Notes and Queries, Number 70, March 1, 1851

Edward F. Rimbault.

Etymology of Mushroom.—In the sixteenth century this word appears generally to have been spelt Mushrump. Nares, in his valuable Glossary, gives an instance from Marlow's play of Edward the Second, 1598; but there is an earlier example in Robert Southwell's Spirituall Poems, 1595:

"He that high growth on cedars did bestow,Gave also lowly mushrumps leave to growe."

It is also spelt Mushrump in Cockeram's Dictionary, 1632. These instances may possibly lead to a correct etymology of the word.

Edward F. Rimbault.

Curious Fact in Natural History.—There is in the Brazils a popular superstition to this effect. There is a tree called Japécarga, which is said to grow out of the body of the insect called Cigara. This is a very large tree, and the Cigara is an insect which makes an incessant chirping on the tree, and, as the saying goes, chirps till it bursts. When the insect dies, the tree is said to grow out of it, the roots growing down the legs. My explanation is this: The insect feeds on the seeds of the Japécarga, and occasionally, under advantageous circumstances, some of the seeds germinate, and cause the death of the insect, the tree shooting up through the softest part, the back, and the rootlets making their way down the only outlets, the legs. I wish to know whether any similar fact in Natural History has been noticed, and if not, how is it accounted for, since I can vouch for the skin of the insect having been found with the tree growing out of its back, and the roots growing down through the legs.

John Manley.

Pernambuco.

Hudibras in 1710.—On the back of the oldest register of the parish of Syston, Leicestershire, is the following memorandum:—

"July 19th, 1710. Borrow'd then of Mr. Hesketh Hudibrass in 3 parts, wch I promise to return upon demand; witness my hand,   John Kilby."

A pretty strong proof of the value and interest of this work about a century and a half ago.

Arun.

The Great Exhibition.—It is well known that the vineyards of Switzerland have been long protected from hail by means of upright poles having copper wire attached to them, termed "paragrêles," distant from each other from 60 to 100 feet. The formation of hail is an effect of which electricity is the cause, and the cloud being deprived of this agent by the conductors, descends in the shape of rain. Mr. John Murray, F.S.A., F.L.S., &c., in his work on Switzerland, speaks very decidedly of their utility. Has then this ingenious contrivance been considered with reference to the protection of the Great Exhibition and its valuable, or rather invaluable, contents? or why is it deemed inapplicable to the purpose?

C. T.

Queries

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

Everybody can see that the first commandment is directed against polytheism, and the second against idolatry; and most people know that the Church of Rome differs from the Church of England in joining these two into one commandment, and dividing the tenth into two commandments, so as to make up the full number, ten. This point of difference betwixt the two churches must necessarily have been the subject of much dispute. There must be plausible reasons on both sides for every commandment in the Anglican ritual being different from its correspondent on the Roman tables: and the settlement of this question must properly belong to the theologian, since holy scripture only mentions how many divine commandments there are (Exodus, xxxiv. 28.; Deuteronomy, iv. 13., x. 4.), without authoritatively separating them.

Will any one kindly inform me where this question may be found fully discussed; and where mention is made of the earliest known divisions of the law? Also, I should be glad to know how the Jews at the present day divide the commandments; and whether there is any record or tradition of there ever having been discussions in their church upon this very interesting and no less important matter?

Alfred Gatty.

Ecclesfield.

Minor Queries

Was Hugh Peters ever on the Stage?—In a pamphlet entitled Arbitrary Government displayed to the Life, in the illegal Transactions of the late Times under the tyrannick Usurpation of Oliver Cromwell, ed. 1690, p. 98., we are informed that Hugh Peters, after he had been expelled the University of Cambridge, went to London, and enrolled himself as player in Shakspeare's company, "in which he usually performed the part of Clown." Is there any other authority for this statement?

Edward F. Rimbault.

English Synonymes.—What are the books of best authority for the synonymes of the English language?

A Foreigner.

Christmas Day.—Which of the popes fixed dogmatically the 25th of December as the birthday of our Saviour? Was it not either Julius I. or II.? and what grounds had he for his decision?

J. C.

A Coggeshall Job.—"Saffron Walden, God help me."—Has the old saying of "A Coggeshall Job" occupied the attention of your readers? And why is it that many of the mendicants who ramble the county of Suffolk in search of relief, when asked where they come from, reply in a pitiful tone, "Saffron Walden, God help me."

