4to. Boar's Head Song. With Music. College Hall on Christmas Day. 6d. MUFFLING BELLS DURING ADVENT.-A correspondent of the Banbury Guardian writes in that paper on December 6 that "the vicar, in his parish magazine, states that it is more proper during Advent to ring the muffled peal," and that on the 4th the practice was commenced. He expresses his disapproval of the change, as being quite contrary to existing usage, and out of harmony with the Christmas festival, of which the Advent-tide is the herald. In this view I should most certainly agree; and I shall be glad to know what has been the custom generally, and whether any good reason can be adduced for muffling the bells before New Year's Eve, on which night the practice of muffling is, and always has been, I suppose, universally adopted. W. E. BUCKLEY. A FAMILY PASTIME.-What appears to me to be a very curious family pastime is described in a strange composition called "Theophilus Woodhead,' which is to be found in 'The Dialect of Leeds,' by C. C. Robinson: As sung in Queen's Oxford, Shrimptons, On the word "Carol see the New English Dict.,' edited by Dr. Murray, s.v. (two columns). W. C. B. CHRISTMAS TREES.-As the time is near when these trees will be found well decorated in every country house, it may be interesting to note that perhaps the first appearance of them in England was in 1829, when, according to the account given by the late Mr. Charles Greville in his 'Memoirs,' at Pansanger on Christmas Day in that year,— "the Princess Lieven got up a little fête such as is customary all over Germany. Three trees in great pots were put upon a long table covered with pink linen; each tree was illuminated with three circular tiers of coloured wax candles-blue, green, red and white. Before each tree was displayed a quantity of toys, gloves, pockethandkerchiefe, work boxes, books, and various articles-art, presents made to the owner of the tree. It was very pretty. Here it was only for the children; in Germany the custom extends to persons of all ages.' I believe it is generally supposed that the Prince Consort "first brought the custom in," to the detriment of our national twelfth cake and Twelfth Night celebrations; but it would seem that Christmas trees were before his time in England. J. STANDISH HALY. "Noan o' the sons wur wed, an nivver thowt abart gehring wed 'cos t' owdest on 'em wur nobbud two-anthirty, an' besides they awal use to say as how thuh couldn't affoard it. Ther parent as ther cawal'd ther fatther, used, when t' sarvent hed wiped awal ther marths wi her appron after ther'd gotten ther suppers an' takken awal ther bibs off an' lapt 'em up use to get t' laakins which wur a roll o' butter an' a fryin' pan. He put troll i' t' middle o' t' täable, use to tak a knife an' sayHalf for wifey, half for me, as he cut it i' two: then cuttin' one o' t horfs i' two agean, saay— Half for baby d' you see, Half for baby number two [cut agean], Half for visitors what comes [cuts agean] Lo, where shall I find the remnant so small! CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS AND BARRING OUT IN CUMBERLAND.-This old custom, strange to say, exists still in spite of the schoolmaster and the Board school. It may be of interest to some of your readers if I give an extract from a letter to the Dalston School Board in reference to this subject received at their last meeting, on Dec. 7 :— an' makkin' a grab at t' plaate, hugged it tul his buzzum : "I would ask the sanction of the Board for the closing then they awal use to shout an' laugh an' luke at one of the school for the vacation on the evening of Thurs- another, and geh o' drink o' watter, an' t' servant use to day the 20th. If we open on the Friday we shall most wipe ther marths agean; then thuh use to watch what likely have a poor attendance. My principal reason for ther parent did wi' t' fryin'-pan, which wor to put it on asking is that we shall thus be better able effectually tot fire, an' then cut a piece o' butter off o' t roll an put put a stop to the old barbarous custom of Barring out. it in when it maade a big din bud ther couldn't see it Some of the children might possibly be persuaded by after a bit. Then he puhr his specteccles on to luke for outsiders to make the attempt on Friday, and in such it; then he thowt he saw it running abart, an he puhr a case I should feel it my duty to inflict an amount of art his tongue an' tried to lick it up an maade purtend castigation on offenders such as neither they nor myself 'at he burnt it awahfully, then when ther'd done laughwould relish." ing he rung o' t' sarvant agean to tell her to put t' couks beds ready, an' then he use to tell his son's to pull ther i't warming-pan art o' t kitchen fire an' gehr awalt' shoes off an' tell 'em thuh mud saay ther prayers whear thuh wor as it worrant so cowd, then he tell'd em to think o' what ther'd seen that neet, an' to mind an nut mak sich 'n a noise i' goin' up staars." The majority of the Board sympathized with the master's difficulty, and granted his request, though as chairman I expressed my curiosity to see the repetition of a custom I had heard so much about. J. W. Dalston, Carlisle. I am afraid 'N. & Q.' will grudge its space to FOLK-LORE TALES CURRENT AMONGST HOTTENTOTS OF SOUTH AFRICA.