronicled in the present work we find Cowper, Burns, Crabbe, Wordsworth, Southey, Landor, Lamb, De Quincey, Scott, Campbell, Rogers, Byron, Moore, Shelley, Keats, Hook, Maria Edgeworth, Jane Austen, Hallam, Lingard, Bentham, Mackintosh, Mill, besides many of the lesser lights of English literature. Mrs. Oliphant has the happy faculty of investing all her subjects, whether of fiction or reality, with a freshness and charm which adds much to their interest and immediately commands attention. And so in this work, we are instinctively led to take a greater interest than ever before in the sayings and doings of the notable men whose lives are traced with the loving pen of one who has herself thoroughly appreciated their works. It is impossible for us in the brief space at our disposal, to do full justice to a work such as this, we can merely hope to indicate by a few general observations that the three volumes composing this Literary History of England have much to commend them to general readers, and everything to ensure a welcome from those who find delight in the higher paths of literature. Every library should possess these volumes, and every Englishman of ordinary culture should include them in his private collection of useful books of reference. We may add that the enterprising librarians Messrs. W. H. Smith & Son, 186 Strand, London, have purchased the remaining copies. of this work from the publisher, and are prepared to supply them at a considerable reduction. But the supply is limited, and those who wish to secure them should apply at once to Messrs. Smith or their Agents. A few reflections on the Rights, Duties, Obligations, and Advantages of Hospitality. By CORNELIUS WAlford, F.I.A., F.S.S., F.R. HIST. SOC., &c. London: Wyman, 1885. This charming little volume is the ninth issue of "Privately Printed Opuscula Issued to the members of the Sette of Odd Volumes," a society of which the author is a member, holding the office of "Master of the Rolls" in the Sette. Mr. Walford's paper was read before the "Sette" at the Freemason's Tavern, on Friday, February 5, 1885, and consists of a clever disquisition upon "hospitality" in all its phases and amongst "all sorts and conditions of men." Mr. Walford is well-known as an extensive collector of special literature, and the work now before us is but one out of many such essays and larger works which he has either prepared or is preparing. We sincerely trust that Mr. Walford's health, which of late has given way, may be speedily and fully restored, and that he may by economising his powers now, be enabled to carry out many of the valuable literary projects which he has in hand. We are glad to have the opportunity of calling attention to Redway's Shilling Series," of which, if this is a fair sample, we hope to see many more. The author tells us in his preface that "the present collection of Notes and Anecdotes has been gleaned from the more generally interesting portion of a History of Tobacco, which for some years has been in progress, and the materials for which were gathered from every available source." Novels and plays, newspapers, travels, memoirs, histories, acts of parliament, technical treatises, accounts of early voyages, and even tracts have been requisitioned in the compilation of this book; and it is not simply a collection of eulogistic sayings in praise of the " plant divine," but the use and abuse, the praise and blame are delightfully mingled, though sooth to say, the devotees of tobacco who have sung its praises are far more numerous than those who have inveighed against it. The book is crowded with pleasant and amusing chat about tobacco and tobaccotakers, and on conning its pages we are surprised to learn how many great and worthy men have been inveterate smokers. We hope in a future number to make a few extracts from the volume illustrative of the sayings and doings of Devonian smokers, inasmuch as it is still claimed for Raleigh that he introduced the fragrant weed into England. In the meanwhile we advise all the votaries of Nicotia who read our pages to invest a shilling in this entertaining little volume. The Anatomy of Tobacco; or, Smoking Methodised, Divided, and Considered after a New Fashion. By LEOLINUS SILURIENSIS, Professor of Fumical Philos. ophy in the University of Brentford. Imprinted for George Redway, and to be sold by him at his Shop in York Street, near to Covent Garden. MDCCCLXXXIV. A clever and learned disquisition upon a most interesting subject. The author has summoned the ancient and modern philosophers to his aid in the production of this entertaining volume. He gives, in the first place, the history of his subject, mythical, legendary, and real, and then, sounds the praises of Tobacco in a hundred different ways. He is a very champion in the defence of smoking, and he waxes eloquent when treating of pipes and cigars, ancient and modern. Moreover he gives some valuable advice as to the nature and properties of Tobacco, advice which may be followed by the most ardent votary of the Nicotian Philosophy, as well as those just entering their novitiate. The book is beautifully printed, bound in white parchment and has a most attractive appearance. placemen, eager to display their powers, which would necessarily spring up behind it, to become immediately a compact phalanx of domination," &c., &c. This refers to the appointment of a State "Department" for the preservation or conservation of