J. C.

Easton.

T. Gilburt on Clandestine Marriages.—I have a MS. against the validity of clandestine marriages, dated from Oxford, June 23rd, 1682, signed T. Gilburt. It is a learned and argumentative treatise on this subject. It is entitled:

"An Argument against the Validitie of Clandestine Marriages in the Sight of God. Sent with a Letter to a person of Qualitie desiring my Judgment in ye case wherein he was too nearly concerned."

I am anxious to know who this T. Gilburt may have been.

W. F.

Father Hehl, and Cahagnet.—If any of your numerous readers can say where any account of Father Hehl, who in 1774 discovered animal magnetism, may be found; and whether such a person as M. L. Alph. Cahagnet is living in Paris or elsewhere, whether he is a doctor or pharmacien, what his age may be, and whether the persons whose letters are given in his book, Arcanes de la Vie future dévoilés, are real or imaginary beings, they will greatly comfort

Engastrimythus.

Roman Catholic Bishops in Ireland.—Can any of your readers refer me to any printed or manuscript account of the appointment of Roman Catholic bishops in Ireland by the Stuart family subsequent to the death of James II., containing names, dates, &c.?

Drumlethglas.

Derivation of the Word Fib.—Can any of your readers suggest a proper derivation of this word? Old Bailey, to whom a reference would occasionally save many doubts and inquiries, connects it with "fable." Johnson says nothing as to the etymology, but explains it as "a cant word among children;" while, at the same time, he inserts it on the authority of Pope and Arbuthnot.

In reading the works of that very learned and instructive author, Samuel Werenfels, I was struck with a passage in his Diatribe de Meteoris, p. 272. (Amstel. Wetstein, 1702), which seemed to furnish a probable solution of the question:—"Propter abusum nominis Phœbi evenit, ut omnes qui, altius in oratione, quam decet, se extollere volunt, Gallis hodiernis φοιβολογεῖν Phœbum loqui, Parler Phebus, dicantur." So far as the sound is concerned, this seems a nearer approximation to "fib" than the word "fable." The sense, too, is not very remote from the accepted one of "talking fibs." Query, as to this conjecture?

C. H. P.

Brighton, Feb. 10. 1851.

Thomas May, the Author of the Supplement to Lucan.—Who was this Thomas May? To an Elzevir edition of Lucan, 1658, Amsterdam, "accuranto Cornelio Schrevelio," there is added "Supplementum Lucani Libri Septem; authore Thoma Maio, Anglo." In the preface it is stated, "Supplementum Lucani ab Anglo quodam antehâc seorsim editum, et huic materiæ aptissimum adjunximus, ne quid esset quod hic desideraretur." In the fourth book of this Supplement, Cato is represented as soliloquising before his death as follows:—

"Quam diversa, inquit, restant post funera sortes!Credo equidem, divine Plato, te dogmata veraHæc ipsum docuisse Deum. Deus ipse sequendam(Aut Natura homines ratioque innata fefellit)Proposuit virtutem, et præmia debita justisHæc quonian justos injusta potentia fraudatSæpius in terris, et gens humana rebellatSolvere post mortem justissimus ipse tenetur."

The famous soliloquy in Addison's Cato seems to resemble this, in its general tone of thought. In a former passage occur these lines:—

"Solatia sola hæc,Quod meliore frui post mortem lumine sperat.Immortalem animam spes hæc probat."

The idea is similar to that contained in—

"Else whence this pleasing hope, this fond desire,This longing after immortality?"

Addison seems to me to have had May's description of Cato's death in his mind, when he wrote the soliloquy.

J. H. L.

Bunting's Irish Melodies.—This admirable musical scholar many years since promised a new edition of the first two volumes of his Irish Airs. Is there any hope of this being soon accomplished?

George Stephens.

Stockholm.

Rudbeck, Campi Elysii.—A copy of this work is said to exist in Sherard's6 Collection, in the Botanical Garden, Oxford. It must have been acquired before 1797. (See Bibliotheca Banksiana, iii. 67.)

Vol. I.—The title and some following leaves are written. Does any note exist as to who copied these leaves, or when, or where?

Is any name of any former owner written on the book-back, title, or elsewhere; or is it known when it was purchased, or at what price?

Does any library-mark, auction-number, or other identifying signature occur?

