S.N.

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QUERIES.

P. MATHIEU’S LIFE OF SEJANUS.

In a letter from Southey to his friend Bedford, dated Nov. 11, 1821 (Life and Correspondence, vol. v. p. 99.), he desires him to inform Gifford that

“In a volume of tracts at Lowther, of Charles I.’s time, I found a life of Sejanus by P.M., by which initials some hand, apparently as old as the book, had written Philip Massinger.  I did not read the tract, being too keenly in pursuit of other game; but I believe it had a covert aim at Buckingham.  I have not his Massinger, and, therefore, do not know whether he is aware that this was ever ascribed to that author; if he is not, he will be interested in the circumstance, and may think it worthy of further inquiry.”

As others may be led by this hint to enter on such an inquiry, I would suggest that it may save much trouble if they first satisfy themselves that the Life of Sejanus by P. Mathieu may not have been the tract which fell in Southey’s way.  It is to be found in a volume entitled

“Unhappy Prosperity, expressed in the History of AElius Selanus and Philippa the Catanian, with observations upon the fall of Sejanus.  Lastly, Certain Considerations upon the life and Services of Monsieur Villeroy, translated out of the original [French] by S’r T. H.[awkins], second edition, 12’o.  London, 1639.”

This was just eleven years after Buckingham met his fate at the hands of Felton.  How long the interval between the first and this, the second edition, may have been, I cannot tell.  Nor do I know enough of the politics of the time to determine whether anything can be inferred from the fact that the translation is dedicated to William Earl of Salisbury, or to warrant me in saying that these illustrations of the fate of royal favourites may have been brought before the English public with any view to the case of George Villiers.  A passage, however, in Mathieu’s dedication of the original “to the king,” seems to render it not improbable, certainly not inapplicable: 

“You (Sir) shall therein [in this history] behold, that a prince ought to be very carefull to conserve his authority entire.  Great ones [court favourites] here may learne, it is not good to play with the generous {216} Lyon though he suffer it, and that favours are precipices for such as abuse them.”

Having referred to this work of Mathieu’s, I shall feel obliged to any of your correspondents who will favour me with a notice of it, or of the author.

Balliolensis.

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THE ANTIQUITY OF SMOKING.

I feel much interested in the Query of your correspondent Z.A.Z. (Vol. ii., p. 41.) I had a “Query” something similar, with a “Note” on it, lying by me for some time, which I send you as they stand.—­Was not smoking in use in England and other countries before the introduction of tobacco?  Whitaker says, a few days after the tower of Kirkstall Abbey fell, 1779, he