-The two following folklore stories were told me by a missionary from Bloemfontein. They were told him by a native :— A tiger and a wolf joined partnership to build a house-the wolf built outside, the tiger within; but they found that they had forgotten to build a door. The tiger told the wolf to seek advice from another tiger who lived at some distance. On his way the wolf drank of a stream that he crossed. But when he got to the other tiger, he began to tell his story, but found that he had forgotten the most important word-the name of the thing that was wanted, so he concluded he had lost the word on the way in the stream as he drank. So some other tigers offered to dig up the sand of the stream to assist him to find the lost word. Then the wolf in digging chopped his foot with a hoe, and began to bellow out, and said in Dutch, "I have put the hoe through my foot." The Dutch word for "through" is deure, and the word duur is "door"; so the wolf said, "I have found the word. It was in my foot, and not in the stream." So having thus found the lost name, he obtained the instruction which he needed, and went back and built a door and set free the tiger. A hare and a tortoise were disputing about their speed as they met drinking at a stream. They arranged a race on a certain day. The tortoise beforehand disposed a certain number of other tortoises in the grass along the agreed course. They both started. The hare lost sight of the tortoise, and not seeing him in the long grass, kept asking of his rival the tortoise, “Where are you?" and a confederate tortoise somewhat ahead called out, "Here am I." The hare, imagining that the tortoise who was competing with him was in front, dashed on full speed, and again asked the same question, and got the same reply from another confederate tortoise. Again he exerted his utmost speed, but only to see a tortoise just reaching the winning-post. The hare said, "This is the first time I ever heard of a hare being beaten in speed by a tortoise." J. W. HARDMAN, LL.D. "To HUNT THE CLEAN BOOT (SHOE).”—The | former of these expressions will be found in the Times of October 8, p. 3, in a letter signed "Edwin Brough," the latter in the Evening Standard of October 9 and the Daily News of October 10. CHAUCER, 'PROLOGUE,' LL. 163-4. Another Nonne with hire hadde sche The editors found a difficulty in these lines about the nun who was the chaplain of the prioress, and it led to some rash criticism and rather unscholarly conjecture. The thing was explained by Mr. Furnivall (in, I think, the Academy, May, 1880, P. 385, and elsewhere), who made it clear that a chaplain was "a nun in attendance on the prioress or abbess in the choir on festivals," &c., and that "the same nun was practically secretary." If I remember rightly, Mr. Furnivall's information was derived from the kindness of a Roman Catholic friend, and was illustrated by modern and French examples. I have found some interesting illustrations of Chaucer's words in Dr. Jessopp's 1492-1532,' Camden Society, 1888, in which eight edition of 'Visitation of the Diocese of Norwich, In the Visitation of Bishop Nicke in the year 1514, nunneries (Benedictine, I believe) are mentioned. when he visited Blackborough, "domus monialium de Blakborow" (p. 108), one deposition or complaint was "Quod priorissa habuit unam capellanum [sic] per tres annos" (it should be capellanam). And when in the same year he visited Ridlingfield "prioratus monialium de Redlingfelde" (p. 138), there was a complaint "quod priorissa non mutavit It seems from capellanam a tempore præfectionis.' a side-note that Domina Johanna Deyne, the subprioress, who made the complaint, was herself the The Lord Bishop made "injunction" to the prioress capellana, so she wanted to be relieved of her office. "quod mutet capellanam citra festum Michaelis proximum"; and in the year 1520 no complaint was made. In 1526 Joanna Dean (Deyne) was "capellana dominæ," in 1532 Anna Drury was, and no complaint was made. At the Visitation of Flixton Nunnery in 1520 a more interesting complaint was made (p. 190): "Priorissa non habet sororem in capellanam sed sola cubat ad placitum in cubiculo extra dormitorium absque testimonio sororis continue." The "injunction" was "quod de cetero priorissa habeat secum testimonium unius sororis loco capellanæ maxime quando cubat extra dormitorium." I think we may conclude that the office was troublesome and of no dignity, partly from these notices, partly because elsewhere in the list of members of the houses, though "subpriorissa," "sacrista," "infirmaria,' ," "præcentrix," "refectuaria," are titles commonly added to the Loose," whilst "Carloman " was a "Hopeful names, "capellana" is not, except once, at Camp-Prince." sey (p. 291), where Katerina Blomefeld, a "capellana," is mentioned, and she is eighteenth on the list of nineteen sisters of the house. Norwich. O. W. TANCOCK. HUMPHREY REPTON. (See ante, p. 202.)