Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB
[blocks in formation]

13. To be ikey or learey the use of low expressions. 14. To smell a rat = To diately take action, or for oneself to be on the alert when suspected.

15. To tschihike*

distance.

"Two hazel nuts I threw into the flame,
And to each nut I gave a sweetheart's name:
This, with the loudest bounce, me sore amaz'd,
That in a flame of brightest colour blaz'd;
As blaz'd the nut so may thy passion grow,
For 'twas thy nut that did so brightly glow."

suspect a person and to imme-Although this custom is very popular in England, I first knew of it from an Irish servant-girl in my own family: she told me that the people of Kerry always burn nuts and bob vol. i. (edit. 1849), p. 379, I find her statement fully confor apples. On referring to Brand's "Popular Antiquities," firmed. There is quoted the following poem on "Nuts Burning, Allhallows Eve," which was published in Dublin (1801), by Charles Graydon :

To call out shrilly to another at

a

16. To take sugar To take [or steal] money. 17. To yawn after another, shows a friendliness between both.t

18. To return after leaving the house is unlucky, unless you sit down.

19. At the tea-table, if one did not wish more, it was the custom to place the spoon in the cup; if this was neglected, the hostess concluded that more was wanted. This custom even now still lingers in some old-fashioned families.

20. If two tea-stalks appear on the surface of a cup of tea, they are to be placed on the back of the left hand, and struck with the back of the right; if they remain unmoved on the left, or adhere to the right, then the one loved will remain true; but if one adheres and the other not she will be false. I have often watched the sensitive countenances of people in this way testing the truthfulness of their admirers. Some I have seen whirl the empty cup round, and invert it, then looking into it (after draining), try to discover the profile of the one who is to be the bridegroom in the scattered leaves on the inside of the tea-cup. Tea stalks are also supposed to foretell visitors, and by some are believed to indicate the person who is to be visited by floating to the side of the individual.‡

21. On Allhallow Even. I have in my younger days, many a time, repaired to the kitchen with my young friends to carry out the customs belonging to that old festival. Of course, we had bobbing for the apples in a tub of water, nutcracking-that is, placing three nuts (chestnuts) on the hob close together, the centre one representing the young man, and others two young ladies; whichever one flew away the remaining two would be forever after as one; if the three flew away in different directions, then affection between them was gone; but if two flew in the same path, then the sign was propitious. This custom was varied by placing only two nuts by the fire. It is when there are two loves loving the one lover that more nuts are used. In some parts of the country the nuts are thrown into the fire, as Gay beautifully describes it:

*

Spelt as pronounced. I suspect this be of Turkish origin. In other countries, yawning has a more unpleasant meaning For instance, "Among the Zulus, repeated yawning and sneezing are classed together as signs of approaching spiritual possession. The Hindu. when he gapes, must snap his thumb and finger, and, repeat the name of some god, as Rama; to neglect this is a sin as great as the murder of a Brahman. The Persians ascribe yawning, sneezing, &c., to demoniacal possession. Among the Moslems generally, when a man yawns he puts the back of his left hand to his mouth, saying, 'I seek refuge with Allah from Satan the accursed,' but the act of yawning is to be avoided, for the devil is in the habit of leaping into a gaping mouth."-Tylor's "Primitive Culture," vol. i. p. 93. In the Tyrol, the custom is to cross oneself when one yawns, lest something evil should come into one's mouth.-Tylor, ibid. The open mouth is to many people a representation of the mouth of hell. -See Hearne's Print in" Hone's Mysteries," p. 138. In the Spectator, Addison's letter, No. 179, is given an account of a twelfth-night custom of yawning for a Cheshire cheese. The yawning commences at midnight, when the whole company is disposed to be drowsy. He that yawns widest, and at the same time so naturally as to produce the most yawns among the spectators, carries home the prize.

See a slightly varied account of the superstitions connected with tea-stalks (as in vogue in Cornwall and Devonshire) in Hunt's "Romances and Droll of the West of England," p. 427.

The evil most to be dreaded in excessive gaping, is the possible dislocation of the lower jaw.-ED.

By many held as a sign of mental vacuity.-ED.

