Goring about exchange of a prisoner. He tells me the King's forces were drawn out the last night to come to release Sir Rich. Vaughan, and Leg commanded them: they were about 700 horse and 500 foote, but I believe they are gone back; he saith many of the horse were Volunteer Gent", for I believe I have left him few others here.

"I looked upon his letters, found them directed to Marlborough. He tells me Goring is about the Devises. I asked him what further orders he had to him. He tells me he was onely to bid him follow former Orders. I pressed him to know what they were, and all that I could get was that it was to hasten with all he had up to the King at Oxford. He sayth he has about 3000 horse and 1000 foote; that he is discontented that Prince Rupert commanded away his foote.

I

"I am now quartered up to Faringdon. shall have an eye towards him. I have that which was my Regiment and a part of Col. Sydney's 5 Troupes were recreated, and a part of Col. Vermuden's, and 5 Troupes of Col. Fiennes's, 3 whereof and Sir John . and Capt

Hamonds I sent with the first garrisons to Aylesbury. Its great pitty wee want Dragoons. I believe most of their petty Guarrisons might have been taken in and other Services done, for the Enemy is in high feare. God does terrifie them. Its good to take the season, and surely God delights that you have endeavoured to reforme your armyes, and I begg it may be done more and more. bad men and discontented say its faction. I wish to be of the faction that desires to avoyd the oppression of the poore people of this miserable nation, upon whom who can looke without a bleeding heart; truely it grieves my soule our men should still be upon free Quarters as they are. I beseech You help it what and as soone as you can. My Lords, pardon me this boldnesse it is because I finde in these things wherein I serve you, that Hee does all. I professe his very hand has led me. I preconsulted none of these things. My Lords & Gent., I waite your further pleasure, subscribing myselfe, OLIVER CROMWELL.

66

"Aprill 28th, 1645."

A GENERAL LITERARY INDEX: INDEX OF AUTHORS: HERMES TRISMEGISTUS.*

:

of Christian Religion, translated by Sir Philip Sidney and Arthur Golding, enumerates several Egyptians who were preceptors to Greek philosophers, "all which master-teachers issued out of the schoole of the great Trismegistus aforenamed":

"Pythagoras visited the Egyptians, Arabians, and Chaldeans, yea, and went into Jewry also, and dwelt a long time at Mount Carmel (as Strabo saith ?), insomuch that the Priests of that countrey shewed Strabo still the iourneis and walks of him there. To be short, Plato confesseth in many places that knowledge came to the Greekes by those whom they commonly called the barbarous people. As touching Zoroastre and Trismegistus, the one was a Hebrew and the other an Egyptian. And at the same time the Hebrews were conuersant with the Egyptians, as is to bee seen euen in the Heathen Authors. Wherby it appeareth that the original fountaine of this doctrine (of the Trinity) was to be found among them, which is the thing that we have to proue

as now.'

"The books bearing the mighty name of Hermes Trismegistus treated exactly as had been surmised, of the Soul, of God, of Nature, of Transmigration, of Immortality, and other theological and metaphysical questions. These fragments, such as they are now before us, are composed of the most widely divergent elements under the sun, but withal cunningly woven into one harmonious whole. Most curious, however, is the theology broached in them, which is Jewish, Christian, and Platonic, or rather Alexandrian, and yet a thing of itself. Monotheism, Polytheism, Pantheism, are all equally represented, but none can call the work its own. In the middle Orus, and Tat, we find the Logos side by side with the of the Egyptian Pantheon, with interlocutors such as Isis, archaic myths of the Phoenician Cosmogony. The Gnostic Demiurgus is plainly foreshadowed, and the arguments for immortality are borrowed from the early materialistic schools of Thales, Anaximander, and Anaximenes.". Saturday Review, ut suprà.

I shall now leave "thrice great Hermes" to speak for himself, agreeably to the extracts in Mornay:

P. 2.-" In this great vniversal masse there is a soueraigne Spirit which maketh, moueth, and gouerneth al that we see there; by whom we liue, moue, and be; who in our bodies hath framed a Counterfet of the whole world, and in our Soules hath ingrauen an image of himselfe. This is it that caused one ancient Philosopher to say, that whereas our eyes cannot pierce unto God, he suffereth himselfe to be felt with our hands. Poemander, c. v. [Cf. Clemens Alexandrinus, Strom. v. 3.]"

P. 18.-"Hermes saith that the Sunne-beams of God are his Actions, the Sun-beames of the world are the Natures of things, and the Sunne-beames of Man, are Arts and Sciences [cap. 10.] Cf. Essays written during the Intervals of Business, Lond. 1853, p. 2."

