1832.] Goisfrid the Marshal and Turstin the Standard-bearer. ings. There are other instances in Dugdale, showing great longevity in these Norman warriors. XI. GOISFRID' DE BEC, otherwise GOISFRID THE MARSHAL. This warrior fought at Hastings, and is named in Domesday under both titles, appearing consequently as two distinct Tenants in Capite. There were no means by which the editors of the printed volumes of that Survey could have known the fact of such two names applying to one person: and, as Dugdale was ignorant that the Crespin family were the same as the baronial family of Bec, he makes no mention of Goisfrid, under his account of the Crespins. The varied appellation given to Goisfrid in Domesday, has many similar examples, and is easily accounted for that Survey was made by inquisitions held in the various counties where the lands were situated, and since Goisfrid de Bec was the Conqueror's Marshal, there would be nothing extraordinary in his being designated as Goisfrid the Marescal in Hampshire, whilst in Herefordshire he was called Goisfrid de Bec. Goisfrid was brother of Turstin de Bec, and son of Rollo or Ralf, the brother of Gilbert Baron of Bec, Constable of Normandy, and Marshal of the Army of the Dukes of Normandy in 1041; an office which seems to have been hereditary,† like many or all of the Norman offices of honour. Goisfrid de Bec, I therefore presume, succeeded his uncle as Marshal, and was the person designated as Goisfrid the Marshal, in Domesday; and I am further led to the conclusion that he possessed this high post, since his brother Turstin was Standard-bearer to the Conqueror at Hastings, and they were relations of the Invader. XII. TURSTINUS FILIUS ROLF, is thus mentioned in Domesday as a Tenant in Capite, a descent which is in accordance with the ancient Grimaldi pedigree, where he is called son of Rollo or Ralf; and the agreement which is found here, and in many other instances, between the English records, especially Domesday, and There was a Flemish family of the name of Bec, eminent at the time of the Conquest, holding Eresby and other mauors; they were not related to the Barons of Bec, of Bec in Normandy. See the Clare pedigree in Dugdale's Baronage. 29 this ancient pedigree, compiled 400 years ago-a time when Domesday was unknown to foreigners, and a reference to, or knowledge of our records was impossible,-is positive proof of the correctness of the pedigree in such instances, and presumptive evidence of its general accuracy. Turstin was (as well as his first cousin William Crispin) Baron of Bec. It was customary on the Continent for many members of the same family to take the same feudal title at one time; in the same way that in England we have often several joint tenants of the same manor, who are all Lords or Ladies of that manor. He fought at the battle of Hastings, and held the high office of Standard Bearer, in which capacity he is depicted in the Bayeux tapestry, near the Conqueror. In Dr. Meyrick's History of Ancient Armour, is an account of Turstin, translated from Wace's Metrical History of Normandy, in the Royal Library, stating that the hereditary Standard-bearer of Normandy having declined to carry the Conqueror's gonfanon, William “Then called a Knight Who had great prowess, Toustainz fitz Rou the Fair was his name, "Thurstan who came in with the Conqueror," is stated in Dugdale's Usage of bearing Arms, to have been father of Ralph Basset, from whom the ennobled family of Basset was descended: but the account of this family given in the Baronage, is at variance with such a statement, and the foreign pedigree is silent on this head. I have an account of the descendants of Goisfrid, with whom it is not now intended to lengthen this memoir; but I cannot omit calling the attention of future inquirers to a probability that the Marshals Earls of Pembroke were also descended from Goisfrid the Marshal, for the following reasons: 1. Dugdale commences his genealogy of the Mareschal family with Gilbert Mareschal, so named from his office, who flourished in the reign of Henry I.; and it would seem that he must have had this office by descent, because in the record first naming him, he was impleaded for the office of Mareschal to the King, by two other men of importance, but without success, so that it remained with him for his life, and then descended to his issue for many generations. Now we know that in the reign of King Henry the First's father, the office was held by Goisfrid de Bec, apparently as inheriting it from his uncle, and that he was also named Marshal from his office. 