Replies to Minor Queries.
Artesian Wells (Vol. ix., p.222.).—Wells are often so called without just pretence to a similarity with those in Artois, whence this name is derived. There are some natural springs in the northern slope of the chalk in Lincolnshire, near the Humber, called blow-wells, which may be considered naturally Artesian. The particular character by which an Artesian well may be known is, that the water, if admitted into a tube, will rise above the level of the ground in its immediate vicinity up to the level of its sources in the basin of the district; this basin being usually gravel, lying betwixt two strata impervious to water, formed the surrounding hills, and extending often over many miles of the earth's surface. If we conceive the figure of a large bowl, inclosing a somewhat smaller one, the interstice being filled with gravel, and the rain falling on the earth being collected within such interstice, then this interstice being tapped by boring a well, the water will rise up from the well to the same height as it stands in the interstice, or rim of the natural basin. Such is an Artesian well. Supposing this huge mineral double bowl to be broken by a geological fault, the same hydrostatic principle will act similarly.
The question of preferable put by Stylites must be governed by the cui bono. Universal adoption is forbidden, first, by the absence of a gravelly stratum betwixt two strata impervious to water; and secondly, by the excessive expense of boring to such great depths. Where expense is not in excess of the object to be attained, and where the district is geologically favourable, the Artesian wells are preferable to common ones derived from natural tanks or water caverns, first, for the superabundant supply; secondly, for the height to which the water naturally rises above the ground; and thirdly, because boring Artesian wells, properly so called, does not rob a neighbour's well for your own benefit, afterwards to be lost when any neighbour chooses to dig a little deeper than you. This is a matter with which London brewers are familiar.
T. J. Buckton.
Lichfield.
Prior's Epitaph on Himself (Vol. i., p. 482.).—Mr. Singer quotes an epitaph on "John Carnegie," and says it is the prototype of Prior's epitaph on himself. I have looked among Prior's poems for this epitaph, and have not been able to discover anything that can be said to answer Mr. Singer's description of it. Would your correspondent oblige me with a copy of the epitaph to which he alludes? My edition of Prior is a very old one; and this may account for the omission, if such it be.
Henry H. Breen.
St. Lucia.
[The following is a copy of the epitaph:
"Nobles and heralds, by your leave,
Here lies what once was Matthew Prior,
The son of Adam and of Eve;
Can Bourbon or Nassau claim higher?">[
Handwriting (Vol. viii., p. 639.).—In your concluding Number of last year, E. B. requested information as to any work in English, French, German, or Spanish, giving a standard alphabet for the various kinds of writing now in use, with directions for teaching the same. I fear I shall not satisfy all your correspondent's inquiries; but the following may be of some service. I have in my possession a German work, nearly of the kind he requires. The title is, Gründliche Anweisung zum Schönschreiben, by Martin Schüssler, Wiesbaden, 1820. It is of an oblong shape, and consists entirely of engraved plates, in number thirty-two. It begins with some directions for the form
and inclination of letters; then follows an explanation of five rules for writing, which are given in the German handwriting. After exhausting the German, the author proceeds to English letters and handwriting, followed by engrossing hand. Then he gives the fractur, or black-letter characters, with some elaborate and beautiful capitals. He next gives specimens of French handwriting, and ends with Greek current hand, and plates of large capitals of ornamental patterns; all different.
If this work would at all answer the purpose of E. B., and he would wish to see it, it shall be sent to him by post on his giving his address to the writer, whose card is enclosed.
F. C. H.
I have in my possession for sale, a scarce old work, folio, a good clean copy of Geo. Bickman's Universal Penman, 1733; with numerous engravings.
D. H. Strahan.
10. Winsly Street, Oxford Street.
"Begging the Question" (Vol. viii., p. 640.; Vol. ix., p. 136.).—It may interest your logical readers to be informed of the fact that this fallacy was called the petition of the principle, this being, of course, a literal rendering of the Latin phrase. The earliest English work on logic in which I have found this Latinism is, The Arte of Logike, plainelie set foorth in our English Tongue, easie both to be understoode and practised, 1584. Here occurs the following passage:
"Now of the default of Logike, called Sophisme. It is eyther { Generall. } / { Speciall. } The generall are those which cannot be referred to any part of Logike. They are eyther { Begging of the question, called the petition of the principle. } / { Bragging of no proof. } Begging of the question is when nothing is brought to prooue, but the question, or that which is as doubtfull."
