English, smallage, marsh parsley, or water parsley." Cotgrave gives, "Ache, the herbe smallage." He adds to the simple definition the following: "Ache femelle, female smallage; ache des jardins, parsley; ache large, grand, great parsley, Alexanders; ache de marais, marsh or marish parseley, water parseley, smallage; ache de rivée is either the crowfoot of Illiria, or the crowfoot of the fallow field; ache rustique, smallage, marsh or marish parseley; ache de sardaigne, the same; ache sauvage, wild parseley." The Grammar School, Ashby-de-la-Zouch. Elizabeth Elstob was the sister of William As to monicomsound, the word is not actually Elstob, Rector of St. Swithin and St. Mary to be found in Gerarde, but I think may by his Bothaw, London. They were both born at New- help be identified. "Consound," or "comsound," castle-on-Tyne, William in 1673 and Elizabeth in is a general name for many plants to which heal1683. Whilst her brother was fellow and tutoring virtues are ascribed. It is, for example, a at Queen's College, Oxford, she lived with him and studied there; she translated into English the Homily on St. Gregory's Day, and began a Saxon Homiliarium with an English translation. In 1715 she published a Saxon Grammar, but on the death of her brother in 1714 was obliged to keep a school at Evesham, in Worcestershire, to support herself. Queen Caroline allowed her a pension of 217., but as it ceased on the queen's death she again gave lessons; in 1739 she was received into the family of the Duchess of Portland, and lived there until she died in 1756. Nearly all the above facts are to be found in biographical dictionaries. I have seen a pedigree of the Elstob family which gives several generations, but cannot recollect if it was in Surtees's Durham or not; I think it was in some county history. STRIX. This lady did compile a pedigree of her family, which she traced on her mother's side to Broch- See Chalmers's Biographical Dictionary, Didot's nica. Hastings. If my memory does not grievously deceive me, there is a full account of this lady in Kippis's Biography-a work which collapsed immediately after giving an account of her. E. LEATON BLENKINSOPP. A new edition of An English-Saxon Homily, A full account of her will be found in Nichols's L. L. H. WOUNDWORTS (6th S. v. 346).-Two of these herbs may, I think, be identified. The ach is the water parsley. In his list of the names of this plant Gerarde gives, "in French, de l'ache ; in name for the comfrey, for the great daisy or maudelen wort, for the common daisy. Now, of the moneywort Gerarde says: "The floures and leaues stamped and laid vpon wounds and vlcers doth cure them." May not this plant rank, then, as another consound with the distinguishing prefix money," and so represent the monicomsound" of The Country Man's Jewel? May not the molin be the mullein ? Pallion Vicarage. JOHNSON BAILY. In Prior's Popular Names of British Plants ach is described as parsley (Apium), in French ache-ache de marais, ache rustique, &c. I think that by molin must be meant mullein (Verbascum thapsus) so called from its being used to cure a disease in cattle called in French moleine, in Old French malen. Mullein is also called the higtaper and bullock's lungwort. Erval is probably the bitter vetch, in French ers (L. ervum, E. ervilia, L.). Can pellure be the pepper grass (L. Pilularia globulifera)? The spavin and monicomsound I cannot see any clue to; but hope the above may be of some use to MR. LEES. STRIX. Monicomsound is moneywort; a somewhat similar appellation is still commonly in rural districts given to the herb. among old people. Spavin, unless a misprint for savin, is possibly marsh mallow, although why so does not appear, unless it be from the fact that in old farriery books the above herb is stated to cure all kinds of spavins. Molin is a debased pronunciation of mullein, a famous wound herb. Ach is the ladies' smock. The children in this district of Gloucestershire know the plant only by the name of "aches." But some of them, not knowing its old application to aching wounds, call it "headache," and say it makes the gatherer's head bad. Erval I cannot identify; perhaps Lyte and Gerard-old herbalists-would enlighten us. A Erval (Ervum ervilia), bitter vetch. Molin (Verbascum thapsus, Tapsus barbatus). THE CURFEW, NORTH AND SOUTH (6th S. v. 347).