made to the Iles of Cap de Verd, in most of the seamen's judgments very impertinently: I am sure to the danger of all, and losse of many men. For by steeringe such uncertaine & unnecessary courses, we were so becalmed, that above a hundred persons, gentlemen most of them, dyed betweene those Ilands and the continent of Guiana. In which grate mortality I, visitinge as many of the sicke men, in the duty of my ministry, as the occasions of the sea would give me leave, heard sad complaints from many sicke and dyinge gentlemen, of Sir Walter's hard usage of them, in denyinge even those that were large adventurers with him, such things upon necessity of which there was at that time sufficient store. Others of greate worth, either by birth or place of imployment, of being neglected yf not contemned; of which number was Captain John Piggot, then our Lieutenant Generall, who complained to me thereof on his deathbed, besides divers others that are returned; the truthe of this pointe, Mathew Rogers, dwelling neere Holborne bridge, then Surgeon's mate in the Shippe, can well witnes.

confidence than formerly, intermixinge newe projects, propoundinge often the taking of St. Joseph's in Trinidado, expressing the great conceit of wealth might be there amonge the Spaniards and the undoubted great quantity of tobaccho, but all this while nothing was done. Those that were absent so slightly respected, especially the Landmen, that he would often say for the most of them it was no matter whether ever they returned or no, they were good for nothing but to eate victualls; and were sent to sea on purpose that their friendes might be rid of them; and diverse times propounded to go away and leave them, to which none of the Captaines would ever agree.

Our companies that went up the river, as by the chief gentlemen at their return I was given to understand, arrived near the towne of St. Thomæ the second day of January, where the Captaines desired Captain Kemis first to show them the mine; which Sir Walter had formerly sayd to be three or four miles nearer than the towne, and that then yf the Spaniard withstood them they would vim vi repellere.

This Kemis would by no means yield to, but

During this time Sir Walter himselfe taking a fall in his shippe, being bruised, fell into a dan-alledged diverse reasons to the contrary as that gerous feaver, wherin I visited him (being call'd for by himself). He desired me to pray for him, spake relligiously, and among other things tolde me that it greived him more for the gentlemen than for himselfe, whose estates would be hazarded by his death, yet that he would leave such notes of direction behinde him as should be sufficient for them, which notes neither I nor, for ought I knowe, any man else in the fleet yet sawe.

At Calean, in November last, Sir Walter being somewhat recovered, opened his project for the Mine, which upon the platte he demonstrated to be within three or four miles of the towne Sancti Thomæ, which he knew to be inhabited by the Spaniards, for he seemed oftentimes in my hearinge to doubt whether it were re-enforc'd or no.

if the town were reinforced, he should open then a mine for the Kinge of Spaine and the like, which not on any terms he would ever be pleased to doe. Diverse reasons like this I not only heard by the gentlemen that returned, but sawe myself under Kemis his hand, in a letter which he wrote from Oronoque to Sir Walter Raleigh at Trinidado, which letter I transcribed, but have not the copy of; yet I think there be of them in London.

During the time of this consultation, our men, ready to repose themselves for that night, were assaulted by the Spaniards from the skirt of a wood, in pursuit of whom they were brought to the towne, almost before themselves knew of it. In which conflict some four or thereabouts of either side were slaine, the rest of the Spaniards quit the town and fled.

Sir Warham St. Leger was nowe made Lieutenant-General, and had he gone up to the towne The towne being next day their own, and the as I have heard himselfe often say, he had not place as it were in their possession, every man's had particular directions; but in a seeming cur- expectation looked hourly for the discovery of the tesy Sir Walter had left all things there to his mine, whilst Captain Kemis minded rather the valour and judgement. But God suddenly visiting tobaccho, apparell, household stuffe, and other him with a violent sickness, George Rawley then pillage, often saying these would help yf all failed. being Serjant-Major, went up Commander-in-Yet one night, as hath been diverse times related chiefe. Captaine Kemis director for the mine, Sir Walter with four other shippes remaininge at Trinidado neere the maine mouth of Oronoque; of which the shippe wherein I went being one, I there stayed and went not up to the towne.

We parted with those forces that went in discovery of the mine about the middest of December, and heard not of them againe untill the 13th of February followinge; during which time I very seldome heard Sir Walter speake of a mine and when he did it was with farre lesse

to me by Captain Thornehurst, himself accompanied only with his man, went out privately and brought in some mineral ore, which he cheerfully shewed Captain Thornehurst; but being tryed by a refiner, it proved worth nothinge and was no more spoken of. Hence it was considered that Kemis himself might be deluded, even by Sir Walter Raleigh, in the ore and place. For now the place began to be called in question; newe ways were to be searched; boates were manned with gentlemen, soldiers, and saylors, which should

return that night, yet stayed out two days; and then returned, diverse of them hurt, and two killed outright by an ambuscade of Spaniards and Spanish Indians.

