Geffrey Whitney's Emblem book
lyra
Thanks, Art, for discovering
this interesting work...
I am always interested in anything
connected to the Whitneys,
of Whitney-on-Wye,
ever since finding that
Eleanor Bull
was of the family,
and also
Catherine Carey (daughter
of the Lord Chamberlain, Hunsdon)
and wife of
the Admiral Howard.
Two links to the plays of
Marlowe/Shakespeare when first
performed, there, and two
to Deptford (Marlowe "murder").
I found some interesting pages
at Google...
1.
(quote)
http://www.whitneygen.org/archives/extracts/phoenix/pix-xv.html
The Whitney Family of Connecticut
by Stephen Whitney Phoenix
[p. ix]
THE WHITNEYS OF ENGLAND.1
Whitney, as a surname, owes its origin to the ancient, but obscure,
parish of Whitney,2 on the western confines of Herefordshire, near the
border of Wales. It lies in the valley of the river Wye, which is here
a mountain-torrent, subject to sudden and destructive freshets. This
circumstance affords a probable explanation of its name--Whitney being
perhaps derived from the Anglo-Saxon words hwit, white, and ey,
water,3 and so literally meaning white water.
http://www.whitneygen.org/archives/extracts/phoenix/pix-xv.html
1 This sketch is mainly a reprint from Rev. Henry Green's
Introductory Dissertation to his reproduction of Geffrey Whitney's
Choice of Emblemes, London, 1866, with additions from a pamphlet on
The first known use of Whitney as a surname, published at Boston,
Mass., in 1875, by Henry Austin Whitney, Esq.
Of the Cheshire branch was he who has done most--if we except
an American, Eli Whitney, inventor or the cotton-gin--
to make the name of the family known.
We refer to Geffrey Whitney, author of A Choice of Emblemes.
He was born about 1548, probably near the family manor-house at
Coole Pilate, was educated in the grammar-school at Audlem in the
same county, spent several years of diligent study at Magdalen
College, Cambridge (though he does not appear to have taken a degree),
was under-bailiff1 of Great Yarmouth, in Norfolk, from 1580 to 1586,
and perhaps earlier, and then passed over
(probably in the service of his patron and friend, the Earl of
Leicester)
into Holland, where on the 4th of May 1586 he penned the preface to
his Choice of Emblemes, which was printed in the same year at Leyden.2
He is credited with three other works, but upon this one rests his
fame. It consists of two hundred and forty-seven engraved devices,
nearly all of which were taken from earlier emblematists; and to each
of these is appended an original stanza embodying a sentiment, a moral
maxim, or a rule of action.
After being neglected and forgotten for nearly three centuries, it
was reproduced in fac-simile at London in 1866, with an introductory
dissertation, essays literary and biographical, and elaborate
explanatory notes by the Rev. Henry Green.
Geffrey
Whitney.
He perhaps owed his taste for poetry to the example of
his eldest sister, Isabella Whitney, who published in 1573
a book of mediocre verse, entitled
"A sweet Nosgay, or pleasant Posye: contayning a hundred and ten
Phylosophicall Flowers."
This work has become excessively rare;
indeed, Mr. Green conjectured that but one copy of it has survived.
To her also is attributed by Sir Egerton Brydges3 the following:
The copy of a letter lately written in meeter by a yonge Gentilwoman
to her vnconstant Lover; with an admomition to al yong Gentilwomen,
and to all other Mayds in general to beware of mennes flattery. By Is.
W. Newly joyned to a Love letter sent by a Bachelor (a most faithfull
Lover) to an unconstant and faithless Mayden. Impr. at London by Rd.
Jhones, dwelling in the upper end of Fleet-lane, at the signe of the
Spred Egle.
http://www.whitneygen.org/archives/extracts/phoenix/pix-xv.html
lyra
and his book...
(1586)
I like the name
"Coole Pilate",
and the acrostic!
2.
