Notes and Queries, Number 75, April 5, 1851 | Page 5

Memoir, as published in 1813 by G. and W. Nicol, Booksellers,
Pall Mall, professes to be a faithful reprint of the former edition of
1702. The commencing and concluding paragraphs in this reprint are
precisely the same as those transcribed by MR. GATTY'S friend from
the MS. in his possession. His idea, that an incorrect copy of his MS.
was improperly obtained, and published in 1813, seems to be without
foundation.
[Delta].
* * * * *
Minor Notes.
Shakspeare's Venus and Adonis.--The following extract from an
advertisement in the St. James's Chronicle, April 15, 1779, is worth a
note as illustrative of the altered value of the book referred to:--
"If any person is possessed of an impression of Shakspeare's Venus and
Adonis, 4to. Printed by Richard Field for John Harrison, 1593, and will
bring it to Mr. Thomas Longman, bookseller, in Paternoster Row, he
will receive one guinea for it."
Malone gave 25l. for the copy in his collection in the Bodleian.
J. F. M.
Moorfields in Charles II.'s Time.--I copy this from The New Help to
Discourse, published about 1670:

"Two gentlemen of Stepney going homewards over Moor-fields, about
twelve of the clock at night, were staid by an impertinent constable
with many frivolous questions, more by half to show his office than his
wit; one whereof was, If they were not afraid to go home at that time of
the night? They answered, 'No.' 'Well,' said he, 'I shall let you pass at
this time; but if you should be knockt on the lead before you get home,
you cannot but report that there was a good watch kept in Moor-fields."
BLOWEN.
Yankee, Derivation of.--The word Yankee is nothing more than the
word English so transformed by the imperfect pronunciation of the
natives of Massachusets--Yenghis, Yanghis, Yankies. The orthography
of this much-used epithet, which is not given, we believe, in any
English or American work, was communicated to M. Philarète {261}
Charles by one of the best-informed men of that province.
"Le mot Yankee, appliqué aujourd'hui comme sobriquet aux
populations agricoles et commerçantes du nord, n'est autre que le mot
English transformé par la prononciation défectueuse des indigènes du
Massachusets: Yenghis, Yanghis, Yankies. Nous tenons de l'un des
hommes les plus instruit de la province cette curieuse étymologie, que
ne donne aucun ouvrage americain ou anglais. Les Anglais, quand ils se
moquent des Yankies, se moquent d'eux-mèmes."--Philarète Charles,
"Les Americains," in Revue des Deux Mondes, May 15, 1850.
J. M.
A Word to Literary Men (Vol. iii., p. 161.).--Perhaps MR. KENNETH
R. H. MACKENZIE will allow me to add the following as a rider to
his suggestion:--
"Even after all the labours of the Prussian scholars," says Dr. Arnold,
"much remains to be done towards obtaining a complete knowledge of
the number, and still more of the value, of the Greek MSS. now
existing in Europe. It is not easy to know how many MSS. of any given
writer are extant, where they are to be found, and, above all, whether
from their age and character they are worth the trouble of an exact

collation. A labour of this kind cannot be accomplished by individuals;
but the present spirit of liberal co-operation, which seems to influence
literary as well as scientific men throughout Europe, renders its
accomplishment by the combined exertions of the scholars of different
countries by no meals impracticable. It would be exceedingly
convenient to possess an alphabetical list of all the extant Greek and
Latin writers, with a catalogue raisonnée of the MSS. of each; and if
such a work were attempted, there is little doubt, I imagine, that in
point of number a very large addition would be made to the stock of
MSS. already known. What the result might be in point of value is
another question; still it is desirable to know what we have to trust to;
and when we have obtained a right estimate of our existing resources in
manuscripts, we shall then be better able to judge what modern
criticism will have to do from its own means towards bringing the text
of the ancient writers to the greatest possible state of
perfection."--Preface to Thucydides, vol. iii. page iv. 2d edit.
M. N.
* * * * *
Queries.
POEMS OF JOHN SEGUARD OF NORWICH.
In the Letters on the British Museum, 1767 (referred to Vol. iii., p.
208.), at p. 33. is given a short Latin poem, which the writer states he
"found among the manuscripts;" and adds, "It was written by John
Seward in the time of Henry V., who conquered Charles VI. of France."
The poem is as follows:
"Ite per extremam Tanaim, pigrosque Triones, Ite per arentem Lybiam,
superate calores Solis, et arcanos Nili deprendite fontes, Herculeumque
sinum, Bacchi transcurrite metas, Angli juris erit quicquid