dislike Dean Prior. They rely presumably on his keen eye for country beauties. But after all a man may have his home in London and learn much of England, and Herrick would not be the first who had most insight into rural life and beauty, after being in "populous city pent." And indeed is he one of the real nature poets? He knows and loves certain aspects of nature, more particularly fruits and flowers, bright colours and sweet smells. Even amongst these he is happiest when he can trace some likeness to human beauty. The famous "cherries ripe" grew on Julia's lips, not in any orchard. Above all poets he understands the picturesqueness of dress, and when after a catalogue of Julia's silks and laces in their "wild civility" he confesses that he dotes less on nature than on art, he probably speaks the truth. It is the same with country life; he has none of the deep respect for the peasant's healthy and thrifty life which lies at the bottom of Virgil and Horace and Wordsworth's work. He has plenty of antiquarian interest in their May-days and other merry makings, but little I think for their life as a whole; and his few praises of country life, with the notable exception of the beautiful "Lord, thou hast given me a cell," do not ring very true.

If I read Herrick's life in Devonshire rightly then, he is not the genial parson, moving light-heartedly among his people, drinking in the soft air of Devonshire, and pouring it out in spontaneous song, passing from his sermon to the may-pole, blending Paganism with Christianity, and ribaldry with religion, without sense of harm or incongruitywriting, in fact, the Hesperides on week days and the "Noble Numbers" on Sundays. on Sundays. Rather it was by the Cam and the Thames that he imbibed his inspiration, made love to his half-imaginary mistresses, and learnt

"How roses first grew red and lilies white."

In Devonshire he is a changed man, sobered partly by isolation, partly by clerical responsibility. He has, no doubt, his light-hearted and even wanton moods, and often writes poetry in the old vein. But he feels that the old lyrical effusiveness is going or gone, and finds his main occupation and comfort in writing sacred poetry. And indeed Herrick's sacred poetry is by no means contemptible. Of course there is much wretched stuff in the "Noble Numbers." Nobody is likely to care much for his metrical creeds and theological epigrams, and only a certain order of minds will admire the somewhat tawdry and sensuous poems on the Nativity,

Passion, and the like. But his two "Graces for Little Children," and the strange "Litany to the Holy Spirit," written perhaps in the sleeplessness from which Herrick seems to have suffered so much, are as fresh and quaint as anything he has written. The "Thanksgiving for his House mentioned above, is worth all the rest of his praises of country life put together, and in all his quaint fancies about roses and cowslips is there anything that can beat this, which Mr. Swinburne calls "a divinely beautiful triplet"?

"We see Him come and know Him ours,
Who with His sunshine and His showers,
Turns all the patient ground to flowers."

May we not at any rate acquit him of one charge? Many of his amatory poems are grossly animal, and there is something very revolting in the idea of this elderly bachelor clergyman in his lonely parsonage spinning out this coarse stuff about imaginary mistresses. He himself calls them

I see no reason to doubt the truth of these words in their natural meaning, which surely is that these poems were written in his youth, before he took orders. Why then did he publish them in 1648? The excuse, if it be an excuse, is simple and melancholy. He had been turned out of his profession and wanted money.

NOTES ON ROMAN DEVON.

BY R. N. WORTH, F. G.S.

(Abstract of Paper read at Plymouth, July, 1892.)

THE writer corrected an erroneous ascription in his Presidential Address upon Roman Devon. The funereal slab in Musgrave's Alley, there described and figured, was not, it had transpired, found in Exeter, but at Tarragona, in Spain. He also reported the occurrence of a large brass of Nero, at Newton Ferrers; and the discovery, by Mr. F. Haverfield, Christ Church, Oxford, that a tile in the Taunton Museum, from Hannaditches, bore the inscription "leg ii aug," which that gentleman held to prove that there must have been a military occupation at Seaton by the troops who baked it. Mr. Worth regarded the fact as very curious, in its bearing on the statement of Ptolemy touching the presence of the Second Augustan Legion at or near Exeter, but could not see it proved that Hannaditches-at any rate structurally-was, as he had already stated, "much if at all beyond a farm place." Men of the Second Legion might have been stationed there, and have made the tile, but there was no evidence even then of Hannaditches being more than an outpost. Mr. Haverfield had likewise been fortunate enough to find stamped on one of the ancient blocks of Cornish tin a head and lettering, presumably of fourthcentury date. This discovery, too, was most interesting; but Mr. Worth regretted his inability to see that it really carried them any further in the direction of Roman authority in the sister county than he had already indicated-" friendly intercourse for the purpose of trade rather than conquest or dominion."

