Chapter 3

_Letters respecting Hougomont._--Could any reader of "N. & Q." kindly furnish the undersigned with certain Letters, which have recently {294} appeared in _The Times_, on "The Defence of Hougomont?" Such letters, extracted, would be of much service to him, as they are wanted for a specific purpose. The letters from Saturday, Sept. 10, _inclusive_, are _already_ obtained: but the letters on the subject previous to that date are wanting, and would greatly favour, if it were possible to have them,

ARAN.

Swillington.

_Peter Lombard._--Mr. Hallam, in his _Literature of Europe_ (vol. i. p. 128.), says, on the authority of Meiners (vol. iii. p. 11.):

"Peter Lombard, in his _Liber Sententiarum_, the systematic basis of scholastic theology, introduces _many_ Greek words, and explains them rightly."

Having, however, examined this work for the purpose of ascertaining Peter Lombard's knowledge of Greek, I must, out of regard to strict truth, deny the statement of Meiners; for only one Greek word in Greek letters is to be found in the _Liber Sententiarum_, and that is [Greek: metanoia]: and so far frown Peter explaining this word rightly, he says, 'Poenitentia dicitur a puniendo" (lib. IV. dist. xiv.); an etymological notion which caused Luther to think wrongly of the nature of repentance, till he learnt the meaning of the Greek word, which he received with joy as the solution of one of his greatest difficulties in Romanism. I do not consider the introduction of such Latinized church words as _ecclesia_, _episcopus_, _presbyter_, or even _homoousius_, as evincing any knowledge of Greek on the part of Peter Lombard, wherein he appears to have been lamentably deficient, as the great teacher and authority for centuries in Christian dogmatics. Your correspondents will greatly oblige me by showing anything to the contrary of my charge against Peter Lombard of being ignorant of Greek.

T. J. BUCKTON.

Birmingham.

_Life of Savigny._--Is there in French or English any life or memoir of Savigny?

C. H.

_Picture by Hogarth._--Some years since a gentleman purchased at Bath the first sketch of a picture said to be by Hogarth, of "Fortune distributing her favours." Shortly afterwards a gentleman called on the purchaser of it, and mentioned to him that he knew the finished painting, and that it was in the panelling of some house with which he was acquainted.

I am desirous of finding out for the family of the purchaser, who died recently, 1st, whether there is any history that can be attached to this picture and 2ndly, to discover, if possible, in whose possession, and where, the finished painting is preserved.

J. K. R. W.

* * * * *

Minor Queries with Answers.

_Glossarial Queries._--In a Subsidy Roll of 25 Edward I., in an enumeration of property in the parish of Skirbeck, near Boston, Lincolnshire, upon which a _ninth_ was granted to the king, I find the following articles and their respective value. What were they?--

"3 alece, 18s. 1 bacell cum arment. 15s."

In the taxation of _Leake_ I find--

"9 hocast[=r]. 6s."

In that of _Leverton_--

"4 hocast[=r]. 4s."

In _Butterwick_--

"1 pull. 12d."

In _Wrangle_--

"1 stag[=g]. 2s."

PISHEY THOMPSON.

Stoke Newington.

[It is very desirable that in all cases Querists desirous of explanations of words, phrases, or passages, should give the context.

3 _Alece_, were it not for the price, one would render "herrings;" but the price, 18s., forbids such interpretation. Perhaps _alece_ is a misreading for _vacce_, cows; which might well occur in a carelessly written roll temp. Edward I.

1 _bacell cum arme[=n]t_. is 1 _bacellus cum armamentis_, one ass (or pack-horse) with its furniture.

9 _hocast[=r]_. is 9 _pigs_. "Hogaster, porcellus."--Du Cange.

1 _pull_. (i.e. _pullulus_), 1 colt.

1 _stag[=g]_., a yearling ox.]

_Military Knights of Windsor._--I shall feel obliged to any of your correspondents who will furnish some account, or refer me to any work in which notices may be found of this foundation, its statutes, mode of appointment, endowments, &c.? Up to the reign of William IV. they were known, I believe, as Poor Knights of Windsor.

