_Queen Elizabeth's Translation of Boethius_ (Vol. ii., p. 56.).--One of
JARLTZBERG'S inquiries is, "Has Queen Elizabeth's work (which she
executed during her captivity before she ascended the throne) been
printed?" Certainly not: if it had been, it would have been well known.
May we venture to anticipate an affirmative reply to another parallel
question--Does Queen Elizabeth's translation of _Boethius_ exist in
manuscript? But where did JARLTZBERG learn that it was "executed during
her captivity before she ascended the throne?" We know that she made
such a translation when she was sixty years of age, that is, in October
and November, 1593, (see Nichols's _Progresses, &c., of Queen
Elizabeth_, vol. iii. p. 564., and the _Gentleman's Magazine_ for
February last, p. 143.), and it is a very interesting proof of the
continuance of her learned studies at that advanced period of her life;
and, as the curious document which records this fact is unnoticed in the
last edition of _Royal and Noble Authors_ by Mr. Park, it is probably a
misapprehension that the same task had engaged some of the hours of her
captivity; or rather is it not one of those dove-tailing conjectures in
which some of our most popular lady-biographers have recently exhibited
such extravagant and misplaced ingenuity?