Volume 5 — Queries.

THE BOOK OF JASHER.

The inclosed cutting is from the New Monthly Magazine for March 1829. What has become of the translation of the "Book of Jasher" named therein, and was it ever published as promised?

"Curious Literary Discovery.—The following is a singular discovery, said to be a translation from the original Hebrew manuscript of the Book of Jasher, referred to as a work of credit and reputation in Holy Scripture, first in Joshua x. 13. and again in 2 Sam. i. 18. This book was kept as a memorial of the great events which had happened from the beginning of time, especially to the family and descendants of Abraham, by the Kings of Judah. After the Babylonish captivity, it fell into the possession of the Persian Kings, and was preserved with great care in the city of Gazna: from whence a translation was procured by the great Alcuin, who flourished in the eighth century, at the cost of several bars of gold, presented to those who had the custody of it. He brought this translation to his own country, having employed, with his companions, seven years in pilgrimage; three of which were spent in Gazna, in order to his obtaining this important and interesting work. After his return to England he was made Abbot of Canterbury; and having lived in the highest honour, died in the year 804, leaving this, with other manuscripts, to his friend, a clergyman in Yorkshire. It appears to have been preserved with religious care for many centuries, until, about one hundred years since, it fell into the hands of a gentleman, who certifies that on its cover was the following testimony of our great reformer Wickliffe:—'I have read the Book of Jasher twice over, and I much approve of it as a piece of great antiquity and curiosity; but I cannot assent that it should be made a part of the Canon of Scripture.'—(Signed, Wickliffe.) This gentleman, who conceals his name, communicated it to a Noble Lord, who appears to have been high in office, when a rumour prevailed of a new translation of the Bible. His Lordship's opinion of it was that it should be published, as a work of great sincerity, plainness, and truth; and further, his Lordship added, 'it is my opinion the Book of Jasher ought to have been printed in the Holy Bible before the Book of Joshua.' From that period this invaluable work has lain concealed, until, by an accident, it fell into the hands of the present possessor, who purposes to publish it in a way worthy its excellence for truth, antiquity, and evident originality.—Daily Paper."

L. L. L.

[Two editions of this work have been published: the first appeared in 1751, and the other in 1829; both in 4to. The title-page of the latter edition informs us that it was "translated into English from the Hebrew, by Flaccus Albinus Alcuinus of Britain, Abbot of Canterbury, who went a pilgrimage into the Holy Land and Persia, where he discovered this volume, in the city of Gazna." But it appears that this Alcuin of Britain was no other than Jacob Ilive; and, according to Rowe Mores, the whole of it is a palpable forgery. He states, that "the account given of the translation is full of glaring absurdities. Mr. Ilive, in the night-time, had constantly an Hebrew Bible before him, and cases in his closet. He produced the Book of Jasher; and it was composed in private, and the same worked off in the night-time in a private press-room."—Rowe Mores' Diss. on Founders, p. 64. See also Nichols' Literary Anecdotes, vol. i. p. 309.]

Minor Queries.

Old China.

—It was gratifying to see some inquiries respecting Dutch china, which it is to be hoped will lead to a further pursuit of such subjects. Some connoisseur would confer a benefit upon the community if he would be kind enough to give a concise description of the various styles and to point out the distinguishing marks of old china generally, by which its beauties might be appreciated and its value estimated: there is great difficulty in acquiring such information.

C. T.

Pagoda, Joss House, Fetiche.

—No such word as Pagoda is known in the native languages: Dewal, according to Mr. Forbes (Orient. Mem. vol. i. p. 25.), is the proper name. I have read somewhere or another that Pagoda is a name invented by the Portuguese from the Persian "Pentgheda," meaning a temple of idols. Joss, applied to the Chinese temples, seems to be the Spanish Diós (Deus), as diurnal becomes journal.

