"Mr. Ames' quotation from the Introduction to the third book should have been printed thus: Here in thys booke folowyng is determyned the lynage of Coote Armuris: and how gentilmen shall be knowyn from ungentill men, &c.'

"Mr. Ames's next quotation, 'Of the ofspring,' has only two deviations,-who for whom, and land for londe. But all the commas should be omitted, and the semi-colon after profettys be changed to a full stop. The &c. too is an error, as the quotation goes to the end of the paragraph, which paragraph is towards the bottom of the first side of leaf (a 11.)

"Towards the bottom of the first side of leaf (b 1) occurs the the paragraph intitled,

A gentylman spirituall.

Ther is a gentylman a churle sone a preste to be made and that is a spirituall gentylman to God and not of blode. Butt if a gentylmanny's sone be made preste he is a gentylman both spirituall and temperall. Criste was a gentilman of his moder behalve and bore cotarmure of aunseturis. The .. Evangelist berith wittenese of Cristis warkys in the Gospel, with all thapostilles. They were Jewys and of gentylmen come by the right lyne of that worthy conqueroure Judas Machabeus bot that by succession of tyme, the kynrade fell to poverty after the destruccion of Judas Machabeus. and then they fell to laboris and ware calde no gentilmen. And the .. doctoris of holi chirch Seynt Jerom Ambrose Augustyn and Gregori war gentilmen of blode and of cotarmures.'

"The colophon concludes the last page of (f 9), but reaches little lower than the middle of it, thus: Here in thys boke afore ar contenyt the bokys of haukyng and huntyng with other plesuris dyverse as in the boke apperis and also of Cootarmuris a nobull worke. And here now endyth the boke of blasyng of armys, translatyt and compylyt togedyr at Seynt albons, the yere from thincarnacion of owre Lorde Jhu' Crist. M. CCCC. LXXX VI.'

"This is all the colophon in that page; but in the next (first of f 10) is, Hic finis div'soru' gen'osis valde utilia' ut intue'tib' pateb't.' The St. Alban's arms: Sanctus Albanus.'

"This figure has all white lines, which are here sketched with black ink; but the whole ground of it (here blank) is red; and this is all the foundation Mr. Ames had for saying Printed in various inks.' For the Latin words are all printed in the same black letter with the rest of the book. But if (as is most likely) Mr. Ames meant to say, that the whole book was ' printed in various inks,' this can only relate to a few words in diverse parts of the Poem on Hunting printed in red; unless indeed he supposes the initials printed, which should seem very improbable to any body that inspects the book*.

"P. S. Since my writing the letter to Mr. Herbert, I have observed that a Mort d'Arthur' makes part of No. 2483 in

* Messrs. Nichols and Spilsbury, who did separately inspect it at Mr. B. White's, announced the initials to be printed. W. H.

West's

West's Catalogue (by Wyllyam Coplande, no date). Also the same Edition makes an article by itself in the Harleian Catalogue, vol. III. No. 3506.

"Mr. Herbert takes notice of only one Edition by Crowley of Pierce Plowman's Visions, though Crowley's second Edition of the same year (1550) is much more common than the first; which indeed may well be, as Bishop Percy says there are two different impressions of this second Edition, and points out the difference. See his Dissertation on Pierce Plowman in second volume of Ballads, and the note."

"DEAR SIR,

Lodge Farm, Nov. 6, 1786. "My copy of your first volume being at my town-lodging, and the St. Alban's book here, makes it impossible for me to collate the places you mention till I go to town; but I will contrive to take the St. Alban's book with me, that two journeys may not be necessary before I could send you an answer. I intend getting to town some time on Monday the 13th, and shall be at home for two hours from half-past five, and also on Tuesday the 14th, for about three quarters of an hour, commencing a little before ten in the morning. You see, I shall have most time Monday afternoon, and should be happy in your company to tea at my lodging, No. 50, Essex-street.

"You may leave the Froissart for me at Mr. B. White's: I have promised him a sight of it, to compare with a copy now in his possession, which I think you should see. You have a little mistaken my assertion about W. Middleton's Edition: I did not suppose it a pirated Pynson throughout, but only observed, that all the second volumes have Pynson's colophon, and no mention of Middleton.' I agree with your opinion, that Middleton printed the whole;' but think you should have added the circumstance of Middleton's name never occurring in the final colophon, verbally copied from Pynson's Edition; for by your silence on this head, a contrary opinion seems to be implied. When I wrote to you before on this subject, I had no idea of what I now take to be the case, viz. that Froissart has been printed three times.' First, by Pynson (my own copy); second, by somebody after Pynson, retaining both his colophons, but not the form of the latter (now at Mr. White's); third, by Middleton, always copying Pynson's last colophon. Now, if this supposition is not true, the practice of perfecting copies from various Editions must have been more general than can well be imagined.