Is it quite complete at the end, or is anything missing after page 224.?

Does the whole consist of figures, or have some leaves an introduction, text, or corrections, &c.?

Vol. II.—Does anything in this volume illustrate any of the above questions?

A Swedish Bibliognost.

Stockholm.

Prince of Wales' Motto (Vol. iii., p. 106.).—The Query of Effessa is one of great interest to us "Taffies," but I wish to add the following to it. Is there any foundation for the idea, which we so strenuously maintain, that "Ich Dien" is a misspelled edition of "Eich Dyn," "Behold the man:" and that the motto was bestowed on Edward of Carnarvon in consequence of his royal father having learned these two Welsh words, and made use of them when he presented his infant to the assembled tribes as a prince who could "speak no word of English?"

Seleucus.

Borrow's Danish Ballads.—The singular author of Lavengro, Mr. Geo. Borrow, some years ago published certain translations of Danish or other northern ballads, with which I have never been able to meet. Can you or any of your readers furnish me with the title of the book and publisher's name?

My curiosity respecting it has again been aroused somewhat strongly by the account in Lavengro of the way in which he began to study Danish. It might afford a good lesson to all young "philologers."

I presume that, at the mature age of "Notes and Queries," commonplace compliments as to its usefulness and high general value, begin to be very stale; but I cannot close without a hearty "God speed" to you in your labours.

Bruno.

Head of the Saviour.—Can any of your readers give me some information about an engraving of our Saviour, which may just now be seen in many of the London print-shops? It represents the side-face, and is said to be a fac-simile of a likeness engraved on an emerald by order of some Roman Emperor, and which served as the ransom of some other famous person (who, I quite forget). Is this really the truth?

P. M. M.

Lines on English History.—The Sword Flamberg.—I shall be greatly obliged to any of your correspondents who can inform me where I can procure a copy of some lines on English history, commencing:

"William the Norman conquers England's state—In his own forest Rufus meets his fate," &c.

They are said to be written by a Roman Catholic gentleman named Chaloner.

I also wish to know something about the old German sword called the "Flamberg." I have seen it represented as twisted like a column of flame, and should like to know its history, and whether there was any allusion in it to the flaming sword that kept the gate of Paradise.

Mention is made of it by Körner in his poem, "Männer und Buben:"

"Stosst mit anMann für MannWer den Flamberg schwingen kann."

Can your correspondents tell me, also, whether there is such a phrase, expressive of the place where four roads met, as a "four warnt way," and whence its origin, and how properly spelt?

An English Mother.

Denarius Philosophorum.—Can you inform me what the inscription "Denarius Philosophorum" means, on Bishop Thornborough's monument in Worcester Cathedral?

D. Y.

"Sees Good in everything."—Where does the line,

"Sees good in everything, and God in all."

come from?

D. Y.

Christchurch, Oxford.

Oxford Friar's Voyage to the North Pole.—In a book I have, entitled Prospects of the most famous Parts of the World, date 1646, occurs the following:

"Towards the north pole we have gained, more in proportion, as far as Nova Zembla, and the sea is known to be navigable to the 81st degree: whether the rest be land or not it never yet appeared to any (as I heare of) but an Oxford Friar by a Magique voyage. He reports of a Black Rock just under the pole, and an Isle of Pygmies; other strange miracles, to which, for my part, I shall give little credit till I have better proof for it than the Devil's word."

Query, Who was the friar? and where is the account of his voyage to be found?

J. Y. R.

Roman Catholic Church.—The Rev. J. M. Neale has just published an appendix to his Introduction to the History of the Holy Eastern Church, containing a list of all the sees in that communion, with the names of the present possessors. Can any of your correspondents inform me where I can meet with a similar notitia of the sees in the Roman Catholic Church?

E. H. A.

[The Almanach du Clergé de France contains a catalogue of Roman Catholic bishops throughout the world, complied from documents furnished by the Congregation De Propaganda Fide of Rome.]

Cor Linguæ.—May I ask who is the author of the following epigram, quoted by Coke on the trial of Garnet?

"Cor linguæ fœderat naturæ sanctio,Veluti in quodam certo connubio;Ergo cum dissonent cor et locutio,Sermo concipitur in adulterio."J. Bs.

