IX. Then He says to His Mother, "Oh! the withy, oh! the withy, The bitter withy that causes me to smart, to smart, Oh! the withy, it shall be the very first tree That perishes at the heart." The first part of the story is well known in the carol commonly called "The Holy Well'; but the whole story seems to have become nearly obsolete. 'N. & Q.,' 3rd S. iii. 334, gives a note concerning a fresco in the church of San Martino at Lucca, in Italy, which represents the Virgin Mary chastising the youthful Jesus. Is this the same legend? Suggestions as to the meaning of the first lines of stanzas iii. and vii. would be gratefully received. "Jerdins" may be a corruption of the "virgins" in "The Holy Well.' I hope other versions may turn up, and I should be glad to hear of any suggested origin for the story. I have not yet seen any other carol or legend resembling it. 5, Clement's Inn, W.C. F. SIDGWICK. A NEW LIGHT ON THE DOUGLAS CAUSE. IN Horace Walpole's 'Memoirs of the Reign of King George III.' there occurs this celebrated but cryptic passage in reference to the famous lawsuit: "At last the principal evidence for the Douglas was convicted of perjury in another cause in France" (v. G. F. Russell Barker's edition, Lawrence & Bullen, 1894, vol. iii. p. 206). To this statement Sir Denis Le Marchant, under whose editorship these 'Memoirs' were first published in 1845, appends the following note: "Without examining the records of France this fact cannot safely be altogether denied; but after many inquiries, both among Scotch and English lawyers, the authenticity of it seems to rest with Walpole alone. Had it happened before Mr. Stuart's Letters' were published in 1773, of course he would never have omitted so important a fact; but neither in his letters, nor in a French account of the Douglas cause published in 1786, nor in any other publication that has fallen in the editor's way, is there the least notice of any such thing: besides this nobody remembers even to have heard of it; and it is not a story likely to be forgotten, had it ever been mentioned." It is remarkable that Le Marchant, and others who have written upon the same subject, should overlook such a well-known work as John Taylor's Records of my Life' (2 vols. London, Edward Bull, 1832), where, in vol. ii. pp. 224-5, is a paragraph which appears to corroborate Walpole's assertion. Taylor says: "I may properly introduce a manuscript note which was given to me by the late Rev. Richard Penneck. He had lent me Mr. Andrew Stewart's letters, and he gave me this note as corroborative of Mr. Stewart's facts and reasonings. This note, which I copy from Mr. Penneck's handwriting, is asfollows: 'The reader, it is presumed, cannot be sur prised, perhaps he may be pleased, at being informed that Monsieur Menager, whom he will find so often mentioned in these letters as an accoucheur, has been sent to the galleys for life, for being concerned in a fraudulent business, similar to the affair in question. This is an unquestionable fact.' Penneck adds, "This note was found by a worthy friend in the frontispiece of the work (in MS.) in his possession.' Mr. Since Horace Walpole's Memoirs of the Reign of George III. were not given to the world until 1845, it is obvious that Taylor, whose reminiscences were published thirteen years previously, can owe no inspiration to the book of his predecessor. Thus his statement with regard to the accoucheur Menager is worthy of careful investigation. No doubt some of your readers who may have had occasion to study the criminal records of France (as Mr. H. B. Irving has done recently) will be able to direct the research. It is only has dared to say what many others must long a few weeks since Mr. Percy Fitzgerald, who have thought, published his book "Lady Jean: the Romance of the Great Douglas Cause,' and more than others he will be able to appreciate the significance of the perjury of Menager. In the 'Lives of the Chancellors' Lord Campbell expresses surprise that Andrew Stuart should have addressed his famous Letters' (published in January, 1773) to Lord Mansfield without paying any attention to Lord Camden, who handled him far more severely when delivering his opinion on the Douglas Cause in the House of Lords. Others have surmised that Stuart singled out Mansfield as a fitting object for attack because, unlike the ex-Chancellor, he was highly unpopular. A reference to the 'Caldwell Papers, printed for the Maitland Club (part ii. vol. ii. p. 184), will give a satisfactory explanation of the mystery. It appears that and Andrew Stuart, through the intervention on Tuesday, 19 March, 1771, Lord Camden of their mutual friend Lord Stair, had an interview at the house of the former, when the great lawyer offered a full and generous apology to the agent of the Hamiltons, and withdrew the aspersions he had made upon his character. Some time previously, on 9 March, 1769, Thurlow also made his amends in handsome terms, in a letter addressed to Andrew Stuart's brother (v. 