"At the time of Mr. Beauclerk's sale I was not aware of any difference of form in Pynson's final colophon; and so took no notice about it; much less was I aware of it at the time of Mr. West's Sale, but could learn the circumstance from the gentleman who bought that copy (Mr. Martin, of Worcestershire). "I am, dear Sir, your faithful servant, GEO. MASON."

Letters

Letters of Mr. MASON and Mr. SAMUEL PEGGE*, on the Glossary to Hoccleve's Poems.

"As the first Editor of any of Hoccleve's Works, it is thought that Mr. Mason should bring forward every thing that tends to develope the history of a man who has written so much, and is yet so little known; viz. his extraction (by inference), his situation in life, his connections, his religious opinions (which have been unjustly doubted), together with his habits, and even his foibles, which he frankly confesses. He seems to have preserved the acquaintance of his more early days, and perhaps Sir Henry Somer was one, among several others not to be discovered. Those persons of more elevated rank appear to have allowed him a poetical access, at a time when few, so far from composing metrical prose, could hardly write at all. He seems to have been, by his own confession, an extravagant debauchee in early life, and to have ended in a diseased, impotent, old man. S. PEGGE." "Mr. Mason perfectly agrees with Mr. Pegge, that as much should be said about Hoccleve's Life as can be youched for; and with regard to his situation, connections, religious opinions, and habits, he thinks he has gone considerably into them. With regard to his extraction, that (as Mr. Pegge observes) can only be gathered by inference from some northern phrases. Mr. Mason has already observed on the proverb of shooing the goose being called Scottish, and will there add some additional remarks in consequence of Mr. Pegge's suggestion. Considering the age to which Hoccleve probably arrived, Mr. M. cannot agree with Mr. Pegge in thinking him then diseased or impotent. To write a Poem to the Duke of York at 80, is rather a contradiction to supposing him so; and surely he might well want spectacles at that age. G. MASON."

"Mr. PEGGE'S Reasons for supposing that HoCCLEVE was of Northern Extraction.

[Callets.] A callet is a scolding woman; and culletting is scolding in the North of Yorkshire, and in Northumberland. It is used by Shakspeare; but is not found in the Glossaries either to Chaucer or Spenser.

[Grede.] Sometimes written greet and greit—to weep. It is na play where ane greits, and another laughs.' Scottish Proverb. [Tweye.] Twice. Twy is in ordinary use in the North. [Waar.] For beware, is used in the North.

[Wage.] For wages, as we now speak. This singular is in constant use Northerly.

* Son of the Rev. Dr. Samuel Pegge, the venerable Antiquary; and father of Sir Christopher Pegge, M. D. Regius Professor of Medicine in the University of Oxford.-Mr. Mason closes the Preface to "Hoccleve's Poem," with thankful acknowledgment of having received many very useful hints communicated by the judicious Author of the "Curialia." -Mr. Pegge was also Author of the entertaining "Anecdotes of the English Language," and of " Curialia Miscellanea; or, Anecdotes of Old Times, Regal, Noble, and Gentilitial."

VOL. IV.

[Laid

[Laid his knife.] In the vulgar language of Yorkshire the run of a man's table is called a Knife-gate, i. e. your knife shall always have a free passage to my table; a knife being antiently part of every man's personal appendages.

[Thick.] Plentiful, abundant. A Northern word, and not applying to the substance, but to the number of the thing spoken of. Thick as Hops' is a pretty general expression.

[Feel a Taste.] Peculiar to the North, where they also say feel a smell.

[Old.] Great. The Saxon positive, of which Alder is the comparative. It is several times used by Shakspeare.

[Kuss.] A Kiss. This word remains in the North of England. [Lyte.] Is a strong Northern word. Used both for a little of any thing; or a few, in things that go by tale.