-Messrs. Harland and Wilkinson, in their Lancashire Folk-lore, say (p. 44, ed. 1882):"The curfew-bell is still rung at Burnley, Colne, Blackburn, Padiham, and indeed in most of the older towns and many of the villages of Lancashire. It has nearly lost its ancient name, and is a remarkable instance of the persistence of an old custom or usage long after all its significance or value has ceased. It is now merely called 'the eight o'clock bell.'' F. C. BIRKBECK TERRY. P. CAREY'S "POEMS" (6th S. v. 447). -The first issue of Carey's Poems was in 1771, and consisted, I believe, only of nine, and those all of a severely religious character. They are thus mentioned amongst new publications in the London Magazine, vol. xl. p. 275: "Poems from a manuscript written in the time of Oliver Cromwell, 1s. 6d., Murray.-As the chief merit of these poems, which are of a serious cast, is the piety of their turn, we shall only say that a funeral sermon is likely to afford as much entertainment to our readers." The MS. is said (1st S. i. x. 407) to have been given to Mr. Murray by the Rev. Pierrepont Cromp, of Frinsted Court, Kent, who died in 1797 (Gentleman's Magazine, vol. lxvii. p. 81). Many years later Mr. Murray gave a copy of the whole MS. to Walter Scott, who printed some of the more attractive poems in the Edinburgh Annual Register for 1810, p. lxvii, with a brief account of the MS. and the expression of his hope that some English antiquary may discover the family of Patrick Carey." Scott printed the whole MS. in 1820, ignorant that a portion of it had been published in 1771. He refers to P. Carey in Woodstock, vol. iii. chap. vii., where he makes Charles II. say to Alice Lee: "Had you not better join me, Mistress Alice, in Patrick Carey's jovial farewell? Ah, do you not know Pat Carey-a younger brother of Lord Falkland's ?" From a note in Evelyn's Diary, Nov. 5, 1644, it appears that P. Carey was then a witty young abbé at Rome; he subsequently became a member of the Church of England. EDWARD SOLLY. The edition previous to Scott's was published by Murray in 1771. The title-page runs, "Poems from a Manuscript written in the time of Oliver Cromwell." The advertisement says of the poems that "They appear to have been written about the middle of the last century by one Carey, a man whom we now know nothing of." The book is a quarto, and contains half-title, title, advertisement, and pp. 5-35. There are many more poems in Scott's edition than in this earlier one of 1771. Both works are in the Dyce Library, South Kensington Museum. R. F. S. "STILL " AND "YET" (6th S. v. 428).-I am no Priscian, but perhaps when we are asked, "What is the correct and authorized use of these adverbs?" one may suggest that still has reference to a state of things already existing, and yet to a state of things about to exist. Still affirms that a certain state of things will continue, yet affirms that it will begin. And even when both adverbs have the sense of notwithstanding, this distinction seems visible. "He knew that, and still he did so-andso"-i. e., went on doing it. "He knew that, and yet he did so-and-so"-i. e., began to do it. C. M. I. seems to say that still and yet "mean almost the same thing." But there is great virtue in that "almost." A certain French gentleman spoke English very accurately, but one day he made an unfortunate mistake. Being asked if he remembered something which had happened long before, he replied, "No, I was not still born." Athenæum Club. A. J. M. TWO PORTRAITS: A MEDAL (6th S. v. 247).Having waited to see if any one else would answer MR. STUTFIELD's queries, I now beg to inform him that his medal is the work of Simon Passe, who was instructed in the art of engraving by his father Crispin Passe, an eminent artist of Utrecht, where Simon was born, circa 1574. Coming to England in 1611, he executed a series of medalets of the royal family, some, but not all, marked with S. P. in monogram, one having "Simon Passaeus Sculpsit" at full length. MR. STUTFIELD describes the reverse (perhaps rightly) as bearing the portrait of "Charles I.," meaning Prince Charles; but I am rather inclined to think that it is the portrait of Prince Henry, whose sudden death towards the close of the following year diffused universal grief throughout the nation. If in perfect condition the piece is well worth 20s. JOHN J. A. BOASE. 