(quote)
All of these families can be traced to the common
cradle of the race on the banks of the Wye.
http://www.whitneygen.org/archives/extracts/melville/vii.html
Collateral Whitney Families 197
The most important was that established, as early
as the reign of Richard II., at the manor of
"Coole
Pilate," in the parish of Acton, near Nantwich, in the
county of Cheshire. From it came
Geoffrey Whit-
ney, a poet of no mean ability, author of "A Choice
of Emblemes," and other works.
He was born about
1548, probably in the family manor-house; was edu-
cated in the grammar-school at Audlem in the same
county, studied several years at Magdalen College,
Cambridge; was under-bailiff of Great Yarmouth, in
Norfolk, from 1580 to 1585, and then passed over
(probably in the service of his patron and friend, the
Earl of Leicester)
to Holland, where he studied at the
University of Leyden and published his
"Choice of
Emblemes" in 1586.
Though credited with three other
works, this was his masterpiece. It consists of two
hundred and forty-seven engraved devices, to each
of which is appended an original stanza embodying
a sentiment, a moral maxim, or a rule of action.
It was highly regarded by his contemporaries,
Peter Colvius of Bruges singing:
So shall this book on happy pinions rise
Through lips of learned men its course to fly;
My augury such:--high fame herself outvies,
That never Whitney's praise may fade and die.
And John Allen of Baliol, Oxford, responding :
Geffry thy name subscribed with thy penn,
Extractinge honour from the noblest men;
For by thy Emblems thou dost moralize
Fram'd Poems, fitted for all human eyes.
Reflectinge on the naturall state of man,
Enviinge none, assistinge whome he cann,
Yealdinge such frutfull rarityes that all
Which Whitney knew may wittely him call
Honor'd of men; what can theare more be said
In givinge due, wheare due ought to be paid.
Whearfore like Momus 'gainst him do not cry,
Though Whitney 's dead His name shall never dye!
After his death, it was lost sight of and almost for-
gotten for nearly three centuries until reproduced in
facsimile at London in 1866, with an elaborate in-
troductory dissertation and explanatory notes by the
Rev. Henry Green, M. A.1
1 The above poetical extracts are taken from Mr. Green's work.
It
will be noted that the second is an incomplete acrostic, GEFFREY WHI.
He died in 1601, leaving the following will, proved
in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury at London :
THE WILL OF GEFFREY WHITNEY, gentleman.
Dated September 11, 1600. Proved May 8, 1601.
Woodhall fol. 33.
http://www.whitneygen.org/archives/extracts/melville/vii.html
lyra
about Geffrey Whitney,
I found a page
which in fact mentions the
other "Whitney", now called
"Witney", near Oxford.
I liked this page, quaint
and interesting,
so here are some excerpts,
about
the Oxford/de Veres,
the Earls of Derby,
Beaumonts,
a golden dragon,
the Rollright Stones,
a King who never was,
knights, etc.
3.
(quote)
2.This Isis, when it hath passed a small part of Wilshire,
no sooner is entred into Oxfordshire but, presently being
kept in and restrained with Rodcot bridge, passeth by Bablac,
where Sir Richard Vere that most puissant Earle of Oxford,
Marquese of Dublin and Duke of Ireland, who as he stood
in most high favour and authority with King Richard the Second,
so he was as much envied of the Nobles, taught us (as one said)
that no power is alwaies powerfull. Who being disconfited in a
skirmish by the Nobles and constrained to take the river and
swim over, found the Catastrophe of his fortune and subversion
of his State. For immediately he fled his country and died
distressed in exile.
Of whom the Poet in his Mariage of Tame and Isis made these verses:
Heere Vere, well knowen by badge of savage Boore,
While man-hood shames to yeeld, yet strives againe
Stout hart may not, restrained by wisdomes lore.
Whiles shield resounds by doubled blowes a-maine,
And helmet rings about his eares, is faine
The streame to take. The river, glad therefore,
His guest tooke safe, and set him safe on shore.