These glowing nuts are emblems true
Of what in human life we view;
The ill-match'd couple fret and fume,
And thus in strife themselves consume;
Or from each other wildly start,
And with a noise for ever part.
But see the happy, happy pair,
Of genuine love and truth sincere ;
With mutual fondness, while they burn,
Still to each other kindly turn;
And as the vital sparks decay,
Together gently sink away:

Till life's fierce ordeal being past,
Their mingled ashes rest at last."

22. Another custom I have taken part in is, I believe, now almost forgotten. A tall glass jar or tumbler, filled with water, was placed in front of, and close to the fire; then an egg was cracked over it, and the "white" only allowed to fall into the water. As the water became warmed, the albumen would, as if by magic, whiten, and disclose the portrait of the individual who is to possess one's heart and hand. Another old custom on Allhallow Even was placing the left hand on an inverted tub, and, turning round twenty times, attempt to strike an apple fastened to the wall by a nail, with a stick in the right hand. If you succeed the apple is yours. This is a very unpleasant custom, I have often seen the performers fall and roll about with giddiness.

J. JEREMIAH.

the Kentish Gazette, of January 1, 1793. About eleven EFFIGY OF TOM PAINE.-The annexed is copied from o'clock, the effigy of Tom Paine, dressed in mourning, with a pair of stays under one arm, and the Rights of Man under the other, was placed in a cart, drawn by an ass, which took the lead of a numerous procession of the workmen belonging to the Royal Powder Mills, accompanied with several flags and a band of music, playing "God save the King." This procession began at the bottom of West-street (Faversham), and proceeded to the spot of ground in Broad-street, where the gaol formerly stood, on which a gallows was erected, and the effigy underwent the ceremonies of a formal executior, when it continued suspended till the evening, where the fie being kindled, it might truly be said to have vanished in smoke, for the inexpressibles were loaded with crackers, the body with squibs, and the head with gunpowder.

F. M.

FOCK LORE.-On New Year's Day, in Forfarshire, and, possibly in other parts of Scotland, was a custom among the children of cottars, which consisted in their assembling together and proceeding to the different farmhouses, where they serenaded the farmers' wives by reciting or singing a kind of rhyme of which, after a memory of nearly forty years, I recall the following. On such occasions some bannocks of a better sort were usually baked for distribution. I give the lines not in the orthodox or regulation orthography of the Scottish tongue, but phonetically, as the sound

of the words, drawled out in the dialectic peculiarity of the issue, and to the note there subjoined. This representation, county of Forfar even now still lingers on my ear: as we then stated, was unavoidably omitted.-ED.

[graphic]

66

Ryse up guidwyff an' binna sweir,
An' dael yer braed as lang's yer here,
The day 'll come whan ye'll be daed,
Ye'll nethir care for mael nir braed."

The explanation of the terms which are not perfectly obvious I give as annexed.

Guidwyff, the wife of the guidman, the latter a term once limited to designate portioners of land or yeomen, afterwards applied to tenant farmers. The term yeoman was unknown in Scotland, and is used here as a synonym. Binna, means be not; sweir unwilling, indolent; dael-deal; braed-bread; daed-dead; mael-meal. PENGUIN.

CURIOUS SQUINT IN FAVERSHAM CHURCH.-A curious cross-shaped opening is in the west wall of the north transept of Faversham church, the use of which has, I believe, never been satisfactorily explained. In general appearance it is very much like an arrow-slit. The vertical part of the squint terminates in circles, and measures 26 inches in length; the horizontal portion is square at the ends, measuring 24 inches. An iron ride for a hinge remains, showing the opening was formerly covered by a shutter only, on the outside. At the annual meeting of the Kent Archæological Society this year, I was rather disap. pointed that none of the members attempted to account for the use of this unique squint. I have since gone into the matter, and I believe can now account for its use. Some few years previous to 1774 there stood opposite to the north door of the church a house walled round with stone, known by the name of the Anchor House, in which dwelt some hermits or anchorites before the Reformation. I find Edward Thomasson left by will, in 1494, the sum of 35. 4d. to have his soul prayed for by the "Anchors." Remains of the foundation of this house still exist. In 1834 an ancient well, 2 feet in diameter and 20 feet in depth, was found close by; it was constructed of flint set in clay. I have no doubt the curious squint was for the purpose of allowing the Anchorites to see when the mass for the dead commenced, so that they could add their prayers at the same time.

Queries.

ELECTORAL BONNET.

WHAT is an "Electoral Bonnet?" your readers inform me?