Within two days after the boats againe were manned, and they carryed with them provision for four days, the time limited for their return: but they stayed from the rest 20 or 21 dayes; allmost to the famishing of them all.

And whereas the mine was described to be three miles shorte of the towne, they went not only three miles, but threescore leagues beyond it, till at last they were forced to return; and bad they found a mine they must have come backe for spades, pickaxes, and refiners, for none of these carryed they with them.

The 13th of Febry we, at Trinidado, received newes from them in the river, of the takinge of the towne and the missinge of the mine.

Sir Walter protested to the Captaines (as most of them told me) his owne innocency, which to approve he would call Kemis to a publick account in their presence before he spake with him privately, which he never performed.

At their coming to us, which was the second of March, Sir Walter made a motion of goinge backe againe, and he would bringe them to the mine: the performance of which at that time was altogether improbable, yf not impossible. Our men weary, our boates splitt, our shippes foule, and our victualls well nighe spent. Then againe for the takinge of St. Joseph's, which the next morning was left of, and we disembogued.

From thence we fell downe to the Charibee Ilands, till we came to Monis; there we put into the Bay the twelfth of March. In which time Sir Walter promised to propound unto the Captaines very often, as I heard, some new project; speakinge of a French Commission, which I never sawe, nor any man that I knowe of

He nowe likewise freely gave leave to any of the Captaines to leave him yf they pleased, or thought they could better themselves in their own intendments; whereupon Captain Whitney and Captain Wolleston, with their shippes, left him the Sixt of March.

Sir Warham St. Leger (as I have often heard him very confidently report) privately one day desired to know of Sir Walter, whether he intended to come for England or no? To which he answered (with reverence to God and your Lordships be it spoken) that by God he would never come there; for yf they gott him there, they would hang him, or to that purpose.

Being desired then by Sir Warham to tell him what course he would take, he sayde he would goe to Newfoundland, victuall and trimme his shippes, and then ly off about the Iles of the Azores, to wayt for some of the homeward-bound Spaniards: that he might gett somethinge to bid him

7

At

selfe wellcome into France, or elsewhere.
Mœnis, the 21st of March, the Captaines hearing
of Kemis his untimely death, presumed that they
had been much abused in this project by Kemis
or Sir Walter, or both; and consideringe with
themselves their men were ready to mutiny, and
would not follow them any longer yf they fol-
lowed Sir Walter, but would carry the shippes
where they pleased; Sir Walter's uncertainty
and many delayes, resolved all to leave him, and
consort no longer with him, which they within
fewe dayes actually did.

And though at first they were not resolved to
come directly into England; yet, within few days,
upon better consideration, they thought it better
to refer themselves to His Majesty's princely
clemency; and to leave of that voyage with so
greate losse, than by longer staying out to incur
his high displeasure; and so made for England.
As for Sir Walter's returne, whether it were wil-
ling or constrained, all that I knowe of it is by
Neere the bancke of New-
the reporte of some gentlemen then in his shippe,
who relate it thus.
foundland there began a mutiny amonge the
seamen; some of them, weary of the voyage, de-
siring to be at home for better imployment;
others, which had formerly beene pirates, would
stay at sea till they had gotten somethinge. Sir
Walter, to appease this tumult, came up from his
cabbin, read his Majesty's commission to them,
and lastly, put it to their owne choyce by most
voyces what they should doe; giving, as I heare,
his owne voyce at that time very confidently for
England.

That ever he slighted the King's Majesty or his authority by any wordes of his, or suffered it to be done, or that ever it was done by any one in The gentlemen the fleete, I never yet heard. that were most inward with him, as I heare and thinke, were Captaine Charles Parker, Sir John Holmden, and Captaine George Raleigh, the chief seamen, and of them but fewe.

Thus, Right Honble Lords, in the simplicity of truthe, free from all sinister affection, I have endeavored to performe what by your Lordships I was appointed; though with much weakness, which hath not beene used to so high I referre to your Lordships' viewe and favorable censure. My pen imployment, but my prayers shall never cease to mount the throne of Grace, that God will be pleased to make you all glorious in heaven whome he hath made so gracious and honorable on earth. Your honor'd Lordships ever to be commanded, SAMUEL JONES.

FLETCHER'S "CUSTOM OF THE COUNTRY." I have long had an idea that our dramatic critics had not devoted much attention to Spanish literature, and this play convinces me of the fact.

At the same time I freely confess that I see little to blame in their not having done so; for Fletcher is almost the only one of the old dramatists who went to Spain for his dramatic materials.