historical monuments. It appears that the "Department" having fallen foul of our friend Mr. Kerslake, has endeavoured in an elaborate Report to overturn his theories with regard to the discovery of a "Primæval British Metropolis" in Somerset. Without entering into the merits of the discussion, for which we have not sufficient space; it appears to us most probable that Mr. Kerslake, whose knowledge of Somersetshire archæology is undoubted, has come very near the truth in his investigations of the PEN PITS; and that Her Majesty's Inspector, though fortified by the authority of Parliament, is less likely to come to a correct determination on such a matter than a local antiquary, who has for many years being conversant with the neighbourhood of which he treats. At any rate we are strongly in favour of that "Independent Historical Research," for which Mr. Kerslake has become so redoubtable a champion. Douglas's (Edinburgh) Reprints of American Authors: Birds and Poets with other Papers. By JOHN BUR- English readers have long ere this learned to look for the new issues of Douglas's American reprints with eagerness and delight. A charming little library has already been published, consisting of almost every variety of interesting subject. The three works noted above, are typical volumes of the whole set. Rudder Grange is a work of genuine American humour. It is a purely domestic narrative, but the domestic relations and scenes are of such an exceptional character, and the events are so novel to English readers, that we are fain to exercise our risible faculties to their fullest extent, and to delare that the inhabitants of "Rudder Grange" were at once the most simpie-minded and most diverting people that we have met for many a day. The Queen of Sheba has a touch of dry humour, sufficient to make it entertaining, enough sentiment to make it interesting, and enough of the descriptive element to make it charming. There is also a little spice of romance. The whole is so well blended as to form a tale which, when once commenced, must be read to the end. Birds and Poets, is one of a series of nature-studies that remind us forcibly of White's. "Selborne" and books of that class, but being written by an American from an American's point of view, we have many novel thoughts and fancies. Well might the author couple "Birds and Poets," for throughout the whole of his works, Mr. Burroughs speaks in the most poetic language, and we verily seem to hear the song of the birds and to revel in the delights of nature, free as a bird on the wing. In the volume before us, in addition to the paper which gives its title to the work, we have several chapters containing "lessons of the earth and air," besides others in which the author's favorite themes are made to bear "their analogy in literature," and their application to higher matters. We hope to see many more of the products of Mr. Burroughs' happy muse and ready pen. "Vic;" the Autobiography of a Fomeranian Dog (a True Story). Compiled by ALFRED C. FRYER, PH. D., &c. 4th Edition. London: Partridge. A sweet little tale, which must have the effect intended by the author, to make children ever "try to deal kindly with the humble animals which the Maker of all things has given to us." We heartily commend it to the notice of the large circle of "Little Folks" for whom it was written. Harold and the Months; or, A Little Boy's Travels in Dreamland. A Fairy Tale for Small Folk. By ALFRED C. FRYER, F. R. H. S., &c. Manchester: Cornish. Dr. Fryer has written several volumes for his especial favourites, the children. He knows exactly what they like and how to give it to them. The handsome volume before us is sure to be a favourite, and that "my young friend, Hans von Abeken and all other good little men" to whom "this Book of Nonsense" is dedica. ted, will follow the fortunes of Harold from January to December, with as much avidity and pleasure as they would experience in reading Robinson Crusoe or Swiss Family Robinson. Statistical Review of the Literature of Shorthand. By CORNELIUS WALFORD. London and Bath: Pitman, 1885. A very useful little pamphlet to all who practice any of the systems of Shorthand now so much in vogue. It is a miniature history of Phonography and all its allies. Statistical Chronology of Plagues and Pestilences as affecting Human Life, with an Inquiry into their Causes. By CORNELIUS WALFORD, F. I.A., F.S.S., F. R. HIST. SOC., &c. Mr. Walford is always at home with Statistics. This work is one of a series which the author has in preparation, and is the result of a course of enquiries which he has long been making into everything affecting Human Life. Some years ago he gave us a book on "Famines ;" now he deals with Plagues and Pestilences; anon we hope that he will take up other branches of the subject as he has himself laid them down in his introductory remarks to the present volume. The Chronological Table is of inestimable value. Cornish Poems and Selections from "Pentowan." By W. BENTINCK FORFAR. Truro. Netherton and Worth, 1885. The author of this little brochure has done well to perpetuate in such a happy manner some of the peculiarities and eccentricities of the primitive inhabitants of old Cornwall. Of course, the primary object of such a book is to amuse, and this it does unquestionably; but the antiquary sees another object, and that is the preservation of strange tales which have come direct from the mouths of the narrators, as