13, Claremont Terrace, Exmouth. CHARLES DICKENS'S NOVEL "GABRIEL VARDON" (6th S. v. 387).-Appended to an uncut copy of the second series of Sketches by Boz in my library I find a list of ten leaves, dated December, 1836, which reads: "Mr. Macrone's Select List of New Works and New Editions preparing for immediate publication or recently published, No. 3, St. James's Square." The fourth on this list reads: "A novel by Boz.' Gabriel Vardon. By Charles Dickens, Esq., author of Sketches by Boz, The Pickwick Papers, &c. Three volumes, post 8vo." The date of this appearing, it will be observed, was December, 1836. About this time was made the exorbitant demand of 2,000l. for the copyright of Sketches by Boz, which 150l. had purchased; this closed the connexion between Dickens and Macrone, and probably the bargain for the publication of the above work, for I find among the literary intelligence appended to Bentley's Miscellany the announcement: "Barnaby Rudge, by Mr. Dickens, will be illustrated, like Oliver Twist, by George Cruikshank. This work will commence in Bentley's Miscellany early in present year [1839]." This had been preceded by a card printed in the middle of one of the pages of advertisements dated New Burlington Street, December 1, 1838. J. W. JARVIS. Avon House, Manor Road, Holloway, N. "CHANGED" (6th S. v. 406).-This word is used in the sense given by W. H. S. in the northern part of Lincolnshire, and I apprehend in many other widely separated parts of England. I quote the passage concerning it which occurs in my Manley and Corringham Glossary: "I. Turned sour or rancid, decomposing. That milk's changed; fling it into th' swill-tub.' He was a strange handsome corpse, an' didn't change a bit afore the buryin'.' 11. When a child, usually good tempered, becomes suddenly and unaccountably irritable, it is common to gay, Bless th' bairn! he must ha' been changed.' Allusion is here made to the old superstition of changelings." EDWARD PEACOCK, Bottesford Manor, Brigg. WEATHER LORE (6th S. v. 406).-The origin of this saying may be traced to the lines, "So many mists in March you see, Another distich marks the weather lore of these two months: "March wind and May sun, A BOOK-PLATE QUERY (6th S. v. 407).-This is the ex-libris of Louis Bosch, Curé of Tamise, a village ten miles south-west of Antwerp. MR. WALLIS will find it described at p. 117, and figured in plate 13, of A Guide to the Study of Book-plates, by the Hon. J. Leicester Warren, M.A. London, Pearson, 1880. Mr. Warren suggests that " Perhaps it is copied from L. Bosch's portrait-picture in oils by some Flemish artist." T. W. C. "THE BACKSTRING" (6th S. v. 407).—JAYDEE will find backstring, with the extract from Cowper, in my Supplementary Glossary. It is there explained as 66 a leading-string behind, by which the nurse or mother guided the child." The backstrings or streamers at the back of an undergraduate's gown are generally called leading strings. T. LEWIS O. DAVIES. Pear Tree Vicarage, Southampton. backstring because it is usually tied behind. Surely this is the pinafore, obviously called P. J. F. GANTILLON. "LANDLORD" (6th S. v. 369).-The use of this word as applied to an innkeeper is comparatively modern. It is, I believe, used by Addison in this sense, and I think the origin is clear. A landlord primarily is "the lord of land" in the feudal sense, but afterwards meant any owner of land. A further extension of the meaning included a person who let his house in parts, and one who resides in lodgings correctly describes the person from whom he lishman's house is his castle," and a mere tenant hires these lodgings as his landlord. Every "Engis during his tenancy virtual lord of the soil for all legal purposes. The fact of tenure or ownership of land, therefore, constitutes a landlord. An innkeeper is accordingly called a landlord in virtue of the temporary tenure or occupation by guests of rooms in his inn. FREDERICK E. SAWYER. Brighton. BLECHENDEN OF ALDINGTON AND MERSHAM, KENT (6th S. v. 388).