Y. B. N. J.

[Consult Ashmole's _History of the Order of the Garter_, pp. 99-104., edit. 1715. Among the Birch and Sloane MSS. in the British Museum are the following articles: No. 4845. Statutes for the Poor Knights of Windsor, 1 Eliz. Orders and rules for the establishment and good government of the said thirteen poor knights. The Queen's Majestie's ordinances for the continual charges. No. 4847. Articles of complaint exhibited by the Poor Knights (to the Knights of the Garter) against the Dean and Canons. The Dean and Canons' answer to the Poor Knights' second replication. The complaint of the Poor Knights to King Richard II. A petition of the Poor Knights to the king and parliament for a repeal of the act of incorporation, A. 22 Edw. IV. The petition of the Poor Knights of Windsor to George II., Jan. 28, 1735. This petition was drawn up by Mr. Fortescue, {295} afterwards Master of the Rolls. The Poor Knights' rejoinder to their former petition. The memorial of the Poor Knights to John Willes, Esq., Attorney-General. Another petition to J. Willes, Esq. Copy of an indenture between Queen Elizabeth and the Dean and Chapter of Lands, to the value of 600l. a year and upwards, for the maintenance of the Poor Knights, 1 Eliz. Orders and rules for the establishment and good government of the said thirteen Poor Knights. The case of the Poor Knights (printed), with several other papers relating to them.]

_"Elijah's Mantle."_--Who was the author of _Elijah's Mantle_? And are there any grounds for ascribing it to Canning?

W. FRASER.

Tor-Mohun.

[This poem was attributed to Canning, as noticed by Mr. Bell, in his _Life of George Canning_, p. 206. He says, "Mr. Canning's reputation was again put into requisition as sponsor for certain verses that appeared at this time in the public journals. The best of these is a piece called _Elijah's Mantle_."]

* * * * *

Replies.

MILTON AND MALATESTI.

(Vol. ii., p. 146.; Vol. viii., p. 237.)

When I gave some account of _La Tina_ of Antonio Malatesti, and its dedication to Milton, two years since, I was not aware that it had been printed, as I had no other edition of Gamba's _Serie dell' Edizioni de' Testi di Lingua_, than the first printed in 1812. That account was derived from the original MS. which formerly passed through my hands. I fear that my friend MR. BOLTON CORNEY will be disappointed if he should meet with a copy of the printed book, for the MS. contained no other dedication than the inscription on the title-page, of which I made a tracing. It represents an inscribed stone tablet, in the following arrangement:

"LA Tina Equiuoci Rusticali di Antonio Malatesti c[=o]- posti nella sua Villa di Taiano il Settembre dell' L'Anno, 1637.

Sonetti Ciquanta Dedicati all' Ill^{mo} Signore Et Padrone Oss^{mo} Il Signor' Giouanni Milton Nobil' Inghilese."

I copied at the time eight of these equivocal sonnets, and in my former notice gave one as a specimen. They are certainly very ingenious, and may be "graziosissimi" to an Italian ear and imagination; but I cannot think that the pure mind of Milton would take much delight in obscene allusions, however neatly wrapped up.

Milton seems to have dwelt with pleasure on his intercourse with these witty, ingenious, and learned men, during his two-months' sojourn at Florence; and it is remarkable that Nicolas Heinsius has spoken of the same men, in much the same terms, in his dedication to Carlo Dati of the second book of his _Italici Componimenti_:

"Sanctum mehercules habebo semper Jo. Bapt. Donij memoriam, non tam suo nomine (et si hoc quoque) aut quod Frescobaldos, Cavalcantes, Gaddios, Cultellinos, alios urbis vestrae viros precipuos mihi conciliarit, quorum amicitiam feci hactenus, et faciam porro maximi, quam quod tibi me conjunxerit, mi Date; cujus opera in notitiam, ac familiaritatem plurimorum apud vos hominum eximiorum mox irreperem."

And, after mentioning others, he adds:

"Quid de Valerio Chimentellio, homine omni literatura perpolita, dicam? Quid de Joanne Pricaeo? qui ingens civitati vestrae ornamentum ex ultima nuper accessit Britannia."

One feels some decree of disappointment at not meeting here with the name of Milton.

Of the distinguished men mentioned by Milton, some interesting notices occur in that curious little volume, the _Bibliotheca Aprosiana_. Benedetto Buommattei and Carlo Dati are well known from their important labours; and of the others there are scattered notices in _Rilli Notizie degli Uomini Illustre Fiorentine_, and in _Salvini Fasti Consolari dell' Accademia Fiorentina_. I have an interesting little volume of Latin verses by Jacopo Gaddi, with the following title _Poetica Jacobi Gaddii Corona e Selectis Poematiis, Notis Allegoriis contexta_, Bononiae, 1637, 4to.