3. Isis, from thence over flowing many times the flat and low
grounds,
is first encreased with the brooke Windrush, which springing out
of Cottswold, hath standing upon the banke-side Burford, in the
Saxon tongue Beorford, where Cuthred King of the West-Saxons
at that time by curtesie of the Mercians, when he could endure
no longer the most grievous exactions of Aethelbald the Mercian,
who began to oppresse his people and sucke their bloud,
came into the field against him and put him to flight,
having won his Banner wherein, by report of authors,
there was a golden dragon depainted.
Then passeth it by Minster Lovell, the habitation in times past
of the great Barons Lovels of Tichmerch, who, being descended
from Lupellus a Noble man of Normandy, flourished for many ages,
and augmented their estate by rich mariages with the daughters
and heires of Tichmerch, with the heires of the Lords Holland,
D' Eyncourt, and the Viconts Beaumont.
But their line expired in Frauncis Vicount Lovell,
Lord Chamberlaine to King Richard the Third
(attainted by King Henry the Seventh, and slaine
in the battaile at Stoke in the quarrell of Lambert
that counterfeit Prince), whose sister Fridiswid was
Grandmother to Henry the first Lord Norris.
Hence Windrush, holding on his course, watereth
Whitney an ancient towne, and before the Normans daies
belonging to the Bishops of Winchester:
to which adjoineth Coges, the chiefe place of the Barony of Arsic,
the lords whereof, branched out of the family
of the Earles of Oxford, are utterly extinguished many yeeres agoe.
Neere unto this, the Forrest of Witchwood beareth a great breadth
and in time past spred farre wider. For King Richard the Third
disforested the great territory of Witchwood betweene Woodstocke
and Brightstow, which Edward the Fourth made to be a forrest,
as John Rosse of Warwick witnesseth.
Isis, having received Windrush, passeth downe to Einsham,
in the Saxon tongue Eignesham, a Manour in times past of the Kings,
seated among most pleasant Meadowes, which Cuthwulfe the Saxon
was the first that tooke from the Britains, whom he had
heereabout vanquished, and long after Aethelmar, a Noble man,
beautified it with an Abby.
The which Aethelred King of England in the yeere of
salvation 1005 confirmed to the Benedictine Monkes,
and in his confirmation signed the priviledge of the liberty thereof
(I speake out of the very originall grant as it was written)
with the signe of the sacred Crosse, but now is turned into
a private dwelling house and acknowledgeth the Earle of Derby
Lord thereof.
Beneath this Evenlode, a litle river arising likewise out
of Cotteswald, speedeth him into Isis, which riveret in
the very border of the Shire passeth by an ancient monument
standing not far from his banke, to wit,
certaine huge stones placed in a round circle
(the common people usually call them Rolle-rich stones,
and dreameth that they were sometimes men,
by a wonderfull Metamorphosis turned into hard stones).
The draught of them, such as it is, portraied long since,
heere I represent unto your view. For without all forme and shape they
be, unaequal, and by long continuance of time much impaired.
The highest of them all, which without the circle
looketh into the earth, they use to call The King,
because he should have beene King of England (forsooth)
if he had once seene Long Compton, a little towne so called
lying beneath, and which a man, if he go some few pases forward may
see.
Other five standing at the other side, touching as it were one
another,
they imagine to have beene Knights mounted on horsebacke,
and the rest the army. But lo the foresaid portraiture.
Art Neuendorffer
> ...Geffrey Whitney's Emblem book, 1586
>
> Thanks, Art, for discovering
> this interesting work...
And thank you lyra.
A Never writer to an Ever reader,
Art
Art Neuendorffer
> I found a page which in fact mentions the other
> "Whitney", now called "Witney", near Oxford.
>
> I liked this page, quaint and interesting,
>
> so here are some excerpts,
>
> about the Oxford/de Veres,
> the Earls of Derby, Beaumonts,
> a King who never was, knights, etc.
