Notes and Queries, Number 15, February 9, 1850

C.W.G.

Lord Bacon’s Metrical Version of the Psalms.—Lord Bacon’s translation of seven psalms, the 1st, 12th, 90th, 104th, 126th, 127th, and 149th, with a Dedication to George Herbert, is found at the end of the 2nd vol. of his works. (Lond. 1826.) They were printed at London, 1625, in quarto.

C.W.G.

[To this we may add, on the information of X.X., that some account of these Psalms, with specimens, may be seen in Holland’s Psalmists of Britain, 1824.]

A “Gib” Cat.—What is the etymology of the term “Gibbe,” as applied to the male cat? I may observe that the g is pronounced hard in this locality, and not jibbe, as most dictionaries have it.

Burnley, Lancashire.

T.T.W.

[NARES has shown, very satisfactorily, that Gib, the contraction of Gilbert, was the name formerly applied to a cat, as Tom is now. He states that Tibert (the name given to the Cat in the old Reynard the Fox) was the old French for Gilbert; and at all events, be that as it may, Chaucer, in his Romance of the Rose, verse 6204., translates “Thibert le Cas” by “Gibbe our Cat.”]

Lay of the Phœnix.—”SELEUCUS” is informed that the Anglo-Saxon Lay of the Phœnix is contained in the Codex Exoniensis, edited by Mr. B. Thorpe. The Latin poem, in hexameters and pentameters, attributed to Lactantius, is given at the foot of the page. It will be found at the end of the works of Lactantius, in the small edition by Fritzsche (Lipsiæ, 1842). Fritzsche mentions two separate editions of the poem; 1. by Martini, Lunæburgi, 1825; 2. by Leyser, Quedlinburgi, 1839.

C.W.G.

Lay of the Phœnix.—”SELEUCUS” (No. 13, p. 203.) asks, “Is there any published edition of the hexameter poem by Lactantius, which is said to have suggested the idea of the Anglo-Saxon Lay of the Phœnix?” This poem is not in hexameter, but in elegiac verse; and though, on account of its brevity, we could not expect that it would have been separately published, it is to be found very commonly at the end of the works of Lactantius; for example, in three editions before me, Basil. 1524, Lugd. 1548, Basil. 1563. That this poem, however, belongs to the Christian Cicero, at any period of his life, is more than doubtful, even by the admission of Romanists, who readily avail themselves of other compositions of similar authority. It has been sometimes ascribed to Venantius Fortunatus, and is by Sirmondus attributed to Theodulphus, Bishop of Orleans. (Opp., ii. 840. cf. iv. 519. Venet. 1728.)

R.G.

Ordination Pledges.—Your correspondent, “CLERICUS” (no. 10. p. 156.), will find by far the most elaborate and judicious examination of the import, design, and obligation of the various oaths and subscriptions required of the clergy, in the successive numbers of The Christian Observer for 1849.

E.V.

Feast of St, Michael and All-Angels.—The difficulty started by “K.M.P.” (No. 13, p. 203.), with regard to the double second lessons for the Feast of St. Michael and All-Angels, is easily resolved by comparing the Table of Proper Lessons before and after the last review of the Prayer Book in 1662; from which it will be seen, that the proper second lessons were then appointed for the first time, while the old second lessons for Sept. 29. were retained, either from inadvertence, or to avoid the necessity of disarranging all the subsequent part of the calendar. The present first lessons, Gen. xxxii., and Dan. x. v. 5., at the same time took the place of the inappropriate chapters, Eccles. xxxix. and xliv., which had been appointed for this day in Queen Elizabeth’s Prayer Book, 1559.

E.V.

Beaver Hat.—Mr. T. Hudson Turner (No. 7. p. 100.) asks, “What is the earliest known instance of the use of a beaver hat in England?”

