Notes Queries No. 29, Saturday, May 18, 1850 | Page 7

_Poor Robin's Almanack_? Are any particulars known of its successive editors? In what year did it cease to be published? The only one I possess is for the year 1743,--"Written by Poor Robin, _Knight of the Burnt Island_, a well-wisher to Mathematicks," who informs his readers that this was his eighty-first year of writing. What is meant by _Knight of the Burnt Island_?
I must not omit to add, that at Dean Prior, the former vicar, Robert Herrick, has the reputation of being the author of Poor Robin.
J.M.B.
Totnes, April 18. 1850.
* * * * *
The Camp in Bulstrode Park.--Is there any published account of this camp having been opened? It is well worth the examination of a competent antiquary.... It is not even alluded to in Mr. Jesse's _Favourite Haunts_, nor does that gentleman appear to have visited the interesting village of "Hedgerley" (anciently _Hugely_), or Jordans, the Quakers' Meeting-house, and burial-place of Penn, between Beaconsfield and Chalfont. Chalfont was anciently written Chalfhunt, and is by the natives still called Charffunt; and Hunt is a very common surname in this parish: there was, however, Tobias Chalfont, Rector of Giston, who died 1631. "Chal" appears to be a common prefix. In Chalfont (St. Peter's) is an inscription to Sir Robert Hamson, Vycar, alluded to in Boutell's Brasses. In a cupboard under the gallery staircase is a copper helmet, which, prior to the church having been beautified in 1822, was suspended on an iron bracket with a _bit of rag_, as it then looked, to the best of my memory. I have heard that it belonged to the family of Gould of Oak End, extinct.
A.C.
* * * * *
_Hobit_, a measure of corn in Wales; what is the derivation?
A.C.
* * * * *

REPLIES.
DR. PERCY AND THE POEMS OF THE EARL OF SURREY.
I have the means of showing what Dr. Percy did with the poems of the Earl of Surrey, because I have a copy of the work now before me.
It can hardly be said that he "prepared an edition" of those poems, as supposed by your correspondent "G." on the authority of Watts's _Bibliotheca Britannica_, but he made an exact reprint of the _Songes and Sonnettes written by the Right Honorable Lorde Henry Haward, late Earle of Surrey, and other_, which was printed _Apud Richardum Tottell. Cum privilegio ad imprimendum solum_. 1557. The Bishop of Dromere made no attempt at editing the work much beyond what was necessary to secure an exact reimpression. He prefixed no Life of Surrey (a point "G." wishes to ascertain); and, in fact, the book was never completed. It contains considerably more than the reprint of the poems of Lord Surrey, and was intended to consist of two volumes with separate pagination; the first volume extending to p. 272., and the second to p. 342.
As the work is a rarity, owing to an unfortunate accident, some of your readers may like to see a brief notice of it. Watts (as quoted by "G." for I have not his portly volumes at hand,) states that the "whole impression" was "consumed in the fire which took place in Mr. Nicholls's premises in 1808." This was a mistake, as my extant copy establishes; and Restituta (iii. 451.) informs us that four were saved. Of the history of my own impression I know nothing beyond the fact, that I paid a very high price for it some twenty years since, at an auction; but the late Mr. Grenville had another copy, which I had an opportunity of seeing, and which had belonged to T. Park, and had been sent to him by Dr. Percy for the advantage of his notes and remarks. This, I presume, is now in the British Museum; whither it came with the rest of Mr. Grenville's books, four or five years ago.
The "Songs and Sonnets" of Surrey occupy only the first forty pages of vol. i.; then follow "Songs and sonnets" by Sir Thomas Wyat to p. 111. inclusive; and they are succeeded by poems "of uncertain authors," which occupy the rest of the the first volume. The second volume begins with "The Seconde Boke of Virgiles ?n?is," filling thirty pages; while "the Fourth Boke" ends at p. 57., with the imprint of R. Tottell, and the date of 1557. "Ecclesiastes and Certain Psalms by by Henry Earl of Surrey," which are "from ancient MSS. never before imprinted," close at p. 81. "Certayne Psalmes chosen out of the Psalter of David," consisting of the seven penitential psalms, with the imprint of Thomas Raynald and John Harrington," fill thirty pages; and to them is added "Sir Thomas Wyat's Defence," from the Strawberry Hill edition; which, with a few appended notes, carries the work on to p. 141.
A new title-page, at which we now arrive, shows us the intention of