_Inscribed Alms-dish._--There is an alms-dish (?) {102} in the possession
of a clergyman near Rotherham, in this county, with the following
inscription:--
"VREEST . GODT . ONDERHOVEDT . SYN . GEBOEDT . ANNO . 1634."
[Fear God (and?) keep his commandments.]
Having so lately been so justly reproved by your correspondent, MR. JANUS
DOUSA, for judging of Vondel's _Lucifer_ by an apparently unjust review
rather than by perusal,--and his beautiful chorus having so fully
"established his case,"--I am rather shy of making any remarks upon this
inscription: otherwise I would venture (errors excepted) to observe that
there _may_ be a mistake in the position of the last three letters of the
third word.
If MR. DOUSA would kindly inform a _very_ imperfect Dutch scholar whether
this sentence is intended as a quotation from Ecclesiastes xii., 13th
verse,--
"Vreest Godt ende hout syne geboden;"
or whether the third word is from the verb "_onder houden_,"--as _looks_
probable, I shall be greatly obliged to him. The Bible to which I refer is
dated 1644.
Being neither a scholar nor a critic, but only a lover of books and
languages, I hope MR. DOUSA will accept my apology for the affront offered
to his countryman, Vondel. Your publication has been a great temptation to
people with a few curious books around them to set sail their little boats
of inquiry or observation for the mere pleasure of seeing them float down
the stream in company with others of more importance and interest. I
confess myself to have been one of the injudicious number; and having made
shipwreck of my credit against M. Brellet's _Dictionnaire de la Langue
Celtique_, and also on Vondel's _Lucifer_, I must here apologise and
promise to offend no more. If MR. DOUSA will not be appeased, I have only
to add that I "send him my card." As Mrs. Malaprop said to Sir Lucius
O'Trigger--
"Spare my blushes--_I_ am Delia."