-At the above reference is an interesting notice of A Visit to the Country of the Boleyns,' and there it is stated that "the famous landscape gardener Humphrey Repton, who died in 1818," is buried in the churchyard at Aylsham, and that he is described as of Hare Street, Essex. The small enclosure where he is buried is planted as a garden. As an addition to the REV. JOHN PICKFORD's note, I may mention that I have now before me a work by Repton. It is called "An Enquiry into the Changes of Taste in Landscape Gardening, to which are added Some Observations on its Theory and Practice, including a Defence of the Art, by H. Repton, Esq., London, printed for J. Taylor, 59, High Holborn, 1806." The preface is dated same year, "Hare Street, near Romford." In the preface (p. iv) Mr. Repton states that he does not intend to republish his first work, 'Sketches and Hints on Landscape Gardening,' of which only 250 copies had been published by Messrs. Boydells in 1794, and adds, "The book is become so scarce that above four times the original price has been paid for some copies." H. DE B. H. [Odd Whims and Miscellanies,' London, 1804, 2 vols. crown 8vo., with coloured plates, is still in demand. It is one of the works occasionally seen with a picture on the edges, apparently under the gilding, especially in large-paper copies.] STURT'S 'CHRONOLOGICAL HISTORY OF EUROPE,' 1714.—This is, I think, the least known of Sturt's engraved books, but it is one of the most curious. It is a tiny long 12mo., "Printed for B. Barker at the White Hart, and C. King at the Judges Head in Westminster Hall" (what time the moneychangers had full sway in that quasi-marketplace). "It is done [saith Sturt] on 43 Copper plates wth a Plain Letter & Compassed for the Pocket: And I take it, in short, to be one of the Readiest & Exactest Chronologies yet Extant, at Least of ye Price (considering it is All Well Engraven) & withall so generally usefull." It consists of a series of small and not very informing tables, bearing about the same relation to the 'Oxford Tables' as a horn-book does to Murray's 'Dictionary'; but the fun and spice of the little thing lies in its tail, an alphabetically arranged list of remarkable persons, with their "attributes" indicated by hieroglyphics. I think this is almost a unique departure, and gives scope for any amount of favouritism or malice. Let us try one or two celebrities at random. Caligula (a saturnine native) is "Cross, Bloody, Cruell, Vitious and Charles II. was "Rich, Liberall and Well-Beloved by his People, a Lover of Justice," and, as far as can be made out, "Peaceful and Learned," but "much addicted to his pleasures.' "Eduard ye Elder, Politick, Just, and had for the greatest Part, great Success in his Warrs," whilst Pope Joan was merely "Learned," and so on through many hundreds of names. is very informing, as reference is made to the place of death or reason for quitting the throne is also of the personage in the chronology, and the manner indicated. The little table His SILLY BILLY.-There is a quotation going the round of the daily papers from Mr. Frith's new volume, which begins, "The Duke of Gloucester, one of the sons of George III." (I quote from one of the newspapers). The paragraph closes with the remark that a madman called the duke "Silly Billy," and the duke exclaimed, "Good gracious! the man knows me," &c. N. & Q.' is the exact place to stamp out this error at once. George III. had no son who was Duke of Gloucester. nine sons were George (afterwards George IV.); Frederick, Duke of York; William (afterwards William IV.), Duke of Clarence; Edward, Duke of Kent (father of the Queen); Ernest Augustus (afterwards King of Hanover); Augustus Frederick, Duke of Sussex; Adolphus Frederick, Duke of Cambridge; with two who died young, Octavius and Alfred. The Duke of Gloucester (who was Chancellor of the University of Cambridge) was William Frederick, son of William Henry, younger brother of George III. He died 1834, when the title became extinct. He married his cousin, Princess Mary, but had no issue. E. COBHAM BREWER. QUOTATION FROM DANTE.-The following wellknown passage from Dante is inscribed upon a monument in the grounds at Navestock, in Essex, to the memory of Frances Elizabeth Anne, Countess Waldegrave, who died in 1879 :— Ed ella a me: Nessun maggior dolore, Che ricordarsi del tempo felice Nella miseria; e ciò sa il tuo dottore. 