'Caldwell Papers,' part ii. vol. ii. p. 152). Thus the Lord Chief Justice was the only Fox Oak, Walton-on-Thames. = -one of Stuart's old antagonists who remained "IN DANGER IMPENDING.-Writing on at variance with him when he contemplated 29 October, 1819, to Mr. Hoppner, British the publication of his apologia. The Douglas Consul-General at Venice, Byron says, “So Cause is discussed in the following pages of Madame Albrizzi's death is in danger-poor 'N. & Q.': 2nd S. iv. 69, 110, 158, 209, 285; woman!" See Moore's 'Life and Letters of v. 445; vi. 130; xii. 222; 3rd S. iv. 48, 522; Lord Byron,' ch. xxxvi. There seems to be 5th S. v. 35. HORACE BLEACKLEY. a shade of difference between this phrase and what would be indicated by saying that the life is in danger. Byron's expression under consideration is practically over, and would appear to imply that life in the case while there is still hope of recovery as long only the great change may be looked for, as it can be said that the citadel is seriously threatened, but manages to hold out. Probably the N.E.D.' fully discusses the subject, but at the moment it is not available. THOMAS (vere JOHN) WRIGHT.-As I pointed out incidentally at 10th S. ii. 135, a document printed in the Douay Diaries,' pp. 288-96, contains, at p. 290, the name of Thomas Wright. Similarly Dodd in his Church History' (first ed., vol. ii. at p. 91) gives an account of Thomas Wright, which Mr. Thompson Cooper has followed in the 'D.N.B.,'lxiii. 128. It is clear, however, from the Douay Diaries' themselves, as well as from Morris's Troubles of our Catholic Forefathers' (third series, pp. 301-2), that Wright's true Christian name was John. He first comes into prominence at the foundation of the English College, Douay, 1569. In 1573 he took the degree of S.T.B. at Douay. On 20 November, 1576, he left for England, via Paris, but was back again 9 February, 1577. On 23 May, 1577, he took the degree of S.T.L. at Douay. On 2 December, 1577, he left again for England. In Lent, 1578, he was arrested at Boroughbridge, and lodged in Ousebank Kidcote, York. Thence he was removed, probably early in August of the same year, to Hull Blockhouse, whence he was exiled in 1585. As in a document of 1579 (printed Strype, Ann.,' II. ii. 660) he is described as aged forty, it is improbable that he was a Queen Mary priest. He became Dean of Courtrai before 599. JOHN B. WAINEWRIGHT. ASTRONOMY IN GULLIVER'S TRAVELS.'Has the following curious anticipation of astronomical discovery been yet pointed out in N. & Q.' In the voyage to Laputa, Gulliver writes of the local astronomers that they have discovered two satellites of Mars, and proceeds to describe their movements and periodical times. Swift published the first edition of 'Gulliver' in 1726. The two satellites of Mars (now known as Deimos and Phobos) were not discovered until 1877. I can find no evidence that the existence of satellites of Mars had ever been suggested by astronomers of earlier times. Such a verification by science of what must have been the merest fancy on Swift's part is very curious and interesting. ALEX. LEEPER. Trinity College, University of Melbourne. [This successful guess is, we believe, well known to literary men.] THOMAS BAYNE. [Among the illustrative quotations for in danger "Lord Mohun...... was four days in danger of lyfe."] in the 'N.E.D.' is this from Lady Chaworth, c. 1676 : "WHEN DOCTORS DIFFER." - During the hearing of an action lately brought against Dr. Spenser, head master of University College School, Gower Street, the defendant said he doubted the bona fides of a letter he had received. To quote a newspaper paragraph: The 66 'He called it 'bonna fiddes.' Your classical education seems to have been neglected,' Mr. Bowen commented loftily. I think it is rather your pronunciation that is at fault,' the master retorted, K.C. protested that he was at Winchester School, mildly. 