Bishop Hooper's Godly Confession, &c.—Being engaged in editing Bishop Hooper's works, and finding myself impeded by want of the original edition of his Godly Confession and Protestation of the Christian Faith, printed at London by John Day, 1550, I am induced to seek your assistance, and to ask whether you can inform me where a copy of the above work may be found?

(The Rev.) Charles Nevinson.Browne's Hospital, Stamford.

Extradition, Ignore, Diamagnetism.—In pursuance of my note to you regarding the definition of words in science and literature which may have sprung up of late years, will you allow me to quote, as instances in the latter department, the two words "extradition" and "ignore?"

1. Is the following a correct definition of "extradition," viz., "the surrender by a state, of a political refugee, at the request of a foreign power?"

2. Is the etymology of the word made up of "extra" and "ditio" put for "deditio," a giving up or surrendering?

Does "ignore" mean to "treat as non-existent;" and are there no other words in the language which express exactly the meaning conveyed by these two?

In science, I would ask, is "diamagnetism" correctly explained by terming it "the property of any substance whereby it turns itself, when freely suspended, at right angles to the magnetic meridian."

P. S.

Cinquante Lettres d'Exhortation.—Can any of your readers inform me who is the author of the following work?—

"Cinquante lettres d'exhortation et de consolation sur les souffrances de ces derniers tems, et sur quelques autres sujets; écrites à diverses personnes par Mons. D. V. B. pendant ses exils et ses prisons, en France; et depuis que par ordre du Roi, il s'est retiré en Hollande. La Haye, 1704, 8vo."

The copy which I have seen is lettered on the back "Beringke-Lettres;" but I can find no account of any person of that name at all likely to have written the letters, nor any authority for ascribing their authorship to a person of that name.

Tyro.

Dublin.

Old Tract on the Eucharist.—Can any of your readers tell me the name of the author of the following tract?—

"A Full View of the Doctrines and Practices of the Ancient Church, relating to the Eucharist. Lond. 1688."

Wishing to procure a copy, I have asked several booksellers, but without success. It has been most strongly recommended by a writer of the present day.

Abhba.

Replies

CARDINAL'S MONUMENT

(Vol. iii., p. 106.)

Your correspondent and querist, J. D. A., asks for some information respecting the coat of arms surmounted by a cardinal's hat, sculptured and affixed to one of the pillars of the south transept in St. Saviour's Church, Southwark. I send in reply an extract from a now scarce book, Arthur Tiler's History and Antiquities of St. Saviour's, 1765, with which all the later historians of the church agree:—

"Anno 1400.   2 Hen. IV.

"The whole church was new built about this time; Henry Beaufort (second son of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, son of Edward III.), Cardinal of St. Eusebius, and Bishop of Winchester from the year 1405 to the time of his death in 1447, might have contributed towards the building, being a man of great wealth, for which he was called the rich Cardinal, as the arms of the Beauforts are carved in stone on a pillar in the south cross aisle; and by the remaining sculpture on each side it appears to be done for strings pendant from a Cardinal's hat placed over them. The arms are quarterly France and England, a border compone argent and azure."

When the transepts were rebuilt, some years since, the cardinal's hat, which till that time was nearly defaced, was then restored, and the coat of arms newly emblazoned.

W. B.

19. Winchester Place, St. Saviour's, Southwark.

[G. A. S. and James H. Smith have forwarded similar replies.]

With reference to the Query of J. D. A. (p. 106. antè), it would appear that the cardinal's hat, but with a difference in the number of rows of tassels, is sometimes seen on the monuments of men who never were raised to that dignity.

In the Cathedral of St. Canice, Kilkenny, are two monuments placed there during the rule of the Confederate Catholics, viz., that of James Cleere, "Protonotarius et Rector ecclesiæ D. Joannis Diœcesis oporiensis," who died A.D. 1643, Nov. 14; and David Rothe, intrusive Roman Catholic Bishop of Ossery, who died some years after—on both of which the arms of the individual are surmounted by a cardinal's hat. It is quite certain that neither of these ecclesiastics had a right to this distinction as cardinals. For the right of Bishops and Prothonotaries to wear hats or caps of the same shape as the cardinals, with their colours and peculiarities, see Glossary of Heraldry (Oxford), under "Cap-Cardinals." Any further examples will oblige

J. Graves.

Kilkenny, Feb. 10. 1851.

