Volume 4 — Queries.

GENERAL JAMES WOLFE, WHO FELL AT QUEBEC.

A short time ago I accidentally became possessed of a small packet of autograph letters, by this distinguished man, to a very intimate friend and brother officer. These letters were found in an old military chest, which had belonged to the latter. They are twelve in number; the first is dated Glasgow, 2d April, 1749, and the last, Salisbury, 1st December, 1758, on the eve of his embarkation with the memorable expedition against Quebec. The letters are written in a small and remarkably neat hand, and Wolfe's seal is still adhering to some of them. They contain much honourable sentiment, and proofs of a warm generous heart.

The perusal of these curious letters, and their allusions to passing incidents, have excited a desire to become better acquainted with the details of Wolfe's personal history; but in this I experience considerable difficulty, from the meagreness with which his biographers appear to have treated the subject. I shall accordingly feel much obliged by any of your military, or other correspondents, favouring me with references to the fullest and best account of this distinguished officer. I am anxious to obtain information, in particular, on the following points.

1. Wolfe's family connexions? I am aware who his father was, but should like to know if the former had any brothers or sisters, and who is the present representative? What was his mother's name and family?

2. Where was Wolfe educated? In one of the letters he mentions that he was taken from his studies at fifteen, and entered the army at that early age.

3. The different regiments in which he held a commission, with his rank in each, the steps and date of promotion?

4. His first and subsequent military services?

5. How long was he stationed in Scotland, on what duty, and in what places?

6. In particular, was he engaged in the formation of any of the military roads in that country, when and where?

7. Did he serve in Scotland during the rebellion of 1745-46, and was he present at the battle of Culloden? If so, in what regiment, and with what rank?

8. Are there any good portraits of Wolfe extant, and where are they to be seen?

9. Was his body brought to England, and are memorials of him preserved, such as his sword, pistols, &c.? His spurs were lately in the possession of a gentleman near Glasgow.

Ʒ.

WALKER'S SUFFERINGS OF THE CLERGY.

Is it the intention of the Ecclesiastical History Society to publish a new edition of Walker's Sufferings of the Clergy? At the time when the society was instituted it was on the list of works to be published by them.

Surely, if that is the case, somewhat might be done to correct the many inaccuracies, and, in other ways, increase the value of a work which has preserved the memory of some of the most exalted acts of Christian heroism that England has ever witnessed.

Will the editor of "NOTES AND QUERIES" open his pages to receive notes and corrections for a future edition of The Sufferings of the Clergy?

DRYASDUST.

[It is believed that the trading speculation, miscalled a Society, has ended with considerable loss to both undertakers and subscribers; and is not likely to publish any more of the works which figured in its rhodomontade prospectus. Certainly it is very desirable that there should be a new, careful, and critical edition of Walker; and any assistance which can be rendered by "NOTES AND QUERIES" will be at the service of anybody who will undertake such a work. It would be well, however (and it is mentioned here with general reference to all such cases, though it is particularly applicable to the present), if the learned doctor would specify some mode by which the readers of "NOTES AND QUERIES", may address him directly. The Editor suggests this, not to save himself trouble, or because he grudges room (or rather would grudge room if he had it) for many voluminous and important communications, which would be very valuable to the Doctor, but which, from length, and want of general interest, could not be inserted in this little work. It is probable that he would by this mode obtain many communications which the writers would not send to "NOTES AND QUERIES," from being aware that they could not be inserted. There would be nothing in this to prevent his maintaining his incognito; and, therefore, the Editor ventures to request his correspondents to send to "NOTES AND QUERIES" anything that is brief, and may promise to be of general interest; and to address anything which may be more voluminous to DR. DRYASDUST, at our publisher's, No. 186. Fleet Street.]

Minor Queries.

207. Colonies in England.

—Can any of your correspondents give me any information about a colony of Spaniards said to exist at Brighton; of Flemings in Pembrokeshire; of Frisians in Lancashire; of Moors in (I think) Staffordshire; and of some Scandinavian race, with dark eyes and dark hair, at Yarmouth in Norfolk. I should feel thankful for the mention of other colonies besides these, if any more exist, as I believe many do, in other parts of England.

THEOPHYLACT.

