Notes and Queries, Number 44, August 31, 1850 | Page 5

regular "London cries."
13. _Vauxhall Gardens._ A curious and highly interesting description
of this popular place of amusement, "a century ago," was printed in
1745, under the title of _A Sketch of the Spring-Gardens, Vaux-hall, in
a letter to a Noble Lord_, 8vo. My copy is much at Mr. Cunningham's
service for any future edition of his Handbook.
Edward F. Rimbault.
* * * * *
DEVOTIONAL TRACTS BELONGING TO QUEEN KATHERINE
PARR.
In your Number for August 10th, I observe an inquiry regarding a MS.
book of prayers said to have belonged to Queen Katherine Parr. Of the
book in question I know nothing, but there has lately come into my
possession a volume of early English printed devotional works, which

undoubtedly has belonged to this Queen. The volume is a small
duodecimo, bound red velvet, with gilt leaves, and it has had
ornamental borders and clasps of some metal, as the impressions of
these are still distinctly visible upon the velvet covering. The contents
of this volume are as follows:
1. "A sermon of Saint Chrysostome, wherein besyde that it is
furnysshed with heuenly wisedome and teachinge, he wonderfully
proueth that No man is hurted but of hym-selfe: translated into
Englishe by the floure of lerned menne in his tyme, Thomas Lupsete,
Londoner, 1534."
At the bottom of this title-page is written, in the well-known bold hand
of Katherine Parr,--"Kateryn the Quene, K.P.," with the equally
well-known flourish beneath.
2. "A svvete and devovte sermon of Holy Saynet Ciprian of mortalitie
of man. The rules of a Christian life made by Picus, erle of Mirandula,
both translated into Englyshe by Syr Thomas Elyot, Knyght. Londini,
Anno verbi incarnati MDXXXIX.
3. "An exhortation to yonge men, &c., by Thomas Lupsete, Londener,
1534.
4. "A treatise of charitie, 1534.
5. "Here be the Gathered Counsales of Sainete Isidorie, &c., 1539.
6. "A compendious and a very fruitful treatise teaching the waye of
dyenge well, written to a frende by the floure of lerned men of his tyme,
Thomas Lupsete, Londoner, late deceassed, on whose sowle Jesu have
mercy. 1541."
Almost all these treatises are printed by Thomas Berthelet. I know not
if any of these treatises are now scarce. On the fly-leaf opposite the first
page we find the following scriptural sentences, which are, in my
opinion, and in that of others to whom I have shown the book,
evidently written by the hand of the queen.
It will be only necessary to give the first and last of these sentences:
"Delyte not in Þe multytude of ungodly men, and haue no pleasure in
Þem, for they feare not God.
"Refuse not Þe prayer of one yt is in trouble, and turne not away thy
face from the nedye."
We need not quote more; but on the opposite side of the fly-leaf are
some verses of a different character, and which I suspect to be from the

royal pen of Henry VIII. The writing is uncommonly difficult to
decypher, but it bears a strong resemblance to all that I have seen of
Henry's handwriting. A portion of the verses, as far as I can make them
out, are here subjoined:
Respect.
"Blush not, fayre nimphe, tho (nee?) of nobell blod, I fain avoutch it,
and of manners good, Spottles in lyf, of mynd sencere and sound, In
whoam a world of vertues doth abowend, And sith besyd yt ye lycens
giv withall Set doughts asyd and to some sporting fall, Therefoor,
suspysion, I do banyshe thee"
Then follows a line I cannot decypher, and at the bottom of the page is
"You will be clear of my suspysion."
Are these verses from some old poet, or are they composed as well as
written by the royal tyrant? for no other would, I think, have addressed
such lines to "Kateryn the Quene."
I have only to add that the volume was given me by the sister of the late
President of the English college at Valladolid, and that he obtained it
during his residence in Spain. It is not unlikely it may have been carried
thither by some of the English Catholics, who resorted to that country
for education. In 1625 it seems to have belonged to John Sherrott.
I should be glad of any information about the verses.
E. Charlton, M.D.
Newcastle-upon-Tyne, August 18. 1850.
* * * * * {213}
SUGGESTIONS FOR CHEAP BOOKS OF REFERENCE.
Although your space is generally devoted to the higher and more
curious inquiries respecting antiquities and literature, I am sure you
will not grudge a little room for facilitating and improving the means of
popular information and instruction.
For every man, almost in any station in society, I submit that the
followings works for reference are indispensable, in the most
convenient corner or shelf of