Fairholt (Costume in England) says, the earliest notice of it is in the reign of Elizabeth, and gives the following quotation from Stubbe’s Anatomy of Abuses, 1580:—

“And as the fashions be rare and strange, so is the stuff whereof their hats be made divers also; for some are of silk, some of velvet, some of taffetie, some of sarcenet, some of wool, and, which is more curious, some of a certain kind of fine haire; these they call bever hattes, of xx, xxx, or xl shillings price, fetched from beyond the seas, from whence a great sort of other varieties doe come besides.”

GASTROS.

Meaning of “Pisan.”—Mr. Turner (No. 7. p.100.) asks the meaning of the term pisan, used in old records for some part of defensive armour.

Meyrick (Ancient Armour, vol. i. p. 155, 2d ed.) gives a curious and interesting inventory of the arms and armour of Louis le Hutin, King of France, taken in the year 1316, in which we find, “Item 3 coloretes Pizanes de jazeran d’acier.” He describes pizane (otherwise written pizaine, pusen, pesen) as a collar made, or much in fashion, at Pisa. The jazeran armour was formed of overlapping plates. In the metrical romance of Kyng Alisaunder, edited by Webber, occur the lines—

“And Indiens, and Emaniens,With swordes, lances, and pesens.“

Weber explains the pesens here as gorgets, armour for the neck.

In more recent MSS. pisan may be a contraction for partisan, a halberd.

I cannot agree with your correspondent “A.F.” (p.90), that the nine of diamonds was called “the curse (cross) of Scotland” from its resemblance to the cross of St. Andrew, which has the form of the Roman X; whereas the pips on the nine of diamonds are arranged in the form of the letter H. “Mend the instance.”

Erratum. P. 181 col. 2. line 3., for obscurities, read obscenities.

Cambridge, Jan. 31. 1850.

GASTROS.

Pokership—God tempers the Wind.—I am disposed to think that Parkership will turn out to be the right explanation, because almost every forest or chase contained a fenced park, in which the deer were confined; and the charge of the woods and park might be consigned to the same person; and the error in spelling the word was probably copied from one genealogist to another.

Nevertheless, Mr. Corney’s conjecture may be right, as Forby (Vocabulary, vol. ii. p. 258.) mentions Poke-Day as the day on which the allowance of corn is made to the labourers, who, in some places, receive a part of their wages in that form. Now the Pokerer might be the officer who distributed the grain on these occasions.

I open my note to add, that Mr. Gutch (No. 14. p. 211.) will find, in Sterne’s Sentimental Journey,—”God tempers the wind,” said Maria, “to the shorn lamb.”

The words which I have underlined are printed in Italics in my edition of the work (London, 12mo. 1790), which may indicate that they are quoted from some other author.

BRAYBROOKE.

Audley End, Feb. 2.

Walewich or Watewich.—I have made the reference suggested by “W.B.M.”

Canute was residing at Walewich, and the Abbot of Ely was consecrated there by the Archbishop of Canterbury. This “Walewich” can be no obscure place, and we need not look for it in Cambridgeshire.

I am inclined to think that the word ought to have been written Warewich, i.e. Warwick.

Soham Mere (Mare de Soham) once covered 1369 1⁄2 acres.—Lyson’s Cambridge, 254.

Portum Pusillum, if not Littleport, was a place upon the Cam or the Ouse, within sight of Ely Minster.

Does your correspondent suppose that Northmouth was among the fens? If so, he may consult Inquisitio Eliensis, or Dugdale’s Map of the Bedford Level, which is in the Museum.

J.F.M.

Dec. 22.

Madoc’s Emigration to America.—”ANGLO-CAMBRIAN” (No. 4. p. 57.), in contradiction to the occurrence of Madoc’s emigration, has adduced what he supposes to be a gross anachronism in the words “Madoc was directed by the best compass, and this in 1170!” Now, unfortunately for this opinion, the passage on which it is founded will not allow of his interpretation. The original words are in Sir Thomas Herbert’s Travels, and, in his expressive language, they are as follows:—”By Providence, the best compass, and benefit of the pole-star, he returned safely to his own country.” Most certainly this cannot imply that Madoc was acquainted with the mariner’s compass.