There is a good deal of ingenious and pleasing burlesque poetry extant by Antonio Malatesti. I have before mentioned his _Sphinx_: of this I have a dateless edition, apparently printed about the middle of the last century at Florence: the title is _La Sfinge Enimmi del Signor Antonio Malatesti_. Commendatory verses are prefixed by Chimentelli, Coltellini, and Galileo Galilei. The last, from the celebrity of the writer, may deserve the small space it will occupy in your pages. It is itself an enigma:

"DEL SIGNOR GALILEO GALILEI SONETTO. Mostro son' io piu strano, e piu difforme, Che l'Arpia, la Sirena, o la Chimera; Ne in terra, in aria, in acqua e alcuna fiera, Ch' abbia di membra cosi varie forme. Parte a parte non ho che sia conforme, Piu che s' una sia bianca, e l' altra nera; Spesso di Cacciator dietro ho una schiera, Che de' miei pie van ritracciando l' orme. Nelle tenebre oscure e il mio soggiorno; Che se dall' ombre al chiaro lume passo, Tosto l' alma da me sen fugge, come Sen fugge il sogno all' apparir del giorno, E le mie membra disunito lasso, E l' esser perdo con la vita, e l nome."

{296}

Three more sonnets by this illustrious man are printed by Salvini in his _Fasti_, of which he says:

"I quali esendo parto di si gran mente, mi concedera la gloria il benigno lettore, che io, ad honore della Toscana Poesia, gli esponga il primo alla publica luce."

Dr. Fellowes was not singular in confounding Dati and Deodati; it has been done by Fenton and others: but that Dr. Symmons, in his _Life of Milton_ (p. 133.), should transform _La Tina_ into a _wine-press_, is ludicrously amusing. _La Tina_ is the rustic mistress to whom the sonnets are supposed to be addressed; and every one knows that _rusticale_ and _contadinesca_ is that naive and pleasing rustic style in which the Florentine poets delighted, from the expressive nature of the patois of the Tuscan peasantry; and it might have been said of Malatesti's sonnets, as of another rustic poet:

"Ipsa Venus laetos jam nunc migravit in agros Verbaque Aratoris Rustica discit Amor."

I may just remark that the _Clementillo_ of Milton should not be rendered _Clementini_, but _Chimentelli_. As Rolli tells us,--

"Clementillus fu quel Dottore _Valerio Chimentelli_ di cui leggesi una vaghissima Cicalata nel sesto volume delle Prose Fiorentine."

S. W. SINGER.

Mickleham.

* * * * *

ATTAINMENT OF MAJORITY.

(Vol. viii., pp. 198. 250.)

I greatly regret that there should be anything in the matter or manner of my Query on this subject to induce MR. DE MORGAN to reply to it more as if repelling an offence, than assisting in the investigation of an interesting question on a subject with which he is supposed to be especially conversant. I can assure him that I had no other object in writing _ninth_ numerically instead of literally, or in omitting the words he has restored in brackets, or in italicising two words to which I wished my question more particularly to refer, than that of economising space and avoiding needless repetition; and in the use of the word "usage" rather than "law," of which he also complains, I was perhaps unduly influenced by the title of his own treatise, from which I was quoting. But however I may have erred from exact quotation, it is manifest I did not misunderstand the sense of the passage, since MR. DE MORGAN now repeats its substance in these words,--

"I cannot make out that the law ever recognised a day of twenty-four hours, beginning at any hour except midnight."

This is clearly at direct issue with Ben Jonson, whose introduced phrases, "pleaded nonage," "wardship," "pupillage," &c., seem to smack too much of legal technology to countenance the supposition of poetic license.

But had I not accidentally met with an interesting confirmation of Ben Jonson's law of usage, or usage of law, I should not have put forth my Query at all, nor presumed to address it to PROFESSOR DE MORGAN; my principal reason for so doing being that the interest attaching to discovered evidence of a forgotten usage in legal reckoning, must of course be increased tenfold if it should appear to have been unknown to a gentleman of such deep and acknowledged research into that and kindred subjects.

In a black-letter octavo entitled _A Concordancie of Yeares_, published in and for the year 1615, and therefore about the very time when Ben Jonson was writing, I find the following in chap. xiii.:

"The day is of two sorts, natural and artificiall: the natural day is the space of 24 hours, in which time the sunne is carried by the first Mover, from the east into the west, and so round about the world into the east againe."