208. Buxtorf's Translation of the "Treatise on Hebrew Accents," by Elias Levita.

—John Buxtorf the elder, in his Bibliotheca Rabbinica (printed along with his useful book De Abbreviaturis Hebraicis: Basil, 1630), p. 345., speaking of the curious and valuable work on the Hebrew Accents, by R. Elias Levita, called ספר טוב טעם, says, "Habemus cum Latine a nobis translatum."

Can any of your readers inform me whether this translation was ever printed; and, if not, whether the MS. of it is known to exist?

JAMES H. TODD.

Trin. Coll. Dublin.

209. The Name "Robert."

—Can any of your readers offer any suggestions as to how the name "Robert," and its various diminutives, became connected with so much diablerie?

Besides the host of hob-goblins, hob-thrush, hob-with-the-lantern, and the Yorkshire Dobbies, we have those two mysterious wights Robin Hood and Robin Goodfellow, and "superstitious favourite" the Robin Redbreast. It is a term also frequently applied to idiotcy (invariably among our lower orders linked with the idea of super-naturalism). Hobbil in the northern and Dobbin in the midland districts of England are terms used to denote a heavy, torpid fellow. The French Robin was formerly used in the same sense.

SAXONICUS.

210. Meaning of "Art'rizde."

—In Halliwell's Archaic Dictionary, p. 821. col. 2., there is a quotation from Middleton's Epigrams and Satyres, 1608. Will you, or any of your readers, be kind enough to inform me what is the meaning of the word "Art'rizde which occurs in the quotation, and also give some information as to the book from which it is quoted? Dyce professes to publish all of Middleton's known works, but in his edition (1840) there are no epigrams to be found.

QUÆSO.

211. Sir William Griffith of North Wales.

—Elizabeth, daughter of William Fiennes, Constable of Dover Castle, who was slain at the battle of Barnet, 10 Edw. IV., married, according to the pedigrees of Fiennes, "Sir William Griffith, of North Wales, Knt." It appears there were several persons of this name, and one styled Chamberlain of North Wales, but no such wife is given to him. Can any of your Welsh genealogists identify the Sir William Griffith by reference to any evidence or authorities, manuscript or otherwise, which state the marriage, and show whether Elizabeth Fiennes had any issue?

G.

212. The Residence of William Penn.

—I have been informed that Chatham House, opposite the barracks at Knightsbridge, was the residence of Penn. This house was built in 1688; it had formerly large garden grounds attached both in front and behind. Another account informed me that a house, now known as the "Rising Sun," was the honoured spot. This house has only of late years been turned into a public-house; it is of neat appearance, and the date of 1611 is, or was till lately, to be seen at the two extremes of the copings. Query, Can either of these houses be pointed out with certainty as having been the residence of the great Quaker, and, if so, which? Why was the first-mentioned house called Chatham House?

H. G. D.

213. Martial's Distribution of Hours.—

These lines are the forenoon portion of Martial's well-known distribution of hours and occupation.

Taking these hours then, for the sake of simplification, at the equinox, when they assimilate in length to our modern hours and assuming it as granted that "quies lassis" refers to the noon-tide siesta, and therefore that "sexta" cannot signify any time previous to our twelve o'clock, or noon, I wish to ask the classical readers of "NOTES AND QUERIES"—

1st. How far into the day are we carried by the expression "in quintam?"

2nd. If no farther than to a point equivalent to our eleven o'clock, A.M., in what way is the vacant hour between that point and sexta, or noon, accounted for by Martial?

A. E. B.

Leeds.

214. Moonlight.

—A sermon of Dr. Pusey's contains the following beautiful illustrations of the danger of much knowledge and little practice:

"The pale cold light of the moon, which enlightens but warms not, putrifies what it falls upon."

Will any one inform me whether this is a physical truth, or only an allowable use of a popular opinion?

PHILIP HEDGELAND.

215. Ash-sap given to new-born Children.

—Lightfoot, in his Flora Scotia, vol. ii. p. 642., says—

"That in many parts of Scotland (the Highlands), at the birth of a child the nurse or midwife puts one end of a great stick of the ash-tree into the fire, and while it is burning receives into a spoon the sap or juice which oozes out at the other end, and administers this as the first spoonfuls of liquor to the new-born babe."—Phillip's Sylva Flora.

Why?

