Minor Queries with Answers.
Lawless Court, Rochford, Essex.—A most extraordinary custom exists, in a manor at Rochford, in the tenants holding under what is called the "Lawless Court." This court is held at midnight, by torch-light, in the centre of a field, on the first Friday after the 29th Sept., and is presided over by the steward of the manor, who, however, appoints a deputy to fulfil this part of his duty. The tenants of the manor are obliged to attend to answer to their names, when called upon, under pain of a heavy fine, or at all events have some one there to respond for them. All the proceedings are carried on in a whisper, no one speaking above that tone of voice; and the informations as to deaths, names, &c. are entered in a book by the president with a piece of charcoal. I may add, the business is not commenced until a cock has crowed three times, and as it is sometimes a difficult matter to get Chanticleer to do his duty, a man is employed to crow, whose fee therefor is 5s.
Now Morant, in his History of Essex, merely cursorily mentions this most singular custom, and has nothing as to its antiquity or origin; I should therefore feel much obliged for any information concerning it.
Russell Gole.
[The singular custom at Rochford is of uncertain origin: in old authors it is spoken of as belonging to the manor of Rayleigh. The following account of "The Lawless Court," at that place, is printed by Hearne from the Dodsworth MSS. in the Bodleian, vol. cxxv.:—"The manor of Raylie, in Essex, hath a custome court kept yearly, the Wednesday nexte after Michael's day. The court is kept in the night, and without light, but as the skye gives, att a little hill without the towne, called the King's Hill, where the steward writes only with coals, and not with inke. And many men and mannors of greate worth hold of the same, and do suite unto this strange court, where the steward calls them with as low a voice as possibly he may; giving no notice when he goes to the hill to keepe the same court, and he that attends not is deepely amerced, if the steward will. The title and entry of the same court is as followeth, viz.:
'Curia de domino rege,
Dicta sine lege,
Tenta est ibidem,
Per ejusdem consuetudinem,
Ante ortum solis,
Luceat nisi polus,
Seneschallus solus,
Scribit nisi colis.
Clamat clam pro rege
In curia sine lege:
Et qui non cito venerit
Citius pœnitebit:
Si venerit cum lumine
Errat in regimine.
Et dum sine lumine
Capti sunt in crimine,
Curia sine cura
Jurata de injuria
Tenta est die Mercuriæ
prox. post festum S. Michaelis.'"
Weever, who mentions this custom, says, that he was informed that "this servile attendance was imposed, at the first, upon certaine tenants of divers mannors hereabouts, for conspiring in this place, at such an unseasonable time, to raise a commotion.">[
Motto on old Damask.—Can your correspondents furnish an explanation of the motto herewith sent? It is taken from some damask table napkins which were bought many years back at Brussels; not at a shop in the ordinary way, but privately, from the family to whom they belonged. I presume the larger characters, if put together, will indicate the date of the event, whatever that may be, which is referred to in the motto itself.
The motto is woven in the pattern of the damask, and consists of the following words in uncials, the letters of unequal size, as subjoined:
"sIgnUM paCIs DatUr LorICæ."
the larger letters being IUMCIDULIC. If the U's are taken as two V's, and written thus X, it gives the date MDCCLXIII. Perhaps this can be explained.
H.
[The chronogram above, which means "The signal of peace is given to the warrior," relates to the peace proclaimed between England and France in the year 1763. This event is noticed in the Annual Register, and in most of our popular histories. Keightley says, "The overtures of France for peace were readily listened to; and both parties being in earnest, the preliminaries were readily settled at Fontainebleau (Nov. 3rd). In spite of the declamation of Mr. Pitt and his party, they were approved of by large majorities in both Houses of Parliament, and a treaty was finally signed in Paris, Feb. 18, 1763." The napkins were probably a gift, on the occasion, to some public functionary. For the custom of noting the date of a great event by chronograms, see "N. & Q.," Vol. v., p. 585.]
Explanation of the Word "Miser."—Can any of your readers explain how and when miser came to get the meaning of an avaricious hoarding man? In Spenser's Faerie Queene, II. l. 8., it is used in its nearly primary sense of "wretch:"
"Vouchsafe to stay your steed for humble miser's sake."
Again, Faerie Queene, II. 3. 8.:
"The miser threw himself, as an offall,
Straight at his foot in base humility."
In Milton's Comus, which was written about fifty years after the first three books of the Faerie Queene, the present signification of the word is complete:
"You may as well spread out the unsunn'd heaps
Of miser's treasure by an outlaw's den,
And tell me it is safe, as bid one hope
Danger will sink on opportunity," &c.
J. D. Gardner.
Bottisham.
[The modern restricted use of the word miser is subsequent to Shakspeare's time for in Part I. King Henry VI., Act V. Sc. 4.,
"Decrepit miser! base ignoble wretch!"
Steevens says has no relation to avarice, but simply means a miserable creature. So in the interlude of Jacob and Esau, 1568:
"But as for these misers within my father's tent."
Again, in Lord Stirling's tragedy of Crœsus, 1604:
"Or think'st thou me of judgement too remiss,
A miser that in miserie remains."
Otway, however, in his Orphan, published in 1680, uses it for a covetous person:
"Though she be dearer to my soul than rest
To weary pilgrims, or to misers gold,
Rather than wrong Castalio, I'd forget thee."
So also does Pope:
"No silver saints by dying misers given,
Here brib'd the rage of ill-requited heaven."
"Acis and Galatea."—Is there any good evidence in support of the commonly received opinion that the words to Handel's Acis and Galatea were written by Gay? Hawkins merely states that they "are said to have been written by Mr. Gay." I have no copy of Burney at hand to refer to; but I find the same statement repeated by various other musical historians, without, however, any authority being given for it. The words in question are not to be found among the Poems on several Occasions, by Mr. John Gay, published in 1767 by Tonson and others. Have they ever been included in any collective edition of his works?
G. T.
Reading.
[In the musical catalogue of the British Museum, compiled by Thomas Oliphant, Esq., it is stated that the words to Acis and Galatea "are said to be written, but apparently partly compiled, by John Gay." This serenata is included among Gay's Poems in Dr. Johnson's edition of the English Poets, 1790, as well as in Chalmers's edition of 1810, and in the complete edition of British Poets, Edinburgh, 1794.]
Birm-bank.—The bank of a canal opposite to the towing-path is called the birm-bank. What is the derivation of this?
Uneda.
Philadelphia.
[The word birm seems to have the same meaning as berme (Fr. berme), which, in Fortification, denotes a piece of ground of three, four, or five feet in width, left between the rampart and the moat or foss, designed to receive the ruins of the rampart, and prevent the earth from filling the foss. Sometimes it is palisaded, and in Holland is generally planted with quickset hedge.]
General Thomas Gage.—This officer commanded at Boston at the breaking out of the Revolution, and served under General Braddock. Where can I find any details of the remainder of his history?
Serviens.
[An interesting biographical account of General Gage is given in the Georgian Æra, vol. ii. p. 67.]