well as the perpetuation of oldworld words and phrases which, but for the intervention of such little works as these would ere long be entirely forgotten. Mr. Forfar has written several works of greater literary merit and pretension, but perhaps none so thoroughly Cornish as the one now under notice. Of the separate pieces in this book we may mention "Midnight Watchers on St. Martin's Eve," in which a remarkable instance of superstition and credulity is cleverly told. The Adventures of some Cornish Fishermen at "The Fisheries" are told with much humour; but perhaps the most interesting part of the book are the selections from "Pentowan," published many years ago, and one of Mr. Forfar's earliest works. We welcome every addition to our Cornish literature, and may here hint that we are always ready to receive and to notice any such works as local authors and publishers may be pleased to send us. Bibliographical Motes. + WE are glad to hear that Failed to Pass, a little work lately issued by Mr. W. H. Luke, the publisher of the Western Antiquary, which we noticed in these pages in a recent number, has been so far successful that a Second Edition is in the press. IN the Antiquarian Magazine and Bibliographer for December last, our esteemed correspondent, Dr. J. H. Pring, contributed a paper on the suffix "Ham," proving that it was "not exclusively derived from a Teutonic source, but occasionally also from the Celtic." We are sorry to have overlooked this interesting article, especially as the writer makes particular reference to the Hams of this district, where the term is very prevalent. Dr. Pring has expounded an ingenious and carefully-worked-out theory which, briefly stated, is "that the place-name Hampton did not necessarily represent the Saxon 'hometown,' which has so generally, yet erroneously, been assumed, but that the name is frequently derived also from Avon or rather Afon, the Celtic word for water or a river, and that it ought, therefore, strictly to be Afonton." We hope that Dr. Pring will consent to give us a note shortly, bearing upon the local features of this question, for publication in the Western Autiquary. IN the series of papers from the pen of Mr. W. C. Borlase, M.P., now appearing in the Genealogist relative to the history of the family of Borlase, genealogists in general, and Cornish antiquarians in particular, may find much to interest and instruct them. The article which appeared in last month's issue gives the history of the family from 1327 to 1559. During that period it appears the family of Borlas was twice represented in Parliament. In the 18th of Richard II., Andrew Borlase, of Borlas Frank Taillyfer, an attorney, born in 1358, was member for Truro; and Mark Borlas, his son, described as of "Borlas Frank, and Fowey, gentilman," was member for Helston in 1432-3. There is also much curious and interesting information given by Mr. Borlase as to the part certain members of the family took in the rising in the West in 1483 against Richard III. (in which struggle they sided with the Duke of Richmond), and Flammock's rebellion in 1497, the Borlas who interested himself in this revolt being probably among the number who were hanged." In connection with the Wars of the Roses, it is probable the Borlas family were Lancastrians, a supposi tion which is strengthened by the fact that in the reign of Henry VIII. the crest of Walter Borlas bore two red roses. - Western Morning News, May 11, 1885. 66 EXETER.-Early Printing.-I should imagine that one of the earliest productions from an Exeter printing press was a Broadside, entitled-"An Epistle to Mr. Dryden;" it is folio size and consists of one hundred lines of verse in two parallel columns. In the left hand bottom corner is printed" Exeter, Nov. 5, 1688." It is very far from being a complimentary production; it commences:— “Dryden, thy Wit has catterwauld too long;" and ends by abusing him for his translation of the life of St. Francis Xavier, a Jesuit missionary and a worker of miracles, thus: "Howe'er, no more let Xavier mar thy Pen, When Law, and bald Divinity begins, Why then, th' marvel that a Poet sins?" Of course the chief interest attaching to this sheet is the fact that it was printed at Exeter nearly two hundred years ago: scarce it must needs be, for such ephemeral literature rarely found its way into the safe anchorage of a private or public library. The copy in my possession came from the Crossley collection recently dispersed. I have no wish to unduly cry up, or make too promi. nent, a simple Broadside, my only aim is to record in a journal read by all interested in the county of Devon, that it exists. E. E. B. Weston-super-Mare. The Lost Parish Registers of the County of Cornwall, are announced to be published shortly by subscription, and edited by Lieut.-Colonel J. L. Vivian, author of the Visitations of the Counties of Cornwall & Devon, &c., &c. The Editor in his prospectus says:— "During a lengthened search in the Parish Registers of the County of Cornwall it has been discovered that out of the 208 Parishes only 99 possess Registers commencing prior to the year 1600. Of the remaining 109, thirty-five Registers are lost prior to periods between 1600 and 1650; fifty prior to periods between 1650 and 1700; twenty-two between 1700 and 1750, and two between 1750 and 1800. "It is not generally known that transcripts of these Registers exist in the Bishop's Registry at Exeter and also at Bodmin. |