G. CREED.

216. Cockney.

—In John Minshieu's Ductor in Linguas, published in 1617, the origin of this word is thus explained:—

"That a citizen's son riding with his father out of London into the country, and being a novice and merely ignorant how corn and cattle increased, asked, when he heard a horse neigh, what the horse did? His father answered, the horse doth neigh. Riding further he heard a cock crow, and said, doth the cock neigh too?"

I should not have troubled you with this story had I not been anxious to ascertain the real origin of the word "Cockney," about which Johnson seems to have been nearly as much in the dark as I am. For any other and more rational explanation I shall be much obliged, as well as by being informed from what source Minshieu derived this story of a cock and a horse, which I am confident I have met with elsewhere, and which is probably familiar to many of your readers.

H. C.

Workington.

217. Full Orders.

—This term is well understood to mean those orders conferred in the church which elevate a deacon to the rank of a priest, capable of a full and entire performance of the duties of the Christian ministry. An interesting point has recently been stirred afresh, touching the validity of any ministerial commission which does not draw its authority from the imposition of episcopal hands. I am not proposing to start a controversial question, unsuited to the quiet and pleasant pages of "NOTES AND QUERIES;" but there branches out from this question a Query solely relating to the Church of England, and involving no dispute; and therefore I beg to ask, whether our church holds that a bishop can confer the full orders of the priesthood without any concomitant laying on of the hands of the presbytery? The rubric in the office for the Ordering of Priests, says, "The Bishop with the Priests present shall lay their hands severally upon the head of every one that receiveth the order of Priesthood:" and the Bishop then says, "Receive the Holy Ghost for the office and work of a Priest in the Church of God, now committed unto thee by the imposition of our hands," &c. Is, then, the aid of the priests essential to the due performance of the rite? Does the expression "our hands" mean both bishop's and priests' hands, as the joint instruments of conveying authority to do the work and office of a priest? Is there any instance of an Anglican bishop ordaining a priest without assistance? I am aware that Beveridge considers that the bishop's hands alone are sufficient; that it has never been the practice in the Greek or the Eastern churches for priests to take a part in the ceremony of conferring "full orders;" and that the custom of their doing so is referred to a decree of the Council of Carthage, A.D. 398, which says, "When a priest is ordained, the bishop blessing him and laying the hand upon his head, let all the priests also, that are present, hold their hands upon his head, by the hands of the bishop." Without the slightest reference to which is really the orthodox method, I would merely ask, whether the Church of England could legally forego the intervention of the priests, just as the Church of Scotland dispenses with the aid of bishops in the act of conferring "full orders?"

ALFRED GATTY.

218. Earwig.

—Can any correspondent furnish a derivation of ear-wig superior to the ones in vogue?

ΑΞΩΝ.

219. The Soul's Errand.

—I will thank any one to tell me on what grounds the stanzas called the Soul's Errand are reported to have been written by Sir Walter Raleigh the night before his execution. The first stanza is (memoriter)—

It will be satisfactory to hear at the same time in what work they are to be found. A nobleman of high rank is said to have them engraved on a silver table of the period.

ÆGROTUS.

Minor Queries Answered.

Call a Spade, a Spade.

—What is the origin of the common saying to call a spade, a spade? Is it an old proverb or a quotation? In a letter of Melancthon's to Archbishop Cranmer respecting the formularies of the Anglican Church, dated May 1st, 1548, the following sentence occurs, which seems to be another form of it:—

"In Ecclesiâ rectius, scapham, scapham dicere; nec objicere posteris ambigua dicta."

Is scapham, scapham dicere, I would also ask, a classical quotation, or a modern Latin version of the other expression?

W. FRASER.

[Mr. Halliwell, in his Dictionary, says, "The phrase To call a spade a spade is applied to giving a person his real character or qualities. Still in use." "I am plaine, I must needs call a spade a spade, a pope a pope."—Mar-Prelate's Epitome, p. 2.]

Prince Rupert's Drops.

—At the risk of being thought somewhat ignorant, I beg for enlightenment with regard to the following passage extracted from a late number of Household Words:—

"Now the first production of an author, if only three lines long, is usually esteemed as a sort of Prince Rupert's Drop, which is destroyed entirely if a person make on it but a single scratch."

