Notes.

DERIVATION OF THE WORD "ISLAND."

Lexicographers from time to time have handed down to us, and proposed for our choice, two derivations of our English word Island; and, that one of these two is correct, has, I believe, never yet been called in question. The first which they offer, and that most usually accepted as the true one, is the A.-S. Ealand, Ealond, Igland; Belg. Eylandt: the first syllable of which, they inform us, is ea, Low Germ. aue, water, i.e. water-land, or land surrounded by water. If this etymon be deemed unsatisfactory, they offer the following: from the Fr. isle, It. isola, Lat. insula, the word island, they say, is easily deflected.

At the risk of being thought presumptuous, I do not hesitate to say, that both these alternatives are manifestly erroneous; and, for the following reason, I propose a third source, which seems to carry conviction with it: first, from analogy; and secondly, from the usage of the language from which our English word is undoubtedly derived, the Anglo-Saxon.

First, from analogy. Let us only consider how frequently names are given to parts of our hills, shores, rivers, &c., from their supposed resemblance to parts of the human body. Thus, for instance, we have a head land, a neck of land, a tongue of land, a nose of land (as in Ness, in Orfordness, Dungeness, and, on the opposite coast, Grinez); also a mouth of a river or harbour, a brow of a hill, back or chine of a hill, foot of a hill; an arm of the sea, sinus or bosom of the sea. With these examples, and many more like them, before us, why should we ignore an eye of land as unlikely to be the original of our word island? The correspondence between the two is exact. How frequently is the term eye applied to any small spot standing by itself, and peering out as it were, in fact an insulated spot: thus we have the eye of an apple, the eye or centre of a target, the eye of a stream (i.e. where the stream collects into a point—a point well known to salmon fishers), and very many other instances. What more natural term, then, to apply to a spot of land standing alone in the midst of an expanse of water than an eye of land?

In confirmation of this view, let us look to the original language; there we find the compounds of eag, ea, ægh, the eye, of very frequent occurrence: all of them showing that this compound ea-land is not only legitimate, but extremely probable. Thus we find, eag-æple, the pupil of the eye; eag-dura, a window-light, eye-door; eag ece, pain in the eye; eah-hringas, the orbits of the eyes. In the last instance, the g is dropped; and it is certain that eag was pronounced nearly as eye now is. From all this, is it too much to conclude that ea-land is the same as eye-land? But farther, Ig (A.-S.) sometimes stands by itself for an island, as also do Igland and Igoth, and Ii was the old name of Iona. Now I cannot find that there ever was the slightest connexion between the A.-S. Ig and water; nor do I believe that such an idea would ever have been started, but to support the old derivation of the word; I have never seen a genuine instance of such connexion brought forward. Then the word Ig, if it be supposed to mean an eye, as I contend, may very well stand by itself for island; but, if water be expressed by it, I cannot understand how it can serve to import land.

If any farther confirmation be wanted, we have it in the diminutive eyot, of which ait, aight, eight are corruptions.

H. C. K.

—— Rectory, Hereford.

WEATHER RULES.

Thomas Passenger, who dwelt at the Three Bibles and Star, on London Bridge, was very celebrated during the latter part of the seventeenth century for publishing popular histories and chap-books. His shop seems to have been the principal place of resort for the hawkers who then supplied the provinces with literature. Many of the works which issued from his press are now very rare: one of the most curious, and, at the same time, the rarest, is The Shepherd's Kalendar: or, the Citizen's and Country Man's Daily Companion, &c. The contents of this book are of a very singular nature, it being a kind of epitome of the facts it was then thought necessary for a countryman to be acquainted with. A considerable portion of the work is occupied by remarks on the weather, and on lucky and unlucky days: if I were to extract all on those subjects, this communication would extend to an unreasonable length.

We are informed, under the head "Observations on Remarkable Days, to know how the whole Year will succeed in Weather, Plenty," &c., that—

"If the sun shine clear and bright on Christmas-day, it promiseth a peaceable year from clamours and strife, and foretells much plenty to ensue; but if the wind blow stormy towards sunset, it betokeneth sickness in the spring and autumn quarters."

