It has even been a matter of some controversy how far the imputation of

the cowl and cloister will be found commemorated in the "Scriptores Ordinis Prædicatorum Recensiti " of Fathers

Quétif and Echard, (Paris, 1719, 2 vols. folio,) and in Père A. Touron's "Hommes Illustres de l'Ordre de St. Dominique," works like my countryman Luke Waring's Annals of the Franciscans, by no means destitute of general historical interest. But an early and meritorious disciple of this institute appears the just claimant of a composition which has been, as it well deserved, the subject of rival pretensions, I mean the "DIES IRE," that most deeply impressive of the Catholic hymns, which I introduce here to supply an accidental omission in enumerating the authors of those solemn chaunts, at page 28 of this Magazine for July last. It is to Latino Frangipani, of the illustrious family whose beneficence to the poor entitled them to that name, as Bayle, in a special article, relates, a Dominican brother of the thirteenth century, that the pathetic invocation is now generally ascribed, although by some attributed to St. Bernard, and by others to Hubertus de Romanis, the fifth General of the Dominican order. It has even been the supposed composition of a penitent criminal, and recited by him on his way to execution; but the weight of testimony is in favour of Frangipani, whom his maternal uncle, Pope Nicholas III. (Gaetano Orsini,) raised to the purple in 1278, and who was not less patronized by the successive pontiffs, Honorius IV. Nicholas IV. and Celestine V. until his death in November 1294. He was generally known as the Cardinal Malabranca.

Of the multiplied translations which I have read of the simple, but truly sublime hymn, none can bear a competition with Lord Roscommon's, whom Fenton, in his Observations on Waller's Poems (ed. 1729, page 136), represents as repeating in his last moments the touching depre

cation of his own version:

"My God, my Father and my Friend! Do not forsake me in my end."

Roscommon was educated at Caen,-so was Anthony Hamilton, the author of Grammont's Memoires, and so, I find, was the Anglo-Norman poet, Robert Wace, a primitive bard of Jersey, who says, in his mediæval idiom,

"A Caen fu petit portez; Illégues fu à lettres mis," &c. See "Le Roman du Rou, par Robert Wace, poëte du douzième siècle," Rouen, GENT. MAG. VOL. XX.

plagiarism may apply to those admired lines of Racine's "Athalie," addressed by Joab to Abner, (Acte I. sc. 1.)

"Celui qui met un frein à la fureur des flots, Sait aussi des méchants arrêter les complots. Soumis avec respect à la volonté sainte, Je crains Dieu, cher Abner, et n'ai point d'autre crainte."

And subsequently, Acte II. sc. 7, "Dieu laissa-t-il jamais ses enfants au besoin ?

Aux petits des oiseaux il donne la pâture;
Et sa bonté s'étend sur toute la nature."

Il ouvre à tous la main; il nourrit les oiseaux : Tout vit de sa bonté."

The fountain whence flowed to both poets these beautiful illustrations is Holy Writ, where their origin will be found in the 88th Psalm, verse 9, according to the Vulgate, "Tu dominaris potestati maris: motum autem fluctuum ejus tu mitigas." (Psalm 89 in the Hebrew.) And again in the Psalm 146, v. 9, of the Vulgate, (147, 10, of the Hebrew,) "Qui dat jumentis escam ipsorum, et pullis corvorum invocantibus eum.' Voltaire (Dictionnaire Philosophique, article "Art Dramatique,") observes, in reference to the striking similarity of Racine's language to that of his predecessor, "Le plagiat paraît sensible; et cependant, ce n'en est point un. Rien

.

n'est plus naturel que d'avoir les mêmes ideés sur le même sujet." Granted, as to the image, or idea, but surely not as to the expressions. He was, however, in some degree, pleading his own cause, (see Gent. Mag. for March 1843, p. 250,) while misled, it seems, by Beauchamps ("Recherches sur les Théatres," tome II. p. 10, ed. 1735, 8vo.) he ascribes the tragedy of

1827, tome ler, and Bishop Huet's "Origines de Caen" (where he was born), page 263, ed. 1706. Indeed, down to my own time, this city continued to be a favoured resort of tuition for literary, martial, and elegant accomplishments. 4 G