'Your quantities are all wrong' and there they did not agree with people who called Cicero Kikero,' and pronounced "Veni, vidi, vici,' Weyni, weedee, weekee' a speech which, however amusing and [chest]nutty, was quite beside the mark. In his 'Personal Recollections' Mr. Sutherland Edwards records : The only Englishman at Tatra Füred when I first went there was a very illustrious one-Dean Stanley......He had already inscribed his name in the visitors' book, and had written after his signature a brief note on the entry made by a silly preillis' could not but offend his eye, his ear, his Tempora mutantur et nos mutamur in memory. He expressed his disgust by putting a short mark over the first ur thus, and adding, ‘Evidently no Latin scholar.'"-Pp. 200, 201. decessor. In relation to this it was interesting to find the following passage in The Spectator's notice (29 April, p. 642) of Sir Mountstuart Grant Duff's Notes from a Diary, 1896-1901': "There is a curious story, à propos of quotations, of how one of the law officers of a Conservative government quoted the line tempora mutantur et nos mutamur in illis,' and that Disraeli said to one of his colleagues, Tell that man never to open his mouth again!' It was, he thought, a case of false prosody, the et and nos having to be transposed. But Disraeli was wrong and the lawyer right. The "Quaint Ceremony Observed. The ancient custom of rushbearing, stated to be nearly 1,000 years old, and which is still observed in four places in England, three of which are in Westmorland, was carried out yesterday at the village of Musgrave, near Kirkby Stephen. When our early forefathers worshipped in churches with only rude earthen floors, or floors at best paved with cobbles, it was the custom to lay rushes gathered from the neighbouring marshes upon the floors as a means of obtaining both comfort and warmth. As the laying of rushes became unnecessary through the improved flooring of places of worship, the custom of rush bearing was changed to that of flower bearing. The girls of the villages around are decked in crowns of flowers and march in procession to the church, where their garlands are hung against the walls. Hundreds of people attended the ceremony yesterday, and the village sports, held afterwards, were heartily entered into, the whole proceedings being concluded with a good old-fashioned country dance." I doubt the accuracy of the statement that rushbearing was known at only one place out of Westmorland. The custom has been recorded in 'N. & Q.' at the following places, viz. Heybridge, near Maldon, Essex (2nd S. i. 471); Barrowden, Rutland (8th S. ii. 237); and Holcombe, Lancashire (8th S. v. 146). EVERARD HOME COLEMAN. "HICKERY - PUCKERY." This singular expression seems to be absent from all our dictionaries. The N.E.D.' has hickery pickery in the sense of a drug, mais ceci est une autre histoire. As will be seen from the following quotation, the phrase can be reversed, with a change of meaning, so perhaps the editors of the 'N.E.D.' may be able to bring it in under puckery-hickery : "Such have often doubly cheated the Government, first by running tobacco, or entering all light hogsheads at importation, which in their language is called Hickery-puckery; and then again by getting a debenture for tobacco that has been run, or entering all heavy hogsheads. for exportation, which they term Puckery-hickery." Hugh Jones's Present State of Virginia,' 1724, p. 145. JAS. PLATT, Jun. THE MONUMENT ON FISH STREET HILL. -The reference, ante, p. 80, to the effacing of the old inscription by order of the Court of Common Council, in your review of "The Gentleman's Magazine Library," reminds me that the Athenæum for January 29th, 1831, in recor ling the chipping off of "the old lying inscription," makes this protest : "This is abundantly silly. To mutilate and destroy inscriptions is to falsify history. Its remaining there did not prove that the Catholics set fire to the city; but it proved the bigoted ignorance of the people who believed so; it proved that popular opinions, where they run current with popular prejudice, are very indifferent authority." JOHN C. FRANCIS. THE IRISH BRIGADE.