composer, on
account of plagiarism in a musical composition; and that the defendant's
argument was founded on the fact, that there exist very few really
"original compositions," if originality excludes every form of plagiarism.
And he adduced as examples the "See the conquering hero," of Handel; and
the "Zitti Zitti," of Rossini. Can any of your readers refer me to the
minutes of this trial; and tell me if any book has been published in
criticism of the originality of composers?

R. M.

_Simon Bache._--In the parish church of Knebworth, Herts, is the brass of a
priest, with the following inscription:--

"Hic jacet Dominus Simo Bache, Clericus, quondam _Thesaurarius
Hospitii_ illustrissimi Principis Domini Henrici Quinti Regis Angliae,
ac Canonic. Ecclesiae Cathedralis Sancti Paulli, London; qui obiit xix.
die Maii. Anno Dom. nostr. 1414."

Can any of your readers inform me what this office of _Thesaurarius
Hospitii_ was; also, who Simon Bache was that held it; and how it happens
that he is buried at Knebworth?

A. W. H.

_Sir Walter Raleigh._--In speaking of the difficulty which exists in
obtaining a perfect knowledge of any event, reference is often made to Sir
Walter Raleigh having witnessed an occurrence, while confined in the Tower,
and that two witnesses gave such a different account from each other as
well as from himself, that he threw his MS. history into the fire. In what
contemporary work is this recorded?

A similar discrepancy in evidence is mentioned with reference to the
celebrated tourney at Tiani, in 1502, in Prescott's _Ferdinand and
Isabella_, vol. iii. p. 45.

H. J.

_Harrison's Chronology._--William Harrison, a native of London, chaplain to
Sir William Brooke, Baron Cobham, Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports, composed
a _Description of Britain and of England_; and likewise translated Hector
Boethius's _Description of Scotland_, from the Scottish version of John
Bellenden. Both these pieces are printed in Holinshed's _Chronicles_, 2
vols. fol. 1587. In the prefaces Harrison speaks of a work on _Chronology_,
"which I have yet in hand." Has that work ever been printed? I discovered
the manuscript of it last year, in the Diocesan Library of Derry, in
Ireland; but did not ascertain _who_ was its author (though it bears the
name of Harrison), until a few days ago.

H. COTTON.

Thurles, Ireland, Dec. 21. 1850.

_Aristophanes on the Modern Stage._--Can any of your valuable
corr