Notes and Queries, Number 184, May 7, 1853 | Page 2

permission granted at Stationers' Hall; and, unless I am deceived, the fragment which occasions this Note is not from the presses of either of them, and is of an earlier date than the time of Copland; the type is much better, and less battered, than that of Copland; at the same time it has a more antique look, and in several respects, which I am about to point out, it furnishes a better text than that given by Ritson from Copland's edition, or by Percy with the aid of his folio manuscript. I am sorry to say that it only consists of a single sheet; but this is nearly half the production, and it comprises the whole of the second, and two pages of the third "fit." The first line and the last of the portion in my hands, testify to the greater antiquity and purity of the text there found; it begins--
"These gates be shut so wonderly well;"
and it ends,
"Tyll they came to the kynge's palays."
It is "wonderous well" in Copland's impression, and palace is there spelt "pallace," a more modern form of the word than palays. Just afterwards we have, in my fragment,
"Streyght comen from oure kyng,"
instead of Copland's
"Streyght come nowe from our king."
Comen is considerably more ancient than "come nowe;" so that, without pursuing this point farther, I may say that my fragment is not only an older specimen of typography than Copland's impression, but older still in its words and phraseology, a circumstance that communicates to it additional interest. I subjoin a few various readings, most, if not all, of them presenting a superior text than is to be met with elsewhere. Speaking of the porter at the gate of Carlisle, we are told--
"And to the gate faste he throng."
Copland's edition omits faste, and it is not met with in Percy. In another place a rhyme is lost by an awkward transposition, "he saide" for sayd he; and farther on, in Copland's text, we have mention of
"The justice with a quest of squyers."
instead of "a quest of swerers," meaning of course the jury who had condemned Cloudesly "there hanged to be." Another blunder committed by Copland is the omission of a word, so that a line is left without its corresponding rhyme:
"Then Clowdysle cast hys eyen aside, And sawe his two bretheren stande At the corner of the market-place, With theyr good bowes bent in theyr hand."
The word I print in Italics is entirely wanting in Copland. It is curious to see how Percy (Reliques, i. 157., ed. 1775) gets over the difficulty by following no known copy of the original:
"Then Cloudesle cast his eyen asyde, And saw hys brethren twaine At a corner of the market-place, Ready the justice for to slaine."
Cloudesly is made to exclaim, in all editions but mine, "I see comfort," instead of "I see good comfort." However, it would perhaps be wearisome to press this matter farther, and I have said enough to set a few of your readers, zealous in such questions, rummaging their stores to ascertain whether any text with which they are acquainted, tallies with that I have above quoted.
J. PAYNE COLLIER.
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WITCHCRAFT.
Observing that you have lately admitted some articles on witchcraft, it may be interesting to make a note of two or three original papers, out of some in my possession, which were given to me many years ago by an old general officer, who served in the American war, and brought them with him to England about 1776. I send exact copies from the originals.
H. T. ELLACOMBE.
Rectory, Clyst St. George.
Whereas several persons, being by authority co[=m]itted to Ipswich Goall for fellony and witchcraft, and order being given that search should be made carefully upon their bodyes, to see if there nothing appeared preternaturall thereon: for that end, on July y^e 4^th, 1692, a Jurie of one man and eight women were su[=m]oned to attend, and sworne to make dilligent search, and to give a true account of what they found, viz^t.--
Doctor Philemon Dance, Mrs. Joha[=n]a Diamond, midwife, Mrs. Grace Graves, Mrs. Mary Belcher, Mrs. Gennet Pengery, Ann Lovell, Francis Davis, Mary Browne,
Who, after search made in particular, give this account, viz^t.--Upon the body of goodwife Estue they find three unnaturall teats, one under left arme, and one on the back side of her sholder-blade, one near to her secret parts on one thigh, which, being pricked throw with a pin, remained without sense, and did not bleed.
2. Upon y^e veiwing and searching y^e body of Sarah Cloice, there was nothing unnaturall appeared on her.
3. Upon searching y^e body of Mrs. Bradbury, there was nothing appeared unnaturall on her, {447} only her brest were biger than usuall, and her nipples larger than one y^t did not give suck, though her body was much pined