2. The uncle of Goisfrid was named GILBERT, as were the descendants of that uncle for many generations; it was a family name of baptism, and it will be perceived that the Marshal pedigree begins with a Gilbert. 3. The armorial bearings of Goisfrid's family were Lozengy, and the most ancient known coat of the Marshals, was a Bend Lozengy. Variances of greater moment in the bearings of different members of the same family, were common and it may be lastly added, that although Dugdale was unable to ascertain the parentage of this Gilbert Mareschal, yet he must be presumed to have been a man of eminent family from the office he held. I shall conclude with a few lines respecting the arms of this family. It must be well known to your readers that Mr. Henniker, in a letter addressed to the Society of Antiquaries in 1788, endeavoured to prove the use of arms coeval with the Conquest, by means of some Norman tiles with armorial blazonings. He was unable to assign an owner to the tile No. 13, containing a shield Lozengy, 3, 2, and 1. It is to me a probable presumption that it belonged to a member of this family, who was one of the Conqueror's Chieftains. The same appropriation may I think be made of the unascertained shield in Westminster Abbey, of the reign of Henry III.; viz. Mascally Argent and Gules; the Grimaldi or Bec arms being Lozengy Argent and Gules; for the terms Lozengy and Mascally, or mascally voided, are often used in ancient rolls as synonymous. The length to which this memoir has extended, compels me to defer to another number a notice of some of this family who have been connected with English History, or driven by foreign revolutions to preserve their name and lineage upon the hospitable soil of Britain. S. G. THE following extracts from an account of the library of M. John Aymon (of whom Harley, Earl of Oxford, purchased several MSS.*), inserted in the Travels of Zach. Conr. Von Uffenbach, 4to, vellum, 1753, in German, and translated by Mr. Stegmann of Berlin, for the information of the Trustees of the British Museum, in 1760 (MS. Add. 5338), may be considered worth preservation, as the original work has never, to my knowledge, appeared in an English form, and can be but little known. 1711. Jan. 29. I visited M. Aymon, who lodges in the Hoff over the Gate at the Hague; because, as he confessed himself, the King of Spain threatened to put him in prison, as he escaped from France, and went over to the Protestant Church. But I rather believe the reason of it was, because he had robbed the King's, as well as other libraries. As he was a Divine and a Clergyman, they offered him in Holland a living, though he is neither fit for the pulpit, nor is his learning of such extent. The States General allow him a certain stipend, to write against Popery. He has published several curious pieces, and he is in possession of many excellent and valuable MSS. which you don't find even in the largest libraries. I marked the following pieces among them, which he showed me. 1. 12 single leaves, written upon vellum, in 4to, and cut out of a book. They were very antique, and quite equal to the Codex of Beza at Cambridge; containing St. Paul's Epistles in Greek and Latin. M. Aymon told me, that the remaining Epistles, together with the Acts and the Revelations, were preserved at the King's Library at Paris. It is probable, that he himself cut them out of this Codex. I fancy, the Gospels of Beza at Cambridge, do likewise belong to it, because the sheets are written pretty much in the same form. One page contains the Latin, the other the Greek text. It is written in short lines, which are very distant from one another, so as if it were verses, litteris uncialibus. . Some leaves in folio, written upon vellum, not so ancient as the former: viz. the Epistles in Latin, litteris majusculis, with several golden letters. M. Aymon told me, that one of St. John's Epistles *See Wanley's Diary, MS. Lansd. 771, and two Letters from M. Aymon to Wanley, MS. Harl. 3777, Nos. 96, 97. 1832.] MSS. possessed by M. John Aymon. (perhaps the first) was dedicated to the Parthians, which Mills advances, because it begins: Incipit Epistola Johannis ad Parthos. It wants 1 John, v. 7, which place M. Aymon takes for supposititious; especially as the text had a better connexion with the precedent verses, if this passage be omitted. 3. One single leaf on vellum, which certainly is cut out somewhere, containing the First Epistle of St. Johu, almost of the same date with the former. The seventh verse is here written by a modern on the margin; the eighth verse is written in the text by the same hand which wrote the seventh verse. 