P. 26.-" Plato (in his Timaus) Plotin (in En. i. lib. 8), and other great philosophers of all sects (Trismegist. in

* Continued from 4th S. i. 504.

Euil is not a thing of itselfe, nor can be imagined but in the absence of all goodnesse, is a depriuation of the good which ought to be naturally in every thing: that euill is a kind of nothing, and hath no abiding but in the good, whereof it is a default or diminishing. That the cause thereof is in the very matter whereof God created things, which matter they termed the very vnbeing, that is to

* Cf. "N. & Q." 1st S. x. 12.

say, in very troth, no being at all, whereof the creatures retain still a certaine inclination, whereby they may fall away from their goodnesse."

Ibid. "It shall suffice for this present, to shew the universality of consent in this point, and that euen those which through custome did celebrate the plurality of gods, did yet notwithstanding beleeve that there is but onely one true God: which thing I will first maintaine by the wise men which lived from age to age. Mercurius Trismegistus who (if the bookes that are fathered upon him be his in deed, as in truth they be very ancient) is the founder of them al, teacheth every where, that there is but one God: that one is the roote of all things, and that without that one, nothing hath beene of all things that are: That the same one is called the only God, and the goodnesse itself, which hath universall power of creating all things: That it is impossible that there should be many makers: That in heauen he hath planted immortalitie, in earth interchange, and universally, life and mouing: That unto him alone belongeth the name of Father and of God: and that without blasphemy those titles cannot be attributed either to Angels, to Feends, or to Men, or to any of all those whom men do call gods, as in respect of honour and not of nature. He calleth him Father of the world, the Creator, the beginning, the glory, the nature, the end, the necessity, the renewer of all things, the worker of all powers, and the power of all workes, the only holy, the only unbegotten, the onely euerlasting, the Lord of euerlastingnesse, and the euerlastingnesse itselfe: the onely one, and by whom there is but onely one world; alone and himselfe al only all, namelesse, and more excellent then all names. Unto him alone will he haue us to offer up our prayers, our praises, and our sacrifices, and never to call upon any other than him.

"I would faine know whether it be possible for us to say any thing, either more, or better, for the setting forth of the sayd vnity? Indeed in some places he speaketh of gods in the plurall number as when he calleth the world a god, and the Heauen with the Planets that rule the Heauen gods: but that is after the same maner which he sometimes calleth himself a god, notwithstanding that no man can doubt of his birth and death, which are things cleane contrary to the true Godhead. The starres (sayth he, speaking of the creation) were numbered according to the gods that dwell in them. And in another place he sayth (Poemander, chap. 8, 10, 11, 12, and in Asclepius, ch. 2, 6. 8, 9), there are two sorts of gods, the one wandring, and the other fixed; but in the times going before, he had sayd that God is the beginner of them, that he made them, that he is the Father and only God, unto whom nothing is to be compared, either of the things beneath, or things aboue. Also he sayth further, that the world is a second god, and a sensible god; and that man is a third god by reason of the immortal Soule which is in him; but yet he calleth the children Impes and Creatures of the only one God, and most commonly Shadows and Images of him: neither is it his meaning to attribute so much unto them, as only one sparke of goodness, or power, to make the least thing that is. To bee short, hee setteth down some gods as principall, some as meane, and othersome as vndergovernors: But the conclusion of this matter is, that the soueraigne dominion belongeth to God, the soueraigne Lord of them all, upon whom alonely they depend, and from whom they proceede, who alonely is called Father and Lord, and whatsoever holier name can be given, who made both men and gods; yea, and men (sayth he) much better and more excellent than all the gods. And as at the beginning of his worke he had prayed unto him alone, so thanketh and prayseth he him alone in the end: which thing I

thought good to set out at length, because many Philosophers have drawn their skill and knowledge out of his fountaine."

P. 46.-"Therefore it behoueth us to conceiue a most single singlenesse, which neuerthelesse in one perfection comprehendeth all perfections, as the root of them, which seemeth a thing contrary to mans vnderstanding: that is to wit, that his Prouidence is no more Prouidence than Justice, nor his Justice more Justice than Mercie, nor his Knowledge more Knowledge than life, nor his life more life than single beeing. To be short, that his being is such a being as is wholly and alonely all, I meane altogether deed, altogether forme, altogether perfection and so forth. Poemander, c. 2 and 6."