<<Here was a true kingly line of the Elven Race, and it was for this
reason that OBERON (a variant of AUBREY/Albrey, the historical Elf King)
became Shakespeare's King of the Fairies. Such was the translatory
nature of all Rosicrucian symbology, whether portrayed in stories,
artwork, watermarks or the Tarot. Some time earlier, in 1408, Edward
de Vere's ancestor, Richard (Lord Chamberlain and 11th Earl of Oxford),
had been invested as a Knight of the Garter by King Henry IV at Windsor
Castle. Also invested at the same time was King Sigismund of HUNGARY,
who had revived the ancient Egyptian Order of the DRAGON - within which
Richard de Vere held the hereditary distinction of Lord DRAGONIS.>> -
-- Sir Laurence Gardner Nexus Magazine, Volume 6, Number 5
<<The historic role of the 11th Earl of Oxford at Agincourt was
elaborated in _The Famous Victories of Henry the fifth_(1598)
Oxford is the only English nobleman in the play!>> - Ogburn
KING LEAR Act 1, Scene 2
EDMUND: My father compounded with my mother under the
DRAGON'S TAIL; and my nativity was under URSA MAJOR;
--------------------------------------------------------------
> http://216.239.59.104/search?q=cache:FDF_VV2EYdwJ:eee.uci.edu/~papyri/cambrit/gloceng.html+geffrey+whitney+wye&hl=en
>
> 2.This Isis, when it hath passed a small part of Wilshire,
> no sooner is entred into Oxfordshire but, presently being
> kept in and restrained with Rodcot bridge, passeth by Bablac,
> where Sir Richard Vere that most puissant Earle of Oxford,
> Marquese of Dublin and Duke of Ireland, who as he stood
> in most high favour and authority with King Richard the Second,
> skirmish by the Nobles and constrained to take the river and
> swim over, found the Catastrophe of his fortune and subversion
> of his State. For immediately he fled his country
> and died distressed in exile.
Order of the Garter #73 (inv 1384)
http://www.heraldica.org/topics/orders/garterlist.htm
Robert (Vere), 9th Earl of Oxford & Duke of Ireland.
Once the favourite of Richard II,
he died in exile & poverty at LOUVAIN.
(He was killed by a boar whilst hunting, & left no children.)
NO mention of Richard Véer [11th] earle of Oxenford in _Henry V_
nor of Robert Véer [9th] earle of Oxenford in _Richard II_
nor of John Véer [7th] earle of Oxenford in _Edward III_
nor of Robert Véer [3rd] earle of Oxenford in _John_
<<Several years after Robert [9th Earl of Oxford was] killed
*by a BOAR during a hunt* in *Brabant* in 1392, Holinshed tells
us that "King Richard caused his corpse, being embalmed, to be
conveyed into England, and so to the priory of Colnie in Essex,
appointing him to be laid in a coffin of cypress,>>
-------------------------------------------------------
[King Richard the Second (Quarto) 2.1]
This happy breede of men, this little world,
This precious stone set in the siluer sea,
Which serues it in the office of a WALL,
Or as [MOATE] defensiue to a house,
Against the ENUIE of lesse happier lands.
This blessed plot, this earth, this realme, this England,
6th Earl of RUTLANd paid Richard Burbage & Mr. Shakespeare
F(orty) F(our) shillings each for impreso work. (1613).
F(RAN)cis F(LUT)e, bello(WS MENDER)
fRANcis fLUTe [a.k.a., RUTLANd] was the Q1 "WALL":
WALL. That I, one Flute (by name) present a WALL
----------------------------------------------------
Sonnet 110
Alas, 'tis TRUE I have gone here and there
And made myself A MOTLEY to the view,
Gored mine own thoughts, sold cheap what is most dear,
Made old offences of affections new;
Most TRUE it is that I have look'd on TRUTH
Askance and STRANGEly: but, by all above,
These blenches gave my heart another youth,
And WORSE essays proved thee my best of love.