4. A MS. in 4to, damaged by fire, with very ancient characters in the Saxonian form, viz. the Epistles and the Revelations, in Latin, quite different from the Vulgate, especially the Epistle to the Hebrews, where ch. x. 8, it is said of the sacrifices: noluisti, nec exquæsisti, which is conformable to M. Spencer's opinion. Ch. xi. 1. is expressed: Est autem fides, horum quæ sperantur, substantia rerum, apparentium argumentum, exprobatio, quæ non videntur. In hac enim testimonium habuerunt seniores; which seems to be contrary to the ordinary readings of this text. 5. A volume on vellum, 4to minori; the Four Gospels in Latin, cum glossa interlineari Hybernica; which MS. certainly was stolen out of the King's Library at Paris. See Simon, Biblioth. Critique, t. 1. ch. 18, P. 271. M. Aymon falsely asserted, that this MS. was written by Father Dom Ael. brigt, a Benedictine Monk, and that the Gloss was English. The name of the compiler is Donyel Brigte, which Simon converts into Don Elbrigt. Donyel signifies in Irish, Daniel, which name is expressed at the end of this MS. where the author says in the Irish, that he had written and compiled the Gospels by order of seven Irish Kings or Princes, whose names he mentions. M. Toland has decyphered and translated this, and delivered to M. Aymon, whom he assured, that considering the chronology and time of the reign of these Kings, this Codex must exceed the age of 900 years. On the margin is a Catena Patrum, wherein the passages quoted from the Fathers differ very much from the ancient MSS. and editions; nay, the text itself is quite different from the Vulgate; f. e. Matth. v. 22, qui irascitur fratri suo, is the marginal note. "In alio Codice sic legitur, sine causa. Simon says that additions are made to it by a modern; but they are very few, and of little moment. 6. A volume on vellum, 8vo. three fingers thick, very ancient. It is written with the same litteris uncialibus per breves lineas, as the Codex Bezanus at Cambridge, and is, perhaps, of the same date. It contains the four Gospels in Latin. You find there a 31 great many corrections, written by a modern, and several things which were omitted in the text are put on the margin. 7. Four Original Letters from Charles Visconti, secretary to Pope Pius IV. at the Council of Trent, which are very much praised by Amelet in his Preface to the Histoire du Concile de Trente. These letters clear up all the several intrigues committed at this Council, more than even Sarpi does. M. Aymon has published some of them. He is in possession of many more Original Letters of Catherine de Medici, Henry the Second and Fourth, Kings of France, and others. 8. The Original Letter of Hercules, Cardinal of Mantoua, primus Legatus at the Council of Trent, 1562, 1563, to the Pope, wherein he very warmly complains of the intrigues, and if it should not be mended, he would quit his service, from which he was afterwards dismissed. 9. M. Aymon has likewise the MS. of the Memoires d'Estrades, Ambassador in Holland, which he published, without mentioning his name and the Memoirs of the Ambassadors who were at that time at Vienna, Rome, and in England, which he intends to publish. 10. M. Aymon showed me some very remarkable MSS. which, as he told me, he received from the Bishop of Lyons, with the condition to publish them. The Bishop was in China eight years, where he had a great dispute with the Jesuits about the adoration of Confucius. That he might discover the better their forgeries and malice, he took care to get, by the help of a young Mandarin, the first translation of Confucius out of the library of the Emperor of China, which MS. is that of M. Aymon. This translation is quite different from that which the Jesuits published afterwards. It was executed by the most learned among the Jesuits, as soon as they came over to China, and is done so well and exact, that all the Chinese words are numbered. The Latin translation is numbered in the same manner, and written with large letters, that they could be the better distinguished, and that one may see the proper meaning of each word. The modern Jesuits, who published Confucius, did not exactly perform it after this first translation, but they omitted whole chapters which were against their purpose, and corrected and altered many things. The MS. of Confucius is in five volumes, folio, each volume two fingers thick, but the modern Latin translation contains only one single volume in print. M. Aymon told me, that he saw at Rome, in the Vatican, Baronii Annales, xiv. vols. in MS. where many passages are blotted out, which they afterwards omitted in print: nay they left out two volumes, concerning the 10th century, where Baronius relates all the wicked actions of the Popes. [Then follows an account of various printed Chinese books and maps.] 14. Six leaves on vellum, folio, whereupon are these words, Ex Cod. 1827 (which is, perhaps, a reference to the King's library at Paris, and cut out of a Codex belonging to it). The contents are Sapientissimi Scholarii, Patriarchæ Constantinopolitani, de Christiana Fide, scil. Confessio. M. Aymon had made the following note to it: "Hæc fidei confessio Gennadii S. Georgii, legitur in Codd. 1004. 