In the preliminary notice to this play in Dyce's edition, an extract is given from Weber, commencing thus: "The underplot of Rutilio, Duarte, and Guiomar was suggested by a novel in the Hecatommithi of Giovanbattista Giraldi Cinthio ... the substance of which is as follows." He then analyses the novel, in which the name of the lady is Livia, that of her son Scipio, and the scene Forli in Italy. The circumstances also are very different from those in Fletcher's play. On all this Mr. Dyce makes no comment, so I assume that he knew of no other source.

Now were it not for another play of Fletcher's, The Laws of Candy, I should feel inclined to doubt his having been at all acquainted with the Hecatommithi. On this occasion, however, I am quite certain that it was not his authority, at least not his immediate authority, but that he got this story where he got the subjects of so many of his plays, in the works of Cervantes; as, however, it was neither in Don Quixote nor in the Novelas Exemplares, it has escaped the knowledge of his editors.

Minor Notes.

HUGH BOYD. - Historical inquirers know full well how soon echo becomes a voice and an au

thority. It is well, therefore, to enter an early
protest. I thought, for example, that the true
story of the Frenchman's misapprehension of
Boyd's mystification about Junius was known to
most persons; and certainly Bonnecarrere's let-
ter was published in extenso in "N. & Q." 2nd S.
i. 43., yet I have just read the following circum-
stantial blundering in a volume by the late Mr.
Crofton Croker, now first published.

The late Sir John Macpherson resided, it appears, at Grove House, Brompton. On this Mr. Croker observes:

"Upon the after-dinner conversation at Grove House of Mr. Hugh Boyd rests chiefly that gentleman's claim to be considered as one of the many authors of 'Junius.' His host having temporarily retired from table, Boyd's words were that Sir John Macpherson little knew he was entertaining in his mansion a political writer, whose sentiments were once the occasion of a chivalrous appeal from Sir John to arms'-immediately adding, ‘I am the author of Junius.""

I do not know what is meant by Boyd's claim to be considered one of "the many authors of Junius." Boyd, as here reported, claimed to be "the author." However, not to waste time on trifles, I will only observe, as Mr. Croker will, I have little doubt, be adduced as corroborative evidence, that Boyd left England in 1785 or 1786 and never returned, and that Macpherson did not arrive in England until 1787, and, consequently, that Boyd never could have dined with him at Grove House. H. B. H.

WITTY RENderings.

In the sixth chapter of the third book of Cervantes' romance of Persiles y Sigismunda, we read that the hero, heroine, and their party, after leaving Talavera, encountered a Pole, who related to them his history, the early part of which exactly corresponds with Fletcher's play. Thus, the names in it of the lady and her son are Guiomar and Duarte; the scene is Lisbon, and the adventure occurs the very first night after the Pole's arrival in that city. He is attacked without any cause by the insolentsation with a member of the Dixie family upon Being once in converDuarte, whom he kills; he finds Guiomar in her the subject of punning mottoes, his own was inchamber, who asks him if he is a Castilian, and stanced" Quod dixi dixi." tells him that even if he were she would save him. it?" he asked. I gave him the literal version. "Can you translate She directs him to place himself in a cavity be"No," said he, "that won't do: we render it 'Tell hind the tapestry over the bed. After the dead a lie and stick to it!"" Of course it will not be body of her son had been brought in, and a witness had declared that he had seen a man taking terised by any want of veracity. understood that this ancient family is characE. V. refuge in the house, all knowledge of whom she denied, and the officers of justice were gone, she felt through the arras the palpitating heart of her suppliant, bade him come forth, covering his face with his hands that she might not be able to recognise him, and directed her maid to lead him out, give him a hundred crowns, and dismiss him -all just, or nearly so, as in the play.

The rest of the story is different. The Pole got next morning on board of a vessel bound for India, where he remained fifteen years; while Fletcher makes Duarte recover, and marries Guiomar to the man whom she had saved.

I think there can be no doubt whatever of this having been Fletcher's original.

NOTE OF AN ENTRY ON THE REGISTER BOOK OF CLYST ST. GEORGE, DEVON.—

"90 Georgii 2di 1735-6. The Law now forbids ye keeping any Records in Latin, &c." H. T. E.

JOHN MILTON.-I transmit you a few notes from original MS. source, giving a compendium of Milton's career, none the less acceptable because they are by the hand of Vertue, and seem to fix the date of his blindness:

"Johannes Milton, born A.D. 1608; Paul's School, 15, 1623; at Cambridge seven years, 1630; came to London, Oxford, &c.; æt. 30, set out for Italy, 1638; travels one year and three months; returned to London latter end THOS. KEIGHTLEY. 1639, æt. 32; published Reformation, 1641; married, æt.

I shall feel much indebted to any gentleman who may have read my paper, and who will supHARVEST IN DECEMBER. I enclose a para-ply any omissions, or furnish information as to graph cut from the Suffolk Chronicle of Dec. 22, which may interest your readers:

So GOD empal'd our Grandsire's (Adam) lively look, peared in a 12mo. vol. of 365 pages, Poems on