—I have no reply to make to this query if only descendants in male lines are meant by "the principal representatives of this ancient family"; but of descendants in female lines there are now several hundreds in the states of New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, William Bache, of Settle, in Yorkshire, about the sprung from the marriage of Mary Blechenden with BAR-POINT. year 1710. Philadelphia. "KICKSHAW "9 (6th S. v. 406).-The following passage, of which J. H. R.'s note reminded me, may be worth recording as an illustration of Shakspere's kickshaw, and of Johnson's etymology of the word: "Many would have the same meat (else they must and dished up to the mode of Familistick hashes, and starve, or feed upon the wind) onely it must be new dressed, Socinians (Quelques choses) Keckshoes; by more plain and popular hands, than those of the learned Ministers." -Gauden's Hieraspistes, 1653, p. 63. W. G. STONE. "PURCHASE" (6th S. v. 387). — The phrase "twenty years' purchase " may be extended thus: twenty years' annnal value for the purchase money. A busy and laconic age has shortened the expression, and a man, on being asked at what price he will sell his property, says concisely: "At twenty (or twenty-four) years' purchase." FREDERICK E. SAWYER. ELECTION OF A MOLE-CATCHER (6th S. v. 406). -It may interest H. W. A. to know that the mole catcher, as a parochial official, is already extinct. By the Highways and Locomotives (Amendment) Act, 1879, the accounts of highway parishes were brought under the auditing censorship of the Local Government Board, and that authority has decided that payments out of the rates to a mole-catcher are illegal. Of course he may still be employed by individuals on their own lands, but he can no longer, as formerly, be paid a salary in pursuance of his appointment by the vestry. In many cases the mole-catcher entered into a stamped agreement with the parish, and, as he frequently acted in all the parishes of an extensive district, his office was tolerably lucrative, and even now would appear to give rise to a contest for its possession. F. W. LANGSTON. JACK-AN-APES LANE, 1662 (6th S. v. 307, 436). -I know nothing about this; but, unless I am greatly mistaken, that "most detestable alley," as LYSART justly calls it, near Temple Bar, was named "Serle's Place "; certainly I never heard of its being called "Field Lane," which was the name of an equally disreputable lane on the other side of Holborn, a little eastward of Ely Place, and running northward from Holborn to the end of West Street, where it joined Saffron Hill. This district was one of the worst "rookeries" in all London, and was entirely swept away some thirty or more years ago. F. N. LIBRARIES IN CHURCHES (6th S. iv. 205, 266, 304, 327, 387).-There is such a library at Finedon, in this county, the books of which are in a fair condition, being kept in a room just over the church porch, where it was usual to keep them. There is another in the vestry of All Saints' Church, Northampton; it contains a remarkably fine copy of Chaucer, in black letter, with choice woodcuts, deficient in three leaves. Its date is 1542, and it was printed by Richard Kele. It is in this edition that the Plowman's tale was first included. There are also a copy of Walton's Biblia Polyglotta and other works of great service to the scholar and the student. The earliest indication of donations being given to the "Lending Library" we find in a copy of Pliny, which has the following inscription :"Liber Bibliothecae Northampton. 1701. Ex dono Edw. Maynard S.T.D." The major portion contain the following book-label:- The gift of the Rev. Dr. Crane, Prebend [ary] of Westminster, to the Library of All Saints, in Northampton. M,DCC,LXXVII." JOHN TAYLOR. 