1686. 1816. 1727. 2388. Bibl. Reg. Par. et in Bibl. Patr. T. iv. et in Hæresiologia, sed notandum, quod iste Codex nonnulla in fine addat, quæ in aliis frustra quæras." 15. A volume in 4to. forma oblongiori, wherein was noted, "Hic liber formularum charactere Kirna dicto, continet Epistolas elegant. Imp. Solymani ad Schach Tamas Persarum Regem." 16. A vol. in fol. MS. on vellum, viz. Sermones Ricardi de S. Victore, Parisiensi, which is, as M. Aymon said, published by the Fathers of the Congregation of S. Maur, under the name of Hugo de S. Victore, because Richard is reckoned as a heretic, and there are many things in his Sermons they do not like, therefore they made in their edition several alterations and transpositions. M. Aymon takes this Codex to be 400 or 500 years old; but I believe it does not reach to 360 years. 16. M. Aymon gave me a sight of a very remarkable book, which, as he confessed, he had stolen from Rome, viz. two volumes in fol. min. each two fingers thick, containing a perfect Taxam Cancellaria Rom. S. Apostolicæ. There are two printed copies of it, one in Latin in 12mo, published at Lyons, the other in French, at Amsterdam. But you do not find the tenth part of the original in them, especially of the second volume, wherein is treated de peccatis et absolutione. Here are named the most shocking crimes, of which nothing is said in the printed copies. There is in this original MS. au Index of the sodomy, whoredom, &c. committed by the Clergy with their spiritual children. A Key is affixed, or a Modus solvendi taxam, wherein it is said, that each x signifies a ducato di Camera. This Codex is the more to be observed, as the Papists deny that this Tax ever has been in use. It now and then added in the margin, that on that day such a sum was paid, and that remission was received for it ex speciali gratia. M. Aymon discovered to me his intention to publish it. 17. Lastly, M. Aymon took the pains to shew me 200 of the scarcest and most beautiful foreign plants and herbs. He told me that they formerly belonged to the collection of Professor Herman, part of which he kept for himself, the rest he sold to the King of Prussia. But as M. Herman's wife assured me that she sold the whole collec tion to the said King, it seems to me, that M. Aymon had the disposal of it, and that he acted mala fide as a commissioner. The above extracts will demonstrate pretty clearly what a scoundrel this Aymon was, and there is too much reason to fear that depredations of a similar kind on the Continental libraries, have within the last century been carried on to a great extent. The system, indeed, on which most of them are conducted, renders it difficult, if not impossible, to guarantee the safety of a MS. or printed book. I could add several instances, from my own knowledge, of volumes purloined; but the above is quite sufficient to prove how necessary it is to have some voucher for the respectability of a stranger admitted to a public library, and for the MSS. he may there be permitted to consult. It is well known that Sir Robert Cotton lost many MSS. out of his library, both before and after the fire; and No. 4, described by V. Uffenbach, has very much the appearance of having escaped in this manner. I may add, that at a public auction last year in Dublin, one of the original Cotton MSS. taken out of the library previously to its being deposited in the British Museum, was sold, and purchased by a friend of mine, of whose collection it is not the least valuable ornament. Yours, &c. C. N. AFTER a residence of a fortnight at Rouen, I proceeded to Caudebec about twenty-two miles on the road to Ha vec. This small town is situated in a deep and narrow valley, through which a clear and rapid stream, turning several miles in its course, finds its way into the Seine, which washes the walls of the town. The Seine makes a bend opposite this place, and forms the most magnificent feature in the prospect. The walks on the banks of the river, have lofty and precipitous rocks on one side, above which the views are most magnificent, having the extensive forest of Brintom in front, and commanding a view of