"If January 25 (being St. Paul's day) be fair, it promises a happy year; but if cloudy, windy, or rainy, otherwise: hear in this case what an ancient judicious astrologer writes:

"Mists or hoar frosts on the tenth of March betokens (sic) a plentiful year, but not without some diseases."

"If, in the fall of the leaf in October, many of them wither on the bows, and hang there, it betokens a frosty winter and much snow."

Under "The Signs of Rain in Creatures" we have the following:

"When the hern or bitron flies low, the air is gross, and thickening into showers."

"The froggs much croaking in ditches and pools, &c., in the evening, foretells rain in little time to follow: also, the sweating of stone pillars or tombs denotes rain."

"The often doping or diving of water fowl foreshows rain is at hand."

"The peacock's much crying denotes rain."

There is a list given of Lucky Days, which contains all the red letter saints' days of the Reformed English kalendar. We are also informed that there are other days in each month which "are successful enough." Thus—

Edward Peacock.

Bottesford, Messingham, Kirton-in-Lindsey.

ON THE MODERN PRACTICE OF ASSUMING ARMS.

"If any person be advanced into an office or dignity of publique administration, be it eyther ecclesiasticall, martiall, or ciuill: so that the same office comprehendeth in it dignitatem vel dignitatis titulum, either dignitie or (at the least) a title of dignitye: the Heralde must not refuse to devise to such a publique person, upon his instant request and willingnes to beare the same without reproche, a coate of armes: and thenceforth to matriculate him, with his intermarriages, and issues descending, in the register of the Gentle and Noble."

Thus wrote Sir John Ferne in The Blazon of Gentrie, printed in the year 1586. So also Coates, in his additions to Gwillim, writing in 1724, says:

"For though arms, in their first acceptation, were (as is shewed) taken up at any gentleman's pleasure, yet hath that liberty for many ages been deny'd, and they, by regal authority, made the rewards and ensigns of merit, &c., the gracious favours of princes; no one being, by the law of gentility in England, allowed the bearing thereof, but those that either have them by descent, or grant, or purchase from the body or badge of any prisoner they in open and lawful war had taken."

He proceeds to adduce various authorities on this subject, for which I would refer to the Introduction to the last edition of Gwillim's Heraldry, p. 16. &c.

Porny defines assumptive arms to be—

"Such as are taken up by the caprice or fancy of upstarts, who, being advanced to a degree of fortune, assume them without having deserved them by any glorious action. This, indeed (he adds), is great abuse of heraldry; but yet so common, and so much tolerated, almost everywhere, that little or no notice is taken of it."

This was written in 1765. Archdeacon Nares, in his very amusing Heraldic Anomalies, printed in 1823, says:

"At present, similarity of name is quite enough to lead any man to conclude himself to be a branch of some very ancient or noble stock, and, if occasion arise, to assume the arms appropriate to such families, without any appeal to the Heralds' office; nor would any Alderman Gathergrease, living in affluence, be without such marks and symbols on his plate, seals, carriages, &c., with no higher authority, perhaps, than his own fancy and conceit."

It must be confessed that the middle of the nineteenth century offers the most ample facilities for the would-be aristocrats of the age, and that without troubling Sir Charles Young or the College of Arms; witness the following advertisement cut from a newspaper of the day:—

"The Family Livery.—Arms and Crests correctly ascertained, and in any case a steel die expressly cut for the buttons, free of cost," &c.

There can, indeed, be no doubt that this foolish practice of assuming arms without right has of late years grown to an absurd height; and I fear the assumption is by no means confined to persons who have risen by trade, or by some lucky speculation in railways &c.; even those who have been "advanced into an office or dignity of publique administration" have but seldom made their "instant request" to the heralds "to devise a coate of armes to be borne by them without reproch."

The episcopal bench, in particular, are very generally faulty in this respect, and, for the greater part, content themselves (if not by birth entitled to bear arms) by assuming the coat of some old-established family of the same, or nearly the same, name. In the case of temporal peerages, which are not seldom, thanks to the ancient constitution of England, renovated from the middle and lower classes, the practice is more in accordance with the precepts of The Blazon of Gentrie; but I believe there is at least one instance, that of a lawyer of the greatest eminence, who was last year advanced to a peerage, and to the highest rank in his profession, who has assumed both arms and supporters without the fiat of the College of Arms. The "novi homines" of a former age set a better example to those of the present day, and were not ashamed to go honestly to the proper office and take out their patent of arms, thus "founding a family" who have a right to the ensigns of honour which they assume.

