beguileth.

See where she comes, with flow'ry garlands crowned;

Queene of all Queenes renowned:

Then sang the shepherds and nymphs of Diana,

Long live faire Oriana."

Now a question arises, who was the Bonny-boots mentioned in the two last-quoted madrigals?

Sir John Hawkins has the following hypothesis:

"Bonny-boots seems to be a nick-name for some famous singer, who, because of his excellent voice, or for some other reason, had the permission to call the queen his lady. Possibly the person meant might be one Mr. Hale, of whom mention is made by Sir William Segar, in his account of a solemn tilt, or exercise of arms, held in the year 1590 before Queen Elizabeth, in the Tiltyard at Westminster, with emblematical representations and music, in which the above-mentioned Mr. Hale performed a part, by singing a song, &c. Sir William Segar also says of this person, that he was her majesty's servant, a gentleman in that art excellent, and for his voice both commendable and admirable."—Hist. of Music, vol. iii. p. 406.

Some gallant, high in favour with the Lady Oriana (Queen Elizabeth), is evidently alluded to in these madrigals; but I cannot agree with Sir John Hawkins, that a public singer like Mr. Hale would be permitted "to call the queen his lady." The idea is too absurd for a moment's consideration. Another conjecture is, that the individual designated Bonny-boots was the Earl of Essex; but I shall here quote two extracts from a curious and rare work published by Thomas Morley in 1597, and entitled "Canzonets, or Little Short Aers to Five and Six Voices: Printed by Peter Short," &c.:—

The conjecture that Bonny-boots was the Earl of Essex at once falls to the ground; for he was not beheaded till 1601, and the title-page of Morley's Canzonets bears date 1597.

That some conceit relative to the Lady Oriana existed long before the appearance of The Triumphs, is evident. Although the latter work was not published till the year 1601, yet in 1597 the idea had been acted upon by Nicholas Yonge in his Second Book of Musica Transalpina; for therein is the well-known madrigal by Giovanni Croce from Il Trionfo di Dori, adapted to the English words, "Hard by a crystal fountain," and ending with the burden, "Long live fair Oriana." Dr. Burney (Hist. of Music, vol. iii. p. 124.) says, that according to Hearne, a madrigal beginning with these words used annually to be sung by the fellows of the New College, Oxon, but he was unable to find it. Other madrigals in praise of Oriana may be found in Bateson's First Set of Madrigales, 1604; Pilkington's First Set of Madrigales, 1613; and in Vautor's First Set of Songes, 1619.

The publication of madrigals in praise of Queen Elizabeth, after her death, may be easily accounted for. They were (it is evident upon examination) originally composed with the others, but sent too late for insertion in the set; after which their respective composers had no opportunity of publishing them until the dates above given.

The conclusion then I arrive at is this, that Il Trionfo di Dori was printed in Italy (most probably at Rome) between the years 1588 and 1597; that N. Yonge procured a copy of it from thence (as may be inferred from his Preface), and from it published Croce's madrigal. This copy was most probably seen by Thomas Morley, and gave him the idea of his Triumphs of Oriana. Morley was at this time an especial favourite with the queen, who had recently rewarded him with "a faire gold chaine." An offering then like the Orianas could not fail of being acceptable to the vanity of Elizabeth, who, even at the age of sixty-eight, was extremely susceptible of flattery—especially when directed towards her person. It doubtless had the desired effect, and secured for Morley the patronage of the queen and the principal nobility. The publication of this work is thus easily explained without the intervention of any "secret piece of history."

EDWARD F. RIMBAULT.

MS. NOTES IN A COPY OF LIBER SENTENTIARUM.

As MS. notes in old books have been regarded as fit matter for this journal, I would contribute two or three from a copy of Peter Lombard's Book of Sentences, printed at Vienna in 1477. This has not only passed through divers hands before it came into mine, but several previous owners have left their names in it, and one of them very numerous marginal comments. Of these the earliest appears to have been Thomas Wallwell or T. Swallwell, a monk of Durham, who, from the handwriting, which is of the fifteenth century, I conclude was the marginal commentator. He has availed himself of the "Laus Deo" below the colophon to add "q' Ts. Wallwell monachus ecclesiæ cathedralis Dunelmensis." The words are abbreviated, but I have given them at length except the first, which, instead of being a q, with a comma, is a q with an oblique line through it, that I thought might baffle the printer. The comments are very scholastic, and such as would then have been considered much to the purpose. It is possible some reader of this journal may be able to supply information respecting this erudite monk.

The next owner, judging by the handwriting, which seems little, if at all, later than 1500, has thus recorded his ownership on the blank side of the last leaf:

He was probably a priest, but I have discovered no annotations by him; though, as there is scarcely a page without writing on it, there may be some.

However, the note to which I would more particularly invite attention is at the top of the first page, and in the handwriting, I think, of the above-mentioned monk. It is in abbreviated Latin, but read in extenso it runs thus:

"Sententiæ Petri Lumbardi fratris Graciani qui decretum compilavit, et