the course of the river for many miles. The view from Richmond-hill, if we except the numerous and beautiful villas with which that prospect is ornamented, is a miniature representa 1832.] Caudebec, in Normandy-St. Vaudrille. tion of the Seine which the heights above Caudebec present. The town itself, containing about 5000 inhabitants, consists of narrow crowded streets, or rather alleys, some very ancient and all picturesque, especially that through which the rivulet flows. Its principal ornament is the church, one of the most splendid monuments of the Architecture of the commencement of the 16th century, which France, or any other country, can exhibit, and well deserving the encomium which Henry the Fourth of France passed upon it, as being the most beautiful chapel in his dominions. The building was commenced, as we learn from an inscription on his monument, by Guilac de Telier of Fontaines le Pin near Falaise, on the 1st of September 1484. The church consists of a nave, two ailes, with a circular aspic, supported by 24 columns, and lighted by 26 windows below, and 22 in the clerestory. These, which are of large dimensions, give a great lightness to the building. The entire length is 260 feet, by 75 wide and 68 high. The windows have been filled with painted glass, and though many of them are much defaced, yet those on the north side are very perfect, and coeval with the original building. A window on the south west, representing the passage of the Israelites through the Red Sea has given the artist an opportunity of displaying a profusion of that gorgeous red which distinguishes the works of the ancient vitriers. In one of the windows at the west end, is a representation of the Last Supper, which bears, in the arrangement of the figures, a strong resemblance to that by Lionardo da Vinci on the subject. The top of the church on the outside is surrounded with an open balustrade of gothic letters, three feet high, containing the commencement of the hymn Salve Regina and the Magnificat, and which have been originally gilt. The elaborate carving round the arch of the west entrance, consisting of various series of figures under gorgeous tabernacles, is, for elegance of design and delicacy of workmanship, beyond my power of description in the short account which this letter must contain. The tower is on the side of the church. It is like the south tower of the cathedral of Rouen and that of the church GENT MAG. January, 1832. 33 of St. Ouen, being surmounted by an octangular lantern of great beauty and elegance. On this lantern is a low spire of open tracery, chiefly of fleursde-lis, and enclosed by three crowns. It is quite in keeping, as to richness of ornament, with the other parts of the building. The neighbourhood of Caudebec is rich in places of great antiquarian interest. As the monastery of St. Vaudrille is not mentioned either by Dr. Dibdin or Mr. Dawson Turner, cannot omit giving a slight account of it, though I should fail of making it so acceptable to your readers, as if it had come from the pen of either of those accomplished tourists. The At a mile and a half on the road to Rouen a small valley is crossed, which divides about a mile higher into two narrow dells. That on the right, about a mile from the high road, contains the interesting ruin of one of the most ancient and most magnificent monastic establishments in France. first object on arriving at the village is the parish church, which contains more than a small sprinkling of the figures of Saints, with considerable remains of painted glass. The tower in the centre is of early Norman architecture, and would remind a Sussex antiquary of Old Shoreham, except that all the parts are much more fresh and sharp. A few paces to the east of the church are the remains of the monastery, which was the oldest established in Normandy, except St. Ouen at Rouen, being founded by St. Vaudrille in the year 684. To trace its history, from its first establishment, under the name of Fontanella, and recount the various accidents from fire, and the ravages of barbarians, would take up too great a portion of your pages. The church was commenced in 1255 and finished in 1304. The fall of the tower in 1631 destroying a great part of the nave, left it in an imperfect state, which was never afterwards restored, so that at the time of the revolution there was only the quire, the transepts, and about half of the nave. These remains, though extremely beautiful, are now under the hands of the Goths and Vandals, and in less than six months will probably have entirely disappeared, or only be found in heaps by the road side. The house of the Abbot, |