Notes and Queries, Number 67, February 8, 1851 | Page 4

over fondness of Witt made him affect and act very naturally. Whatever Complyances my Grandfather, as a States-man, might make before this discovery, to gain the King, from his Brother and y^e French Party, he broke off all, when by the Duke of Buckingham's means, he had gaind this secret. For my Grandfather's Aversion and irreconcileable Hatred to Popery, was (as Phanaticisme,) confessd by his greatest Enemyes to be his Master-Passion. Nor was it ever said that the King left him: but He the King, for nothing was omitted afterwards by that Prince to regain him; nor nothing to destroy him, when that was found impossible----
"But I must end: least I fail this Post."
The superscription is:
"A Monsieur Monsieur LE CLERC sur le Keiser Gracht près de l'Eglise Arminienne a Amsterdam"
[Footnote 1: "A Gentleman of a Sound Protestant Family allways in great Friendship with ours. Both Father and Son were members of Parlement for that Town, and were Stewards to my G^d Father." (In a marginal note.)]
[Footnote 2: "It was there (as I take it) that Mr. Lock came so particularly well acquainted with My Lord Pembrock, that great Ornament and Pillar of our Nation. He was then Mr. Herbert, a younger Brother only." --(In a marginal note.)]
[Footnote 3: "Gen. c. 24." (In a marginal note.)]
[Footnote 4: The Speech was an Act of Councill examind beforehand in the Cabinet.
"Mr. Lock saw the first Coppy of it, w^{ch} was very different; and after it was alter'd in the Cabinet, my Grandfather complain'd to Mr. Lock and a Relation of his whome Mr. Lock introducd into y^e family.
"The same Person has left me a written account of that affaire; and so great was my Grandfather's Concern and Trouble, that He who of all Men alas esteemd y^e most ready in speaking was forcd to desire Mr. Lock to stand at his Elbow with the written Coppy to prompt him in Case of failure in his Repetition." (In a marginal note.)]
[Footnote 5: "It is my Grandfathers Misfortune to have S^r Will^m Temple, a valewable Author, very unfavourable to him: there having been a great Quarrel between them on a slight occasion of my Grandfather's having stopt his Gift of Plate after his Embassy; a Custome w^{ch} my Grandfather as Chancellor of ye Exchequer thought very prejudicial." (In a marginal note.)]
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MR. GOUGH'S TRANSLATION OF THE HISTORY OF THE BIBLE.
In vol. vi., p. 266., of Nichols's Literary Anecdotes, "Memoirs of Mr. Gough," is the following anecdote of Mr. Gough's precocious talents--
"At the very early age of eleven he commenced a task that would have reflected credit on any period of life; which, by the indulgence of his mother, appeared in print under the title of 'The History of the Bible, translated from the French by R. G., junior, 1746. London: Printed by James Waugh in the year 1747.' Of this curious volume, consisting of 160 sheets in folio, not more than twenty-five copies were printed, as presents to a few particular friends and when completed at the press, it is marked by way of colophon, 'Done at twelve years and a half old.'"
Mr. Nichols in his notes says, that the French edition was printed at Amsterdam, in 2 vols. folio, with plates, 1700. That by the generosity of Mr. Gough's worthy relict, he had a copy of the work with Mr. Gough's corrections in maturer age; and in a note at p. 642. of this volume of the Literary Anecdotes Mr. Nichols further states, that
"By a singular chance, at a sale of the library of Dr. Guise in January, 1812, he met with two copies of Mr. Gough's juvenile translation of the History of the Bible; and at the end of one of the volumes were ten sheets of Mr. Pickering's Dictionary, perhaps the only copy of them in existence."
The Rev. Roger Pickering was Mr. Gough's tutor until he was admitted at Bene't College, Cambridge, July, 1752, being then in the 17th year of his age. This Dictionary was compiled on the plan of Calmet, but left unfinished.
Mr. J. B. Nichols, son of the late venerable octogenarian, having recently presented me with a copy of Mr. Gough's scarce volume, I am anxious to learn by whom the original French work was written, and where a copy may be purchased. It is one of much erudition; sound in doctrine and principle; pleasing and familiar in its language, and would, I should think, well repay the publisher of a new edition, after a careful correction of a few deficiencies in composition, incidental to the early period at which Mr. Gough translated it. There is nothing in the preface, or in any part of the volume, to indicate the name of the original author. Should Mr. J. B. Nichols still possess Mr. Gough's more matured