66 Northampton. In a room over the south porch of the parish church, Chelmsford, are the remains of a good theological library, which I find on reference to The History of Essex, by a Gentleman, published in 1769, was bequeathed by John Kingsbridge, D.D., for the use of the clergy of the town of Chelmsford and its environs. The books have been for many years sadly neglected, and on looking over a MS. catalogue found among the parish books many of them appear to have been lost. It would be much to the advantage of the reading public if a complete list of such libraries in existence throughout the country could be made in "N. & Q."; it is just possible that among some of them might be found many rare books of much interest to antiquaries. EDMUND DURRANT. Essex and Chelmsford Museum. to the present day is indebted to Dr. Thomas Many a clerical library, both at home and abroad, Bray not for "the hint" only, but for its actual existence. It may be noted, as a not uninteresting sign of the times, that one of the last grants of books made by the Bray Association was "for a library to be placed in the house of the Diocesan Missioners which has been established in the city of Truro." H. W. New University Club. The verse cited by your correspondent is given at p. 331 of R. Chambers's Popular Rhymes of Scotland (ed. 1870). On the same page this passage is given from Cromek's Nithsdale and Galloway Songs: MUGGINS (6th S. v. 408).—“What are muggins," "A charming young girl, whom consumption had asks CUTHBERT BEDE. I have always under- brought to the brink of the grave, was lamented by her stood the word muggins to be synonymous with lover. In a vein of renovating sweetness the good mer"mugwort" (Artemisia vulgaris). The German maid sang to him:muggert is considered by Grassmann (Deutsche 'Wad ye let the bonnie May die i' your hand, And the mugwort flowering i' the land?' Pflanzennamen, 1870, p. 133) to be likewise derived from "mugwort." (See Earle's English tered the juice to his fair mistress, who arose and blessed He cropped and pressed the flower-tops, and adminis Plant-names from the Tenth to the Fifteenth the bestower for the return to health." Century, 1880, p. cix.) Mr. Earle's book contains In the Teesdale Glossary (J. R. Smith, 1849), I many notes relative to the mugwort, and reference find, "Mugwood, n. Mugwort, a herb. The plant may be made to pp. xliii and Ixxxix, as well as to is used sometimes for making a sort of tea." the plant indices. I need scarcely remind CUTHBERT BEDE of the important place mugwort occupied in the domestic plant-lore of the north of Europe. Grimm has much information as to the superstitious uses of the plant in his Deutsche Mythologie, ii. 1013, "Wer beifuss im hause hat, dem mag der teufel nicht schaden. Hängt die wurzel über dem thor, so ist das haus gegen alles übel und ungeheuere geschützt," &c. WILLIAM GEORGE BLACK. 1, Alfred Terrace, Glasgow. According to A Dictionary of English PlantNames (E.D.S.), which would be a delight to CUTHBERT BEDE, muggon is a Scotch name for mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris). Messrs. Britten and Holland, the compilers, refer their readers to Chambers's Popular Rhymes of Scotland, where, at p. 331, is the story which gave rise to the prescription quoted by your correspondent : "The funeral of a young woman who had died of consumption was passing along the high-road on the margin of the Firth of Clyde, above Port Glasgow, when a mermaid raised her head from the water, and in slow admonitory tones uttered these words: 'If they wad drink nettles in March Wadna gang to the clay.' As may be readily surmised, muggons or mugwort (also called southern-wood) and a decoction of nettles form a prescription for consumption amongst the common people." I remember a Lincolnshire nurse who seemed to Cardiff. F. C. BIRKBECK TERRY. JOHN BOYS THE DEAN (6th S. v. 485).—Your readers will thank you for affording space for the sonnet with which Boys the Dean concluded his sermon on St. Luke ii. 15, and will no doubt agree with DR. JESSOPP as to its beauty in sentiment and poetical expression. But they will hardly agree with him in the interpretation he puts on the word maine as equivalent to mean. The very opposite signification is required, in fact the common natural meaning of the word=great, large, mighty. The complaint of the poet is that the love of Jesus is too large (maine) to find room in the narrow content" (space) of his heart. poor CROWDOWN. |