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THE THRENODIA CAROLINA OF SIR THO. HERBERT
The Threnodia Carolina of sir Thomas Herbert is a jewel of historical composition, and I am persuaded that a new edition of it, if formed on a collation of the best manuscripts, and illustrated by extracts from the principal historians of the same period, would not only be received by the public with thanks, but with expressions of surprise that so rare a treasure should have been suffered to remain in such comparative obscurity.
There are four manuscripts of the work in public libraries, two of which I am enabled to describe.
1. The Harleian Ms. in the British Museum, No. 7396.
This Ms. is in folio. The preliminary leaves have the notes marked 1, 2, 3—the second being in the handwriting of sir William Dugdale. The narrative occupies thirty-six pages, with interlinear corrections and additions. This Ms. does not contain the words This brief narrative, &c. nor the letter dated the 3d Nov. 1681.
"THRENODIA CAROLINA."
(1) "This book contains Sr Tho. Herberts memoirs being the original in his own hand sent to Sr Wm Dugdale in 1678."
(2) "A true and perfect narrative of the most remarkable passages relating to king Charles the first of blessed memory, written by the proper land of Sr Thomas Herbert baronet, who attended upon his matie from Newcastle upon Tine, when he was sold by the Scotts, during the whole time of his greatest afflictions, till his death and buriall; wch was sent to me Sr Willm Dugdale knight, garter principall king of armes, in Michaellmasse Terme ao. 1678, by the said Sr Thomas Herbert, from Yorke, where he resideth."
"VERITAS ODIUM PARIT."
(3) "Court passages in the two last yeares of the raigne of king Charles the first, during ye time of his affliction."
2. The Harleian Ms. in the British Museum, No. 4705.
This Ms. is in small folio. It was formerly in the possession of Peter le Neve, norroy. A preliminary leaf has the subjoined attestation by sir William Dugdale. The narrative is much more ample and circumstantial than in the former Ms., but it is not all in the handwriting of sir Thomas Herbert. The letter dated 3 November 1681, and the relations of Huntington, Cooke, and Firebrace, are added in the handwriting of Dugdale; also, the names of persons who corresponded with Charles I. while he was a prisoner in the Isle of Wight. The passages transcribed by the Rev. Alfred Gatty appear in this Ms.—also in the edition of 1702. The edition of 1813 is a verbatim reprint of the first and second articles of that of 1702. It was edited by Mr. George Nicol.
"CAROLINA THRENODIA."
"This booke containeth a large answer to a short letter sent by Sr Willm Dugdale knt (garter; principall king of armes) unto Sr Thomas Herbert baronet, residing in the citty of Yorke. By wch letter he did desire the sayd Sr Thomas Herbert to informe him of such materiall passages, as he had observed touching the late king Charles the first (of blessed memory) during the time that he the sayd Sr Thomas did attend him in person; Bt for the two last yeares of his afflicted life."
The other Mss. alluded to are preserved in the Ashmolean Museum at Oxford. The most important is No. 1141., which is minutely described in the admirable catalogue compiled by Mr. Black. A transcript of the Threnodia Carolina by Ant. à Wood, also in the Ashmolean Museum, is recorded by Huddesford.
As there were two recensions of the narrative, I have added a specimen of each of the Harleian Mss., which may serve as a clue to the nature of other copies, whether in public libraries, or in private hands.
"The Lords ordered a girdle or circumscription of Capitall Letters to be cutt in Lead and putt about the Coffin. being onely these wordes
King Charles
1648
The kings body was then brought from the chamber to Saint Georges hall. whence after a Little pause, it was wth a slow pase & much sorrow carrye'd by those gentlemen that were in mourninge: the Lords in blacks following the royall Corpes & many gentlemen after them, and their attendants."—Threnodia Carolina, p. 36. Harleian MS. 7396.
"The girdle or circumscription of Capitall Letters in Lead putt about the Coffin had onely these words.
King-Charles
1648
The Kings body was then brought from his Bed-chamber, downe into St Georges-hall; whence after a little stay, itt was with a slow and solemn pace (much sorrow in most faces discernable) carryed by gentlemen that were of some quallity and in mourning. the Lords in like habitts followed the Royall Corps. the Governor, and severall gentlemen, and officers, and attendants came after."—Carolina Threnodia, p. 80. Harleian MS. 4705.
Bolton Corney.
Sir Thomas Herbert's Memoirs of Charles I.—The question suggested by Mr. Gatty's first note upon this subject was one of some importance, viz., whether the original MS. in the possession of his friend contained anything of Sir Thomas Herbert's not hitherto published? There is no doubt that the "Memoir of the two last years of King Charles I." was written by Sir Thomas Herbert, after his retirement to his native city of York, at the request of the author of the Athenæ Oxonienses, who made use of nearly the whole of it in compiling that great work, adapting different portions to his biographical notices of the persons to whom they principally related. The notices of Colonel Joyce and Colonel Cobbet are chiefly composed of extracts from Herbert's Memoir; whilst under the name of Herbert himself not more than about one-third of his own communication will be found.
The first edition of the Athenæ was not published until 1691, several years after Sir Thomas Herbert's death; and the memoir in a complete form, with the title of Threnodia Carolina, did not appear until the year 1702, when it was published by Dr. Charles Goodall, physician to the Charter House, together with other tracts relating to Charles I. This is doubtless the volume described by Mr. Bolton Corney (vol. iii., p. 157.), who will, I hope, favour your readers with the information requested by Mr. Gatty (p. 222.).
The 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.
Δ.
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 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.
