Cylchgronau Cymru

" Old Brecknock Chips." 64 FKIDAY, JULY 27th. NOTES. PETER BELL.—I have seen it stated in a " History of Wales " (whose, I do not now remember) that the original of the character of "Peter Bell, the Waggoner," was a drover, with whom Wordsworth, when on a tour in Wales, walked from Builth (I believe) to Hay. Can any of your readers say if this statement can be authenticated by reference to any Life of Wordsworth ? Brwynllys. SAMUEL BUTLER'S CONNECTION WITH BRECKNOCKSHIRE.—In Old England's Worthies, in a sketch of the life of Samuel Butler, the versatile author of Hudibras, I find it stated that Dr. Nash had a MS. in his possession belonging to the poet, " which had been purchased of some " of our poet's relations at the Hay in " Brecknockshire." Can any student of our county genealogy trace who Butler's relations at Hay were, and what was his connection with the county of Brecknock ? Historicus. THE WORKS OF SILURIST. The following notes refer to the various editions of the works of Henry Vaughan, the Breconshire Poet. Henry Vaughan died at Newton, Scethrog, on April '23rd, 1695, aged 73, and lies buried in Llansaintfread Churchyard. 1646.—Henry Vaughan published his first volume of Poems (love verses) under the title " Poems, with the Tenth Satyre of Juvenal Englished, by Henry Vaughan, gent. London, 1646." 1650 —Silex Scintillans (the Flint of the Heart— yielding sparks of fire). Religious poems. The second part was published in 1655. Some Latin lines " Emblema" were illustrated in this first edition by the engraved title-page, which showed a thunderbolt striking sparks from a flinty heart. Both " Emblema " and engraved title were omitted from the second edition in 1655. This contained not only all the poems published in 1651 under this title, but a second part, almost equal in extent to the former, and the whole preceded by a very interesting preface, full of just thoughts and pious sentiments. At the close of the work is a collection of religious pieces, entitled "Pious Thoughts and Ejaculations," and also a Pastoral Elegy on the death of his twin brother, Thomas Vaughan. 1651.—Olor Iscanus (The Swan of the Usk) con¬ tains the chief body of Silurist's secular poems. Its full title is : " Olor Iscanus. A Collection of some select Poems, and Translations. Formerly written by Mr Henry Vaughan, Silurist. Published by a Friend. London : Printed by P. "W. for Humphrey Moseley. 1651. Although not published till 1651, it is dedicated to Kildare, Lord Digby, and bears date Dec. 17, 1647. The volume, when complete, has a curious frontispiece, engraved by Robert Vaughan (query, a relation?), with the Swan of the Usk very conspicuous in the centre of it, and some Latin verses before it, giving in enigmatical language a slight sketch of the Author's life and opinions. 1652.—The Mount of Olives (Devotional prose pieces). This work is dedicated, Oct. 1st, 1651, to Sir Charles Egerton, Knight, to whom the vmter says : "I know, sir, ycu will be pleased to accept " of this poore Olive-leafe presented to you, so that " I shall not be driven to put forth my hand to take " in my Dove again." 1654.—Flores Solitudinis (Flowers of Solitude). This book contained translations of religious pieces made in the time of sickness. These are dedicated to the same Sir Charles Egerton, to whom his "Mount of Olives" was inscribed. Then followed " Hermetical Physic." 1678.—Thalia Rediviva (The Pastimes and Divers¬ ions of a Country Muse). This little duodecimo also contained some remains of his brother, Thomas Vaughan, who died 1665. Prof. Henry Morley, in his able work, The Library of English Literature, vol. ii., p. 288, says :—" Henry Vaughan became the " best of the religious poets who received an " impulse from the genius of George Her- " bert. Vaughan's place, indeed, is beside " Herbert, rather than below him." And again, "An obvious relation of thought be- " tween Henry Vaughan's Retreat, and Words- " worth's Ode on the Intimations of Immortal- " ity in Early Childhood makes it interesting " to know that Wordsworth possessed a copy " of Vaughan's Silex Scintillans, in which it " is contained." Thomas Vaughan wrote eleven small works on Chemistry, under the name of " Eugenius Philalethes." Thomas Vaughan's works include— 1650.—Anima magica abscondita, or a Discourse of the Universal Spirit of Nature, with the strange, abstruse, and miraculous ascent and descent. (London). 1650.—Authroposophia Theomagica, or a Dis¬ course of the Nature of Man, and his state after death, grounded on his Creator's proto-chemistry. By Thomas Vaughan (London). 1650.—Magica Adamica, orthe Antiquity of Magic, and the descent thereof from Adam downward, proved , together with a full discovery of the true Coelum terrse, or the Magician's Heavenly Chaos, and first matter of all things. By Thomas Vaughan. (London). 1653.—Euphrates, or the Waters of the East ; being a short discourse of that secret fountain, whose water flows from fire, and carries in it the beams of the sun and moon. By Thomas Vaughan. (London). The Editor. LADY HUNTINGDON'S COLLEGE IN BRECKNOCKSHIRE. Full particulars of this College in Brecknockshire, and in Cheshunt, Herts, will be found in a little pamphlet, and as I happen to have a copy in my possession I will quote title in full:—" 1820. Countess of Huntingdon's College, instituted, 1768, at Talgarth, South Wales; removed, 1792,