P. 47.-"Trismegistus saith very well that he is mightier than any name can expresse." Cf. Hermes, citante Stobæo, tit. 78. Oxon. 1822, vol. iii. p. 135.

P. 56.-" Also we cal him Logos, which some translate word or Speech, and othersome Reason. Either of of those significations is ordinary to the word Logos, and agreeable to that which is intended to be signified thereby, so farre forth as diuine things can be expressed by the speech of man. When we call him Speech or Word, it is according to the doctrine of the Philosophers, who have marked that there is in man a double speech, the one in the mind, which they call the inward speech, which we conceiue afore we utter it, and the other the sounding image thereof, which is uttered by our mouth and is termed the Speech of the Voyce, either of both the which we perceiue at every word that wee intend to pronounce. -Poemander, c. xii."

P. 69.-" Mercurius Trismegistus (as we haue seene in the third chapter) acknowledged but only one God, who cannot well be named but by two names, to wit, Good and Father. And because the same God is indued with vnderstanding, sometimes he calleth him Novv, howbeit that most commonly he makes a difference between the Father and the Vnderstanding, which he calleth Minde likewise. Which thing appeareth in this saying of his: I am Poemander the Feeder of Men, and the Vnderstanding of the Beeër which is of himself. But behold here records as cleare as can be. God (saith he) who is also Minde, and Life and Light, and Male-female, begat or bred Logon, the Speech or word, which is another Minde, and the work-master of all things, and with that speech another which is the fiery god, and the spirit of the God-head. Lo here a Minde begotten of a Minde, Vnderstanding of Vnderstanding, and Light of Light, and besides that more ouer a Spirit. And againe, This Speech that proceedeth from God, being altogether perfect and fruitfull, and work-mistresse of all things, lighteth upon the water, and maketh it fruitfull. It is the same thing that is spoken of in Moses, where God saith, And the waters immediately brought forth. To be short, vnto this holy speech (as he termeth it) hee attributeth the begetting, ingendring, and spreading forth of all things from off-spring to off-spring, as it is to be seene. But here is yet more: I thy God (saith God) am Light and Minde, of more antiquity than the nature of moisture that is issued from the shadow. And this lightsome speech which proceedeth from the Minde, is the Sonne of God. That which heareth and seeth in thee, is the word of the Lord, and the Minde is God the Father, these differ not the one from another; and as for their vnion, it is the vnion of life, &c. And againe: This Speech being the Workeman of God, the Lord of the whole world, hath chiefe power next him, and is vncreated, infinite, proceeding from him, the commander of all things which he made, the perfect and naturall first borne Sonne of the most perfect. To be short he calleth him the mindly speech, euerlasting, vncorruptible, vnincreasing, vnde

creasing, alonely like him, and first beknowne after God; and moreover his onely Sonne, his wel beloued Sonne, the Sonne of the Most Holy, whose name cannot be named by mouth of man; and is not this as much as to call him Coessential, Coeternall, and the Creator of all things? And what more can we say thereof.-Poemander, c. 1; Cyril against Julian, c. 1, ad finem."

P. 70. "Of the third person he speaketh (Asclepius, c. 3 and 7) more darkly. All kinde of things in this world (saith he) are quickned by a Spirit. One Spirit filleth all things, the World noursheth the Bodies, and the Spirit the Soules, and this Spirit, as a toole or instrument, is subject to the will of God. But here is yet somewhat more. All things (saith he) have need of this Spirit, it beareth them vp, it nourisheth them, it quickneth them, according to euery of their capacities; it proceedeth from a holy fountaine, and is the maintainer of all liuing things, and of all Spirits. Here we see the reason why we call him the Holy Ghost, namely because he proceedeth from the fountaine which is the very holinesse itself. And lest we should thinke him to be a Creature, There was (saith he, Poemander, c. 13) an infinite shadow in the Deepe, whereon was the water, and a fine vnderstanding Spirit was in that confused masse, through the power of God.

