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5 Argyle Park Terrace, (Edinburgh).—Gives the results of his investigations into Captain Ward.

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Transcript

5 Argyle Park Terrace

My dear Father,

Many thanks to you & Alice for your ballad-collecting labours. You seem to have found a perfect mine of wealth. Yesterday afternoon, being very wet, I devoted to trying to learn who Captain Ward was. I went over the Calendar of State Papers, Howell’s State Trials, & several other mighty works, but all in vain. Pirates there were in abundance, & ship despatched against them, & dozens of Wards, & Captains in their number—Captain Luke & Capt. Caesar Ward, both in the closing years of Elizabeth’s reign. At last I had recourse to Lowndes & other books on bibliography, & there I did learn that Andrew Barker wrote The Adventures of Captains Warde and Danseker, the famous Pyrates (Lond. 1609), on which Daborne based his tragedy The Christian turned Turke (Lond. 1612). Watt gives Wanseker for Danseker in his title of Barker’s book, as does Allibone; but they all agree in Danseker in the tragedy. I am writing without my notes, which I stupidly left behind me at the Philosophical Institute, but I am certain of the names & dates: Andrew Barker (1609) & Daborne (1612). So Ward I imagine flourished about 1608. Danseker looks like Danziger, ‘a native of Danzig’, but neither of him could I find anything. Who was Wake? There was a Sir Isaac Wake, an ambassador, but he could hardly be the man. Possi-bly he is due solely to exigencies of rhyme, Drake-Wake, like namby-pamby. And Lord Henerỳ? Is he Lord Howard of Effingham? I forgot to look up his Christian name. Neither Barker nor Daborne are in the Advocates. Perhaps you could get somebody at Cambridge to look them up.

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Sent to Aldis Wright with Add. MS b. 74/8/1. The letter may be incomplete, as there is no concluding greeting or signature.

Beccles.—Cowell has replied to his query about the word ‘lian’. Discusses the etymology of the word ‘spinnage’, popularly used to refer to rickets. Relates Mr Gillett’s theory about the miraculous draught of fishes (Luke v).

(Sent by Aldis Wright to Robert H. Groome and returned with 8/1.)

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Transcript

Beccles. Novr 7. 1877.

My dear Sir—

Many thanks for your kindness in enquiring of Professor Cowell as to the word “lian”—his reply so far as it goes confirms the opinion I had always entertained regarding “Venta”.

As to the popular use of the word “Spinnage”. A medical man is often told by a poor woman when he enters her cottage that she fears her child has got the “Spinnage”—upon examination he finds the child suffering from “Rickets” and his attention is particularly directed by the mother to a cross-like depression depression at the pit of the stomach occasioned by a sinking in of the crusiform† cartilage of the sternum towards the spine; the child has at the same time the ribs flattened laterally and the breast bone prominent; what is commonly called pigeon breasted: the spine is also more or less curved and he presents all the characters of Scrophula. As to the ety-mology of the word. “Rickets” is no doubt derived from “Ράχις—the spine”. Analogy would therefore lead me to believe that we must look for “Spinnage” in the latin “Spina” possibly “Spinam agens” or “Spine ache” may have originated the word but this is only my own idea and therefore not worth much. If spelt phonetically the correct orthography would be “Spinnage”. Has your attention ever been called to the words used by Our Ld to Simon in the 5th chapter of Luke as to the casting the nets into the sea previous to the miraculous draught of fishes? Mr Gillett has suggested an ingenious theory to account for Simon’s request to Our Saviour “Depart from me” viz—that Our Ld had requested him to cast “τα δίκτυα” into the sea; and that he re-plied they had toiled all night and taken nothing nevertheless at his request he would cast in “το δίκτυον” and when he saw the result in the miraculous draught of fishes he was so shocked at the grievous sin which he had committed in not having sufficient faith entirely to fulfil his Lord’s command; that upon recognising his divinity instead of saying “My Lord and My God” he said “Depart from me”.—

Do not trouble yourself to answer this; as I shall conclude if I hear nothing that you consider the observation of no value.—

Believe me
Very truly yours,
W. E. Crowfoot

Wm Aldis Wright. Esqr.

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Black-edged paper. Aldis Wright has written at the head, ‘Please return’.

{1} Probable reading, but the first letter is unclear.

† Sic.

Monk Soham Rectory, Wickham Market, Suffolk.—Returns Crowfoot’s letter, and comments on it. Is planning to print an old ballad, which he heard recited by a local labourer. Encloses a related letter from Frank. Has received some poems from FitzGerald.

(With an envelope.)

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Transcript

Monk Soham Rectory, Wickham Market, Suffolk
Nov. 14th 1877.

My dear Wright

Many thanks for sending me Crowfoots interesting letter {1}, which I return herewith.

I am afraid the “spinam agens” or “spine-ache” will not hold water; since I suppose that the word is formed from its primal nouns in “-agium” {2}, like so many of our Latinized Words.

But the analogy between it and Rickets is curious and possibly the solution.

Rickets commonly leave some malformation, especially humptiness, so that the Somersetshire word “Spinnick” is quite in keeping.

I am always interested with such hints as that about nets and net; but I dare not put too much weight upon them.

I think that the cry of Simon Peter has a deeper feeling than the mere distinction, which is drawn between a part, and a perfect, fulfilment of the command.

Yet I would not say this to my dear old friend; since every tentacle, which lays hold on a reverent mind has its great value—especially for him.

And now I want your help, si licet, on another point.

I have unearthed, as I believe, a veritable old ballad, taken down last week from the mouth of the reciter, an old labourer of this parish.

It will appear, most likely, in Suffolk N. and Q, and so it was sent to Frank, at Edinburgh, who is, as you may remember, Mr Editor. I told him my views, and he has tried to verify them; and now wants more light, as you will see by his letter {3}.

But has the Ballad been ever in print? Much, as regards the interest of re-printing it, turns on this?

It has the veritable go of an old Ballad about it.

Can you give any light, or find up some Ballad-monger who can?

Only if it is a find, we must have the first prize in our Suffolk N. and Q.

I have got several more songs from our Bard {4}; one very pretty, but for the most part of an ordinary type—of the Billy Taylor type {5} rather.

You will greatly oblige us by any kind help in the matter.

Yours sincerely
Robert H. Groome

But “O the Hobby-horse”. Will you be willing to write a note concerning “Spinnage” for us? If so, pray do.

[Direction on envelope:] W. Aldis Wright Esq: | Trinity College | Cambridge [Redirected to:] Jerusalem Chamber | Westminster | London

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The envelope was postmarked at Cambridge on 15 Nov. 1877, and at London, E.C., on the same day. Two postage stamps have been peeled off.

{1} Add. MS b. 74/8/2.

{2} Closing inverted commas supplied.

{3} FitzGerald.

{4} Add. MS b. 74/8/3.

{5} Perhaps a reference to the translations of William Taylor of Norwich (1765-1836).