LONDON, SATURDAY, MARCH 31, 1888.
CONTENTS.—№ 118.
NOTES:—‘Barnaby’s Journal,’ 241—Bibliography of Lilburne, 242—Armenia, 243—Last Earl of Anglesea—Rice at Weddings, 244—‘Robinson Crusoe’—Luscious: Polecat—Henry VIII.—Tatterdemallion—French Gambling Superstitions—Mothering Sunday, 245—Style—Byron—‘Greville Memoirs’—Legerdemain—Easter Bibliography—Speech of Landor—Definition of Nationality, 246—“Familiarity breeds contempt,” 247.
QUERIES:—Warden Abbey—‘Sleep of Sorrow’—Letter from Charles I.—Olivestob Hamiltons, 247—Margaret Mordaunt—Elizabethan Literature—Petroleum—Queen Caroline—Cowper’s ‘Task’—Author of Hymn—“Morituri te salutant”—“Once in a blue moon”—Moon Lore—Cocker—General Sir H. Johnson, 248—Daniel Clark—Author of Poem—Almouseley Isaac—“Q. Q.”—Adam and his Library—Bishop of Winchester—Sqnails—‘A Child’s Wish,’ 249.
REPLIES:—R. W. Buss, 249—‘History of Robins’—Trees as Boundaries—Suburbs and Environs—Motto for Chimney-porch, 251—Proverbs on National Characteristics—“Work is worship”—Number of Words Used—Cyprus—Poets’ Corner—“Stormy petrel of politics”—Jews in Malabar—Study of Dante in England—Hardly, 252—Yorkshire Wills—Planting of Trafalgar Square—Dogs in the Navy—Black Swans, 253—“Pretty Fanny’s way”—Tennis Court at Chester—“Higher than Gilroy’s kite,” 254—Bawley-Boat—Watch Legend—Curatage—German Dictionary of Phrase and Fable—Coleridge on Words—“The Glorious First of June,” 255—Morue: Cabillaud—Lord George Gordon—Mistletoe Oaks—Insurrection, 256 Grattan—Spanish Wrecks—The ‘British Chronicle’—Philip Harwood, 257—Immortal Yew Trees—Railways in 1810—Cobbin Brook—Marischal College, Aberdeen—Coins of the Present Reign, 258—Major Downing, 259.
NOTES ON BOOKS:—Hunter Blair’s Bellesheim’s ‘History of the Catholic Church of Scotland’—Fishwick’s ‘History of Bispham’—Palmer’s ‘Yarmouth Notes.’
Notes.
‘BARNABY’S JOURNAL,’ 1638, AND CROMWELL’S SIEGE OF BURGHLEY HOUSE, BY STAMFORD, 1643.
(See 7th S. v. 128.)
Your valued correspondent Mr. Jonathan Bouchier asks, in connexion with Drunken Barnaby’s description of the deserted state of Burghley House, by Stamford town, “What was the exact date of Barnaby’s journey?” The date is conjectural, as the first edition of the work was without a date. Its title was “Barnabees Journal, under the names of Mirtilus and Faustulus shadowed; for the Travellers solace, lately published, to most apt numbers reduced, and to the old tune of Barnabe, commonly chaunted. By Corymbœus.
Have made my Muse more valiant than Hector.”
It had a frontispiece engraved by Marshall, who flourished 1635–1650, and the date given by Bohn in his new edition of Lowndes as the date of the book is “circa 1648–1650.” Mr. Haslewood, the editor of the author’s works (Richard Brathwait, 1588, 1673), fixes the date of the first edition of ‘Barnabee’s Journal’ at “about 1650”; but Mr. J. Yeowell, in a lengthy and most interesting article on this point in ‘N. & Q.,’ 2nd S. x. 423 (December 1, 1860), states that he discovered in the registers of the Stationers’ Company two notices of the book under date June, 1638.
Years ago I had access to a very good copy of the rare first edition, and frequently examined it. It was in the possession of my friend and near neighbour the late Rev. Henry Freeman, Rector of Folkesworth, Huntingdonshire, and rural dean. His valuable library, founded on that formed by Dr. White Kennett, Bishop of Peterborough, was, after his death, sold at a five days’ sale by Messrs. Puttick & Simpson, at their London rooms, May 29, 1865. The copy of ‘Barnabee’s Journal’ was knocked down for 13l. 5s. I have notes showing that copies of this rare first edition have been disposed of in public auction at sums varying from five to sixteen guineas, and that in Lilly’s ‘Book Catalogue,’ 1865, a copy was offered for fifteen guineas. I have also a note that a copy of the 1648 edition was offered for 8l. 18s. 6d.
Perhaps Brathwait’s description of the state of Burghley was somewhat overdrawn. As the editor of the 1805 edition says,
“Fiction may be supposed to have some share in Barnaby’s descriptions—probably a large share. Having invested himself with a poetical character, it may be presumed that he both fabricated and adapted incidents to suit it, like other dealers in poetry.”
It has been shown that his journey must have been prior to 1638. In 1632 Charles I. was on his way to Scotland in order to receive the crown of that kingdom, and he did not, like Queen Elizabeth, sleep at Burghley, but put up at “The George” inn, St. Martin’s, Stamford (Dr. Beilby Porteous, Bishop of London 1787–1808, married a daughter of the landlord of “The George”). At that date the owner of Burghley was Sir Richard Cecil, nephew of William Cecil, second Earl of Exeter; and as he resided at Wakerley, Northamptonshire (where he died in the following year, September, 1633, aged sixty-three), Burghley House would probably be in that fireless, cookless, deserted state so forcibly described by “Drunken Barnaby.” In 1633 Charles I., with his queen, again passed through Stamford, but without visiting Burghley. Their stay of two days was made at Apethorpe, the seat of the Earl of Westmoreland.
Cromwell’s attack on Stamford and Burghley House was not till the year 1643, and, although marks of cannon-balls are still to be seen on the south front, the house seems to have suffered but slightly. In fact, Cromwell appears to have acted with unusual leniency and politeness, for the portrait of him (by Walker) now hanging in what may be called the Historical Portrait Room—known as “Queen Elizabeth’s Dressing-Room, or the Pagoda Room”—is said to have been presented by himself to the widowed countess of David, third Earl of Exeter, in admiration of her bravery when he captured Burghley by assault, July, 1643.
I have a pamphlet now before me entitled ‘A true Relation of Colonell Cromwels Proceedings against the Cavaliers. Wherein is set forth the