[Shoo the goos.] A Scottish proverbial expression found in Ray's Collection, to import any unnecessary employment. The Scots have another saying, 'It is na mair pittie to see a woman greit, nor to see a goose go bare-fit.' Ray. Another Scottish phrase occurs in Hoccleve, 'A dumb man wan never land.' S. P." "Mr. Mason begs leave to observe, that many words and phrases now only used in the extremities of the kingdom, were formerly general in every part of it. Mr. Manning will tell you, that in remote parts of the island the common people to this day talk better Saxon than English. This is rather a bar to drawing any positive inference from the use of a few words to the author's extraction. Grede, twey, and lite, are Chaucerian: kuss is in Gower, and occurs often in Caxton's Proud Lady of Love.' Waar is only that gemination of vowel so common in this MS. and also in Mandevile, and in the original Edition of Juliana Barnes. The word suppowaill is in Wintown's Chronicle, and it is also in Hardinge's, and suppoaill is used by Lydgate as well as Hoccleve. Sappoweling is also in the proclamation for apprehending Sir John Oldcastle. Can we say that these words are peculiarly either Scotch or English?"

"Hir wit were in hir heele.] Probably a Scottish proverbial saying, though not found in Kelly's Collection. There is one not unlike it, viz. It goes as much into my Heart as my Heel,' i. e. it does not affect me at all. S. P."

"In the Glossary, it is thought that more than mere initials would be better, in some cases, as,

Sp. (instead of S.) for Spenser.

Tyrw. (instead of T.) for Tyrwhitt.

Fort. (instead of F.) for Fortescue on Monarchy.

Lydg. (instead of L.) for Lydgate.

M. V. (and not M. alone) for Maundeville's Voyage.

Ly. Dict. (for Lye's Dictionary) adding Manning's Edit.

P. Langt. (for Peter Langtoft), Hearne's Edit.

P. P. V. Pierce Plowman's Visions.

Pr. Parv. Promptorium Parvalorum, printed 1499.

Robt. Gl. (Robert of Gloucester), published by Hearne....
Wic. Wicliff's Testament. Lewis's Edition.

Doug.

Doug. V. (instead of D. R.) for Douglas's Virgil.

"It is little known that Ruddiman was the compiler of the Glossary. S. P."

"Mr. Tyrwhitt mentions Ruddiman as the author of the Glossary to Douglas's Virgil; and since the publication of Chalmers's Life of Ruddiman has made his works more known, it would seem rather invidious to omit Ruddiman's name entirely. Sp. would confound Spenser with Speght, or Speed, or Spelman. To make it clear, it must be Spen. Mr. Manning had so great a share in the compilation of Lye's Dictionary, and has been so ready to afford Mr. Mason information, that he thinks it a proper compliment to put his initial first. Many of the other Authors are so well known, that additional letters are unnecessary. G.M."

"Mr. Pegge has never seen Mr. Chalmers's Life of Ruddiman, and by no means meant to depreciate him. Mr. P. collected it as a supposition (not knowing that it was confirmed that Ruddiman was the compiler of the Glossary) from Mr. Brand's Antiq. Vulg. p. 22. S. P."

Tyrwhitt had mentioned it in his Chaucer.

G. M."

"Mr. Mason, after making use of most of Mr. Pegge's papers, returns them with a continuation of his Glossary as far as Q. He has put his own animadversions on the back of each paper respectively; but takes two into the country, which he will bring to town again when he comes next. He returns the transcript

that Mr. Pegge may refer to it to judge of the animadversions. "Mr. Mason is puzzled with the 14th line of this Poem: that is, he cannot determine whether a comma should be put after han, or espyed. He thinks espyed should rather belong to the Chancellor, than to the Society; but then, if the comma is at han, will not the construction of the four last words be very harsh, Ye do not say that ye have seen,' though perhaps not harsher than that of some other passages? Mr. Mason thinks say the proper interpretation of beede in this place; and he finds it to be one of its senses in the Glossary to Robert of Gloucester."

"111.] Par la Court de bone Compaignie, &c.' Mr. Pegge observes, from the tenor of this Address to Sir Henry Somer, Chancellor of the Exchequer, sent from the Court of Good Company," it seems probable that there was a periodical Club, and an Annual Meeting of some select friends (Members of Strand Inn, or of the Middle Temple, or of both), called The Court of Good Company. Hoccleve addresses Sir Henry Somer with great respect, and in the 2d line apologizes for calling him a Fellow of that Society, after he had risen to so high an employment, and to the honour of knighthood. Hoccleve's education, as a Lawyer, probably never extended farther than to the Strand (or Chestre's) Inn, an Inn of Chancery, then a nursery for young students designed for the Bar, while Sir Henry Somer had passed through an Inn of Court, and at length reached the Bench.-It