Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 11.djvu/20

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page needs to be proofread.

12


NOTES AND QUERIES. [9 s. XL JA. 3, im


There is, therefore, abundant evidence, external and internal, to prove that, although Bruce prepared a considerable part of the entire piece ' Lochleven,' it is to Logan that the credit belongs of having rearranged its component parts, and particularly of having extended ' Levina.' The evidence upon which this conclusion rests may be thus summarized : (1) Bruce's state of health unfitted him for working daily at this composition. Five months, therefore, was too snort a space of time in which, according to his own account of its progress (although this need not be taken as being literally accurate), the poem, as we have it, could have been written by him. (2) The facts related by Dr. Mackelvie, that many parts of the original were omitted, that additions were made, and that the whole piece had been rearranged, point to the necessity of more time having been required for its production, granting, for the sake of argument, that Bruce was the author of the whole. (3) But positive evidence in favour of Logan is to be found (a) in Dr. Baird's emphatic statement, already quoted, that nearly 200 lines of ' Levina ' are Logan's (he, like Mackelvie, had Bruce's MS. before him) ; (b) when it is seen that one of these 200 lines is that to which Dr. Mackelvie drew attention, "The perfect picture," &c. ; and (c) when it is further seen that this line is wanting from Dr. Mackelvie's so-called "first draught" of 'Levina.' (4) The many parallelisms, &c., form another link in the chain of evidence which goes to prove that it was Logan who wrote the greater part of this episode. A. M. MCDONALD.

ROUBILIAC'S BUST OF POPE (9 th S. x. 408, 471,

492). I think your correspondent MR.

GEORGE G. NAPIER will find that this marble

bust was bought by Lord Rosebery at the

Peel sale a few years ago. It may interest

him to know that the original clay model

made by the sculptor's hands for this marble

bust, is still in existence. The clay was fired

and is now good terra-cotta. It was for some

time in the collection of Samuel Rogers, anc

was bought at his sale by my father, John

Murray, and passed into my possession at his

death in 1892. It was exhibited at the Pope

Commemoration in 1888, and a photogravure

reproduction is given of it in the frontispiece

of vol. v. (Life) of Elwin and Courthope

'Pope.' It also forms an illustration to

paper in the Magazine of Art by Mr. Austii

Dobson, entitled ' Little Roubillac,' publishet

some few years ago (I cannot, at this moment

ascertain the exact date), in which M

Dobson says :


" It bears every evidence of that strong marking the facial muscles, especially about the mouth, rhich Reynolds had observed to be characteristic

deformed persons. The sculptor himself, in an

necdote preserved by Malone, went further still. [e found in the contracted appearance of the skin etween the eyebrows proof permanent of that aching head' to which the poet so frequently efers. The bust, which is without the wig and lows the natural hair, is one of Roubillac's most uccessful efforts. It, of course, fails to reproduce

ie magic of the wonderful eye ; but is full of

ourage, keenness and alert intelligence."

A. H. HALLAM MURRAY.

A later reference to the ownership of this will be found in the ' Dictionary of National Biography,' vol. xlvi. p. 124, col. 2. R. B.

Upton.

ESQUIRES (9 th S. x. 148, 314). I find in 623 this same question put to a corre- pondent, " Whether a Barister be an Esquier or no, titular." The correspondent inswers that he thinks "Court men" are usually written esquires, but whether of ight knows not. I doubt if the barristers tad any real right to rank as esquires.

LOBUC.

SIR THOMAS BROWNE (9 th S. x. 427). Mr. Wilkin, the editor of 'The Works of Sir Thomas Browne' (1846), failed to find the entry of the marriage in the parish registers if Burlingham St. Peter, where the Mile- lams resided (vol. i. p. Ixi, note 6).

G. F. R. B.

The contemptuous manner in which Sir Thomas Browne, M.D., had spoken of the 'air sex for he had expressed the wish that ' we might procreate like trees, without con junction," and had described man as the whole world, but woman as only the rib, or crooked part of man exposed him to some raillery at the time of his marriage.

It is stated in that dainty edition of ' Religio Medici ' recently published by Messrs. Gay & Bird that

Dr. Browne settled down as a general practitioner at Shepden Hall, near Halifax, about 1633, but was prevailed upon to remove to Norwich in the early part of 1637. Four years after the doctor had settled in the city of churches he married Miss Dorothy Mileham, by whom he had twelve chil- dren." The union was happy.

HENRY GERALD HOPE.

119, Elms Road, Clapham, S.W.

THE BROOCH OF LORN (9 th S. x. 268, 357). See in notes to canto ii. of 'The Lord of the Isles ' the very interesting Note v. , " The Brooch of Lorn."

F. E. R. POLLARD-URQUHART. Castle Pollard, Westmeath.