Nerée above cited to Pierre Mathieu. (See Gent. Mag. for October 1842, p. 363.) Again, in quoting the verses, he gives them incorrectly; so little is he to be trusted, even on what may be termed his own ground, in literature. (Geoffroi's edition of Racine, 1808, 7 vols. 8vo.) A striking union at once of phrase and intention, as in the abovecited examples, can hardly be supposed to meet in casual coincidence. I well remember the sensation produced on the detection of Sterne's plagiarisms from old Burton by Dr. Ferriar. The like impeachment, however, of Lord Byron has, I think, been urged beyond its proof, though, when the noble poet does condescend to borrow, we may apply to him the charming allusion of Montaigne to the bees, "Les abeilles pillulent, de ça, de là, les fleurs; mais elles en font après le miel, qui est tout leur."

I have cited the Latin text of Scripture here because it was the immediate source of both poets' inspirations. The English version, in its enumeration of the Psalms, follows the Hebrew, with which the Vulgate agrees, until the ninth, which includes the Hebrew and English tenth. Thence, consequently, to the 148th, the Latin continues to reckon one less; but that Psalm which, in the Vulgate, begins as the 147th, being also made to embrace the 148th, the difference disappears, and the two final numbers, 149 and 150, meet concurrently in all the texts. It is similarly that the Catholics, while they maintain the integrity, vary the distribution of the precepts of the Decalogue. The first printed book, bearing date, was the Psalter of 1457, which I saw in Count M'Carthy's library at Toulouse in 1793. It cost him, he told me, 1340 livres in 1769, but produced at his sale in 1817 the sum of 12,000 francs, although incomplete in the annexed hymns. It now reposes in the Royal Library of Paris, and, we are told by Brunet, is the only copy in France; nor, altogether, have more than half a dozen survived the wreck of time. England, however, is richer than her rival in these treasures, of which she reckons more than one in her collections, but whether two or three I am not certain.

Nor are the French articles of the Great Dictionary free from mis

takes, of which, however, I shall now only notice one, little material, indeed, in itself, but which I find also committed by Voltaire, accompanied with a circumstance not, I think, to be overlooked. The Marquis de Fénélon, (Gabriel Jacques de Salignac,) who was ambassador in Holland under Louis XV. is described in the dictionary, and in Voltaire's Siècle de Louis XIV. as the nephew of the author of Telemachus. It should be great-nephew; but the historian seizes the opportunity (chap. 38,) to add, that he had the authority of this near relative of the accomplished archbishop for asserting that Fénélon, as he advanced in years, had regretted or renounced his earlier religious feeling, and quietly subsided into indifference or calm scepticism. proof of the fact, he adduces the following lines, parodied, he states, from a strophe of one of Lulli's operas:

"Jeune, j'étais trop sage,

Et voulais trop savoir :
Je ne veux en partage
Que badinage,

Et touche au dernier âge,
Sans rien prevoir."

These verses he affirms were written

in presence of the Marquis, who had them inserted in some copies of the magnificent edition of his uncle's Telemachus, which he published at Amsterdam during his embassy to the United Provinces in 1734. But the arch-infidel unscrupulously suppressed the preceding stanza, so consonant with the well-known piety of the revered prelate, and which demonstrates that, in not seeking to withdraw or penetrate the veil of futurity, he solely meant to express an implicit resignation to the will of heaven, or an humble reliance on the merits and grace of his Saviour. To transcribe the withheld strophe, and read it in connection with its associate, so as to complete its intent, will sufficiently expose Voltaire's malevolence, and repel his imputation. The whole, therefore, should thus stand, and will be found, when un mutilated, most creditable to the amiable writer's devotion :

"Adieu, vaine prudence!
Je ne te dois plus rien:
Une heureuse ignorance
Est ma science :
Jésus et son enfance
Est tout mon bien.

"Jeune, j'étais trop sage,

Et voulais trop savoir:

Je ne veux en partage
Que badinage,

Et touche au dernier âge,

Sans rien prévoir."