The Cardinal's hat, with arms beneath, on a pillar near the poet Gower's monument, in St. Saviour's, Southwark, refers directly to the beneficence of that busy cardinal and very remarkable man, Cardinal Beaufort, Bishop of Winchester, and who in that capacity resided in the adjoining palace; indirectly it refers to the marriage of James V. of Scotland with Jane Beaufort, the Cardinal's niece: and it is something to the honour of St. Mary Overies, (the church in question,) to add that it was within its walls that the ceremony took place. Besides Gower, the parish registers state that Edmond Shakspeare ob. 1607 (one of the brothers of the great dramatist), John Fletcher ob. 1625, and Philip Massinger ob. 1640. (See Mr. Knight's Old England, eng. 548. p. 147.)

Blowen.

A cardinal's hat is differenced by colour and the number of its tassels, not by its shape, which is the same for all clergymen. Thus, for simple priests, a black hat, with one tassel on either side; for a bishop, a green hat with three tassels; for a cardinal, a crimson hat with five or seven tassels. What the reason may be for the variation in the number of the tassels amongst cardinals, I should be glad to learn.

W. D-n.

In Ciaconius (Vitæ et Res Gestæ Pontificum, Rome, 1630), there is a list of all the cardinals created up to that date, with their armorial bearings; and the only instances of France and England quarterly (which is, no doubt, what is intended), are those of Cardinal Beaufort, Bishop of Winchester, and Cardinal Hallum, Bishop of Salisbury. I can find no mention anywhere of the family of Cardinal Hallum, or Hallam; and should be glad to know who he was descended from, and why he had those arms assigned to him by Ciaconius, who is tolerably correct.

A. W. M.

BOOTY'S CASE

(Vol. iii., p. 40.)

I cannot refer Demonologist to an authentic report of Booty's case, but I believe none is more so, than that in Kirby's Wonderful and Eccentric Museum, vol. ii. p. 247.

The following extract is given from the journal of Mr. Spinks:—

"Friday, 15th May, 1687. We had the observation of Mr. Booty this day. Captain Barrisby, Captain Bristowe, Captain Brown, I, and Mr. Ball, merchant, went on shore in Captain Barnaby's boat, to shoot rabbits upon Stromboli; and when we had done we called all our men together by us, and about half an hour and fourteen minutes after three in the afternoon, to our great surprise, we all of us saw two men come running towards us with such swiftness that no living man could run half so fast as they did run, when all of us heard Captain Barnaby say, 'Lord bless me, the foremost is old Booty, my next-door neighbour;' but he said he did not know the other that run behind: he was in black clothes, and the foremost was in grey. Then Captain Barnaby desired all of us to take an account of the time, and put it down in our pocket-books, and when we got on board we wrote it in our journals; for we saw them into the flames of fire, and there was a great noise which greatly affrighted us all; for we none of us ever saw or heard the like before. Captain Barnaby said he was certain it was old Booty, which he saw running over Stromboli and into the flames of Hell. It is stated that Captain Barnaby told his wife, and she told somebody else, and that it was afterward told to Mrs. Booty, who arrested Captain Barnaby in a thousand pound action, for what he had said of her husband. Captain Barnaby gave bail to it, and it came on to a trial in the Court of King's Bench, and they had Mr. Booty's wearing apparel brought into court, and the sexton of the parish, and the people that were with him when he died; and we swore to our journals, and it came to the same time within two minutes; ten of our men swore to the buttons on his coat, and that they were covered with the same sort of cloth his coat was made of, and so it proved. The jury asked Mr. Spinks if he knew Mr. Booty. He answered, 'I never saw him till he ran by me on the burning mountain.'"

The chief justice from April, 1687, to February, 1689, was Sir Robert Wright. His name is not given in the report, but the judge said—

"Lord have mercy upon me, and grant that I may never see what you have seen: one, two, or three may be mistaken, but thirty never can be mistaken. So the widow lost her suit."

An action for slander of a deceased husband, brought by the widow, and the defendant held to bail, is a remarkable beginning. The plea of justification, that Booty ran into Hell, is hardly supported by evidence that he ran into the flames at Stromboli. The evidence was, that the defendant said that one of the two runners was Booty; it does not appear that the other witnesses knew him. The witnesses must have kept a good look to observe the buttons of Booty's coat when he ran more than twice as fast as any living man could run. Finally, as the time of the death and the observation "came to the same within two minutes," and Stromboli is about 15° east of Gravesend, Booty must have run to Hell before he died.