Notes and Queries, Number 201, September 3, 1853 | Page 3

the following reasons.
Swinney, it appears, had received subscriptions for the work, and
promised in his prospectus a plan of the battle, and portraits of the
heroes, which the work does not contain. "However, to make some
little amends" to his "generous subscribers," Swinney announces his

intention to present them with "three books instead of one."
The first book is dedicated to Earl Waldegrave, who commanded "the
six British regiments of infantry" on the "ever memorable 1st August,
1759," and a note affixed states that "Book the Second" will be
published on 1st January, and "Book the Third" on 1st of August.
But the public, as Swinney says, were kept "in suspense" almost three
years for the second book, which was not published until 1772; and in
the dedication of this second book, also to Earl Waldegrave, Swinney
says:
"Doubtless many of my subscribers have thought me very unmindful of
the promise I made them in my printed proposal, in which I undertook
to publish my poem out of hand. Ill health has been the sole cause of
my disappointing their expectations. A fever of the nerves ... for these
four years, has rendered me incapable.... In my original proposals I
undertook to publish this work in two books. [In the introduction he
says, as I have just quoted, one book.] Poetical {215} matter hath
increased upon me to such a degree, in the genial climate of Languedoc,
as to have enabled me to compose several more books on this
interesting subject, all which I purpose presenting my subscribers with
at the original price of half a guinea.... Many months ago this Second
Book was printed off; but on my arrival in town from Montauban
(whither I purpose to return), I found there were so many faults and
blunders in it throughout, that I was under the necessity of condemning
five hundred copies to the inglorious purpose of defending pye bottoms
from the dust of an oven.... Profit, my Lord, has not been my motive for
publishing: if it had, I should be egregiously disappointed, for instead
of gaining I shall be a considerable loser by the publication; and yet
many of my subscribers have given me four, five, and six times over
and above the subscription-price for my Poem. How even the
remaining books will see the light must depend entirely upon my
pecuniary, not my poetical abilities. The work is well nigh completed;
but not one solitary brother have I throughout the airy regions of Grub
Street who is poorer than I. It is not impossible, however, but when
some of my partial friends shall know this, they may enable me by their

bounty to publish out of hand."
This leads me to doubt whether the third book was ever published, for I
think the most "partial" of his friends--those who had given "four, five,
and six times over and above the subscription price"--must have had
enough in two books. If it were not published, it is a curious fact that,
in a poem called The Battle of Minden, the battle of Minden is not
mentioned; though not more extraordinary perhaps than the omissions
of the "Explanation of the Apocalypse" in his previous work.
I come now to the question, Why did Junius speak so passionately and
disrespectfully of Swinney, and what are the probabilities that Swinney
had never before (July) 1769 spoken to Lord G. Sackville? These I
must defer till next week.
T. S. J.
* * * * *
MONUMENTAL INSCRIPTION IN PETERBOROUGH
CATHEDRAL.
The following Notes occur on a fly-leaf at the end of a copy of
Gunton's History of Peterborough Cathedral, and appear to have been
written soon after that book was printed:
"Among other things omitted in this history, I cannot but take notice of
one ancient inscription upon a tomb in y^e body of the church, written
in old Saxon letters, as followeth:
[Cross] 'WS : KI : PAR : CI : PASSEZ : PVR : LE : ALME :
ESTRAVNGE : DE : WATERVILLE : PRIEZ.'
"This inscription may seem to challenge some relation to William de
Waterville, one of the abbots of this church. (See p. 23.)"
"On Sennour Gascelin de Marrham's tomb, mentioned p. 94., these
letters seem to be still legible:

'CI : GIST : EDOVN : GASCELIN : SENNOVR : DE MARRHAM :
IADIS : DE : RI : ALM.. ^{DI} EV EST MERCIS : PATER :
NOSTER.'"
"In St. Oswald's Chapel, on y^e ground round the verge of a stone:
'HIC IACET COR.... ROBERTI DE SVTTON ABBATIS ISTIVS
MONASTERII CVIVS ANIMA REQVIESCAT IN PACE. AMEN.'"
"In y^e churchyard is this inscription:
[Cross] 'AÑA IOANNIS DE S[=C]O IVONE QVO[=A] P[IO]RIS
PMA [=A] M [=D]IIII PACE REQVIESCAT. AMEN.'
"This may probably relate to Ivo, sub-prior of this monastery, whose
anniversary