Notes and Queries, Number 52, October 26, 1850 | Page 8

up, a worn-out inscription, "Le Bon Gendarme," as if
that had originally been the name of the inn. These words have been
lately effaced altogether: but as they no doubt relate to some
circumstance or adventure which had happened in or near to the place,
perhaps some reader of the "NOTES AND QUERIES" will have the
goodness to satisfy the curiosity of one who has asked at the inn in vain
for a solution.

U. U. C.
University Club.
* * * * *
REPLIES.
TASSO TRANSLATED BY FAIRFAX.
The variation in the first stanza of Fairfax's Godfrey of Bulloigne has
been long known to bibliographers, and was pointed out in The Critical
Review more than thirty years ago. I cannot fix on the particular
number, but it contained a long notice of the version of Tasso by
Fairfax, and the very stanzas extracted by T. N. The translator could not
please himself with the outset of his undertaking, and hence the
recorded substitution; but it is not known that he carried his
fastidiousness so far as to furnish a third version of the first stanza, as
well as of the "Argument" of the introductory canto, differing from
both the others. In the instance pointed out by T. N. the substitution
was effected by pasting the approved stanza over the disapproved
stanza; but the third version was given by reprinting the whole leaf,
which contains other variations of typography, besides such as it was
thought necessary to make in the first stanza.
I formerly had copies of the book, dated 1600, including all three
variations; but the late Mr. Wordsworth having one day looked
particularly at that with the reprinted leaf, and expressing a {360}
strong wish to possess it, I gave it to him, and I presume that it
remained in his library at his death. What I speak of happened full
twenty years ago.
The Critical Review of the date I refer to (I am pretty confident that it
was of the early part of 1817) contained a good deal of information
regarding Fairfax and his productions; but it did not mention one fact of
importance to show the early estimation and popularity of his
translation of the Gerusalemme Liberata, viz., that although it was
published in 1600, it is repeatedly quoted in England's Parnassus,

printed in the same year, and containing extracts, as most people are
aware, from all the distinguished poets of that day, and somewhat
earlier. This circumstance ascertains also that Fairfax's Tasso came out
before England's Parnassus, although both bear the date of 1600 on the
title-pages.
THE HERMIT OF HOLYPORT.
Fairfax's Tasso.--In my copy of the second edition, 1624, the first
stanza of the first book is given precisely as in Mr. Knight's reprint. But
in the very beautiful edition published by Bensley, 1817, and edited by
Mr. Singer, that stanza which T. N. terms an "elegant variation,"
introduces the canto. The editor's preface states that the first edition,
1600, had been followed in that re-impression, "admitting some few
corrections of errors, and emendations of orthography, from the second,
I printed in 1624." Of this second edition it is remarked that "it appears
to have been revised by some careful corrector of the press; yet nothing
material is changed but the orthography of particular words." No notice
is taken of the difference between the first stanza of the second edition,
and that of the first edition, identical with the cancel in T. N.'s copy.
Possibly, both the copies of these two editions, which happened to
come under the editor's notice, had this cancel, and so presented no
variation from each other. If, however, all the copies of the second
edition contained the stanza as given by Mr. Knight, and Mr. Singer's
opinion (drawn from the dedicatory verses to Prince Charles, prefixed
to some copies of the second edition) that this edition was seen, and
probably corrected, by the author, be well-founded, it would seem to
follow that Fairfax finally preferred the stanza in this its first and later
state, and as it appears in Mr. Knight's edition. If the "cancel-slip" be an
"elegant" variation, may not the original stanza be regarded as more
vigorous?
G. A. S.
Fairfax's Tasso.--In the elegant edition published by Mr. Singer in
1817, the first stanza is printed according to the variation noticed by
your correspondent T. N. (Vol. ii., p. 325.), "I sing the warre," &c., and
the original stanza is printed at the end of the first book, with a note

stating that the pasted slip is found "in most copies" of the first edition.
My copy contains no such peculiarity, but it is of course possible that
the pasted slip may have been removed. The second edition (folio,
London, 1624) has the stanza in the form in which