Notes and Queries

QUERIES:- The German Church in London, 6- Blake
Queries-South Sea Stock-The Cobler of Glocester
Stench and Smell - Armorial - Senex's "Map of Ireland"
- Anglin: Lacount-Sir Edward Dering - -Aislabie of
Studley, Co. York-Paul Washington alias Haine - Robert

Remington-Vowel Sounds -Alfieri - Maelstrom-In-

terludes "The Manuscript"-The Reay Country.

Randle Cotgrave-Richards's Welch Dictionary-Albion

Magazine"-Charles Johnston, 7.

QUERIES WITH ANSWERS: - Gerberti "De Arte Musica"

-"King's Prerogative in Impositions"- “ Regno delle

due Sicilie"-Old Tom-Oleron-Toads found alive in

Stone Coffins, &c.

REPLIES:-College Salting, 10-"Coqueliner," 11-Dr.

Parr and Tobacco, 12-"Fellowes' Visit to la Trappe," &c.,

the Note on it in Willis's Catalogue, 13 - Centenarianism,

15- Derivation of Shakspeare -Pencil Writing - De-

scriptive Catalogue Library discovered at Willscot

Glebe-House The Gold Ants of Herodotus Mural

Burial- Hereditary Alias - Ride v. Drive - Paul Hiffer-

nan-Ventilate-Carnival at Milan-Vant-Henry Can-

trell, M.A.-Splitting Paper- Publication of Banns-

Rutherford Family - Submerged Bells-The Judas Tree.

-The Rev. John Hutton-Colonel Hooke-Britain 1116

B.C.-John Wythers, 15.

Notes on Books.

Notes.

COLLEY CIBBER AND GAY.

Cibber succeeded to the "bays" upon the death

of Eusden in 1730. The poet who might have

calculated more surely than any other upon that

distinction was Gay; but, by a strange incon-

sistency of conduct shortly after the accession of

George II., he had obstructed his promotion, and,

by greater subsequent acts of indiscretion, de-

stroyed the faintest hope of establishing his for-

tunes, at least through the influence of the court.

Gay experienced, in fact, the truth contained in

his own inimitable fable of "The Hare":-

who depend

On many, rarely find a friend."
No doubt, he had aspired to the office of lau-

reate, and would have obtained it most probably

through the intervention of Queen Caroline; who,

whilst Princess of Wales, had always been very

favourably disposed towards him, and, imme-

diately upon her accession, had given him an

earnest of her sincerity and condescension by

offering him the situation of gentleman-usher to

her daughter, the Princess Louisa. The office

was almost a sinecure, worth more than 2007. per

ann., and a sure stepping-stone to higher prefer-

ment; yet Gay had the folly and indecency not

only to reject it peremptorily, but with every

expression of scorn. The infatuated poet then

cast himself upon the support of the King's fa-
vourite beauty, Mrs. Howard (afterwards Coun-
tess of Suffolk), and openly boasted that this
'allegorical creature of fancy" (as Swift calls

her) was "his sole trust and protector!" By

such extravagances of conduct, Gay completely

alienated the good will of her majesty; and Cib-

ber, as a matter of course, was preferred before

him.

The selection of Cibber for the vacant "bays"

was doubly galling to Gay. The new laureate
was not only notoriously ill qualified for his office,
having no talent whatever for lyrical compositions;
but, when Gay had avenged himself upon the
court, in his singularly successful Beggar's Opera,
Cibber had ventured to enter the dramatic lists
with, and attempted by affecting a superior mo-
rality to turn the current of popular applause
from, him. The issue of this vain-glorious endea-
vour is best expressed in the laureate's own
words: -

"Love in a riddle, for so my new-fangled performance
was called, was as vilely damned and hooted at as so
vain a presumption in the idle cause of virtue could
deserve."

The signal failure of that dramatic piece, no

less than his "annual Odes," which had no merit

but their loyalty, exposed the unlucky laureate to

the incessant attacks of Gay and his friends; and

amongst the latter not one was so persistent in his

opposition as Fielding. Gay himself had established

the precedent of writing "volunteer Odes," and

had by such means at first attracted the favour-

able notice of the Queen, whilst she was Princess

of Wales. The authors of the accompanying "Ode

for the New Year" (reprinted for the first time

from the original broadside) intended as well to