G. BEDO.

Can you or any of C. C. D.

[The Electoral Bonnet is a cap of crimson velvet, turned up with ermine. This was borne over the arms of Hanover until some time after the erection of that state into a kingdom in 1814, when a crown was substituted.-ED.]

PHOTOGRAM. I notice that in speaking of the Madonna and Child (see ante, Vol. iii. 6), you use the term photogram. When and by whom was this word first employed to denote a ny work of art reproduced by means of photography?

RUBRIC.

[blocks in formation]
[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small]

IT is often, and unjustly, required from a person who finds fault with any scheme that he should suggest a better or be silent; as if the simple detection of error were little other than a crime." Whence is this taken can you inform me ?

Replies.

LORD JUSTICE SELWYN.

(Vol. iii. 8.)

J. B.

relationship which subsisted between the late Lord Justice I BELIEVE, though I cannot speak with certainty, that the Selwyn and the family of the late Sir Henry Willock was this, that one of Sir Henry's daughters married a gentle. man named Ravenshaw, and that the sister of this Mr.

[blocks in formation]

ROGER OF THAT ILK (Vol. ii. 289).-There is an estate or village in Westmoreland or Cumberland called Roger. There are also a number of place names in Scotland of which Roger forms a portion as Struckroger, Dumbartonshire; Easter and Wester Rogerton, in East Kilbude; and Rogerton, in Moray.

C. C. S.

THE EARLIEST ADVERTISEMENT (Vol. ii. 266).-According to a note in Mr. J. H. Fennell's* Catalogue, for March, 1872, appended to No. 1, "An Extraordinary and Unique Collection of Ancient Illustrated Newspapers, twenty-six in number, all printed in 1643, in the Reign of King CHARLES THE FIRST, and all embellished with CURIOUS ENGRAVINGS, each newspapor 8 pp. quarto," &c. (price 12 guineas), it would satisfactorily appear that the date of the first advertisement inserted in a newspaper was 1643, not 1648. Mr. Fennell, in his note, after enumerating some of the principal contents of the above collection,

says:

"Besides the interest of these ancient newspapers, as showing the first introduction of engravings into newspapers, the earliest application of the fine arts to British journalism, one of them is specially remarkable as containATHENEUM (Vol. ii. 274, 290, 302).-Your corre-ing the first advertisement ever inserted in a newspaper, as spondent H. states, in regard to the communications on the pointed out by me in a letter to the editor of the TIMES, Athenæum, that they are only half true and the other half published in that journal in 1867, where I quoted it as very imperfect. Being interested in this matter, I shall be proving that advertising originated several years earlier than much obliged to your correspondent if he will kindly cor- our antiquaries and chronologists were aware of." rect what is false and explain what is imperfect. This Waltham Abbey. would be more satisfactory than stating an objection in general terms.

B. B. S.

HOAX (Vol. iii. 9).-Touching this word, the following sentence, taken from "The London Magazine" (Vol. ii. 666, 667), will show that, in 1820, literary men spoke of it as a term which had then barely made a place for itself, and so stood in need of some little explanation. The editor, Mr. John Scott, was one of a band, I believe (Charles Lamb, Coleridge, Leigh Hunt, Cowden Clarke, and other men of mark), not at all likely to speak loosely about the rise and uses of particular words and phrases. "What we have taken in hand to do, we mean to perform effectually, after which, the public being completely in possession of the case, we shall hold ourselves discharged from the unpleasant task of watching, and exposing what may be termed the infamous Scotch Hoax. The publication in question ["Blackwood's Magazine "] cannot be more aptly denominated; a Hoax (a word of late origin) being a laughing lie, in which the fraud is more apparent than the pleasantry, and the joke consists almost entirely of mischief."