Now all is done, have what shall have no end:
[M]ine appetite I NEVER MORE will grind
[O]n newer proof, to try an older friend,
[A] god in love, to whom I am confined.
[T]hen give me welcome, next my heaven the best,
[E]ven to thy pure and most most loving breast.
"lyra" <mountai...@RockAthens.com> wrote
>
> Heere Vere, well knowen by badge of savage Boore,
> While man-hood shames to yeeld, yet strives againe
> Stout hart may not, restrained by wisdomes lore.
> Whiles shield resounds by doubled blowes a-maine,
> And helmet rings about his eares, is faine
> The streame to take. The river, glad therefore,
> His guest tooke safe, and set him safe on shore.
BUR-BAGE means BOAR-BADGE!
CUTHE-BIRTH is a shibboleth for FREEMASON!
-----------------------------------------------------------------
<<When the Globe Theatre was opened in 1599 there were
7 shareholders in "The Lord Chamberlain's Men".
CUTHBERT & Richard BURBAGE
provided most of the capital for the new theatre
& controlled a half interest in the company.>>
1583 Lessor of *BLACKFRIARS* Theatre: Henry Evans => Edward de Vere
1596 Lessor of *BLACKFRIARS* Theatre: CUTHBERT BURBAGE
1620 Lessor of *BLACKFRIARS* Theatre: John Milton Sr.
------------------------------------------------------------------
THE RAIGNE OF
KING EDVVARD the third:
the Citie of London.
----------------------------------------------------------
Art Neuendorffer
NO mention of Richard Véer [11th] earle of Oxenford in _Henry V_
nor of Robert Véer [9th] earle of Oxenford in _Richard II_
nor of John Véer [7th] earle of Oxenford in _Edward III_
nor of Robert Véer [3rd] earle of Oxenford in _John_
LU-CRE-CE
OF-XIV-XV
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
John, 7th Earl (1313-1360), a distinguished soldier, fighting
at Crecy & 'Poitiers and in all Edward III.'s wars in his time.
____|_____________________________
| ________________________________ |
|__________________________Thomas 8th Earl of Ox
| __________________________(1336-1371; a1360)
*Aubrey de Vere 10th Earl of Oxford*____ |
(1339-23 APR 1400; a1392)___________ |
| ______________________Robert 9th Earl of Ox
|________________________(1362-1392; a1371)
|
Richard de Vere 11th Earl of Oxford
Lord Draconis (1385-1417; a1400)
held a command at Agincourt
_____|_______________________________
|____________________________________|
*John 12 Earl of Oxford*__________________ |
(1408-1461; a1417)______________________ |
___________|____________________________Sir Robert de Vere
|___________|______________|_______________ |
|_____*Awbreie Véer*_______|_______________ |
|_________________________ |_______________ |
*John 13 Earl of Oxford* Sir George de Vere John de Vere
(1442-1513; a1462) ___________ |_______________ |
_________________________ |_______________ |
__________________ John XIV Earl of Ox ______- |
_________________ (1499-1526; a1513) John XV Earl of Ox
_________________________________ (d.1539; a1526)
________ _______________________________ |
________ |_______________________________ |
Sir Geoffrey Vere_________________John 16th Earl of Ox
__ _______|________ ________________(c.1516-1562; a1540)
__ |________________|__________________ |
Francis Vere *HORATIO* Vere Edward 17 Earl of Ox
(1560--1609) ____ (1565--1635) ____ (1550-1604; a1562)
_____________________ |
_________________[4 gen.] |
_____________________ | _______ George Vertue patron
________ Countess of Oxford ---- Edward Harley
_____________________ 2nd Earl of Oxford
http://www.geocities.com/litpageplus/shakemoul_rape.html
(Pleasing the World) thy Praises cloth containe;
Whose Venus, and whose Lucrece (SWEET, and chast)
Thy name in Fame's immortall Booke have plac't.
Well may the Body die, but Fame die nEVER.
