LINES

Written in Court at Abingdon Assizes, during the Trial of a Breach of Promise of
Marriage, MISS HARRIS v. LOADER; by which it appeared upon evidence, that
MISS HARRIS had been deserted by her Lover, in consequence of the Gentleman
having gained the Affections of a MISS STONE.

To treat thus a maiden 's a shame and disgrace;
"Twas vile to desert her-unfeeling and base;
Yet, what but such conduct could any one hope,
(Not forgiv'n, I'm sure, would it be by the Pope,)
From one, who by evidence clear it is shewn,
Was really possess'd of the heart of a STONE!

H. G.

PHILOLOGICAL LAW PLEA.

In a publication by the managers of the Infirmary of Aberdeen, they gave a translation into English of a Latin charter, by which they held the ground on which that building is erected. "Joannes Memis, Medicinæ Doctor," was here rendered "John Memis, Doctor of Medicine." Doctor John Memis, however, thought this a very erroneous translation; and that a slur upon his professional character was artfully and maliciously concealed under it. He expected to have seen himself designated Doctor John Memis, Physician; and the rather, because, elsewhere, in the same document, Duo Medicina Doctorum in Aberdenia, is translated "Two of the Physicians in Aberdeen." The doctor complained to the managers of the injury thus done to his pretensions, and demanded that they should have the translation re-printed, with his proper designation of Physician. This, however, they very irreverently declined; and the doctor felt it necessary, for the vindication of his status in society, to bring an action against them before the Court of Session, in which he sought not only for an order upon them (in the nature of a mandamus) to make the required alteration in their English version of the charter, but for damages in the premises. The managers went to great lengths in their defence. They gravely pretended that Doctor of Medicine was as exact a translation as could be of Doctor Medicine; that were they to substitute Doctor of Physic, or Physician, it would be as much to say, that medicine and physic are the same thing, though it be notorious, (for so they alleged,) that neither is all physic medicine, nor all medicine

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physic; that, besides, Doctor of Medicine was, for aught they knew, quite as dignified as Doctor of Physic; and that, at all events, they had no intention of depreciating the professional rank of the very learned plaintiff, by calling him by the one designation in preference to the other. "But, why then," rejoined the doctor, "not translate Duo Medicina Doctorum in the same way as you have done Medicina Doctor?"-" For the sake of variety of phrase merely."-" No, no: you have translated them differently, for no other purpose but to hold me out to ridicule, and injure me in my profession, as being only a simple doctor, in comparison with these gentlemen, whom you style physicians. It is a clear case; I demand the judgment of the court."

For several years was this unique question contested with all the obstinacy of legal ingenuity, and at length, in Nov. 1776, the court, to the doctor's great surprise, declared that his complaint was altogether frivolous, and found him liable in the whole costs of suit.

ROGER PAYNE.

"AT the mention of this magical name," says the author of the Bibliographical Decameron, "uprise all the spirit and heart's-blood of the bibliomaniac." He rose "like a star diffusing lustre on all sides, and rejoicing the hearts of all true sons of bibliomania." The reader, who is little versed in bibliography, or rather in bibliopegism, may be anxious to know who and what the individual was who could excite such lively enthusiasm; and he will perhaps be disappointed when he learns, that he was nothing more than a bookbinder, but a bookbinder of such eminence, as to render all the productions of his art very valuable. Roger Payne was a native of Windsor Forest; and, after living a life of wretched dissipation, died in 1797. Some of his bills to his customers were singularly curious. The first two which follow were for work done for Dr. Mosley.

"The Clavis Astro Elimata was, according to the time and work in the binding, put down at 40s. less than the time it took in that work. And (Dr. Mosely) in his great goodness will, I am confident, consider the bad condition of this book; and, through a full desire to do the very best for the learned advice, which is more to me than money-health first, money second

best, I have agreed to make an abatement in the washing, mending, &c."

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Harmony of the World, by Haydon; London, 1642. Bound in the very best manner; the book sewed in the very best manner with white silk, very strong, and will open easy; very neat, and strong boards; fine drawing paper inside stained, to suit the colour of the book. The outsides finished in the Rosie-Crucian taste,-very correct measured work. The inside finished in the Druid taste with acorns, and S.S. studded with stars, &c. in the most magnificent manner. So neat, so strong and elegant as this book is bound, the binding is well worth 13s. and the inlaying the frontispiece, cleaning and mending, is worth 2s. To Dr. Mosely's great goodness I am so much indebted, that my gratitude sets the price for binding, inlaying, cleaning, and mending, at only £0. 10s. 6d.

