224
NOTES AND QUERIES. [J2 s. i. MAR. is, ww.
Two days later the travellers left on
"horseback, and proceeded to Loretto,
Ancona, and Bologna, where they consumed
the most excellent ** sauciges." Ferrara,
noted for its fine streets, being to all
-appearance y e handsomest streets of any
$tty in Italy," was reached on April 8, and
the next day they arrived at Venice. Here
on Holy Thursday they attended service at
the Church of St. Mark. The next few days
were taken up by processions and cele-
brations, 70,000 ducats, it was said, being
spent in candles alone; and on April 21 the
travellers left by boat for Padua, where they
encountered a messenger from Lyons, who
carried them to Vicenza and Verona. At
Brescia their peace of mind was somewhat
disturbed by the fierce countenances of tha
inhabitants, and an alarming parade of
swords and guns; and three days later,
travelling along rocky ways and dangerous
mountain paths, Mortoft and his companions
crossed the Spliigen to Coire, reaching
Zurich on May 9.
"This cilty," we are told, "is very large and well peopled, y e lake runing cleare through it : there being two bridges of Boards over it from one side y^citty to y e other" ;
and with these remarks the manuscript comes to an end as abruptly as it commences. MALCOLM LETTS.
FIELDING'S " PARSON ADAMS."
T>R. SAINTSBUEY in ' The Peace of the Augustans : a Survey of Eighteenth-Century Literature as a Place of Rest and Refresh- ment,' which has appeared since the new year in reviewing Fielding's ' Joseph An- -drews ' (published in February, 1742), -expresses his appreciation of its hero in these words (p. 120) :
"The sublime, the unprecedented, the rarely equalled, and the never surpassed figure of Parson
Adams Never since Cervantes in any literature,
never since Shakespeare in English, and hardly out of these two in modern books has there been such a pure creation, such an example in humanity, not so much copied from life into literature, as passing direct from literature into life, as that admirable and almost adorable student of JEschylus, prac- titioner of cudgel play, and servant of his Master."
This is great praise from an authoritative quarter, and outstrips the warmest pane- gyrics of Charles Lamb on the selfsame character. It has ever been accepted that the original of Adams was the Rev. William Young, curate of East Stower, Dorset, from 1731 to 1740, who collaborated with Fielding in publishing an edition of Aristophanes's
' Plutus ' in 1742, and in projecting a
translation, never completed, of Lucian in
1752. Mr. Young edited Ainsworth's ' Latin
Dictionary ' and Hederich's ' Greek Lexicon,'
and became chaplain to Major-General
Lascelles's Regiment of Foot. He died at
Chelsea Hospital in 1757.
Mr. H. St. Barbe of Lymington, Hants, has just unearthed a manuscript containing information respecting Mr. Young, which he has been so good as to place entirely at my disposal. Since it endorses, from an unforeseen source, one of Dr. Saintsbury's criticisms, I trust it may be thought de- serving of publicity. The document runs thus :
" Parson Young was a Dorsetshire parson of great parts and learning, an absent man and of no great knowledge of the world. Fielding has drawn his character in * The Adventures of Joseph An- drews ' under the feigned name of Abraham Adams. He had a wife, six children, and a curacy of about 30Z. a year. The following story shows him honest, simple, and without guile. Jointly with Fielding he translated Aristophanes's ' Plutus ' or God of Riches. Lord Talbot, to whom it is dedicated, sent Young five guineas, as a gratuity, but he for a long time refused it, because it aid not belong to him, he having no hand in the dedication. At last he took it, but not for himself, but Fielding, who writ the dedication. He saw him daily for five days, but still forgot the five guineas. At last, upon a dispute, he pulled out the money to lay a wager ; being questioned about it, he said 'twas Xpvffos ApurrofaviKos and belonged to Fielding : and so told the manner of his coming by it. 'Twas with great difficulty he could be persuaded to take any part of it, but at last, they, upon the judgment of the company, divided it ; but he still insisted upon paying Fielding's reckoning out of his share. He is now (Dec. 18, 1742) tutor to a young Gentle- man at 101. a year. Before he entered on this service, he endeavoured by a feigned letter to him- self to get leave of his patron to spend a .fortnight in the country ; but this letter, containing the pre- tended invitation, he put into his patron's hand sealed and unopened, which piece of absence dis- covered the scheme, so little was he able to act this little piece of disingenuity. Mr. Young was curate of Gillingham, and formerly Schoolmaster at Romsey, where he was so careless a man as to run into every tradesman's debt, and had went to
gaol if Sir J. St. B , Mr. Thomas, and others had
not raised money to redeem him. All he knew of the matter was, he wanted the goods and had 'em."
Parenthetically it should be observed : (1) that East Stower was a chapelry of
Gillingham, and (2) that Sir J. St. B is
undoubtedly Sii John St. Barbe, Bart, of Broadlands, near Romsey, who died in 1723.
Now to make a false statement knowingly for the purpose of obtaining some material advantage is not the act of an absolutely guileless man, nor does running recklessly into debt stand in much better case.