Observe that the epithet for Shakespeare is always 'SWEET.'
--------------------------------------------------------------
KING HENRY VI SWEET OXFORD, and my loving Montague,
QUEEN MARGARET: SWEET OXFORD, thanks.
Art Neuendorffer
lyra
here is some of the Latin...
2. Isis cum Wiltonienses perstrinxerit, statim atque Oxonienses adit
Rodcottano ponte coercitus Bablac praeterfluit, ubi Robertus Verus
ille potentissimus Oxoniae comes, Dubiniae marchio et dux Hiberniae,
qui in summa fuit potentia apud regem Richardum Secendum, ita summa
invidia inter proceres, nullam potentiam, ut inquit ille, potentem
esse nos docuit. Ibi enim levi praelio a proceribus devictus in flumen
se coniicere et tranare coactus suae fortunae catastrophen exhibuit.
Solum enim statim vertit et extorris obiit.
De quo in Connubio Tamisis et Isis:
Hic Verus notissimus apro
Dum dare terga negat virtus, et tendere contra
Non sinit invictae rectrix prudentia mentis,
Undique dum resonat repetitis ictibus umbo,
Tinnituque strepit circum sua tempora cassis,
Se dedit in fluvium. Fluvius laetatus et illo
Hospite suscepit salvum, salvumque remisit.
http://eee.uci.edu/~papyri/cambrit/gloclat.html#oxon1
..............................................................................
lyra
> ...Geffrey Whitney's Emblem book, 1586
>
> Thanks, Art, for discovering
> this interesting work...
>
> I am always interested in anything
> connected to the Whitneys,
> of Whitney-on-Wye,
To which I would add,
the Lord of Whitney
married the daughter (?)
of Thomas Lucy of Charlecote
(Shakespeare "sheep-stealing" episode)
the Whitneys married the Herberts
(same family that had Earl of Pembroke
title/Wilton house)
so, *another* link to Shakespeare and Marlowe!
and, of course,
Blanche Parry, the Queen's confidante,
had close Whitney family links,
and left a large legacy
to Eleanor Bull nee Whitney.
The Whitneys certainly keep on
appearing!
>
> ever since finding that
>
> Eleanor Bull
>
> was of the family,
>
> and also
>
> Catherine Carey (daughter
>
> of the Lord Chamberlain, Hunsdon)
>
>
> and wife of
>
> the Admiral Howard.
>
> Two links to the plays of
> Marlowe/Shakespeare when first
> performed, there, and two
> to Deptford (Marlowe "murder").
.........................................................
Art Neuendorffer
>
> > ...Geffrey Whitney's Emblem book, 1586
> >
> > Thanks, Art, for discovering
> > this interesting work...
> >
> > I am always interested in anything
> > connected to the Whitneys,
> > of Whitney-on-Wye,
> To which I would add,
>
> the Lord of Whitney
> married the daughter (?)
> of Thomas Lucy of Charlecote
> (Shakespeare "sheep-stealing" episode)
>
> the Whitneys married the Herberts
> (same family that had Earl of Pembroke
> title/Wilton house)
>
> so, *another* link to Shakespeare and Marlowe!
>
> and, of course,
> Blanche Parry, the Queen's confidante,
> had close Whitney family links,
> and left a large legacy
> to Eleanor Bull nee Whitney.
>
> The Whitneys certainly keep on
> appearing!
I'll have a Whitney-on-Wye to go, hold the Mayo.
Art
lyra
> ...more about Geffrey
> and his book...
>
> (1586)
Those who would like to
know more about the Emblem book,
and its relationship to Shakespeare,
have 61 results to read
from Google Groups search...
this is one of them...
(quote)
Results 1 - 10 of about 61 for whitney emblem shakespeare
in
"sacred to Phoebus"
Art Neuendorffer wrote:
Geoffrey Whitney's *Choice of Emblems* (1586)
included a version
of Alciato's emblem: <http://www.mun.ca/alciato/whit/w126.html>
Insignia poetarum The Martiall Captaines ofte,
do marche into the fielde, With Egles,
or with Griphins fierce, or Dragons, in theire shielde.