C. Mansfield Ingleby.
Birmingham.
When and where does Sunday begin or end? (Vol. ix., p. 198.).—The Christian festival, commonly called Sunday, named by the ancient church "The Lord's Day," because that thereon the resurrection was accomplished, and the new creation, the work of Messias, commenced, this feast, I say, begins at six o'clock in the evening of Saturday, the last day of the week, at the close of that Hebrew fast; and the end of Sunday arrives at six o'clock in the evening of that first day of the week. When time was measured out, the count began with "the evening," which was created first; and which, with the succeeding morning, reckoned as the first day.
H. of Morwenstow.
This question has been, to a certain extent, before debated by Mr. Johnson in his addenda to his Clergyman's Vade Mecum, pp. 106, 107., and Ecclesiastical Law, as quoted by Wheatly, who combated his reasoning of Sunday beginning at six o'clock on the Saturday evening. Johnson rests his argument upon Deuteronomy xvi. 6., where the sacrifice of the passover is ordered "at even, on the going down of the sun;" upon Exodus xii. 6., where the whole "congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening;" and I think he might have also taken Genesis i. 5., "And the evening and the morning were the first day." Johnson says that
"The Church of England has divided her nights and days according to the Scriptural, not the civil account: and that though our civil day begins from midnight, yet our ecclesiastical day begins at six in the evening.... The proper time for vesper, or evening song, is six of the clock, and from that time the religious day begins."
Wheatly admits that "the festival is not past till evensong is ended," but does not agree to its commencing on the preceding evensong; for if it does, he cannot reconcile the rubric at the end of the Table of Vigils.
On the whole, I think Johnson has the best of the argument: and that Sunday begins ecclesiastically at six in the evening on Saturday; civilly, at midnight.
R. J. S.
Precious Stones (Vol. viii., p. 539.; Vol. ix., pp. 37. 88.).—Respecting precious stones, some information may be gleaned from the notes to Sir John Hill's translation of Theophrastus' History of Stones (8vo., 2nd edit., London, 1774).
J. M.
Oxford.
Scotch Grievance (Vol. ix., p. 160.).—Your correspondents refer to coins of a period when the Scotch do not complain. Their grievance, as alleged, is as to the mode of bearing the lion since the Union in 1707; to which the instances quoted, between the time of James I. and William III., have no reference.
G.
"Corporations have no Souls," &c. (Vol. viii, p. 587.).—The following, which I extract from Hone's Table-Book, is probably the remark to which your correspondent B. alludes:
"Mr. Howel Walsh, in a corporation case tried at the Tralee assizes, observed that a corporation cannot blush. It was a body, it was true; had certainly a head—a new one every year—an annual acquisition of intelligence in every new lord mayor. Arms he supposed it had, and long ones too, for it could reach at anything. Legs, of course, when it made such long strides. A throat to swallow the rights of the community, and a stomach to digest them! But who ever yet discovered, in the anatomy of any corporation, either bowels or a heart?"
Henry H. Breen.
St. Lucia.
Devereux Bowly (Vol. ix., p. 173.).—In reply to Uneda's inquiry, Devereux Bowly, watchmaker, of Lombard Street, London, died Mar. 15, 1773, in his seventy-eighth year.
He was a member of the Society of Friends, and being at the time of his decease a widower, and without family, he left a large portion of his property to their school, then at Clerkenwell, in the neighbourhood of which he resided.
T. S. N.
Reversible Names (Vol. viii., pp. 244. 655.).—There is a gentleman in this island who bears the name and surname of Xuaved Devaux, which are mutually reversible.
Henry H. Breen.
St. Lucia.