'Inferno,' canto v. v. 121. Thus imitated or alluded to in 'Locksley Hall,' by Tennyson : This is truth the poet sings, That a sorrow's crown of sorrow is remembering happier things. The passage, as well as the context, is finely rendered into Latin hexameters in the 'Sabrina Sic ego, at illa mihi. Caput est et summa dolorum "SNECK POSSET."-"To give sneck posset" is an expression which I have heard employed in the North Riding of Yorkshire, in the sense of to bar or lock a person out. I have not met with the expression elsewhere. I do not remember to have met with it in any glossary. There is a sort of humour about the phrase which characterizes many Yorkshire speeches. F. C. BIRKBECK TERRY. He the Crown by a Lieut.-Col. Whitelocke? commanded the 77th Foot in Southern India, at Seringapatam, and died at Winchester about 1825, the will being administered in 1826. BULSTRODE WHITELOCKE. SEALS OF SIXTEENTH AND SEVENTEENTH CENTURIES.-References to any engraved groups of seals of the sixteenth century and later earnestly requested. I have Fisher's Memorials of Stratford-on-Avon' and the larger county histories. ACCURATE. to any contributor to N. & Q' who may have DANIEL VINECOMBE.-I shall be very grateful come across this name in the registers of the Inns of Court or elsewhere and can give me particulars. Family tradition has it that he was a king's counsel. His portrait was formerly in the possession of the Curtis family; but the only relic of him that I have seen is a silver tankard inscribed "Beati Pacifici Danieli Vinecombe dono dedit G.B. D.D." Daniel Vinecombe was living in 1675, so that G. B. may have been no less a person than Gilbert Burnet, who published some of his works under these initials, G.B. D.D. NAMING A HORSE.-The late Earl Stanhope once told me that he had been asked to name a horse, the sire of which was Rubens, the dam Election. He called it Canvas. It is so happy an instance of nomenclature that perhaps it is worthy of being-Propter litem compositam Amicissimo Viro recorded in 'N. & Q.' G. L. G. CHYMER.-One MS. of the 'Promptorium' has the mysterious entry "Chymer, abella," Another MS. and Pynson's printed text have "Chymer, obella." The editor has no note on this entry, showing that his diligent search had found nothing to throw light on it. Now, abellus is cited by Du Cange from a glossary of about 700, with the explanation agnus recens natus." Apparently, then, we may take abella as a new-born she-lamb; and perhaps trace back a phonetic series, abella, obella, ovella, though the latter is itself hard to account for etymologically as an equivalent of ovicula, ovecula. What I am interested in, however, is the English word Chymer for a she-lamb. Can any one help in its illustration? We know chilver-lamb in this sense; but it would be rash to suggest that chymer is some kind of scribal error for that word. Nor does it seem possible to connect it with Icel. gymbr, Mod. Sa. gimmer, with its hard g. J. A. H. MURRAY. LIEUT.-COL. WHITELOCKE.-Is it possible to obtain the date or dates of actions brought against A. T. M. FANNY KEMBLE.-Where is a bust of Fanny Kemble, executed by Turnerelli about 1830? MACROBERT. HARRISON.-General Thomas Harrison, the regicide, is said by Noble ('Regicides,' i. 306) to have been of a Staffordshire family. I should be glad of any information concerning his family and early life. C. H. FIRTH. 33, Norham Road, Oxford. DATE OF CLOCK.—I have a small brass clock of very beautiful workmanship, inscribed, "Humfrey Osborne in Houndsditch fecit." The lettering appears to be of about the end of the seventeenth century. I find a William Osborne elected a member of the Clockmakers' Society in 1700. Can any of your readers help me to ascertain the date of the clock, and give any account of the maker? G. L. G. KISSING UNDER THE MISTLETOE.-Has this cus tom ever been known in any other country than England? From a remark in 'The Newcomes' (the chapter entitled "Christmas at Rosebury") I infer that it is not a French custom, at all events. In 'Le Pedant Joué,' by Molière's schoolfellow Cyrano de Bergerac, "le gui de l'an neuf" is mentioned in a list of at least fifty charms, talismans, &c. (Acte IV. scène i.). What is the particular mistletoe superstition to which De Bergerac alludes? Many of the superstitions in this remarkable list I have never, to my knowledge, heard of before; but I will not mention them now, as they are unconnected with the particular sub ject of this query. Is kissing under the mistletoe, like other old customs, dying out in England? Has it ever been practised to any extent in Scotland or Ireland? For some notes on the origin of the custom see 'N. & Q.,' 1st S. v. 13, 208; 2nd S. iv. 505; vi. 523. " scene in nected with the Lord Chancellor's family. Perhaps some of your correspondents have a pedigree showing the relationship, and would reply direct to me. WILLIAM J. BAYLY. 