"From thence there flourished a certaine holy brightnesse, which out of the sand, and the moyst nature, brought forth the Elements, and all things else. Also the gods themselues which dwell in the starres, tooke their place by the direction and appoyntment of this Spirit of God. Thus then he was present at the creation : and it is the same spirit whereof it is said in the Bible, that the Spirit of the Lord houered upon the outside of the deepe. But in some places he matcheth all three persons together. O life (saith he) save that life which is in me. O light, and God the Spirit, enlighten mee wholly. O Worker which bearest thy Spirit about, let thy word gouerne me. Lord thou art the onely one God. Again, There was (saith he) a light of Vnderstanding, and there was euer a mind of the lightfull Mind, and besides those there was not any thing else than the vnion of them by one Spirit,* vpholding all things, without which there is neither God nor Angell, nor other substance: for he is Lord, Father and God of all, and in him and vnder him are all things. And having said so (saith Suydas) he addeth his prayer, I adiure thee, O Heauen, the wise worke of the great God, I adiure thee, O voyce, which God vttered first when he founded the world, and I adiure thee by the onely begotten speech, and by the Father who containeth all things, &c. There is no man but he would wonder to see in this author the very words of S. John: and yet notwithstanding his books were translated by the Platonists long time afore the comming of our Lord Jesus Christ. And it is no maruaile though we finde sayings of his in diuers places which are not written in his Poemander, considering that he wrote six and thirtie thousand fiue hundred and fiue and twenty volumes, that is to say, Rols of Paper, as Iamblichus reporteth."

The Alexandrian, or Neo-Platonic school, probably owed a great part of its influence over early Christianity to its doctrine of a divine Trinitythe Unity, the Logos, and the energising Spirit which was thought by some to harmonise with the Christian doctrine. Many persons have be

*In the text as given by Cedrenus this is followed by-"Ea mens cum semper in seseipsa sit, semper sua ipsius mente, luce atque spiritu universa continet." See Suidas, s. v. "Hermes," "N. & Q.," 4th S. i. 538.

lieved that Neo-Platonic modes, both of thought and expression, are reflected in St. John's Gospel. (Leckie's His. of Rationalism in Europe, vol. i. p. 23). The Poemander begins, as Menard observes, in the same manner as St. John's Gospel ; and the doctrine of regeneration, in the Hermetic sermon on the mount, is compared by the same Writer to that in the third chapter of St. John. On the Triplicity of the Deity, which at the same time is a Monad, maintained by the Egyptians, according to Jamblichus, and the Mediatorship of the second Hypostasis, see also Ramsay, Of the Theology and Of the Mythology of the Ancients, his Philosophical Principles of Religion, and Cory's Mythological Inquiry in the Recondite Theology of the Heathens.

BIBLIOTHECAR. CHETHAM.

Everything in Blackstone necessary for the general reader is here comprised. . . . and nothing omitted but what is peculiarly adapted to the profession of a lawyer." Advertisement.

II. The Commentaries of Sir W. Blackstone, Knight, on the Law and Constitution of England, carefully abridged in a new manner, and continued down to the present time... By Wm. Curry... 1796, 8vo; viii. contents, 566. 2nd edit. 1809.

Consists of selections of the most essential parts in the words of the author.

III. Commentaries on the Law of England, principally in the order, and comprising the whole substance, of Commentaries of Sir W. Blackstone. [By J. Addams], 1819, 8vo.

IV. An Abridgment of Blackstone's Commentaries. By John Gifford [pseud. i. e. Edward Foss], 1821, 8vo. See No. VI.

A German translation of this work was published in 1823. Mr. Foss points this out in his Judges of England. This name of "John Gifford" had been made celebrated for twenty years previously to Mr. Foss having adopted it, and there can be little doubt that the translator was under the impression that he was translating a work by the well-known J. G. I put a query as to these two works (IV. and VI.), neither of which I have handled

1 Continued from 4th i. S. 528, and ii. 29. At No. vii. p. 528, for 1792 read 1762. I have two corrections to

make in the last article. After VI., as a note, read “The

Table of Precedence first occurs in it (see "N. & Q." 2nd S. viii. 454)"; and after VII. read "I have not seen this edition, but I believe it is the first with the portrait by Hall, after Gainsborough." Dele the note after VII. No. XL. p. 30. The first edition of Mr. Kerr's Blackstone was reprinted about 1859, but there never were any copies with the words " 2nd edition," I believe.

2 All "London" unless otherwise mentioned.

in the Law Journal some years ago, but it was never answered. It is also commented on in the Handbook of Fictitious Names, 1868.

V. An Abridgment of Blackstone's Commentaries on the Laws of England, in a series of Letters from a Father to his Daughter, chiefly intended for the Use and Advancement of Female Education. By a Barrister at Law, F.R., F.A., and F.L.S. [Sir E. E. Wilmot], 1822, 12mo; viii. 304.

Same by Sir J. E. E. W. . . . A new edition [the 2nd] corrected by his son Sir J. E. E. W. 1853, 12mo; xi. 338. 3rd edit. 1855; xix. 380.