Your correspondent Balliolensis, in speaking of reversible or palindromic English names, seems to have overlooked the names of Hannah and Anna.
X.
Duval Family (Vol. viii., pp. 318. 423.).—A grant was made by the crown in Ireland on the 4th July, 1 James II., to Garret Wall, alias Duvall, sen., Esq.; Garret Wall, alias Duvall, jun.; Jas. Wall, alias Duvall; and Michael Wall of the manor, town, and lands of Culenemucky, co. Waterford.
J. F. Ferguson.
Member of Parliament electing Himself (Vol. viii., p. 536.).—In the article forwarded by H. M. are many gross errors. William M‘Leod Bannatyne, Esq., was Sheriff of Buteshire from Dec. 22, 1775, till May 28, 1799; during which period there were only two county elections in Buteshire, viz. April 22, 1784, and June 27, 1796 (the counties of Bute and Caithness being represented only in alternate parliaments), and on neither of those occasions was he the sole freeholder present. The statement in question can therefore only refer to the election on Nov. 13, 1806, when, owing to some accidental circumstances, he was the only freeholder present. In 1799 he was raised to the Bench of the Court of Session by the title of Lord Bannatyne; and consequently he neither did nor could act as sheriff seven years after he ceased to hold that office. It is true that, as a technical formality, he nominated himself chairman of the meeting to enable him to sign the minute of the election in that capacity; but it is not true that he either administered the oaths to himself, or signed the return of the election as sheriff. I was then a lad, and was present as a spectator on that occasion, when I saw Mr. Blain the sheriff-substitute administer the oaths to Lord Bannatyne; and, of course, Mr. Blain also made the election return, certifying that "the Honorable James Stuart Wortley Mackenzie of Rosehaugh, &c. (a relation of the family of Bute) had been duly elected." Thus you see that the title of the article is quite erroneous, and is not even borne out by the original account, as the freeholder did not elect himself, but another person; and he did not act in any other capacity than that of a freeholder: the case being extraordinary enough of only one freeholder attending at a county election, without the addition of those marvellous circumstances.
J. M‘K.
Gresebrok, in Yorkshire (Vol. viii., p. 389.).—To assist your correspondent Ἡραλδικος, I may tell him that the family he inquires about now resides at Horton Castle and Audenham in Staffordshire. Many years ago, when I took some interest in genealogy, I had the pleasure of being a guest of this family; and I then heard it said, that they could trace a very ancient and brilliant line from one Osbert, who married a great heiress at the Conquest, and that they were direct descendants of the ancient kings of England. Some of Mr. Burke's publications I think would assist Ἡραλδικος; not having them by me, I cannot give the exact reference; but some months ago I saw, either in the Landed Gentry, or in the Visitations, a note of the family.[[6]] But I think, if your correspondent could by any means see Mr. Grazebrook's papers (as above noted), he would obtain all the particulars he may require.
Hospes.
Charlotte Street, London.
Footnote 6:[(return)]
Ferdinando Smith, Esq., of Halesowen, born March 26, 1779, a magistrate and deputy-lieutenant, and Lieut.-Colonel of the Worcester Militia, married first, in July, 1802, Eloisa Knudson, who died s. p. Sept. 14, 1805; and, secondly, Oct. 5, 1830, Elizabeth, fourth daughter of Michael Grazebrook, Esq., of Audnam, co. Stafford, by whom he left two surviving sons, Ferdinando Dudley Lea, now of Halesowen, and William Lea, born Feb. 27, 1836. Colonel Smith died July 20, 1841.—Burke's Landed Gentry, p. 1248.—Ed.
Sir Anthony Fitzherbert not Chief Justice (Vol. viii., pp. 576. 631.).—The accompanying extract will resolve the difficulty which M. W. R. proposes:
"But here our author objects against himself: That once upon a time the archbishop called a synod by his own authority, without the king's licence; and was thereupon prohibited by Fitzherbert, Lord Chief Justice; but the archbishop regarded not his prohibition. What this is to his purpose I cannot tell, nor do I see wherefore he brought it in, unless it were to blame Rolle for quoting Speed for it. And therefore, in behalf of both, I shall take the liberty to say thus much. That I know not what harm it is for a man in his own private collections—for such Rolle's Abridgment was, though afterwards thought worthy of a public view—to note a memorable passage of history, and make a remark of his own upon it, out of one of the most faithful and judicious of all our modern historians.