"The Fetiche of the African (says Mr. Milman) is the Manitou of the American Indian. The word Fetiche was first, I believe, brought into general use in the curious volume of the President de Brosses' Du Culte des Dieux Fétiches. The word was formed by the traders to Africa from the Portuguese Fetisso, chose fée, enchantée, divinée, ou rendant des Oracles." De B. p. 18.

History of Christianity (3 vols. 1840), vol. i. p. 11.

Query, Is this word the same as a common word in Ireland (upon which Banim founded a tale), ycleped fetch, which answers to the Scotch wraith?

EIRIONNACH.

"And Eva stood and wept alone."

—A good many years ago I deciphered on the marbled paper cover of one of my school-books the lines of which the following are what I yet retain in memory:

I have never since, through a tolerably extensive course of reading, met with the poem to which these lines belong, and have inquired of others, without more success. Can any of your correspondents inform me of the name of the poem, and of its author?

S. S. WARDEN.

Hearne's Confirmation.—Baxter's Heavy Shove.—Old Ballad.

—In Narratives of Sorcery and Magic, by Thomas Wright, Esq. (1851), vol. ii. p. 163., mention is made of a work by the associate of the notorious Hopkins, the "Witch-finder General," one John Hearne, entitled, A Confirmation and Discovery of Witchcraft (1648). I should esteem it a great favour if any of the numerous readers of your valuable journal can inform me where a copy of Hearne's work is to be found, as it appears to be wanting in the British Museum, and several other of the public libraries. I already happen to possess a copy of Matthew Hopkins's Discovery of Witches, 4to. (1647), an extraordinary little work, which Sir Walter Scott acknowledges he was acquainted with but by name.

There is a tract, too, by the celebrated author of the Saints' Rest, which I never yet could put eyes on, though I have for some years "collected" rather largely; I allude to Baxter's Heavy Shove, mentioned at page 99. of Lackington's "Life," and in one or two other works; but among a very large collection of old editions of Baxter's works possessed by me, it is not to be discovered. If any of your correspondents can enlighten me upon the subject I shall be much gratified.

Though I have collected rather extensively among the ballad lore of this country, I am sorry to say I never could find out from what particular ballad the annexed stanza is derived. It is to be found, as an epigraph, in Poetical Memoirs, by the late James Bird, 8vo. (1823):

CHARLES CLARK.

Great Totham Hall, Essex.

Gunpowder Mills.

—When and where were the first gunpowder mills erected in this country? This Query was made in the Gentleman's Magazine for October, 1791, and does not appear to have been answered. I think I have waited long enough for a reply, and almost fear the Query must have been forgotten.

W.

Macfarlane of that Ilk.

—Who is the present heir-male of this family? The latest account of it that I have been able to discover is contained in Douglas's Baronage of Scotland (1798).

E. N.

Armorial Bearings.

—In the Court Manual of Dignity and Precedence it is stated, that in the year 1798, when the subject of armorial bearings was before Parliament, 9458 families in England, and 4000 in Scotland, were proved entitled to arms. Are any of the relative parliamentary papers still in existence, and where are they to be found? I have been unable to discover them in Hansard.

E. N.

Scologlandis and Scologi.

—In the Collections of the Shires of Aberdeen and Banff, published by the Spalding Club, and under the heading "Ellon," p. 310., there is given an

in which occur several times the two words Scologlandis and Scologi. Neither of these words are found in Ducange; the nearest approach to either being Scolanda, which is considered to be equivalent to Scrut landa, namely, lands the revenue of which is to be applied to the providing of church vestments. I should be much obliged by any of your correspondents favouring me with their opinion as to the meaning of Scologlandis and Scologi, which are used in the "Inquisicio" as follows:

"... Qui jurati deposuerunt quod terre Ecclesiastice de Ellon que dicuntur le Scologlandis....

"... Item quod heres cujuslibet Scologi defuncti intrare consuevit hereditatem suam."

G. J. R. G.

Ednowain ap Bradwen.

