_Epitaph in Hall's Discovery_ (Vol. iii., p. 242.).--The work entitled _Discovery of a New World, or a Description of the South Indies, hitherto unknown, by an English Mercury, imprinted by E. Blount_, no date, 12mo., is not, as our correspondent supposes, very rare, nor is it by Bishop Hall. It is a free translation, or rather paraphrase, and an excellent one in its way, by John Healey, of Bishop Hall's very entertaining _Mundus Alter et Idem_, first published in 12mo., Francof., without date, afterwards reprinted with Campanella's _Civitas Solis_ and Bacon's _Atlantis_ at Utrecht, 1643, 24mo., and subsequently included in the edition of Bishop Hall's works by Pratt, 10 vols., Lond., 1808, 8vo. The epitaph quoted is not a satire upon any statesman of the time. The writer is describing the Land of Changeableness, or, as it is called in the Latin original, "Variana vel Moronia Mobilis," and gives in the course of his description this epitaph on Andreas Vortunius (a vertendo), or, as he is styled in the English { 339} translation, "Andrew Turncoate." The epitaph occurs in p. 132. of the Latin edition of 1643, and is evidently, as indicated by the marginal notes, an imitation or parody of the famous one on Æelia Lælia Crispis, which has exercised the ingenuity of so many writers, and of which our own countryman, Richard White, of Basingstoke, the historian, has given three different interpretations. See his _Ælia Lælia Crispis, Epitaphium Antiquum quod in Agro Bononiensi adhuc videtur, a diversis interpretatum varie, novissime autem a Richardo Vito explicatum_, Padua, 1568, 4to. An article on this epitaph and its various interpreters, of whom I have collected about forty, might be made a very interesting one.
[We wish MR. CROSSLEY--than whom no one is more competent--would favour us with such an article. The following communication from MR. FORBES is only one of several we have received, showing that the interest in this enigma is not abated.]
_Epitaph in Hall's Discovery_ (Vol. iii., p. 242.).--When this epitaph is assigned to its right owner, it may perhaps throw some light on its twin-brother--the epitaph on "Ælia Lælia Crispis"--"_about which many of the learned have puzzled their heads_." (See _Encyc. Brit._, article "Ænigma.") I enclose a copy of this epitaph, which you can use or not, as you please. If you think that it might help to "unearth" Mister Andrew Turnecoate, you may perhaps like to lay it before your readers; if, on the other hand, that it would but increase the difficulty of the operation by distracting attention needlessly, you can hand it over to "the Editor's best friend"--the fire.