Spes.

MORLEE AND LOVEL.

The following document, in connexion with the trial between Morlee and Lovell, in the Court of Chivalry, will probably interest your heraldic readers.

L. B. Larking.

Ceste indentur tesmoyne q' mos^r John de Cobehm s^r de Cobehm ad baille p assent de les sires de Morlee et Louel dys lib' de bone moneye amest' John Barnet, cest assau' cent south p^r le un ptye et cent south p^r lautre ptye acause q' mesme le dit mestre John et mest' Willm Dawode et mest' Willm Sondeye serrount assessours sur la matire pendaunt pentre les deux syngn' susdite p^r leur armes en le Court de Chiualerie. En tesmoynaunce de quel payment a ycestes endentur lez ptyes susditez entrechaungeablement ount mys lours sceals.

Don a Loundres le xx iu^r de Feu'er lan du rengne le Roy Richard secounde quinzisme.

[In dorso.]

Lendentur de x li paye a mest' John Barnet p^r Morlee et Louel.

SHAKSPEARE CORRESPONDENCE.

Shakspeare Emendations.—As this is the age of Shakspeare emendations, I beg to propose the following for the consideration of the numerous readers of "N. & Q." I am the more emboldened to do so, as I find several marginal corrections made from time to time are verified by the manuscript corrections in Mr. Collier's folio of 1632. These proposed are not, however, there, or I would not have troubled you, though it is many months since I first altered the reading of my copy.

Taming of the Shrew, Act V. Sc. 2.—On the exit of Katharina to "fetch" in the disobedient wives, Lucentio remarks:

For "an awful rule" I propose to substitute and lawful rule, as agreeing better with the text and context; indeed, the whole passage indicates it. Petruchio means that the change in Katharina's temper and conduct bodes love, peace, law, and order, in contradistinction to awe or fear. The repetition of the conjunction and also makes the harmony of the language more equal; "and love, and quiet life, and lawful rule, and right supremacy," rings evenly to the ear. Considering the number and character of the emendations in Mr. Collier's volume, I have the less hesitation in proposing this one. The language of Shakspeare is, as we know it, for the most part so clear, harmonious, distinct, and forcible, that I think we are justified in considering any obscure, inconsistent, or harsh passage, as having met with some mishap either in hearing, transcribing, or in printing. Some months ago, and certainly before Mr. Collier's volume of corrections appeared, I forwarded to "N. & Q." (it never appeared) a correction from Antony and Cleopatra, Act V. Sc. 2., where Cleopatra, contemplating suicide, says it is—

The word "dung" ending the third line, was so evidently dug, or nipple, that I thought no man to whom it was pointed out could have a doubt about it. Mr. Collier remarks in his recent volume, "This emendation may, or may not, have been conjectural, but we may be pretty sure it is right." I doubt if Mr. Collier would have accepted any authority other than that of his own folio, although Shakspeare has frequently used the word dug as a synonym for nipple, as see Romeo and Juliet, Act I. Sc. 3.:

This quotation proves clearly, I consider, that dug was meant by Cleopatra, and not dung; and so I considered before the old manuscript correction of Mr. Collier's appeared. The words "an awful" are as clearly to my mind and lawful. I doubt, however, if they will be so acknowledged, as the use of the words "an awful," it may be contended, are countenanced by other passages in Shakspeare; I quote the following.

Two Gentlemen of Verona, Act IV. Sc. I.—

The word "awful" is surely, in this place, lawful; an outlaw would be little inclined to consider men as "awful," but the contrary. Read the last line as under—

and the meaning is simple and clear. The outlaws were thrust from the company of lawful men, that is, men who obeyed the laws they had broken in "the fury of ungovern'd youth."

In King Richard II., Act III. Sc. 3., the following use of the words lawful and awful occurs:

The meaning in this case is no doubt clear enough, and the words "awful duty" may be the right ones; but had they stood lawful duty in any old copy, he should have been a bold man who would have proposed to substitute awful for lawful.