—Can any of the readers of "N. & Q." give me information respecting this person, or the family descended from him, which is supposed to have lived in North Wales during the reign of Henry VII.? His armorial badge is figured in p. 250. of Enderbie's Cambria Triumphans, and is described as Gules, three snakes braced, Arg. There is an ancient font in our church, which, when restored to it in the year 1841, after having been put to vile uses for many years, did bear this badge, but it does not bear it now. The gentleman who undertook the direction of the repair of the sculpture on the font, not having been inspired by the Professor of History at Oxford with a due reverence for antiquities, ordered Samuel Davies, a stone-mason (who is still living in this town), to make the three snakes as much like one dragon as he could. This he attempted to do by chiselling away the head of one snake, inlaying in its place the head of a dragon; and making the other heads and tails into legs with claws. The result of these operations has been a dragon of a very singular appearance. There is a portcullis with chains sculptured on one of the eight sides of the font; and it has been conjectured that the motive to the conversion of the three snakes, braced, into a dragon, was to make it appear probable that the font had been presented to the church by Henry VII.

AP JOHN.

Wrexham.

Mummy Wheat.

—As you have afforded space for a Query on "Wild Oats," you will not, I hope, deny me a corner for one on Mummy Wheat.

In the year 1840, a letter appeared in The Times, signed "Martin Farquhar Tupper," which detailed minutely the sowing, growing, and gathering of some mummy wheat. Mr. Tupper, it seems, had received the grains of wheat from Mr. Pettigrew, who had them from Sir Gardner Wilkinson, by whom they were found on opening an ancient tomb in the Thebaid. Mr. Tupper took great pains to secure the identity of the seed, and had no doubt that he had gathered the product of a grain preserved since the time of the Pharaohs. The long vitality of seeds has been a popular belief; I was therefore surprised to find that that interesting fact is now pronounced to be no fact at all. It appears, in The Year-Book of Facts for 1852, that Prof. Henslowe stated to the British Association, that "the instances of plants growing from seeds found in mummies were all erroneous." Can any one tell me how this has been proved?

H. W. G.

Elgin.

The Trusty Servant at Winchester.

—The singular emblematic picture of a "Trusty Servant," in the vestibule of the kitchen of Winchester College, is too well known to require a description. I remember once hearing a gentleman refer to some author as giving a description of a similar figure, and speaking of such representations as of great antiquity. Unfortunately I took no note of it at the time, and I now hope to recover the reference by a query; and shall feel obliged to any of your correspondents who may be able to furnish me with an answer: "Who was the author referred to?"

M. Y. R. W.

Anecdote.

—Can you tell me the names of the clergyman and noble lord referred to in the following anecdote?

"A noble lord distinguished for a total neglect of religion, and who, boasting the superior excellence of some water works which he had invented and constructed, added, that after having been so useful to mankind, he expected to be very comfortable in the next world, notwithstanding his ridicule and disbelief of religion. 'Ah,' replied the clergyman, 'if you mean to be comfortable there, you must take your waterworks along with you.'"

Daniel's Sports, Supplement, p. 305.

H. N. E.

St. Augustine.

—What is the best edition of his Confessions. Dupin mentions his six Treatises on Man. Do these exist, and do they appear in any edition of St. Augustine's works?

E. A. H. L.

Ghost—Evidence of one not received.

—In Ackerman's Repository, Nov. 1820, is a short account of a remarkable instance of a person being tried on the pretended evidence of a ghost. A farmer on his return from the market at Southam, co. Warwick, was murdered. The next morning a man called upon the farmer's wife, and related how on the previous night, as he lay in bed, quite awake, her husband's ghost had appeared to him, and after showing him several stabs on his body, had told him that he was murdered by a certain person, and his corpse thrown into a certain marl-pit. A search was instituted, the body found in the pit, and the wounds on the body of the deceased were exactly in the parts described by the pretended dreamer; the person who was mentioned was committed for trial on violent suspicion of murder, and the trial came on at Warwick before Lord Chief Justice Raymond. The jury would have convicted the prisoner as rashly as the magistrate had committed him, but for the interposition of the judge, who told them that he did not put any credit in the pretended ghost story, since the prisoner was a man of unblemished reputation, and no ill feeling had ever existed between himself and the deceased. He said that he knew of no law which admitted of the evidence of a ghost; and if any did, the ghost had not appeared. The crier was then ordered to summon the ghost, which he did three times, and the judge then acquitted the prisoner, and caused the accuser to be detained, which was accordingly done, and his house searched, when such strong proofs of guilt were discovered, that the man confessed the crime, and was executed for murder at the following assizes.