"The artificiall day continues from sunne-rising to sunne-setting: and the artificiall night is from the sunne's setting to his rising. And you must note that this natural day, according to divers, hath divers beginnings: As the Romanes count it from mid-night to mid-night, because at that time our Lorde was borne, being Sunday; and so do we account it for fasting dayes. The Arabians begin their day at noone, and end at noone the next day; for because they say the sunne was made in the meridian; and so do all astronomers account the day, because it alwayes falleth at one certaine time. The Umbrians, the Tuscans, the Jewes, the Athenians, Italians, and Egyptians, do begin their day at sunne-set, and so do we celebrate festivall dayes. The Babylonians, Persians, and Bohemians begin their day at sunne-rising, holding till sunne-setting; _and so do our lawyers count it in England_."

Here, at least, there can be no supposition of dramatic fiction; the book from which I have made this extract was written by Arthur Hopton, a distinguished mathematician, a scholar of Oxford, a student in the Temple; and the volume itself is dedicated to "The Right Honourable Sir Edward Coke, Knight, Lord Chiefe Justice of England," &c.

A. E. B.

Leeds, Sept. 10.

* * * * *

JOHN FREWEN.

(Vol. viii., p. 222.)

He is supposed to have been the son of Richard Frewen, of Earl's Court in Worcestershire, and was born either at that place or in its immediate vicinity in the early part of the year 1558. Richard Frewen purchased the presentation to Northiam rectory, in Sussex, of Viscount Montague, and presented John Frewen to it in Nov. 1583; and {297} he continued to hold that living till his death, which took place at the end of April, 1628. He was buried in the chancel of his own church, May 2nd; and a plain stone on the floor, with an inscription, marks the place of his interment. He was a learned and pious Puritan divine, and wrote:

1. "Certaine Fruitfull Instructions and necessary Doctrine meete to edify in the feare of God." 1587, 18mo.

2. "Certaine Fruitfull Instructions for the generall Cause of Reformation against the Slanders of the Pope and League, &c." 1589, small 4to.

3. He edited and wrote the preface to--

"A Courteous Conference with the English Catholickes Romane, about the Six Articles administered unto the Seminarie Priestes, wherein it is apparently proved by theire own divinitie, and the principles of their owne religion, that the Pope cannot depose her Majestie, or release her subjects of their alleageance unto her, &c.; written by John Bishop, a recusant Papist." 1598. Small 4to.

4. "Certaine Sermons on the 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 verses of the Eleventh chapter of S. Paule his Epistle to the Romanes." 1612, 12mo.

5. "Certaine choise Grounds and Principles of our Christian Religion." 1621, 12mo.

6. A large unpublished work in MS. entitled "Grounds and Principles of Christian Religion," left unfinished (probably age and infirmity prevented him from completing it): it consisted of seven books, of which two only (the fourth and fifth, of 95 and 98 folio pages respectively) have been preserved.

John Frewen had three wives, and by each of the first two several children, of whom the following lived to grow up, viz. by Eleanor his first wife, (1.) Accepted Frewen, Archbp. of York; (2.) Thankful F., Purse Bearer and Secretary of Petitions to Lord Keeper Coventry; (3.) John F., Rector of Northiam; (4.) Stephen F., Alderman of the Vintry Ward, London; (5.) Mary, wife of John Bigg of Newcastle-upon-Tyne; (6.) Joseph F. By his second wife, Helen, daughter of ---- Hunt, J. F. had (7.) Benjamin, Citizen of London; (8.) Thomas F.; (9.) Samuel, Joseph, Thomas, and Samuel joined Cromwell's army for invading Ireland; and one of them (Captain Frewen) fell at the storming of Kilkenny; another of them died at Limerick of the plague, which carried off General Freton; the other (Thomas) founded a family at Castle Connel, near Limerick.

John Frewen's _Sermons_ in 1612 are in some respects rare; but the following copies are extant, viz. one in the Bodleian at Oxford; one in the University Library at Cambridge; one in possession of Mr. Frewen at Brickwall, Northiam; and one sold by Kerslake of Bristol, for 7s. 6d., to the Rev. John Frewen Moor, of Bradfield, Berks.

If R. C. WARDE, of Kidderminster, has a copy which he would dispose of, he may communicate with T. F., Post-office, Northiam, who would be glad to purchase it.

J. F.

* * * * *

"VOIDING KNIFE," "VOIDER," AND "ALMS-BASKET."