T. J. TULIP MANIA (Vol. ii. 299).—The tulip madness, as it existed in some of the cities of the United Provinces, in 1634-6, will be found set forth in considerable detail in Mackay's Memoirs of Extraordinary Popular Delusions and in Beckman's History of Inventions. It is mentioned that on one occasion, when only two roots of a species in great demand, the "Semper Augustus," were known to be in the country, one at Amsterdam and the other at Haarlem, one of them drew twelve acres of valuable land as an equivalent, while for the other there were offered 4600 florins, together with a new carriage, two horses, and a complete set of harness. "The Viceroy," valued at 2500 florins, is stated to have been exchanged in the midst of the madness for two lasts of wheat, four lasts of rye, four fat oxen, eight fat swine, twelve fat sheep, two hogsheads of wine, four tuns of beer, two tons of butter, one-thousand pounds of cheese, a complete bed and furniture, a suit of clothes, and a silver beaker. A horticultural friend tells me that " Semper Augustus," which was sold in 1636 for 7000 florins, or 5827. 6s. 8d., may be found offered in the catalogues of 1792, at ten stivers, or 10d. I am informed, moreover, on the same trustworthy authority, that the days for large prices for favourite tulips are far from being over. A friend of his own, the late Mr. Davy, of the King's-road, Chelsea, once paid 100/. for a root and three offsets of a new flower, called Fanny Kemble;" and was also known to have refused 157. 10s. for "La Joie de Davy," a flower of his own breaking. W. N. G.

Glasgow.

J. PERRY.

CURMUDGEON (Vol. ii. 289, iii. 11). This word is variously derived by etymologists. Thomson, in his "Etymons," says, it means "a miser, a churl; Sax. car modig, from caro; T. karg, chary, avaricious; and G. mod; S. mod the mised." Others say it is a corruption of corn-merchant, which it literally meant, but got corrupted into a slang compound word, because the dealers were supposed to keep up the price of corn by their avarice.

66

J. J.

TRADESMEN'S TOKENS (continued from Vol. ii. 301.)— No. 210.-I have expressed my opinion that this token issuer was mine host of the " Woolpack." Since writing the notes thereto, I am convinced that my opinion is correct as I have inspected a lease of the house in question from Laurence Robbins to Miles Hodgson. It is thus headed : "This Indenture made the eighthe day of May in the yeare of our Lord Christ according to the accompt now used in the Church of England one thousand sixe hundred and sixty Between Laurence Robins, of Stamford, in the county of Lincolne, Tanner, of th'one part and Miles Hodgson of Stamford Baron, in the county of Northton, vintner of th'other part." The document then proceeds to say that for and in consideration of the rents, reservations, covenants and agreements hereinafter in these presents reserved and Hath demised, granted, and to farme, lett, mentioned, and by these p'sents doth demise, grant and to farme, letten, mints and assignes all that Messuage or tenements with and sell vnto the said Miles Hodgson, his exectors, adth'appurtenances situat lying and being in Stamford Baron aforesaid, commonly called by the name or signe of the old falcon, or by the signe of the Woolpocket, together with all houses, edifices, buildings, barnes, stables, yards, backfils (back-fields ?), gardens, orchards, and appurtenances to the same in any wise belonging or app'taining as the same are nowe in the tenure or occup'on of the said Miles Hodgson or of his assignes." The agreement was to take effect from the Feast of the Annunciation of the B.V.M. last past before the date hereof, and for the term of twelve years. For the first three years of the term Miles was to pay Laurence Robbins a yearly rent of 81. of "lawfull Engterm he was to "pay the yearly rent of nyne pounds of lyke lish money," and for all the rest and residue of the said money at twoe vsuall feasts or termes in ye yeare (that is to say) the feast of St Michaell Th'archangell and Th'andcia'on of the blessed Virgin Mary by even and equall porcions." If Miles happened to be behind time in paying the rent, Laurence had power within fourteen days after it became due and been lawfully demanded, to enter and repossess

* Of 6, Colveston Crescent, Dalston, London, N.E.

himself of the property. In the event of Miles wishing to quit possession at the end of the first three years, he was at liberty so to do by giving 6 months' notice of such his intention. Mr. Robbins covenanted that he would, before the feast of the Annunciation of the B. V. M. next ensuing the date hereof "repaire or amend the said Messuage or tenemt., and all outhouses, edifices, buildings, barnes, stables, rackes, mangers, plansheres, gates, dores, walls, fences, and appurtenances thereto belonging ot and wth all manner of needful necessary suficient and convenient reparacons and amendment," in addition to which he very liberally promised to be at the expense of sinking a well and having it paved round. This document is endorsed, "Miles Hodgson, his Lease of the Woollpack," and one of the witnesses whose name is attached thereto is L. Blyth. The back part of the inn now runs up to Park lane, close to Burleigh park, which portion of the park has only been enclosed within the last 80 years, and was formerly open fields.