“J.M.T.” also seems to give great weight to the fact of a “Welsh-Indian vocabulary” having been formed, containing no trace of any Celtic root. This seems conclusive, yet it is not so; for I have some words, extracted from a vocabulary of the Mandan (Indian) language made by Mr. Catlin, during his sojourn among them, all of which, with very slight allowance for corruption, are clearly Welsh. Mr. Catlin believes the Mandans to have been descended from the followers of Prince Madoc, from the strong evidence which he considers his stay among them afforded him, and detailed in his work on the Indians. I regret to add, that the Mandans have been exterminated by the small-pox and the weapons of their enemies. I have long taken a deep, because a national, interest in this question, and have endeavoured to examine in the spirit of that noble precept, which ought to be bound up with the existence of every Cymro, “The truth against the world.” Consequently, I have found that much of what is put forth as evidence on this question is, as Mr. Corney has very justly intimated, quite inadmissible; in short, unworthy of belief. Still, the inquiry has afforded me sufficient reasons for viewing the question of Prince Madoc’s emigration as a fact, and for supporting it as such as far as my humble testimony will allow.

GOMER.

Caerphili Castle.—With reference to “PWCCA’S” query (No. 10. p. 157.), it may be noted that Full is the Welsh word for “haste,” and, if the derivatur, must allude to the original structure having been hastily erected.

GOMER.

Origin of word Bug.—I should feel obliged by your informing me whether the word Bug is not of Celtic origin, signifying a “Ghost or Goblin?” Vide Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew, Act I. Scene II.:—

“Tush, tush, fright boys with bugs.”

And whether, in Mathews’ Bible, A.D. 1537, the 5th verse of the 91st Psalm is not thus rendered:—

“Thou shalt not need to be afraid of any bugs by night”?

literally, in the Hebrew, “Terror of the night.”

J.P.

[Bug in Welsh means a ghost or goblin. It is probably the same with the Icelandic Paki, an evil spirit. But on this etymology our correspondent can consult an article by Sir F. Palgrave, on the “Popular Mythology of the Middle Ages.” in the Quarterly Review, vol. xxii.;a paper, by Mr. Thoms, on the “Folk Lore of Shakspeare,” No. 6.; “Puck’s several Names,” in The Athenæum, Oct. 9. 1847; and lastly, Mr. Keightley’s most interesting work, The Fairy Mythology. vol. ii. p. 118., of which we are happy to hear that a new and enlarged edition may shortly be expected.]

MISCELLANIES

Excecution of Duke of Monmouth.—Among the memorials of the “rash but unfortunate Duke of Monmouth,” which have recently attracted much attention, and for which the public are principally indebted to certain inquiries originated in the “NOTES AND QUERIES,” I have not observed any notice taken of an anecdote respecting him, which is current among our neighbours on the Continent; namely, that he gave six guineas to the executioner, the JOHN KETCH of that day, to perform his work well!—

“Le Duc de Monmout donna six guinées au Bourreau de Londres, pour lui bien couper la tête; mais le misérable ne mérroit par ces guinées, puisqu’il la lui coupa très mal.”

This anecdote is introduced, in the form of a note, into the folio Dictionary of Pierre Richelet, a most valuable work, and full of history, ancient and modern. Can any of your correspondents produce the authority for this anecdote? Richelet himself does not give any, but merely relates the story, apparently with a view of illustrating the term “guinea,” as applied to the gold coin of Charles the Second. Vid, voc. “Guinée.”

J.I.

By Hook or by Crook.—I send you a note, which I made some years ago.

This expression is much more ancient than the time of Charles I., to which it is generally referred. It occurs in Skelton, Colin Clout, line 31. a fine:—

“Nor wyll suffer this bokeBy hooke ne by crookePrynted for to be.”