But Phoebus sacred birde, let Poettes moste commende.
Who, as it were by skill devine, with songe forshowes his ende.
nd as his tune delightes: for rarenes of the same.
So they with sweetenes of theire verse, shoulde winne a lasting name.
And as his colour white: Sincerenes doth declare.
So Poettes must bee cleane, and pure, and must of crime beware.
For which respectes the Swanne, should in theire Ensigne stande.
No forren fowle, and once suppos'de kinge of LIGURIA Lande.
Whitney's poem suggests how the relative muteness of swan makes them
appropriate symbols of poets. The actual noises produced by Mute Swans
are not particularly "sweet," but Whitney was no more speaking
ornithologically than Jonson was.
Terry Ross wrote:
<<For more on the traditional association of swans and poets,
see Alciato's emblem book, a version of which is online.
Here is the emblem with an English translation:
<http://www.mun.ca/alciato/e184.html>
The English version reads as follows:
The insignia of the poets
There are some who bear family shields with the bird of Jupiter
[i.e., the eagle]; there some whose signs bear a serpent or a lion.
But let these dreadful creatures flee the tablets of the poets,
and let the graceful swan sustain the learned family tree.
The swan is sacred to Phoebus and brought up in our region:
once a king, it has kept its ancient titles until now.
......................................................................
lyra
> lyra wrote in message news:<4ec4c9f5.0406...@posting.google.com>...
>
> > ...Geffrey Whitney's Emblem book, 1586
> >
> > Thanks, Art, for discovering
> > this interesting work...
> >
> > I am always interested in anything
> > connected to the Whitneys,
> > of Whitney-on-Wye,
>
>
>
> To which I would add,
>
> the Lord of Whitney
> married the daughter (?)
> of Thomas Lucy of Charlecote
> (Shakespeare "sheep-stealing" episode)
I think it was deer stealing...
In fact I wrote on this before...
(quote)
In the Church of St. Giles, Cripplegate, London,
(where are the graves of Milton and John Fox)
in the wall, near the clock, is the massive monument,
to Constance Whitney,
a grand-daughter of Sir Thomas Lucy, of Charlecote,
who prosecuted Shakespeare for poaching.
It represents a woman rising from her coffin.
A legend says: After the young lady ws buried,
the verger descended into her vault, opened the coffin,
and began to cut off the finger of the maiden
on which a precious ring had been left.
On the knife entering the flesh she rose, and it ws found that
Miss Whitney had been interred alive, a deep trance having been taken
for death. But it was probably intended to be emblematic of the
Resurrection.
The inscription is as follows:
TO THE MEMORIE of Constance Whitney,
eldest daughter to Sr. Robert Whitney, of Whitney,
the proper possession of him and his ancestors, in Herefordshire for
above 500 yeeres past.
Her mother was the fowrth daughter of Sir Thomas Lucy of Charlecote,
in Warwickshire, by Constance Kingsmel, daughter and heyre
of Richard Kingsmel, surveiour of the Court of Wardes,
this lady Lucy her grandmother, (etc.)
<http://66.102.11.104/search?q=cache:hZ73-s6i4A0J:www.whitneygen.org/archives/extracts/some.html+whitney+lucy+charlecote&hl=en&ie=UTF-8>
lyra
> ...more about Geffrey
> and his book...
>
> (1586)
>
> I like the name
> "Coole Pilate",
> and the acrostic!
There is a long bibliography of
the tradition and popularity
of Emblem books,
one of which has a Shakespeare connection
in the title...
(quote)
Green, Henry.
Shakespeare and the Emblem Writers: An Exposition of their
Similarities of Thought and Expression.
Preceded by a View of Emblem-Literature down to A.D. 1616
London: Truebner, 1870.
http://www.mun.ca/alciato/bibl2.html