Notes and Queries, Number 71, March 8, 1851 | Page 5

MS. copy of the Historia Ecclesiastica of Beda in my possession, and of which the following circumstances are therein apparent:--It is plainly a MS. of great antiquity, on paper, and in folio. On a fly-leaf it has an inscription, apparently of contemporaneous date, and which is repeated in a more modern hand on the next page with additions, as follows:
"Hunc librum legavit Will[=m]s Dadyngton qu^odam Vicarius de Barton sup humbre ecclie Lincoln ut e[=e]t sub custodia Vicecancellarii."
Then follows:--
"Script[=u] p manus Nic[=o]i Belytt Vicecancellarii iiii^{to} die m[=e]sis Octob^r Anno Dni milles[=i]mo q[=u]icentessimo decimoqu[=i]to et Lr[=a] d?icalius G et Anno pp henrici octavi sexto."
In the hand of John, father of the more celebrated Ralph Thoresby, is added:
"Nunc e Libris Jo[/h]is Thoresby de Leedes emp. Executor^{bus} Tho. D?i Fairfax, 1673."
Through what hands it may have passed since, I have no means of knowing; but it came into mine from Mr. J. Wilson, 19. Great May's Buildings, St. Martin's Lane, London, in whose Catalogue for December, 1831, it appeared, and was purchased by me for 3l. 3s.
There it is conjectured to be of the twelfth century, and from the character there is no reason to doubt that antiquity. It is on paper, and has been ill-used. It proceeds no farther than into lib. v. c. xii., otherwise, from the beginning complete. The different public libraries of the country abound in MSS. of this book. It is probable {181} that, under the civil commotions in the reign of Charles I. the MS. in my possession came into the hands of General Fairfax, and thence into those of John Thoresby: so that no blame can possibly attach to the present, or even some past, generations, of the curators of any library, whether cathedral or private. It is, at all events, desirable to trace the pedigree of existing MSS. of important works, where such information is attainable.
Perhaps some of your correspondents may be able to inform me what became of the library of Ralph Thoresby; for into his possession, there can be little doubt, it came from his father.
J. M.
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Minor Notes.
The Potter's and Shepherd's Keepsakes.--In the cabinet of a lover of Folk-lore are two quaint and humble memorials by which two "inglorious Miltons" have perpetuated their affection, each in characteristic sort. The one was a potter; the other, probably, a shepherd. The "pignus amoris" of the former is a small earthenware vessel in the shape of a book, intended apparently to hold a "nosegay" of flowers. The book has yellow clasps, and is authentically inscribed on its sides, thus:
"The. Love. Is. True. That. I. owe. You. Then. se. you. Bee. The. Like. To. Mee.
(On the other side.)
"The. Gift. Is. Small. Good. will. Is. all. Jeneuery. y^e 12 day. 1688."
The shepherd's love gift is a wooden implement, very neatly carved, and intended to hold knitting-needles. On the front it has this couplet:
"WHEN THIS YOV SEE. REMEMBER MEE. MW.
(On one side.)
MW. 1673."
To an uninformed mind these sincere records of honest men seem as much "signs of the times" as the perfumed sonnets dropped by expiring swains into the vases of "my lady Betty," and "my lady Bab," with a view to publication.
H. G. T.
Writing-paper.--I have long been subject to what, in my case, I feel to be a serious annoyance. For the last twenty years I have been unable to purchase any letter-paper which I can write upon with comfort and satisfaction. At first, I was allowed to choose between plain and hot-pressed; but now I find it impossible to meet with any, which is not glazed or smeared over with some greasy coating, which renders it very disagreeable for use with a common quill--and I cannot endure a steel pen. My style of writing, which is a strong round Roman hand, is only suited for a quill.
Can any of your correspondents put me in the way of procuring the good honest letter-paper which I want? I have in vain applied to the stationers in every town within my reach. Would any of the paper-mills be disposed to furnish me with a ream or two of the unglazed, plain, and unhotpressed paper which I am anxious to obtain?
Whilst I am on this subject, I will take occasion to lament the very great inferiority of the paper generally which is employed in printing books. It may have a fine, glossy, smooth appearance, but its texture is so poor and flimsy, that it soon frays or breaks, without the greatest care; and many an immortal work is committed to a miserably frail and perishable material!
A comparison of the books which were printed a century ago, with those of the present day, will, I conceive, fully establish the complaint which I venture to make; and I would particularly remark upon the large Bibles and Prayer Books which are