In Spenser, f. 2. v. ii. 27.:—

“Thereafter all that mucky pelfe he tooke,The spoile of peoples evil gotten good,The which her sire had serap’t by hooke and crooke,And burning all to ashes pour’d it down the brooke.”

In Holland’s Suetonius, p. 169:—

“Likewise to get, to pill and poll by hooke and crooke so much, as that–”

In a letter of Sir Richard Morysin to the Privy Council, in Lodges Illustrations, &c., i. 154:—

“Ferrante Gonzaga, d’Arras, and Don Diego, are in a leage, utterlie bent to myslyke, and to charge by hook or by crooke, anything don, or to be don, by the thre fyrst.”

L.S.

Cupid Crying.—The beautiful epigram upon this subject, which appeared in No. 11 p. 172., was kindly quoted, “for its extreme elegance,” by the Athenæum of the 26th January, which produced the following communication to that journal of Saturday last:—

“Will the correspondent of the ‘NOTES AND QUERIES,’ whose pretty epigram appears copied into your Athenæum of Saturday last, accept the following as a stop-gap pending the discovery of the Latin original?

“En lacrymosus Amor! Fidem quia perdidit arcumVapulat! Exultans Cælia tela tenet.Ast illam potuitne Puer donare sagittis?Subrisit:—Matrem credidit esse suam.“Αµορφωτα. 5.”

Miry-land Town.—As an addition to the note of “J.R.F.” (p. 167. No. 11.) on Miry-land Town, and by way of corroboration of his reading, I may just mention that the towns and villages in the Weald of Kent are familiarly spoken of as places “down in the mud,” by the inhabitants of other parts of the country. Those who are acquainted with the Weald will agree that this designation is not undeserved.

HENRY KERSLEY.

NOTES ON BOOKS, SALES, CATALOGUES, ETC

The Surtees Society, for the publication of inedited MSS. illustrative of the intellectual, moral, religious, and social condition of those parts of the United Kingdom which constitute the ancient kingdom of Northumberland, has been remodelled. The subscription for the year is one guinea, and the works in immediate preparation are, 1. “The Injunctions and other Ecclesiastical Proceedings of Richard Barnes, Bishop of Durham (1577-87);” and, 2. “The Anglo-Saxon Hymnarium.”

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This is a great opportunity for forming an Exhibition of a novel and most interesting kind, one which is calculated both to interest and amuse the archæologist and the public, and to instruct the artizan and the manufacturer. We sincerely hope possessors of articles suitable for exhibition, will not fail to take advantage of it. They should immediately enter into communication with the Honorary Secretary to the Exhibition, at the rooms of the Society of Arts, or they will be too late.

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Messrs. Sotheby and Co. will sell, on Thursday and Friday next, a very choice Selection of Magnificent Books and Pictorial Works from the Library of an eminent Collector, including large paper copies of the Antiquarian Works of Visconti, Montfaucon, &c.; the first four editions of Shakspeare, and other works of similar high character.

We have received the following Catalogues:—

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“Bernard Quartch’s Catalogue of Foreign and English Books, selling for Cash at very reduced Prices, at 16. Castle Street, Leicester Square; comprising Antiquities, History, Heraldry, Numismatics, Classics, Ethnology, Languages, &c.

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R.J.S. will find in No. 12. p. 188., an answer to his query in reply to a previous query in No. 8. p. 125.

F.D. (BRADFORD) is informed that the Towneley Mysteries have been printed by the Surtees Society, and the Coventry and Chester Mysteries by the Shakspeare Society. We have no doubt the Collection of Early Mysteries, printed at Basle, may be procured from any of the foreign booksellers.

W. calls our attention to an error in p. 217. The Field of Forty Foot-steps is a distinct work by Miss Porter, published in the same collection as “Coming Out,” but not the second title of that work.

J.K.R.W. Many thanks, although there has not been an opportunity of using the communications.

G.W. will find the phrase “to dine with Duke Humphrey” very fully illustrated in Nares.

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