Notes and Queries, Number 68, February 15, 1851 | Page 6

book, of which I never saw another copy. It formerly belonged to Michael Lort, and is entitled
"The Children's Petition, or a Modest Remonstrance of that Intolerable Grievance our Youth lie under, in the accustomed Severities of the School Discipline of this Nation. Humbly presented to the Consideration of the Parliament. Licensed Nov. 10. 1669, by Roger L'Estrange. London, 1669. 18mo."
The object of this most singular production is to put down the flagellation of boys in that particular part of the body wherein honour is said to be placed; and the arguments adduced are not very easily answered. The author, whoever he was, had reason, as well as learning, on his side. I am not aware of any other copy north the Tweed; but there may be copies in some of the libraries south of that river.
3. Dr. Anthony Horneck.--Do any of the letters of the once celebrated Dr. Anthony Horneck exist in any library, public or private? His only daughter married Mr. Barneveldt; and his son, who served with Marlborough, left issue, which failed in the male line, but still exists in the female line, in the representative of Henry William Bunting, Esq., the caricaturist. The writer of these Queries is the direct descendant of Mrs. Barneveldt, and is anxious to know whether any unpublished MSS. of his ancestors still exist. There was a Philip Horneck who in 1709 published an ode inscribed to his excellency the Earl of Wharton, wherein he is described as LL.B., a copy of which I have. There can be no doubt he is the individual introduced by Pope in the Dunciad, book iii. line 152.; but what I wish to know is, whether he was a son of Dr. Horneck, and a brother of the general.
4. In Clifford's History of the Paul of Tixall, the name of the real author of Gaudentio di Lucca is given. Every reliance may be attached to the accuracy of the information there given, not only on account of the undoubted respectability of the author, but from the evident means of knowledge which he, as a Roman Catholic of distinction, must have had.
5. The Travels of Baron Munchausen were written to ridicule Bruce, the Abyssinian traveller, whose adventures were at the time deemed fictitious. Bruce was a most upright, honest man, and recorded nothing but what he had seen; nevertheless, as is always the case, a host of detractors buzzed about him, and he was so much vexed at the impeachment of his veracity, that he let them get their own way. Munchausen, a veritable {118} name--the real possessor of which died in October, 1817--was assumed, and poor Bruce was travestied very cleverly, but most unjustly. The real author has not been ascertained; but at one time it was believed to have been James Grahame, afterwards a Scotch barrister, and author of a poem of much beauty, called The Sabbath. Circumstances which came to my knowledge, coupled with the exceedingly loveable character of Grahame, render this belief now incredible; but undoubtedly he knew who the real author was. The copy in my library is in two volumes: the first, said to be the second edition, "considerably enlarged, and ornamented with twenty explanatory engravings from original designs," is entitled Gulliver Revived: or the Vice of Lying properly exposed, and was printed for the Kearsleys, at London, 1793. The second volume is called A Sequel to the Adventures of Baron Munchausen, and is described as "a new edition, with twenty capital copperplates, including the Baron's portrait; humbly dedicated to Mr. Bruce, the Abyssinian traveller," was published by H. D. Symonds, Paternoster Row, 1796. I had for years sought for an original copy of this very singular work, and I at last was so successful as to purchase the one above described, which had been picked up by a bookseller at the sale of some books originally forming part of the library at Hoddam Castle.
On looking over a copy of Sir John Mandeville,
"Printed for J. Osborne, near Dockhead, Southwark; and James Hodges, at the Looking Glass, on London Bridge:"
I observe he gives--at least there--no account whatever of his peregrinations to the polar regions; and the notion of ascribing to him the story of the frozen words is preposterous. I have not in my library, but have read, the best edition of Sir John's Travels (I don't mean the abominable reprint), but I do not remember anything of the kind there. Indeed Sir John, like Marco Polo, was perfectly honest, though some of their informants may not have been so.
J. ME.
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Minor Queries.
The Witches' Prayer.--Can you inform me where I can find the epigram alluded to by Addison, in No. 61. of the Spectator, as "The Witches' Prayer," which falls into verse either way, only that it reads "cursing" one