"I have before taken notice of this passage, and that not from Speed, but from Roger Hoveden; from whom I suppose Speed may also have taken the relation. I shall therefore only beg to set this gentleman, to whom all our historians are I doubt equally unknown, right in two particulars; by telling him, that neither was Fitzherbert the man who prohibited the archbishop, neither was he Chief Justice when he did it. His name was Geoffrey Fitz-Peter. He was Earl of Essex, and a very eminent man in those days; and his place was much greater than this author represents it; even Lord Justice of England, which he was first made by King Richard, anno 1198; and held in the King's absence to his death, anno 1213; in which year King John, going over into France, constituted Peter, Bishop of Winchester, Lord Justice in his place."—Wake's Authority of Christian Princes asserted, pp. 284-6.
Wm. Fraser, B.C.L.
Tor-Mohun.
The Privileges of the See of Canterbury (Vol. viii., p. 56.).—As no one has yet volunteered to solve Mr. Fraser's question, How the letter of Pope Boniface ordaining that, however human circumstances might be changed, the city of Canterbury should ever thereafter be esteemed the metropolitan see, can be reconciled with the creation of the archiepiscopal see of Westminster,—I may suggest as a solution this maxim:
"Nihil tam conveniens est naturali æquitati, unumquodque dissolvi eo ligamine quo ligatum est."
It is possible, too, that Pope Pius IX. may have considered that a case had arisen for applying this principle,—
"Necessitas publica major est quam privata."
But be this as it may (and you will excuse me in observing, by the way, that I do not concur in the correctness of this hypothetical view if taken by his holiness), I hope we shall hear from Mr. Fraser whether the former of the above maxims has been effectual to remove his difficulties, which, as I presume from their insertion in "N. & Q.," are not of a purely theological nature.
Respondens.
Chauncy or Chancy (Vol. ix., p. 126.).—Your correspondent J. Y. will find an account of Charles Chauncey, B.D., and Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge, born in 1589, and died in 1671, in vol. iii. p. 451. of Brook's Lives of the Puritans. See also Chalmers's Biographical Dictionary.
Ἁλιεύς
Dublin.
"Three cats," &c. (Vol. ix., P. 173.).-Miss Bockett wishes for the remainder of the "old ballad" beginning with "Three cats;" and I beg to inform her, that there never was any more than what she mentions. The object of the singer was, to cause fun by an elaborately modulated cadenza on the word coal-dust, and then to call on the company to join in chorus. He next continued with some significant word, as "notwithstanding;" and, after a pause of some bars rest, he went on with "Three cats," as before, ad infinitum, changing the initial word each time. It required some tact to give it effect; but, if sung by a clever humorist, was sure to keep the room in a roar of laughter. But its day is gone by.
Grimalkin.
Halliwell, in his Collection of Nursery Rhymes, does not mention "Three cats by the fire-side," &c.; but I have in my possession several not named by him, and "Three cats," &c. amongst the number, which I have much pleasure in transcribing for the benefit of Julia R. Bockett's ancient friend:
"Three cats sat by the fire-side,
In a basket full of coal-dust,
One cat said to the other
In fun, pell mell, 'Queen Anne's dead.'
'Is she,' said Grimalkin, 'then I'll reign queen in her stead,'
Then up, up, up, they flew up the chimney."
Anon.
Probably this is the song of "The Turnspits:"
"Two little dogs sat by the fire-side,
In a basket full of coal-dust;
Says one little dog to the other little dog,
'If you don't go in, I must.'"
N.B.—Into the wheel.
Smokejack.