26, Brighton Avenue, Rathgar, co. Dublin. THE ORIGIN OF ROSES.-Can any one suggest to me the source from which Sir John Mandeville It was from the above-mentioned play that Molière borrowed the famous "galley 'Les Fourberies de Scapin.' Molière, like all first-derived his story of the origin of roses? A maiden, rate geniuses, was a better alchemist than any old he says, was condemned to the stake for incontiseeker after the philosopher's stone, as De Ber-God to give a sign of her innocence, nence. When the faggots were lighted she prayed gerac's silver (I will not say copper), after passing through the great dramatist's crucible, has come out pure gold. JONATHAN BOUCHIER. Ropley, Alresford. WOMEN AS TEACHERS IN ENGLAND.-Can any one refer me to any early notices on this subject? Has the subject ever been treated at length in any book? I do not want Chaucer's bit in his 'Doctor's Tale' about the "maystresses" in their "olde lyf" who looked after girls' morals. They were duennas, who had lords' daughters in "governaunce." But I do want quotations to show when these old governesses or duennas turned into younger teachers. Queen Elizabeth and Lady Jane Grey had male teachers. F. J. FURNIVALL. ST. PETER'S, CORNHILL.-Newton, in his 'London in the Olden Time,' says that there was an old account-book, fairly written on vellum, with which he had been familiar "fifty years ago," i. e., in 1805. It went back before the Reformation, and took account of masses for the souls of the dead and saints' candles. Since it had been used as a parish register. But he records its disappearance. Has it turned up; or is anything now known about it? C. A. WARD. Walthamstow. PROVERB: "IS FECIT CUI PRODEST. "-Whence is this proverb, quoted a few weeks ago_by_the Marquis of Salisbury, taken? W. T. L. SIR RICHARD COX, FIRST BART. (Lord Chancellor of Ireland 1707).-Caulfield's autobiography of the Chancellor quotes the following entry :Aug., 1706. I gave 401. to bind Will Cox apprentice to Mr. Minchen, chyrurgion." 66 "and anon was the fuyr quenched and oute, and the brondes that weren brennynge becomen red roseres, and the brondes that weren not kyndled becomen white roseres, fulle of roses. And theise weren the first roseres and roses," &c.-Ed. Halliwell, 1883, p. 69. W. G. F. JOHN ROBERTS, A DIRECTOR OF THE OLD EAST INDIA COMPANY 1698-1700.-John Roberts, a director of the United East India Company, 17641808, and colonel of the 3rd Regiment of the Royal East India Volunteers, died at 2, John Street, Bedford Row, London, Feb. 5, 1810, aged seventyone. His sister, Miss Roberts, lived afterwards at 60, Montagu Square. His eldest son was John William Roberts, chief of the china factory of the late East India Company. Will any of your correspondents kindly supply me with information as to their ancestry, county, births, marriages, deaths, and places of burial, coat of arms, crest, and motto? Are any of their descendants alive; and, if so, where can I communicate with them? 29, Emperor's Gate, S.W. C. MASON. WESTGATE: CLAUDIUS.-What claim has Westgate-on-Sea to be the place of landing of the Emperor Claudius, or to any title of Claudiopolis? Can any Kentish archæologist tell? L. K. WELLINGTON ROUNDHEADS.-In one or two topographical books the inhabitants of the town of Wellington, Somerset, are said to have gained for themselves during the Civil War the nickname of Wellington Roundheads. What contemporary authority is there for this; or what is the earliest mention of this nickname? A. L. HUMPHREYS. What relation was Will Cox to the Chancellor ? He had a son William, born 1686, but according BEARSWOOD GREEN.-There is a place near Donto Playfair he died in 1693. Who was the father caster, on the eastern side, bearing this name. Fifty of John Cox, born 1724, and died at Carrick-on-years ago there was a current belief that it took its Suir in 1795? He appointed as his executor "my trusty friend Michael Cox of Castletown," and was himself executor of the will of Richard Cox, father of this Michael and son of Michael, Archbishop of Cashel, son of first baronet, John resided at one time in Cashel, where he had property. From many deeds and legal documents which I have inspected this John Cox was evidently closely con name from the last wild bear in England having been killed there. This tale has the character of folk-lore rather than of truth, but it is on the margin of Hatfield Chace, a place which until the reign of Charles I. was wild enough to be the harbouring-place of such animals. Can any of your readers say when the place got this name, and what is its real origin? K. P. D. E. |