No. 230, JOHN SHAW.-In the church of Wainfleet All Saints, is or was a blue slab in the south aisle, thus inscribed: "Here lyeth the body of Mr. John Shawe interred April the 17th, 1692, in the 54th year of his age." On a similar stone near it is a laudatory inscription in Latin, to the memory of John Shaw, gent., eldest son of John Shaw, who died a bachelor 28th Dec. 1736, in his 67th year. This monument was put down to his memory by his brother, Thos. Shaw, rector of Wyberton, in this county.

band was originally the house-Band or Bond. The word
is the old English husbonde, from the A.S., husbondd=hus,
a house; and Ice. buandi, a possessor of a farm. The latter
word is from the Ice. bua; Ger, bauen to till; Conf. Persic,
bund; Latin fundus, an estate, and Sanskrit, bhundatum to
support, maintain.
J. J.

Replies to Queries ab extra.

PENNYTERSAN, CU NSTONE, &c.

(N. & Q., 4. s. vii. 219).

I OBSERVE you have adopted a new heading, Replies to Queries ab extra. What follows is a reply sent by me to Notes and Queries some time since, but which not appearing within a reasonable time, I requested to be returned. It is in answer to a correspondent who subscribes himself ESPEDARE, whose communication will be found as indicated above. J. CK. R.

My remarks on the name "Cunstone," &c., do not, according to ESPEDARE, commend themselves to the judgment. This however may be as much the fault of the judgment as of the explanation. It is but fitting in one who "would incline to trace the origin of these place names to a Celtic, rather than a Scandinavian source," to commend the obser vations of those who foster his preconceptions, and to ignore the testimony of such facts as militate against his hypothesis. "Nothing can be more hopeless," Pinkerton well remarks," than the use of argument where, far from anything in regard to the name "Cunstone." I suggested tumulus which enclosed the kistvaen, founding on that it designated the memorial stone belonging to the the fact of the "conical hillocks," and called "mote law and court-hills," and that many of the Scottish ciated with personal names borne by the Northmen memorial stones, sculptured and otherwise, are asso

No. 231.-For Of, read In. This coin is figured at p.
369 of "Oldfield's Topographical and Historical Account of
Wainfleet and the Wapentake of Candleshoe, in the co. of
Lincoln." There the name of the place is spelt thus-being felt, it cannot even be understood." I did not admit

Wanflet.

No. 60.-MARGARET, daughter and heiress of Margaret and Paul Gresham, became the first wife of John Wingfield, Esq., second son of Rt. W., of Upton, Northants, Esq., and Elizabeth (Cecil) his wife, and it was this lady who married for her second husband H. Allington, Esq. Margaret, the first wife of John Wingfield, Esq, barrister-at-law, concluded thence that the "cairn or stone tumulus " men&c., died 14 Feb., 44 Eliz. (1601-2); he married secondly Margaret, widow of John Blyth, of Denton, co. Linc., gent., and dau. of Robt. Thorold, of Haigh, co. Linc., Esq., and was bur. at Tickencote, 3 Sept. 1618.

P. 75, line 32, for paying an al, read ob; p. 80, last line but three, insert scaven. The date of the first marriage recorded in the second note at foot of this page is 1581. P. 104, note. The wife of Sylvester Emblin was the eldest dau. of Erasmus Dryden, third son of John, the second, and not of the

first baronet.

tioned by the querist, had probably covered a Scandinavian grave, that of a chief bearing the well-ascertained Norse name of Kon (Kon-r), and had in process of time given its name to the locality. † From this view I see no reason to recede. How the northern word cund or gund should suggest itself to ESPEDARE as evidence of the possible Celtic origin of this primeval tomb, it is not given for me to understand; but what is Celticism? and who were the Celts? Do we in fact know anything whatever of the history of that semi-mythical people, their arts, customs, manners, or P. 127. The baptism of James Claypole is 1588, not anything other than the one fact which we learn on evidence 1538. Dorothy, the wife of Adam who died in 1619, was the not to be gainsaid, that the native aborigines of the British second daughter of Robt. Wingfield, of Upton, Esq., and Isles were a race of naked barbarians, "without letters or Elizabeth Cecil, dau. of Richd, and sister of the Lord monuments to preserve their history or changing limits." Treasurer. John Claypole, Esq., son-in-law to Oliver Crom-As regards Scotland itself, does there at this moment exist well, was by him made a knight and baronet, 16 July, 1657. In my last paper, vol. 2, p. 234, a slight mistake was made in describing Phineas Lambe's token: the date should be 1666, not 666. I am unable to give any particulars respecting the issuer of the Ancaster token, as the parochial registers are lost'previous to 1712. The life of Geo. Boheme, on the same page, should be read as following the notes that precede it on the same page. At p. 236, the reverse of the Donington token should read-Deninton. I will conclude this paper with a token of Gainsborough, that has been communicated to me since the publication of list.