66

"1796; 11th August.

Recd. the contents by me,

ROGER PAYNE."

We add one more specimen of Roger's bills:

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Hughes's Natural History of Barbadoes. The Eortis is entirely taken out by several washings in fair water; there is no danger for future time; it is honestly done; for those things will look fair and clean, but will not stand for time, without the person who washes those things is absolutely to be depended on for honesty, as well as knowing how to take the ink out: if the Æ(ortis) is left in the paper, it will in a short future time make the paper quite rotten. Green morocco joints very neat and strong.

"N.B. Nat. Hist. Green a proper colour,-very fine and strong drawing-paper to suit the colour of the paper of the book, a fine sheet at the beginning and end of the book, and the sides of the boards covered with the same fine drawingpaper; the title was very dirty, which I have cleaned and mended as neat as I possibly could; the corners of the boards wanted a little mending, and the roughness of the leather put to rights as much as possible. I have done every thing according to order, to do the best to make the book a fine copy-3s. 6d.

Recd. the contents,

Pr. ROGER PAYNE."

SINGULAR DEDICATIONS.

In the dedication of books, one general manner has prevailed ever since books were written-namely, to extol with more or less extravagance the individuals to whom they are inscribed Every reader is familiar with instances of the fulsome extremes to which such adulation has been carried; let ours be the more agreeable task to bring together some of the few cases which are either deserving of imitation for the good taste in which they are conceived, or amusing for their eccentricity.

The happiest, and at the same time one of the shortest, dedications which we remember to have met with, is that prefixed to the poem of" Madagascar," by Sir William Davenant; 1648. It is in these words:

"If these poems live, may their memories by whom they are cherished, Endymion Porter and H. Jarmyn, live with

them."

Sheppard, in his "Epigrams, Theological, Philosophical, and Romantic," 1651, has adopted almost literally the same style of inscription:

"If these epigrams survive (maugre the voracitie of Time), let the names of Christopher Clapham and James Winter (to whom the author dedicateth these his endeavours) live with them."

Davenant's dedication had many other imitators; it may be said, indeed, to have given for a time the mode to this class of composition.

Nothing can be more pleasing than the idea of thus handing down to posterity the names of those friends by whom one's labours have been "cherished," and but for whose encouragement they might perhaps never have seen the light. How different the feeling of the author, who,

"To his most esteemed and beloved Selfe,
Dat Dedicatque."

Who but some churlish cynic-some growler at the worldsome man without a friend to commemorate, could thus proclaim his "selfe" idolatry? Such in fact, in many respects, was Marston, whose "Scourge of Villainy" is inscribed in these

terms.

Although Marston was imitated by many, he does not appear to have been copied in this particular by any one. The dedication of " A Scourge" seems more properly to belong to those who are scourged; and so we find the "Scourge of Drunkenness," by William Hornby inscribed:

"To all the impious and relentless-hearted ruffians and roysters under Bacchus' regiment: Cornuapes wisheth remorse of conscience and more increase of grace.

Come, Drunkenness, untrusse,
And naked strip thee,

For without mercy

I will soundly whip thee," &c.

Cornuapes is a name assumed by the author, in allusion to a wood-cut on the title, of a wild man of the ape species, smoking a pipe with one hand and holding a scourge in the other.

Of a similar description is the following dedication of Richard Brathwayte's "Strappado for the Divell"—1619.

To all vsurers, broakers, and promoters, serjeants, catch-poles, and regraters, ushers, panders, suburbes traders, cockneies that haue manie fathers; ladies, monkies, parachitoes, marmosites and catemitoes folks, hightires and rebatoes, falsehaires, periwigges, mouchatoes; grave gregorians and shepointers, send I greeting at adventures, and to all such as be evill, my Strappado for the Divell.”

Instead of a whole class of persons being honoured with such epistles dedicatory, we sometimes find them addressed to the more eminent names in a class, as examples of all that is most wicked or ridiculous in it. It is thus that the prevailing character of the heroes of the Commonwealth is pourtrayed by Denzil Holles in the following dedication of one of his political

tracts:

To the unparalleled couple, Mr. Oliver St. John, his majesty's solicitor-general, and Oliver Cromwell, the parliament's lieutenant-general, the two grand designers of the ruin of three kingdoms.

"GENTLEMEN,

66 'As you have been principal in ministering of the matter of this discourse, and giving me the leisure of making it, by banishing me from my country and business; so it is reason I shall particularly address it to you. You shall find