If you, or some of your correspondents, would not think this too trivial a matter to notice, and would inform me what the allusion to "Prince Rupert's Drop" refers to, I should be very much obliged.

YRAM.

[For the history of Prince Rupert's Drops our correspondent is referred to our 100th Number, p. 234. These philosophical toys, which exhibit in the most perfect manner the effects of expansion and contraction in melted glass, are made by letting drops of melted glass fall into cold water. Each drop assumes an oval form with a tail or neck resembling a retort; and possesses this singular property, that if a small portion of the tail is broken off the whole bursts into powder with an explosion, and a considerable shock is communicated to the hand that grasps it.]

"Worse than a Crime."

—Who first remarked, with reference to the murder of the Duc D'Enghien by Napoleon, "It was worse than a crime, it was a blunder?"

T. ALLASON.

Furnival's Inn, Oct. 3. 1851.

[This saying has always been attributed to Talleyrand; and it is so clearly the remark of a clever politician, but lax moralist, that we have little doubt it has been very justly appropriated to that distinguished sayer of good things.]

Arbor Lowe, Stanton Moor, Ayre Family.

—Can any of your readers oblige me with information respecting the Druidical remains at Arbor Lowe and Stanton Moor, in the Peak of Derbyshire? I am unable to find any but meagre notices; and in one or two so-called histories of Derbyshire, they are only casually mentioned. Also any particulars concerning the old family of the Ayres, who formerly lived at Birchever, and whose house still stands in a very ruinous condition at the foot of the Routor Rocks?

I have heard that some very singular histories are connected with the family.

H.

[Arbor Lowe and Stanton Moor will be found very fully described by that indefatigable Derbyshire antiquary Mr. Bateman, in his Vestiges of the Antiquities of Derbyshire, published in 1848.]

Bishop of Worcester "On the Sufferings of Christ."

—Who was the Bishop of Worcester about the year 1697? I have a book by him On the Sufferings of Christ, and it only states by Edward Bishop of Worcester. I presume it is Dr. Stillingfleet.

Σιγμα.

[This work is by Bishop Stillingfleet; the first edition was published in 1696, and Part II. in 1700, the year following the Bishop's death.]

Lord Clifford.

—Is the present Lord Clifford lineally descended from the Lord Clifford who was Lord High Treasurer temp. Charles II., or whether he derives through any collateral branch?

CLERICUS.

[The present Lord Clifford, the eighth baron, is lineally descended from Thomas first Baron Clifford of Chudleigh, who was so created 22nd April, 1672.]

Latin Translation of Sarpi's Council of Trent.

—Can any one inform me who translated this into Latin? I have a copy of an early edition, without printer's name or place of publication, and with the fictitious name Petri Suavis Polani; an anagram, though not an accurate one, of Pauli, Sarpis, Veneti. The date is 1622, and over it is the device of a man under a tree, round which a vine twines, with "non solus" on a scroll. At the foot of the title-page is a MS. note in the handwriting of Rev. Francis Boult, who was a dissenting minister in Shrewsbury about a hundred years ago. It would enable those who have access to public libraries (which I have not) to answer the question above proposed. Si scire cupias quis interpres hanc historiam ex Italico in Latinum sermonem verterit, consula opusculum Degorii Wheare, Relectiones Hyamales vocatum pag. 219 et 220.

E. H. D. D.

[This is the first edition of the very inaccurate Latin translation of Sarpi's Council of Trent. The first two chapters were translated by Sir Adam Newton, and the last two by William Bedell, afterwards Bishop of Kilmore.]

Livery Stables.

—What is the meaning of livery stables, and when were they first so called?

J. C. W.

[Livery, i.e. delivery, from the French livrer, to deliver. To the origin of this word (says Junius) these words of Chaucer allude, "that is the conisance of my livery, to all my Servants delivered." Richardson also gives the following quotation from Spenser explanatory of it:—"What livery is, wee by common use in England know well enough, namely, that it is allowance of horse-meate, as they commonly use the word in stabling, as to keepe horses at livery:—the which word, I guesse, is derived of livering or delivering forth their nightly foode. So in great houses the livery is said to be served up for all night, that is, their evening's allowance for drinke. And livery is also called the upper weede which a serving man weareth, so called (as I suppose) for that it was delivered and taken from him at pleasure."—Spenser on Ireland.]