any veritable record relating to the transactions or early history of that country prior to the reign of David I.? Such questions have been often asked but have never been satisfactorily answered.

J. CK. R.

"The administration of public justice on certain hills was Scotland."-Henderson's Iceland, Edin. 1810, p. 60. Since the aboli not only common throughout Scandinavia, but was also practised in tion of the Althing, or supreme court of justice of Iceland, which from 928 to the year 1800 assembled at Thingvalla, Tynwald Hill, in Man, is the only judicial mound in Europe still used for its original my purpose. This is traditionally stated" to be composed of "the soil of the sixteen parishes of the island, to symbolize its jurisdiction over the whole of them, and the right of every parish to be represented in through the lapse of nine centuries." Its "singular form," it is said, "has been preserved

its court."

Obv. MATTHEW. COATES. 1666 A ship. Rev. IN GAINS BROVGH His Halfe Penny. The above coin is imperfectly engraved in "Stark's Hist. of Gainsboro'," 2nd edit. p. 183. + See analogous example in the name of the parish of Carluke HUSBAND (Vol. ii. 289).—I should certainly incline Carneluke-law" the cairn of Loki's tomb); also the place-name Balkellaw, in Forfarshire, derived from the tomb of a Northman. towards the opinion of Archbishop Trench, that the hus--Article, "Hair Craig." N, & Q., 4 s. vi. 462,

BILBO.

SURNAMES. (see Notes and Queries, 4 s. x. 431, 477).-Cathedral of Worcester stood at the north side of the choir The question was asked, How comes it that while among prior to the year 1550. The practice of placing organs at English surnames we have plenty of Browns, Greens, one side of the choir existed in the College Chapels. In Blacks, Whites, Greys, and even Oranges and Violets, we 1458, the organ given by William Port to the New College never meet with Red, Blue, or Yellow? Dr. J. B. Tuke at Oxford stood at the stall-end of the north side of the replies that in Edinburgh he had a Highland patient of the choir, until it was destroyed in 1646. The present organ name of Blue. In my school days I knew a boy, a native (improved by Green) was erected by Rob. Dallan in 1663. of Forfarshire, named Blues, where the name was not then The organ of St. John's College, Oxford, built in 1660, was uncommon. In regard to the name Red this is found in placed in a little ante-chapel on the north side of the choir. the three kingdoms in the forms of Reid, Read, and Reed. The large instruments now in use were not put up in their In Scotland, if there be not the name Yellow, there is cer- present conspicuous position in the place of the ancient tainly the name Yellowlees. I doubt if such names as rood-loft until after the Reformation; but before that Brown, Black, White, &c., be significant of colour. Among time they were frequently placed on the north side of the choir, the Norse personal names of Iceland were Brún, Blaka, or in the north transept (see "Glossary of Architecture," Hviti, Grá, and corresponding to the English Violet or Edit. 1840). On the continent the large organs are geneAviolet is the Norse Ulfliot. rally placed in "lofts; some at the west end, some over the doors, and very often against the piers (see "The Organ, its History and Construction," by E. J. Hopkins and E. F. Rimbault, LL.D., Lond. 1870; "Hopkins on the Organ, 1856;" "Lecture on Church Music, by William Spark, 1851;' "History of Music," by Sir John Hawkins and Dr. Burney). A RECENT calculation relative to the principal European languages, shows that English is spoken by ninety millions of persons, inhabiting Great Britain and Ireland, North America, the Bermudas, Jamaica, Cape of Good Hope, Australia, Van Dieman's Land, Newfoundland, and the East Indies; German by fifty-five millions, in their own country, Switzerland, Austria, Hungary, Russia, North and South America, La Plata, Australia, and the East Indies; Spanish by fifty-five millions in Spain, Cuba, Mexico, the republics of South America, Manilla, &c; and French by forty-five millions in France, Belgium, Switzerland, Canada, Cayenne, and North America.