Officers of Charles I. (Vol. ix., p. 74.).—Sir T. Metcalfe mentions, as among the "curious stray sheets" in his possession, "a list of all the gentlemen and officers who fell in the cause of Charles I." As I have long wished to see a list of King Charles's officers, but have never, as yet, met with anything like a complete catalogue of those who fell, or of those who survived, it would be interesting to me, as I doubt not it would be interesting to many of your readers, to see this "curious stray sheet" transferred to the pages of "N. & Q."
Can you refer me to any published, or otherwise accessible, list of the officers who fought against Charles I., whether by sea or land?
Is there any printed list of officers at the time of the Restoration?
* *
D. O. M. (Vol. iii., p. 173.; Vol. ix., p. 137.).—Would R. W. D. state his reasons for rendering these letters "Datur omnibus mori?" Such an inscription would of course be à propos in the case of a tombstone; but the ordinary interpretation, "Deo Optimo Maximo," would likewise be fitting, and it is not probable that the same initials should have two distinct meanings.
W. M. N.
Whitewashing in Churches (Vol. ix., p. 148.).—Mr. Hudson Turner informs us (Domestic
Architecture in England, vol. i. p. 246.) that as early as the thirteenth century the practice of the whitewashing buildings was universal; and that "the process, so vehemently denounced by modern antiquaries, was liberally applied also to ecclesiastical edifices."
William Kelly.
Leicester.
Mr. Hudson Turner says:
"We are not to consider the practice of whitewashing stonework as a vice peculiar to modern times. Our ancestors had as great an objection to the natural surface of stone, whether in churches or other buildings, as any church wardens or bricklayers of the nineteenth century. Several writs of Henry III. are extant, directing the Norman Chapel in the Tower to be whitewashed. Westminster Hall was whitewashed for the coronation of Edward I.; and many other ancient examples might be cited. In fact it seems to have been the rule to plaster ordinary stonework."—Domestic Architecture in England, p. xxvi.
A far earlier instance of the practice appears in Deuteronomy xxvii. 2.
K's question, however, is scarcely answered by the above, as it cannot be supposed that delicate sculpture was clogged with whitewash until it became obnoxious on religious grounds.
C. R. M.
Enfield Church (Vol. viii., p. 352.).—Your correspondent is quite wrong as to the date of this building. The nave is separated from the north and south aisles by an arcade of five arches of undoubted Middle Pointed work; not later than the beginning of the fourteenth century, to which date also belongs the east window of the chancel: the "clere-story," which has the device of a rose and wing (not ring), is probably of the date assigned to the whole church by your correspondent. The south aisle was much altered about forty years ago, the windows of which are a bad imitation of those in the north aisle. In making alterations to the chancel in 1852 the piscina, and a portion of the sedilia, a drawing of which is given in The Builder, vol. x. p. 797., with a window over, were brought to light. They belong to the First Pointed period, or about the latter part of the twelfth century; clearly showing that a portion, at least, of the church is of the last-mentioned date.
I have always understood that the wing and rose, on the walls of the clere-story, was the cognizance of Abbot Wingrose of Waltham.
Jas. P. St. Aubyn.
Coin of Carausius (Vol. ix., p. 148).—C. G. is right in considering his coin as of Carausius, who reigned from 1040 to 1046 A.U.C. I would suggest P. F. for Pius Felix, as preferable to P. P.
The dates will show that the letters MLXXI have nothing to do with the year 1071. On other coins of Carausius we find the signs ML, Moneta Londinensis, or Moneta Londini (percussa); and MSL, Moneta signata Londini. These interpretations are justified by analogy with the Roman coins, and by the signs on coins of Constantine, MSL, which must be interpreted as on the coins of Carausius, MLON, and MLN, Moneta Londini (percussa). The abbreviation LN for LON is analogous to RV for Ravenna, which is undoubted.
As for the letters XXI, they occur very frequently, either alone or with others, on coins of Aurelian and his successors. They have evidently relation to the value of the coin, and are replaced by the Greek letters ΚΑ, which have the same numerical value, on coins of Diocletian, &c. As analogous signs, I may quote LXXII and OB, the corresponding Greek letters, on amei respectively of Constantine and Valentinian, showing the ameus = 1⁄72 of a pound; LX on silver coins of Constantius = 1⁄60 of a pound; and XCVI on denarii of Diocletian = 1⁄96 of a pound.