Voltaire's correspondence exhibits abundant testimony of his unprincipled devices to castobloquy on the Christian faith, by ascribing to the most venerated names posthumous writings in direct opposition to their professed opinions, as, in this instance, he has endeavoured to fasten on one of the ornaments of Christianity the foul reproach of hypocrisy.

One word, a parting one, at least for the present, with the biographical compilation, may not be unwelcome to French readers. I learn from it incidentally that the female, Madame Dudevant, (see, ante, p. 585,) who, probably from a consciousness that her compositions appeared to bear more the stamp of masculine licence than of feminine delicacy, has prefixed to them the name of GEORGE SAND,-under which she has acquired a reputation, if not unrivalled, certainly unsurpassed in the direction of her talents, -is the descendant of the hero of Fontenoy, Marshal Saxe. Her maiden name was Dupin, (Aurore,) of the family whose patronage first introduced Rousseau into Parisian society, (Gent. Mag. for August, 1841, p. 140,) and her grandmother, Aurore de Saxe, was the illegitimate daughter of the renowned warrior, himself a spurious scion of the royal Saxon dynasty of Poland. She was educated by this grand-parent, as her father, Maurice (so called after the Marshal, his grandsire,) Dupin, died while she was still an infant.

In 1841, this epicene writer published an edition of Rousseau's Confessions, a work truly apposite to her taste, and most suited to her pen. The preliminary notice, or advertisement, may be compared with Madame de Stael's Letters on the Character and Writings of the same eloquent author, particularly in the sixth chapter of her essay. Neither of these ladies, indeed, seems governed by strict moral rule; for even the latter, by far the purer or less indiscreet, hesitates not, in her second chapter, to assert of St. Preux, the seducer of his pupil, Julie, "Non, l'exemple de St. Preux

n'est point immoral!" But such a declaration from the authoress of 'Delphine can cause little surprize. This edition of Rousseau's most popular volume has been reviewed in the last number (the 63rd) of the Foreign Quarterly, with considerable ability, and great fairness of judg ment, although I could easily show that the article includes not in its details a fact of moment unadverted to in the foregone columns of this Magazine. And when, in a periodical

likely to fall into some French, and many foreign hands," as expressed at page 233, we discover an error even single, yet so glaring as to be decisive of the reviewer's imperfect acquaintance with his author's language, and too frequently repeated to be ascribed to the press, the merit of the critique, as well as the boldness of undertaking it, must equally strike us. In pages 22-24, and 25, we meet, on four or five successive occasions, Contrât Sociale, where a circumflex erroneously surmounts the noun, and the adjective is made, in equal error, feminine. Such faults, trivial as they may appear, are of fatal effect and conclusive inference. What would be thought of a scholar guilty of such solecisms, consciously and reiteratedly committed, as pactum socialis," or, "ǹ ovveýên KOLOVIKOS?" Or again, of the pretensions to the knowledge of English, of a foreigner, who, speaking of a King, should say, Her Majesty, in literal translation of the continental idioms, where the dignity not the person governs the gender, as Sa Majesté," "Sua Maësta,' "“Su Majedad," "Jhro Majestad," &c.

The

In a subsequent article, Gustavus IV. the dethroned King of Sweden, is named the descendant of Charles XII., who left no offspring, (p. 52, &c.) Elsewhere, (66, 67,) one million of francs is translated £4000, in place of £40,000, and ten millions £40,000, instead of ten fold that sum. château of Madame de Sévigne's sonin-law, M. de Grignon, on the Rhône, is transported to the Rhine,-with several more misprints; for so we may view them, such as Nagent, for Nogent, (128,) Perifixe, for Péréfixe, (134,) &c.

Yours, &c. J. R.

AUTOGRAPH OF RABELAIS.

In the library of the Sheffield General Infirmary is an edition of Galen's Works, which once belonged to the celebrated Rabelais, more generally known as the author of the famous history of Pantagruel and Gargantua, but whose medical attainments were very considerable. The edition is in five volumes, published Venetiis, in Edibus Aldi et Andreæ Asulani soceri, mense Aprili, MDXXV. On the title-page is written the name Francois Rabelais. On the flyleaf is the following inscription: "Hos quinque Tomos Galeni Operum Lugdun. Gal. comparavi: quos e libris celeberrimi Rabelæsi quondam fuisse Autographum testatur.