-The Journal of the Royal United Service Institution for July contains the last article of a long series on the Irish regiments in the service of France, and, bringing their history up to the transfer of several of the first battalions to the British service, and the capture in San Domingo of several of the second battalions by a British force, deals with matters which have been the subject of discussion in the pages of N. & Q.' (See 1st S. ii. 452, 499; iii. 372; 4th S. xii. 496; 5th S. i. 32; 6th S. xi. 387; 9th S. D. vii. 25, 114, 211, 333.) BATTEN FAMILY OF CORNWALL AND DEVON. -Can any of your readers give me assistance in tracing the ancestry of John Batten, of Madron, Cornwall? He married, 13 June, 1646, Maud (surname unknown), and was ancestor of the well-known family of Battens of Penzance. Some of these bear the arms and crest of Batten of Devon, viz.: Arms, a chevron sable between three battle-axes azure; crest, an arm embowed, holding in the hand a battle-axe vert. Humphrey Batten, of Donsland, North Devon, whose heiress Philippa married John Arscott, died 15 Nov., 1522, and had a brother John, I am informed. Was this latter John the ancestor of John of Madron ? I have been referred (in an index of pedigrees) to the 'Visitation of Devon, 1620,' Harleian Society's Publications. No. 67, published in 1872, and now out of print. Will any of your correspondents who have access to this book look at p. 13 for the name of Batten and give me any further information on this point? WILLIAM MAXWELL BATTEN. 5, Rosebank, Manningham, JOSEPH ANSTICE (1808-36) was, I believe, the second son of William Austice, of Madeley, Salop. He married, in July, 1832, Elizabeth, daughter of J. Ruscombe Poole. The 'Dict. of Nat. Biog.' gives neither his parentage nor his marriage. I should be glad to learn any particulars of his mother and of his father-in-law. G. F. R. B. DE FAUBLAS.-I happen to possess, from the library of a defunct friend, thirteen diminutive volumes (the sixth excepted) of the amorous adventures of the Chevalier de Faublas, published in London in 1790. They are divided respectively into three parts, thus: vols. i. to v., Une Année de la Vie du Chevalier de Faublas' (second edition); vols. vi. and vii., 'Six Semaines de la Vie du Chevalier de Faublas'; vols. viii. to xiii., 'La Fin des Amours du Chevalier de Faublas.' The author is Louvet de Couvray. The moral of the series is 89 unmistakable as that of 'Nana'; the story itself is (if true) a deplorable picture of life in France towards the end of the eighthrough N. & Q.,' the missing volume (the teenth century. Is it possible to secure, sixth) of this edition? I observe that a later edition is offered in a recent catalogue at something over a sovereign. Please reply direct. J. B. McGoVERN. St. Stephen's Rectory, C.-on-M., Manchester. [A full account of this notorious work will be found in the Bibliographie des Ouvrages relatifs à l'Amour,' &c., of which more than one edition has been issued.] "GENTLEMAN" AS A TITLE.-What "Sovereign Lords" of England, other than King Edward VI., conferred the title of "Gentle man" by letters patent? E. S. DODGSON. Holy War' one of the men who strove to BUNYAN'S 'HOLY WAR.' - In Bunyan's cumber Mansoul with abundance is called "Mr. Get i' th' hundred and lose i' th' shire." What is the significance of this nickname? MEDICULUS. [Is it not a paraphrase of Mark viii. 36?] NATHANIEL COOPER, of Plymouth, co. Devon, gentleman, was the father, circ. 1717, of another Nathaniel, who was admitted a student of the Middle Temple, 29 June, 1737. I desire information of this family. Is there authority for the belief that it is of gipsy origin? P. MONTFORT. of George Cumberland, who wrote from GEORGE CUMBERLAND.