338
NOTES AND QUERIES. [io s. xn. OCT. 23, im
introduced the electing of their mayor, and their
representatives in parliament, not only in their
church, but at the Communion table. This was
first done in the year 1585."
B. J. FYNMORE. SaiHgate, Kent.
- ARAMINTA ' (10 S. xii. 288). If this be a
poem of thirteen eight-line verses, each ending " My own Araminta, say ' No ! ' : it is included in Winthrop Mackworth Praed's works, and also in Locker Lamp- son's ' Lyra Elegantiarum ' (second edition, London, 1891), under the title of ' A Letter of Advice, from Miss Medora Trevilian, at Padua, to Miss Araminta Vavasour, in London.' W. B. H.
[MR. E. C. E. OWEN and MR. G. WHALE also thanked for replies. ]
DEPUTATION DEFINED (10 S. xii. 268). In Grant Duff's ' Diary, 1896-1901,' vol. ii. p. 96, occurs the following passage :
" Evelyn Ashley in a letter to The Daily Chronicle of to-day [March llth, 1899] explains that the author of the definition as.a noun of multitude, signifying many, but not signifying much, was the late Mr. Wortley, brother of Lord Wharncliffe. It appeared in The Owl as far back as 1863."
LAWRENCE PHILLIPS.
Sibstone Rectory, Atherstone.
EPWORTH PARSONAGE GHOST (10 S. xii. 129, 197). It may be presumed that " old Jeffrey " died in the house which he is supposed to have haunted, and as this was a newly built house, his death can be fixed within a few years. Is there any trace of his burial in the parish registers, or any tomb- stone erected to him ? JAS. TALBOT.
ARMS ON A BRASS (10 S. xii. 209, 278). It appears probable from MR. CLEMENTS' s reply that this brass, purchased in Bristol, was obtained from either Bruton or Wyke Church in Somersetshire, and -should forth- with be restored.
A MEMBER OF THE SOMERSET ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY.
COL. GODFREY (10 S. xii. 268). This gentleman belonged to an old Oxfordshire family.
If T. DEVONIENSIS cares to write to me, I can offer him some suggestions regarding his second query. F. GODFERY.
2, Morton Crescent, Exmouth.
BIBLE : " KNAVE OF JESUS CHRIST " (10 S. xii. 128). For details as to Dr. Gower's ' Sketch ' see Ormerod's ' History of Cheshire' (1882), i. xxxiii. B. S. B.
'JOHN BROWN' (10 S. xii. 288). I used
to sing this song about forty-five years ago.
I enclose the four verses. Charles Mackay
was the author of both the words and the
music, which were published at The Musical
Bouquet office, High Holborn. The song was
called ' John Brown ; or, A Plain Man's
Philosophy.' A. T. B.
Bessells Green.
[We have forwarded the verses to the querist.}
NOTES ON BOOKS, &c.
English Literature in the Nineteenth Century : an Essay in Criticism. By Laurie Magnus. (Mel- rose. )
MR. MAGNUS'S book is to be treated seriously, being neither a compilation at second hand, nor one of the brief manuals of literature in which dry bones need a body of some warmth to clothe them. While, however, it contains matter fit for the education of the student, it displays at times an affectation of style, and a 'desire for mere rhetoric in itself, which irritate us. Mr. Magnus has afe any rate a real enthusiasm for his subject, which enlivens his narrative. He states in his Preface that "I have neither consciously adopted any opinion at second hand, nor criticized any book which I have not read," though obligations are expressed to the " English Men of Letters " series.
After a ' Proem ' there are three ' Books,' dealing respectively with 1784-1832, ' The Transit through 1832,' and ' The Victorian Age.' The last Book is much the largest of the three.
The ' Proem ' makes an excursion into the philo- sophy of the beautiful, which seems to us a little amateurish. It also illustrates the author's rhetoric in such a passage as this :
" The cloud-capped peak of the Renaissance, the purple Puritan height, the glittering summit of Augustanism, are revealed in the splendid sym- metry of their increasing strength, till the ex- pectant spectator turns to the historian of the new age and demands the record of its trust, the reve- lation of its accumulated power."
Many passages similar to this occupy valuable space which is needed for the elucidation of the tendencies the book seeks to discover.
Coming to matters of detail, we remark that our sense of just proportion does not always coincide with the author's. He deals with Carlyle, we think, at excessive length, for we regard the sage's influence as greatly, and on the whole not unjustly, decayed. The notice of Jane Austen's novels ranks ' Pride and Prejudice ' first, a position which many will endorse, but we are surprised to see ' Mansfield Park ' put after ' Northanger Abbey.' It has one of the most pungent and effective female characters in fiction, Mrs. Norris. Probably Mr. Magnus meant to mention her where the printer has put " Mr. Norris" (p. 52). The account of Campbell is inadequate as not mentioning his best title to fame, his songs. We cannot regard the now somewhat oppressive high spirits and high jinks of Christopher ^orth as entitling him to an equal place in litera- ture with De Quincey. Regarding the reviewers typified by Lockhart (J. G. not J. E.) Mr. Magnus