Could any of your readers inform me when this remarkable trial took place, and where I could meet with a more detailed account?

SOUTHAMIENSIS.

Roman and Saxon Cambridge.

—Dr. W. Warren, formerly Vice-Master of Trinity Hall, Cambridge, wrote some papers to prove that the situation of the Grantacæster of Bede was at the Castle end of Cambridge, not at Granchester, and "demonstrated the thing as amply as a matter of that sort is capable of." Brydges states (Restituta, iv. 388.) that his brother, Dr. R. Warren, intended to publish this tract, which came into his hands after the death of the vice-master, which happened in, or shortly after, the year 1735. He left some MSS. to the college, but this is not amongst them; and Dr. R. Warren did not, as far as I can learn, ever carry his intention of publishing it into execution. What I want to learn is, where this tract now is, if it still exists; or, if it has been printed, where a printed copy is to be found.

C. C. B.

Queries on the Mistletoe (Vol. iv., p. 110.).

—Will your correspondent who some Numbers back stated, in a communication on the mistletoe, that it was not uncommon upon the oak in Somersetshire, kindly give two or three localities on his own knowledge? I fear some mistake has arisen, for, as far as my experience goes, an arch-Druid might hunt long enough in the present day for the "heaven-descended plant" among a grove of oaks, ere he fortuitously alighted upon it. Some years ago a friend assured me that he was credibly informed by a timber merchant often in the Sussex forests, that mistletoe was not uncommon upon oaks there; but on a personal inspection it turned out that ivy, not mistletoe, was intended. I suspect a similar mistake in Somersetshire, unless two or three certain localities can be named as seen by a competent observer.

I should also like to know from your Carolinian correspondent H. H. B., whether the mistletoe he mentions is our genuine "wintry mistletoe"—the Viscum album of Linnæus, or another species. The "varieties of the oak" he speaks of as having mistletoe upon them, are, I presume, all American species, and not the European Quercus robur.

A. F.

Worcester.

Portrait of Mesmer.

—I should be glad if you, or any of your readers in England or in France, could inform me whether there is anywhere to be found a portrait—drawing, painting, or engraving—of Mesmer?

SIGMA.

Minor Queries Answered.

Saint Richard (Vol. iv., p. 475.).—On what authority do the particulars recorded of this personage in the Lives of the Saints rest? I cannot help considering his very existence as rather apocryphal, for these reasons:—1. Bede, who must have been his contemporary, and whose Ecclesiastical History was written several years after the date assigned for Richard's death, never mentions his name. 2. When did his alleged renunciation of the throne occur, and what historian of the period mentions it? At the time of his death, and for thirty-five years before, the kingdom of Wessex was under the sway of Ina, one of the greatest and best of the West Saxon kings. 3. His name is not a Saxon one, and I believe it is not to be found in English history till after the Norman Conquest.

S. S. WARDEN.

[The Britannia Sancta, 4to. 1745, contains the following notice of St. Richard compiled from the collections of the Bollandists:—"St. Richard, whose name occurs on Feb. 7 in the Roman Martyrology, is styled there, as well as in divers other monuments, King of the English, though in the catalogues of our Saxon kings there is no one found of that name; the reason of which is, because the catalogues of the kings, during the Heptarchy, are very imperfect, as might be proved, if it were necessary, by several instances of kings whose names are there omitted. As for St. Richard, it is that he was one of those princes who, as we learn from St. Bede, lib. iv. ch. 12., ruled the West Saxons after the year 673, till they were forced to give way to King Ceadwall; which is the more probable, because he flourished about that time, and was of the province of the West Saxons, as appears from his being a kinsman to St. Winifred, or Boniface, born and brought up in those parts (at Crediton in Devonshire), and from his son Willibald's being brought up in a monastery of the same province, and from his own setting out upon his pilgrimage from Hamble Haven, which belonged to the West Saxons." Some account of St. Richard and his tomb at Lucca will be found in the Gentleman's Magazine, vol. lxix., pt. i. p. 14.]