-Is anything known Bishopsgate, Windsor Great Park, and dedicated, on 1 January, 1796, to his friend Charles Long, M.P., his "Attempt to describe Hafod and the neighbouring scenes about the bridge over the Funack, commonly called the 'Devil's Bridge,' in the county of Cardigan, an ancient seat belonging to Thomas Johnes, Esq., member for the county of Radnor "? At the end of my copy of the book (which has a fine view of Hafod Hall as frontispiece, and contains a map) is an announcement from which it would appear Cumberland also wrote 'Thoughts on Outline Sculpture and the System that guided the Ancient Artists in composing their Figures and Groups,' 'Anecdotes of Julio Bonasoni,' Lewina, the Maid of Snowdon,' and 'British Landscapes.' The Hafod estate was long in Chancery, and was fruitlessly offered for sale, with a reserve of 75,000l., on 6 September, 1832; but in March, 1833, it was sold to the then Duke of Newcastle, "together with the with regard to the date, or approximate date, timber, splendid library of books, furniture, of the production of the 'Modern Ballad.' and cellar of wines," for 62,000l. Is anything F. R. CAVE. known of this "splendid library of books"? Does the present Duke own Hafod? Lancaster. T. CANN HUGHES, M.A., F.S.A. "The Latin Intrinseca shows that the name of the parish is the official Latin name as used in charters and legal instruments. I daresay Rima Intrinseca could be found. I would suggest that this Latin 'Rima' is identical with an O.E. rima, meaning verge, border, rim. This word rima is found in Kemble's 'Codex Diplomaticus,' 550, in the description of land boundaries. The cognate word is used in Icelandic for a strip of land. Probably there was a rima, or strip of land, inside and outside a defined area." I may add the lord of both manors of Ryme is the Duke of Cornwall. Intrinseca is one mile from Yetminster, and was once, according to Hutchins, a chapelry dependent on that place. Extrinseca, according to the same authority, is in Long Bredy, although I have a letter before me from the present rector of Long Bredy, saying that he "never heard tell" of such a manor, although he has been at Long Bredy for nearly forty years. The earliest spelling in the register (1630) is Rime. Rectory, Ryme Intrinseca. H. M. BARRON. For Widdrington I needs must wail, As one in doleful dumps; For when his legs were smitten off, He fought upon his stumps; and goes on to say that this was composed in the eclipse of art and taste, on the restoration of the Stuarts. In Percy's 'Reliques,' however, no such date is assigned to the ballad, and it is simply stated that, if one may judge from the style, it cannot be older than the time of Elizabeth. I should be much obliged, therefore, if you could inform me whether Froude's statement is correct, or what is now actually known "CLOSE."-I have lately met with "close" as a French noun, but cannot find it again. The meaning attached to it was that of a concession (territorial or mining), and I should like to know whether its use (in this sense or at all) is justified. Apparently it is a neologism; as a noun it is not even in the EDWARD LATHAM. new Larousse. remarks upon SHEPHERD'S BUSH.-Being led by F. W. A.'s reply (10th S. iii. 337) to read Mr. C. G. Harper's Gloucester, and Milford Haven Road,' 1905, Shotover in his Oxford, I came upon Mr. Harper's stimulating and curious disquisition (vol. i. pp. 53-7) upon the name of Shepherd's Bush. Therein he tells us that the place-name derives from an ancient thorn-tree, used by shepherds for reclining upon while watching their flocks, and adduces examples said to exist to this day on East Anglian commons, and known as shepherds' bushes.' Does any East Anglian or other reader of 'N. & Q' know of existent bushes of this character, so named? H. ERSKINE HUNTER. 66 your BODDINGTON FAMILY.-I should be very any of grateful if learned readers could give me any information with regard to the family of Boddington, or, as it was, I believe, anciently written, Botenton. Was the family ever in possession of the manor of Boddington, in Gloucestershire? and is any member of the family mentioned in any of the historic rolls of English families? Had the Upper and Lower Boddington, in Northfamily any connexion with the villages of ampton? I should also be very grateful for. any information about the crest, arms. or R. S. B. colours (if any) of the family. "VENI, CREATOR."-Who was the author or the translator of the hymn beginning Come, Holy Ghost, eternal God, proceeding from above, which is offered as a substitute for Come, Holy Ghost, our souls inspire, in the Form of Ordering of Priests used in the English Church? It is painfully like doggerel, and I have grave doubts as to whether it ever takes the place of the simpler and more impressive verses which stand before it. These are allied to an easy, familiar air, which the mention of them at once evokes ; and I am left wondering with what tune the alternative hymn could be associated. ST. SWITHIN. |