There is a notion, from the circumstance of "Soverayne" being the favourite motto or impress of Henry IV., that the Collar of SS. takes its name from the initial letter of that word; and the introduction of the portcullis into the collar, which was the device of the House of Lancaster, is also considered by some as proof that the collar originated with that king. In the effigies, however, of Henry IV. and his queen, Joan of Navarre, in the Chapel of St. Thomas Becket, Canterbury Cathedral, the collar which appears round the neck of the queen (there is none upon that of the king) has no portcullis. And as to the derivations of the name of the collar from "Soverayne," from St. Simplicius, from the martyrs of Soissons (viz. St. Crespin and St. Crespinian, upon whose anniversary the battle of Agincourt was fought), from the Countess of Salisbury, of Garter notoriety, from the word "Souvenez" and, lastly, from Seneschallus or Steward (which latter is MR. NICHOLS' notion)—they may all be regarded as mere monkish or heraldic gossip.
Nicholas Upton, one of our earliest heraldic writers, who was present at the siege of Orleans in 1428, states,—"Rex etiam scoeie dare solebat pro signo vel titulo suo unum COLLARIUM de gormettis fremalibus equorum de auro vel argento;" whilst, in a wood-cut engraving of the arms of a German, Herr Florian Waldauff, of about the time of Albert Durer, are three collars, one of the letters SS. linkings into each other, terminating in front with portcullises. Put these notices together and they may be considered sufficient to demolish the Lancastrian origin theory of the collar, on the one hand, and to unfold the true source of the collar's nomenclature on the other, viz. that it comes from the S-shaped lever upon the bit of the bridle of the war steed.
To [Greek: Ph].'s question, "Who are the persons now privileged to wear these collars?" MR. NICHOLS answers, "I believe the reply must be confined to the judges, the Lord Mayor of London, the Lord Mayor of Dublin, the kings and heralds of arms." The privilege of wearing a Collar of SS., so far as the various persons enumerated are concerned, is a mere official privilege, and can scarcely be cited in reply to [Greek: Ph].'s interrogative, except upon the principle, "Exceptio probat regulam." The persons now privileged to wear the ancient golden Collar of SS. are the equites aurati, or knights (chevaliers) in the British monarchy, a body which includes all the hereditary order of baronets in England, Scotland, and Ireland, with such of their eldest sons, being of age, as choose to claim inauguration as knights. It is presumable too that the Collar of SS. is also an incident of the minor degree of knight bachelor (bas-chevalier seu miles-bachillarus); whilst the silver Collar of SS. belongs to every head of a family of ancient esquirage quality, bearing arms. It is true, the fashion of wearing the collar, whether gold or silver, may be said to have been in desuetude for centuries. But rights of blood never prescribe; and there are strong grounds to believe that there will again be a general revival of the use of such distinctions.
There are various other points bearing upon the subject of the Collar of SS., upon which I wish to offer some remarks, and with your permission I will return to the subject. I cannot, however, conclude without observing, that it would much add to the value of MR. NICHOLS' compilation if he would extend it so as to embrace a description of the floreal coronet of knighthood, the belt of honour, the helmet, scarf, ring, spars, &c.,—all indeed, that the words "ad recipiendum a nobis ARMA MILITARIA" implied in the ancient proclamations for taking the order of knighthood. If MR. NICHOLS, in addition to this, will show also wherein the knights of this equestrian quality differed from such persons as were distrained "ad se milites faciendos," he will solve a number of knotty difficulties in heraldic literature, and will enable the public generally to understand that there are many more chivalrous rights and privileges inherent in the subject than what is dreamt of in the philosophy either of the court at St. James's, or the college on St. Bennet's Hill.
TENYSON.—COLERIDGE.—EXTRACT FROM BAKER'S MSS. ON BARTH. DODYNGTON, AND WILLIAM JENKYN
The well-known lines in Tenyson's Locksley Hall,—
"This is truth the poet sings,
That a sorrow's crown of sorrow is, remembering happier things."
appear to be taken from Dante (Inferno, canto v. Verse 121.),—
"nessun maggior dolore,
Che ricordarsi del tempo felice
Nella miseria."
which is imitated by other writers, quoted by Mr. Cary. (Chaucer, Troilus and Creseide, iii. 1626. Marino, Adone, c. xiv., st. 100. Fortinguerra, Riciardetto, c. xi. st. 83.)
In Coleridge's second Lay Sermon (ed. 1839, p. 365.) the passage—
"What are you," (a philosopher was once asked), "in consequence of your admiration of these abstruse speculations?" He answered; "What I am, it does not become me to say; but what thousands are, who despise them, and even pride themselves on their ignorance, I see, and tremble."
is a quotation from Schiller (Werke, vol. i., p. 414. 1838)
"AN DIE MUSE.
"Was ich ohne dich wäre, ich weiss es nicht; aber mir
grauet,
Seh'ich, was ohne dich Hundert und Tausende sind."
In Appendix (B.) to Coleridge's first Lay Sermon (p. 276.), we read,—
"An age or nation may become free from certain prejudices, beliefs, and superstitious practices, in two ways. It may have really risen above them; or it may have fallen below them, and become too bad for their continuance."
Though not given as a quotation, this passage is no doubt borrowed from Baader, as quoted by Archdeacon Hare in a note to his Sermons on the Mission of the Comforter,—
"Nations, like individuals, may get free and rid of certain prejudices, beliefs, customs, abuses, &c., in two ways. They may really have risen above them, or they may have fallen below them and become too bad for them."
In a volume of tracts (Class mark Gg. 5. 27.) in St. John's College Library, Cambridge, is a copy of Nicolas Carr's edition of the Olynthiacs and Philippics of Demosthenes, (4to. London, Henry Denham 1571.). As Carr died before the work was published, his friends wrote a number of commemorative pieces in Greek and Latin, prose and verse, which are annexed to the volume. Amongst the rest, Barth. Dodyngton wrote a copy of Greek elegiacs, and a Latin prose epistle. On Dodyngton, Baker has written the following note:—
"Barthol. Dodyngtonus in Com. Middlesex. natus, admissus fuit Discipulus Coll. Jo. pro Fundatrice an. 1548.—Idem admissus Socius, Apr. 8, an. 1552.—Idem admissus Socius Senior, an. 1558.—Idem admissus Socius Major Coll. Trin. Oct. 29, an. 1580."
In the same volume is note on Cheke:—
"Joan. Cheke admissus Socius Coll. Jo. Cant., Mar. 26, an. 21. Henrici 8'vi."
Another tract in the same volume is "Exodus, &c., a Sermon Preach't Sept. 12, 1675. By occasion of the much lamented Death of that Learned and Reverend Minister of Christ, Dr. Lazarus Seaman."—By William Jenkyn. After Dr. Seaman's name Baker adds, "some time Master of Peter House." Of Jenkyn he says: "Gul. Jenkin Coll. Jo. admissus in Matriculam Academiæ (designatus Joannensis), Jul. 3, an. 1628."
St. John's College, Cambridge.
PARALLEL PASSAGES
I believe the following have not been hitherto noticed in "NOTES AND QUERIES."
"Nec mirum, quod divina natura dedit agros, ars
humana ædidicavit urbes."—Varro, R. R. iii. 1.
"God made the country and man made the town,
What