ON THE CAUSES AFFECTING THE ORIGIN
OF PLYMOUTH.

BY TRELAWNEY SAUNDERS, F.R.G.S.

(Read at Plymouth, July, 1892.)

SAMUEL HIERON: A DEVONSHIRE VICAR IN THE REIGNS OF ELIZABETH AND JAMES I.

BY THE REV. S. G. HARRIS, M.A.

(Read at Plymouth, July, 1892.)

How far Samuel Hieron is generally known in this county, or among members of the Devonshire Association, I will not venture to guess; but the fact that his works have been published in several editions, in his lifetime and since his death, testifies that he was a man of some fame, and his works are well known to book collectors in this county. One member of this Association, at all events, to whom we are indebted for "A Few Sheaves of Devon Bibliography," published in our Transactions for 1889 and 1890-the Rev. John Ingle Dredge-has, I have reason to believe, been preparing some bibliographical notes on the numerous publications of Samuel Hieron; which will, I hope, appear in our Transactions, in an additional "Sheaf of Devon Bibliography."

Our county, though extensive, is not so large but that many members of the Association living at a distance from the place of his abode may possibly feel an interest in the subject of this paper, and, even if not disposed to read all, or any, of his voluminous works that have come down to us, may be glad for genealogical or other reasons to see brought together the names of representatives in the 16th and 17th centuries of some of our well-known Devonshire families, to whom, after the fashion of the period, Samuel Hieron was anxious to dedicate portions of his writings.

Samuel Hieron was Vicar of Modbury in this county-reckoned now to be about twelve miles from Plymouth, but then probably two or three more, owing to a circuitous route

through winding Devonshire lanes-in the latter part of the reign of Queen Elizabeth, and down to the year 1617 in the reign of James I. The year when he became Vicar, I have learnt, through the kindness of Arthur Burch, Esq., the Registrar of this Diocese, was 1599, and the present Vicar of Modbury informs me that at the time when the Parish Register of Modbury begins, viz., March 25th, 1601, Samuel Hieron was Vicar, and had at that time twelve children, eight sons and four daughters; that he was buried there on June 17th, 1617; but that his age is not mentioned-only the fact that he was "Vicker."

It is clear from his writings that he was a man of learning, and was wont to express himself with much strength of language on the subject of religious controversy, taking the line of thought and argument which, I suppose, many of the clergy of that period were likely to take; and he seems to have been well acquainted with the ladies and gentlemen of this county.

His father had been a schoolmaster and great friend of Mr. John Fox, author of the well-known Book of Martyrs, by whom he was persuaded to give up teaching and to enter the ministry. He laboured for many years at Epping, in Essex, where this son was born. How many other children the father left behind him, the editor of some of Samuel Hieron's works, the Rev. Robert Hill, in 1620, after Samuel's death, professed his ignorance; but stated his opinion that "this one was instead of and above many." "And as though" (in the quaint language of the period employed by this Mr. Robert Hill) "that good Elkanah would even from the cradle dedicate him to God, he called his name Samuel-that is, heard or appointed of God; and as if God Himself would assigne him for the sacrifice of his people, hee appointed he should be surnamed Hieron, that is, one fit for this spirituall sacrifice." "To the end he might prove a profitable teacher' (this Mr. Hill goes on to say), "he was first educated by his learned father, and from him conveyed to the King's Schoole (that is, Eton College) near Windsore, from whence hee was chosen to King's Colledge in Cambridge; where hee made such progresse in a few yeares, that at his first shewing of himself in that Colledge, hee preached with such approbation and applause, that to mee, who heard him often in his yong yeares, he seemed rather a Bachelor in Divinitie, than a Bachelor of Artes, and rather a Divine of fortie, than foure and twentie yeares age; yea, hee was so much admired, that hee became of such note, whilst he stayed in London, that