And in the same hand,

A. C."

"Rabelæsus Aphorismos Hipp. et deinceps Galeni Artem Medicam frequenti Auditorio Monspessuli publice enarrabat An. 1531.

Vid. Epist. ejus dedicat. in Aph. Hip."

A. C. was Alexander Cooke, M.D. of Ripon, Yorksh. the sixth son of Sir George Cooke, of Wheatley, near Don

caster, the third Baronet. Dr. Cooke died in 1757, and was buried at Arksey near Doncaster.

These books, together with a number of others, were presented to the library of the Sheffield General Infirmary, in the year 1797, by the nephew of Dr. Cooke, George Cooke, esq. of Streetthorpe, near Doncaster, who added, by royal license, to his paternal name the name of Yarborough. HENRY JACKSON. St. James's Row, Sheffield, July 25.

SIR B. H. MALKIN.

THE Free Grammar School of Bury St. Edmund's has always held a high place in academical annals. A learned writer in the Museum Criticum, years ago, when recording the death of the accomplished editor of Matthia's Greek Grammar, made very honourable mention of it, as a foundation "which from time to time had supplied our universities with some of their brightest ornaments." We were not, however,

aware until very lately-and we much doubt whether the far-famed foundations of Eton and Westminster, &c. can say as much for themselves just at this time-that three out of the twelve Judges now upon the bench were educated at Bury School-Sir Edward Alderson, who was Senior Wrangler and Senior Medalist at Cambridge in 1809, Sir John Patteson, and Sir R. M. Rolfe. To these, to go further back, may be added Archbishop Sancroft, and, in later days, Dr. Blomfield, the present Bishop of London, and his brother Edward Valentine, who, by his remarkable and varied acquisitions, together with his attainments in the ancient and modern languages, gave promise of becoming the "Admirable Crichton " of his age; with the distinguished names of Romilly, Kemble, and Malkin.

In a charge of the present Bishop of Calcutta, he alludes at length, and in honourable and graceful terms, to the death of the eldest, and, perhaps, in all respects, the most eminent, of Dr. Malkin's highly-gifted family-Sir Benjamin Heath Mal

kin:

"Need I refer again to another name peculiarly endeared to me by the ties of personal affection, who was cut off by sudden disease in the very prime of life and influence, and who has left a chasm proportionate to the vast space he filled in our religious and beneficent designs. If I dwell for an instant on his loss, it is only that I may bear public testimony to the eminent character as a man and a Christian of my beloved friend. To those who knew him I need not speak a word of the sagacity and soundness of his judgment, his sterling integrity, his disinterestedness, his incredible activity and energy of mind, and his zeal, ever controlled by prudence, in the advancement of schemes for Native education and im

provement. Indeed, the tablet erected to his memory records these public virtues. But his faithfulness in friendship, his sincerity of deportment, and his tenderness as a husband and a father, were not less remarkable: and what adds the finish to his character and to our regret is, that his principles and conduct, both as a judge and as an individual, were based on a firm

1824.

Promocions are of the Kyngis gyft,

Jeff.-For all that, he maketh soche shyft That in his pleasure they depende. Though they have the Kyngis patent, Except they have also his assent,

It tourneth to none advauntage.
His power he doth so extende,
That the Kyngis letters to rende
He will not forbeare in his rage.
Wat.-This is a grett presumpcion,
For a villayne bocher's sonne

His authoritè to avaunce;
But it is more to be marveyled,
That noblemen wil be confessed
To these kaytives of miscreaunce.

*

Wat.-Hath Englonde soche stations Of devoute peregrinacions

As are in Fraunce and Italy? Jeff.-Seke oute londes every-chone And thou shalt fynde none so prone As Englonde to thys ydolatry. Of wholy roodes there is soche a sight, That bitweene this and mydnyght

I coulde not make explicacion. Then have they Ladies as many, Some of Grace and some of Mercy, With divers of Lamentacion; Moreover paynted stockes and stones, With shrynes full of rotten bones, To the whiche they make oblacion.