"Coming Events cast their Shadows before."

—Where does this couplet occur?

E. G.

[This couplet is from Campbells "Lochiel's Warning."]

St. Christopher.

—Fosbroke says, "the Greek Christians represented this saint with a dog's head, like Anubis, to show that he was of the country of the Cynocephale; and in confirmation of this assertion he quotes "Winckelm. Stosch. cl. i. n. 103." I have never heard either of this fact, or of the authority from which Fosbroke derived it. Can any of your readers give me any information about either?

E. A. H. L.

[The following is the passage quoted by Mr. Fosbroke, from Winckelmann's Description des Pierres Graveés du feu Baron de Stosch. 4to. Florence, 1760, p. 25.:—

"Jaspe rouge. Anubis en pied. Je vais rémarquer ici en passant que les Chretiens Grecs du moyen âge ont figuré S. Christrophle avec tête de Chien, comme Anubis, pour signifier que ce Saint étoit du pays des Cynocéphales. (Pin. Commentar. Vit. S. Christoph., § 6. in Act. SS. Ant. Ful., vol. vi. p. 427.) Tel le voiton sur un ancien Ménologe peint sur bois, dans la Bibliothèque du Vatican; cette rare pièce y est entrée avec la bibliothèque du Marq. Capponi."]

Cuddy, the Ass.

—Your correspondents have alluded to the words Donkey and Moke not appearing in any of our dictionaries. There is another word for the same animal in general use in Northumberland and the neighbouring counties, Cuddy, which likewise does not appear in the dictionaries I have looked at,—Johnson's amongst the number. Can any of your correspondents give the origin of this word?

J. S. A.

Old Broad Street.

[This word is most probably of Oriental origin, and may have been imported by the gypsies, the ass being their favourite quadruped. Persian gudda signifies an ass; and ghudda has the same signification in Hindostanee.—Jamieson's Scottish Dictionary.]

Toady.

—Will any of your readers be kind enough to explain the origin of this word, which is constantly used in conversation when speaking of a sycophant?

F. M.

[Toady, or Toad-eater, a vulgar name for a fawning, obsequious sycophant, was first given to a gluttonous parasite, famous for his indiscriminate enjoyment and praise of all viands whatever set before him. To test his powers of stomach and complaisance, one of his patrons had a toad cooked and set before him, which he both ate and praised in his usual way.—Ogilvie's Imperial Dictionary.]

Mother Shipton.

—We have all heard of Mother Shipton and her prophecies. Was she a real character? If so, where did she live, and at what period? Were her prophecies ever published? If so, I should like an account of them?

JACOBUS.

[Our correspondent is referred to the following works relating to this renowned personage:—1. The Prophesies of Mother Shipton in the Raigne of King Henry VIII., foretelling the Death of Cardinal Wolsey, the Lord Percy, and others; as also what should happen in ensuing Times: London, 1641, 4to. 2. Two Strange Prophesies, predicting Wonderfull Events to betide this Yeare of Danger in this Climate, where some have already come to passe, by Mother Shipton: London, 1642, 4to. (About 1642 several other tracts were published with the name of Shipton.) 3. The Life and Death of Mother Shipton: London, 1677, 4to. 4. Mother Shipton's Life and Curious Prophecies: London, 1797, 8vo. 5. The History of Mother Shipton: Newcastle, 4to. Nos. 1. and 4. are in the British Museum.]