(Vol. vi., pp. 150. 280.; Vol. viii., p. 232.)

In later times (the sixteenth century) the good old custom of placing an _alms-dish_ on the table was discontinued, and with less charitable intentions came the less refined custom of removing the broken victuals after a meal by means of a _voiding-knife_ and _voider_: the latter was a basket into which were swept by a large wand, usually of wood, or _voiding-knife_, as it was termed, all the bones and scraps left upon the trenchers or scattered about the table. Thus, in the old plays, _Lingua_, Act V. Sc. 13.: "Enter Gustus with a _voiding-knife_;" and in _A Woman killed with Kindness_, "Enter three or four serving men, one with a _voider_ and _wooden knife_ to take away."

The voider was still sometimes called the _alms-basket_, and had its charitable uses in great and rich men's houses: one of which was to supply those confined in gaols for debt, and such prisoners as had no means to purchase any food.

In Green's _Tu Quoque_, a spendthrift is cast into prison; the jailer says to him:

"If you have no money, you had best remove into some cheaper ward; to the twopenny ward, it is likeliest to hold out with your means; or, if you will, you may go into the _hole_, and there you may feed for nothing."

To which he replies:

"Ay, out of the _alms-basket_, where charity appears in likeness of a piece of stinking fish."

Even this poor allowance to the distressed prisoners passed through several ordeals before it came to them; and the best and most wholesome portions were filched from the _alms-basket_, and sold by the jailers at a low price to people out of the prison. In the same play it is related of a miser, that--

"He never saw a joint of mutton in his own house these four-and-twenty years, but always cozened the poor prisoners, for he brought his victuals out of the _alms-basket_."

In the ordinances of Charles II. (_Ord. and Reg. Soc. Ant._ 367.), it is commanded--

"That no gentleman whatsoever shall send away my meat or wine from the table, or out of the chamber, upon any pretence whatsoever; and that the gentlemen-ushers take particular care herein, that all the meate that is taken off the table upon trencher-plates be put into a basket for the poore, and not undecently eaten by any servant in the roome; and if any person shall presume to do otherwise, he shall be prohibited {298} immediately to remaine in the chamber, or to come there again, until further order."

The _alms-basket_ was also called a _maund_, and those who partook of its contents _maunders_.

W. CHAFFERS.

Old Bond Street.

* * * * *

THE LETTER "H" IN HUMBLE.

(Vol. viii., p. 229.)

The recent attempt to introduce a mispronunciation of the word _humble_ should be resisted by every one who has learned the plain and simple rule of grammar, that "_a_ becomes _an_ before a vowel or a silent _h_." That the rule obtained a considerable time ago, we have only to look into the Book of Common Prayer to prove, where the congregation are exhorted to come "with an humble, lowly, penitent, and obedient heart," and I believe it will be admitted that the compilers of that work fully understood the right pronunciation.

It may assist to settle the question by giving the etymology of the word _humble_. It is derived from the Celtic _uim_, the ground, Latin _humus_. _Umal_ in Celtic is humble, lowly, obedient; and the word signifies the bending of the mind or disposition, just as a man would kneel or become prostrate before a superior.

FRAS. CROSSLEY.

In the course of a somewhat long life I have resided in the North of England, in the West, and in London, upwards of twenty years each, and my experience is directly the reverse of that of MR. DAWSON. I have very rarely heard the _h_ omitted in _humble_, and when I have heard it, always considered a vulgarity. The _u_ at the beginning of a word is always aspirated. I believe the only words in which the initial _h_ is not pronounced are derived from the Latin. If that were the general rule, which, however, it is not, as in _habit_, _herb_, &c., still, where _h_ precedes _u_, it would be pronounced according to the universal rule for the aspiration of _u_.

E. H.

_The letter "h" to be passed unsounded in those words which are of Latin origin._--Try it:

"Ha! 'tis a horrible hallucination To grudge our hymns their halcyon harmonies, When in just homage our rapt voices rise To celebrate our heroes in meet fashion; Whose hosts each heritage and habitation, Within these realms of hospitable joy, Protect securely 'gainst humiliation, When hostile foes, like harpies, would annoy. Habituated to the sound of _h_ In history and histrionic art, We deem the man a homicide of speech, Maiming humanity in a vital part, Whose humorous hilarity would treat us, In lieu of _h_, with a supposed hiatus."

* *.

* * * * *

SCHOOL LIBRARIES.

(Vol. viii., p. 220.)