being designed for a voyage to the East Indies, and employed by the Right Worshipful the East India Company residentiary in London to be their agent at the port of Bantum, in the East Indies.
“First I direct all my just debts to be satisfied and paid, I give to my loving and dear wife Elizabeth [Blore calls her Margaret, daughter of John Dobson] Browne, daughter of Valentine Dobbins, of Kinsale, in the Kingdom of Ireland, gent., the sum of 321l., being the residue of the sum of 500l. as yet due and unpaid and due unto me, to her as a marriage portion unto the said Elizabeth my wife from the said Valentine Dobbins, together with the interest thereof accruing as well for the space of five and a half years from the date hereof. I also give her 700l., all that my messuage, tenement, or now dwelling house of me the said Quarles Browne, being in Rivers-street, in the parish of St. Olave’s, Hart-street. To my dear brother James Browne 300l.; but in case at the time of my decease I shall have more than one child or children living than my daughter Margaret Browne, he is only to have 50l. paid him. To my dear brother Chr. Browne, esq., and James Browne, each 20l. for mourning. To my loving friend Michael Dunkin, of London, gent., 20l. and 10l. to buy mourning and to buy a ring; and to Samuel Sambrooke, of London, gent., 20l. to buy mourning. To my sister Priscilla Ayrey, wife of Thomas Ayrey, of London, 10l. I appoint James and Chr. Browne, Michael Dunkin, and Samuel Sambrooke to be overseers of my last will and testament, committing to their custody and care my daughter Margaret during her minority. Residue of my goods, &c., I give to my daughter, appointing her sole executrix. If I happen to have a son, my residue of goods, &c., to bd divided: he is to have two parts, and daughter Margaret and others a single part.”
Michael Dunkin administered to the will as guardian of Margaret Browne November 20, 1667, the brothers and Sambrooke having renounced. Francis Mann, guardian of Margaret Browne, administered October 16, 1673. The latter’s guardianship having ceased, Margaret Hodges administered July 1, 1676; on September 17, 1677, Margaret Bridges (alias Browne), wife of Robert Bridges, administered; and lastly, on March 14, 1680/1, letters of administration were granted to Margaret Hodges, wife of Francis Hodges, on behalf of Mary Browne, alias Blenerhassett—whom Blore calls (Mary) Hanset, of Norwich, and says her sister Margaret, named in the will, was married in Ireland—wife of Edward Blenerhassett. Justin Simpson.
Stamford.
(To be continued.)
La Dame de Malehaut.—A minor Dantesque problem of some curious interest has been recently solved, as shown in the ‘Fifth Annual Report of the Dante Society,’ Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1886. Appendix ii. of this ‘Report’ is named “Dante and the Lancelot Romances,” and is the writing of Mr. Paget Toynbee. His theme is that passage in Dante’s ‘Paradiso,’ canto xvi., which runs:—
Al primo fallo scritto di Ginevra.
(“Smiling, she [Beatrice] looked like her who coughed at the first frailty recorded of Guinevere.”) Previous commentators have gone so far as to show that the allusion is to the Lady of Malehaut, who coughed when Lancelot gave Guinevere his first kiss; but it remained for Mr. Paget to light upon the actual passage in one of the Lancelot romances, and to set it forth in print. He finds a French MS., eighteen copies of which, divided between the libraries of the British Museum and of Paris, give the incident in considerable detail. Ten of these writings belong to the thirteenth century, and four to the fourteenth. The Lady of Malehaut is in love with Lancelot, and is intimate with Guinevere. Gallehault brings together Guinevere and Lancelot in his own camp, the Lady of Malehaut and two other ladies remaining within sight, but at some distance apart. A long dialogue of enamoured courtesy ensues between the queen and the knight. The crucial passage is as follows:—
This passage settles the question (which Dantesque commentators have differed about) as to what was the feeling or intention with which the Lady of Malehaut coughed, whether to check Guinevere or to encourage her, and consequently what was the feeling or intention with which Beatrice smiled. We now see clearly that the Lady of Malehaut was vexed, and the smile of Beatrice must have had a spice of sarcasm in it. Mr. Toynbee, we may observe, has not correctly translated the words “sestossi tot a exient.” They mean, not “coughed all openly,” but “coughed on purpose—coughed with full intention”—she “forced a cough.” The MS. used by Mr. Toynbee is noted as “Lansdowne 757, fol. 71,” &c., in the British Museum. Walter Map (or Mapes), the famous chaplain of Henry II., is the reputed author of this version of the romance. W. M. Rossetti.
Samuel Langley’s ‘Short Catechisme,’ 1649.—
“A Catechisme Shorter then the Short Catechisme compiled principally by Mr. Ball out of which this (for the most part) was taken. Or the Epitome and Contraction of Mr. Ball’s short Catechisme. Also A Spiritual Song for the Lords Supper or Communion, put into an ordinary tune, that it may be sung by common people, for their spirituall quickning and edification in that Ordinance. Together with two other Hymns or Psalms, the first concerning Submission, the Second the Lord’s Prayer. By S. L., M.A., and F., C. C. Camb. London, Printed by A. M. for Tho. Underhill at the Bible in Wood Street, 1649. 12mo.”
The preface is signed S. Langley, and states that the work was “intended for the Congregation