Second Part of King Henry IV., Act IV. Sc. 1.—

The use of the word "awful" in this passage may be right, but, as in the preceding case, I think, had lawful banks stood in any old printed copy, or had it even been found in Mr. Collier's volume, the fitness would have been acknowledged.

Shakspeare used the word "lawful" in many instances where, no doubt, it may with reason, strong as any given here, be changed to awful. In the historical plays, lawful king, lawful progeny, lawful heir, lawful magistrate, lawful earth, lawful sword, &c., may be found. These suggestions, like the pinch of sand thrown on the old woman's cow, if they do no good, will, I trust, do no harm.

Robert Rawlinson.

Shakspeare.—A German writer, Professor Hilgers, of Aix-la-Chapelle, published in 1852 a pamphlet, in which he endeavoured to prove that many passages in Shakspeare, which were originally written in verse, have been "degraded" into prose, and quotes several passages from the plays in support of his thesis. Professor Hilgers says that emendation of the text, by means of such a mode of correction as would restore the corrupted verses to their original form, has hitherto been almost entirely neglected by commentators, or else employed by them with very little ability and success. I have not seen the Professor's Treatise, and only write from a short notice which I have just perused of it in a German review; but, if what Professor H. states be correct, the subject appears to deserve more particular attention from the writers in the "N. & Q.," who have devoted their ingenuity and research to the illustration of Shakspeare. In the hope of attracting them to "fresh fields and pastures new," in which to recreate themselves, and to instruct and delight the world-wide readers of the great dramatist, I venture to solicit attention to Professor Hilger's pamphlet and its subject. In this I only echo the German reviewer's language, who most highly praises the Professor's acuteness, and the value of his strictures, and promises to return to them at greater length in a future number of the periodical in which he writes.

John Macray.

Oxford.

UNPUBLISHED LETTER.

I have thought that the following old letter, from a retired lawyer of the seventeenth century to his future son-in-law, might not be altogether uninteresting to your readers, as referring to the value of land and money at the period when it was written.

C. W. B.

July y^e 16^th, (16)95.

Since you are pleased to demand my opinion concerning your intended purchase, I shall give you it as well as I can upon so short a warning. You say, if lett, you suppose it was worth a 130l. per annū. I cannot tell by your letter whether the mills, lett at 20l. per annū, are a part of y^e 130l.: if it be, I think 2600l. a great price, being much above twenty years' purchase, considering the lord's rent. But if they are not included in that sum, 'tis a good twenty years' purchase. Now you must consider what returne this will make for your money. I am sure, as times goe, not three per cent; and money makes full five, and very seldom, if ever, pays taxes. I believe it may be very convenient for you, and it is very advantageous to be entire; but if you should contract a debt to buy this estate you will be very uneasy, and, if you marry, the first setting out will be expensive, and it will be ill taking up money to defray necessary charges. I conceive the land is in hand, and not lett; so that, if you have not a tenant, you must be at the expence of stocking, w^ch will sett very hard upon you. And you know, wⁿ your sister marrys, there is a 1000 pounds more to be provided. Pray putt all these things together, and propose some way of solving all these difficultys; and, if you can, I should be glad to have it annexed to your estate, and settled upon the heirs male of your body. Upon w^ch consideration I shall be more inclined to farther your desires in a reasonable manner.

Pray, wⁿ you hear any more of that coūselor's amours send me word, but lett me advise you never to say anything of him or his estate that may come to the lady's ears. I hope my Lady Morton will not tell M^rs Tregonell any more than what all the world should know. I heard the K^t had bid adieu to the Woodland Lady. I am very glad of it, for I wish him better ffortune. I writt lately to S^r John, who honoured me with a letter. As for public news, you have heard, I suppose, of our burning St. Malos and Grandvile; and that wee have left a great many of our men before Namur, but they continue the siege vigorously. They say the ffrench are about to sett downe before Dixmude, to bring us of by revultion. Pray p^rsent mine and my daughter's service to your sister, and believe me to be, S^r, your affectionate kinsman and servant

J. Potenger.

Remember, at this time there is a great deal of land to be sold, but few purchasers. I have spooke to S^r Miles Cooke, who promises to lett me have your settlement to peruse, and to end matters fairly. Since I writt my letter 'tis reported ... is surrendered or taken.