"OWEN." (see Notes and Queries, 4 s. x. 507).-C. A. W., of Mayfair, says “If ' Owen' means river in Irish, is it not kindred with eau, French for water?" &c. I ask, is not this another of the thousand-and-one proofs of a large Gothic element contained in the Irish language through its conquest by the Norwegians? Irish owen, the river; Norse ain, the river; and is the French eau, anything other than Saxon ea; Norse, á water, a river?

64

Facts and Sottings.

PITCON.

MR. REID, the present keeper of the prints and drawings at the British Museum, is about to publish "A History of the Print Room of the British Museum," with some account of its contents and biographical notices of its successive keepers.

THE ORGAN in medieval ages was placed on one side of the choir-a position which seems to have been almost universal throughout Europe. Gervase, the monk of Canterbury, whose curious account of the burning of that cathedral in 1174 has descended to our times (see "Dart's History of Canterbury Cathedral "), informs us that the organ stood up on the vault of the south transept. After the rebuilding of the cathedral, the instrument was placed upon THERE was recently discovered, in "Dr. Williams's a large corbal of stone, over the arch of St. Michael's Library," an important memorandum of the great Scotch Chapel, in the same transept (see "Britt. Canterbury Cathe- Reformer, relating to the posture in which communicants dral"). In Dart's view of the organ it is shown on the north should receive the elements at the Lord's Supper. Knox side of the choir, between the pillars three and four, where would have had it-as at the time of the original institution it still remained in the time of Dr. Burney. The organ in-in a sitting posture; but this being objected to and kneelthe old cathedral of St. Paul's was placed under one of the ing insisted on, he succeeded in obtaining the insertion of north pier arches of the choir, just above the stalls; having the famous explanatory clause which presses so heavily on a choir organ in the front, and shutters to close in the great all Sacerdotalists and Sacramentarians. The document, we organ. The case was Gothic, with a crocketted gable (see learn, will shortly be published, and with annotations. Dugdale's St. Paul's "). It occupied the same place during IT is stated that a work, entitled, "The Art Treasures of the Protectorate, and was destroyed by the great fire of the Lambeth Library," by S. W. Kershaw, M.A., will London, 1666. The organ of Westminster Abbey, upon which Purcell played, stood on the north side of the choir, shortly be published by Mr. Pickering. The book is to over the stalls, and seems, from the view of it in "Sand- contain a complete catalogue of the illuminated and illusford's Coronation of Jac. II.," to have been a small instru-trated MSS. in the Archi-episcopal Library, fully described ment with diapered pipes. At York, the cathedral organ, built in 1632 by Robert Dallam, was, by the express command of Charles I., placed on the north side of the choir, nearly opposite the bishop's throne. The reason given by the king was that the organ was an impediment in viewing THE LATE DEAN RAMSAY.-The funeral of Dean the interior of the church (see "Cross's Account, 1825"). Ramsay took place in Edinburgh, the 2nd inst. in preThe organ of Winchester Cathedral was erected prior to the sence of a large assemblage of spectators, and was attended Reformation, and placed upon the screen between the nave by the magistrates and council, and the various public bodies and choir. It was ordered to be removed to the north side of Edinburgh. The place of interment was the burialof the choir by Charles I. (see " Milner's History of Win- ground attached to St. John's Episcopal Church. chester Cathedral"). The old organ of Winchester Cathe-Gladstone sent a letter of apology. A large number of dral is said to have stood originally in the north transept. clergymen belonging to the various Presbyterian bodies Fisher says that this was erected very early in the 17th were present.

century, and as long ago as 1668 it was called the "old

and catalogued under the different schools of art to which they belong, and will be illustrated by elaborately-executed drawings on stone, representing some of the more remarkable specimens of early art in the Lambeth collection.

Mr.

instrument," and 160l. was paid for its repair and a new THERE died, at Alyth, on the 26th ult., in the house of "choir organ." It was removed in 1791. The organ is his son-in-law, a pauper named Mitchell, at the age of exhibited on the north side of the choir in Lincoln Cathe-upwards of a hundred years. He was at one time a farmer dral (se: "Dugdale's Monasticum "). The great organ of the at Hilton, on the estate of Banff. After leaving his farm

« AnteriorContinuar »