...

VI. Blackstone's Commentaries on the Laws of England, abridged for the Use of Students, &c. By John Gifford, author of the Life of... Pitt [pseud. John Richards Green], 1823, 8vo.

I cannot help thinking there must be some mistake here, as J. R. Green died in 1818. See No. IV. above.

VII. The British Constitution; or, an Epitome of Blackstone's Commentaries on the Laws of England, for the Use of Schools. By Vincent Wanostrocht, LL.D., Alfred House Academy, Camberwell, 1823, 12mo; xi. 845.

VIII. An American Abridgment, 1832.

IX. Select Extracts from Blackstone's Commentaries, carefully adapted to the Use of Schools and Young Persons; with a Glossary, Questions, and Notes, and a General Introduction. By Samuel Warren, 1837, 12mo; xxvi. 428 (no index).

X. Commentaries on the Laws of England, in the Order and Compiled from the Text of Blackstone, and embracing the New Statutes and Alterations to the present time. By J. Bethune Bayly, of the Middle Temple, 1840, roy. 8vo; li. 700.

XI, A Synopsis of Blackstone's Commentaries. Lond. [1847]. A large single sheet in folio.

XII. The Law Student's First Book, being chiefly an Abridgment of Blackstone's Commentaries; incorporating the Alterations in the Law down to the present time. By the Editors of the Law Student's Magazine [who were they?], 1848, 12mo; xxiv. 508, xvi.

XIII. Blackstone's Commentaries systematically arranged and adapted to the existing State of the Law and Constitution, with great Additions. By S. Warren, 1855, 8vo; liv. 834. 2nd edition, 1856. See IX.

The original portions of Blackstone are indicated. XIV. The Student's Blackstone; Selections from the Commentaries on the Laws of England. By Sir W. B.; being those portions of the work which relate to the British Constitution and the Rights of Persons. By R. M. Kerr, 1858, 12mo; xix. 575. The Student's Blackstone's Commentaries on the Laws of England, in four books, by Sir W. Blackstone, &c., abridged

By R. M. Kerr. 2nd edit. 1865, 12mo; xx. 612.

I have been obliged to give more title-page information in this list than in the last, in order to show the objects with which the abridgments

have been made. Where I have given no collation, I have not seen the work. An asterisk (*) prefixed to any title-page intimates that the work was published anonymously. RALPH THOMAS.

1, Powis Place, W.C.

PIECES FROM MANUSCRIPTS.-No. II.
GOOD ADVICE, FROM MS. BIBL. REG. 18 c. II.

[The MS. is a fair one of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, which writes the tale of Gamelyn after the Cook's without a break, and heads this tale the "Cook." It puts (or misplaces) the Squire's and Merchant's tales after the Man of Law's, and the Nun's and Canon's Yeoman's between the Franklin's and Doctor's.]

(First Fly-leaf).

He that stondeth suere, enhast hym not to meeve, ffor 3if he doo, hit shalle hym after greve; And he that walketh suerly a-pon the playñ, ffor to stumble it is but in vayñ;

But 3if so be he liste of his foly

By necligence to put hym selfe willefully
In aventure, & of hym selfe nat recche

To eschewe perelle /y holde hym but a wrecche.
Second Fly-leaf (buck).

Man, be auised or bou be-gynne,
That thow haue no nede for to pleyne;
And loke what a state bou standyst in,
ffore pouerte is a ful priuy peyne.

ffore what thynge ys to a man more greuous,
Then sodeynly from man-hod to falle?
In pride ys sympylle gouernans,
There as pouerte ys steward of halle.

F. J. F..

WILLIAM BREWSTER OF THE PLYMOUTH PLANTATION.

A few facts relative to William Brewster, one of the principal men of the May Flower, who landed at Plymouth, New England, in 1620, not mentioned by Mr. Hunter of London in his valuable little book, the Founders of New Plymouth, are submitted to the readers of "N. & Q."

Bradford, in his History of the Plymouth Plantations, states that Brewster, after leaving Cambridge University, was in the service of Davison, Secretary of State under Queen Elizabeth, but says nothing relative to his parentage. From a letter written by John Stanhope, Postmaster-General of England, on August 22, 1590, to Secretary Davison, we learn that his father's name was William, and that he had been postmaster at Scrooby. that Samuel Bevercotes was his successor, and Stanhope wrote that "Old Bruster" was dead, not "Young Bruster," who had been the deputy of his father.

Davison in reply gave some reasons why the 1 MS. May.