It has not yet been explained, however, in what relation these copper coins stood to the others, so as to justify the XXI, unless Mommsen may have done so in a book I have not seen, Ueber den Verfall des Münzwesens in der Kaiserzeit, 1851. See for the particulars of the above-cited coins, Pinder and Friedländer's Beiträge zur Münzkunde, p. 17. and following.
W. H. Scott.
Torquay.
Society for Burning the Dead (Vol. ix., p. 76.).—
"The Pioneer Metropolitan Association for Promoting the Practice of Decomposing the Dead by the Agency of Fire. W. H. Newman, Hon. Sec., to whom all communications are to be addressed, post paid, at the City of London Mechanics' Institute, Gould Square, Crutched Friars, or at 7. Cleveland Street, Mile End Road.
"January, 1850.
"Arthur Trevelyan,
"Associate."
Anon.
Map of Dublin (Vol. ix., p. 171.).—Your querist C. H. will be shown with pleasure, at my house, a very ancient map of Dublin, styled "An Exact Copy of a Map of the City and Harbour of Dublin, from a Survey by John Rocque." There is no date to it, but I observe that the street I live in was called "Fleet Alley."
John H. Powell.
15. Westmoreland Street, Dublin.
Pettifogger (Vol. vii., p. 354.).—One who "would cast a mist before," and around, his clients. He makes it his constant practice to raise a "petty-fog."
"And thus much for this cloud, I cannot say rather than petty-fog of witnesses, with which Episcopal men would cast a mist before us, to deduce their exalted Episcopacy from Apostolick Times."—Milton, of Prelatical Episcopacy, Ed. Col. Amst., 1698, vol. i. p. 245.
Is not this a more probable origin of the word than the pettivogueur of our etymologists? And Mr. Keightley will, I am sure, permit me to suggest that it is a derivation at least as obvious and expressive as pettyfolker.
William Beal.
Brooke Vicarage, Norfolk.
Views in London by Canaletto (Vol. ix., p. 106.).—In reply to the Query of your correspondent Gondola, I beg to say that I have long had the pleasure of possessing one of Canaletto's London views, that of the Thames from the Temple Gardens, in which the hand that painted gondolas and masks may be traced in Thames wherries and grave Templars. I believe there are others in the collections of the Dukes of Buccleugh and Northumberland.
Edmund Phipps.
Park Lane.
During the residence of Antonio Canaletto at Venice, he painted a number of pictures, at low prices, for Joseph Smith, Esq., the British consul; but that gentleman retailed those paintings at an enormous profit to English travellers. Canaletto finding this out, was induced to visit a country where his talents were so much appreciated. He accordingly came to England in the year 1746, being then about fifty years of age. He remained with us six or seven years (not two, as stated by Walpole), and during that period received great encouragement from the English nobility. His delineations of London and its environs, especially those of Thames scenery (of which he seems to have been very fond), are deservedly admired. Two of these are at Goodwood, and another (Parliament Street, looking towards Charing Cross) is in the Buccleuch Collection. Several London paintings were, at the beginning of the present century, in the possession of the Hon. Percy Wyndham. Some others are to be found in the royal collections, and in those of many noblemen and gentlemen of fortune.
Edward F. Rimbault.
London Fortifications (Vol. ix., pp. 174. 207.).—During the last civil war a fortification was erected at the Brill Farm, near old St. Pancras Church, where, 120 years after, Somers Town was built. A view of it is extant, and may be obtained for a few shillings. The Brill is also stated to have been a Roman station, but, I believe, without foundation.
G. J. S.
Tavistock Terrace, Holloway.
What Day is it at our Antipodes? (Vol. viii., pp 102. 649.).—After the able way in which this subject has been treated by A. E. B., I will only add an extract from A Complete System of Geography, by Emanuel Bowen, London, 1747, vol. iii. p. 250.:
"One thing more is worth observing concerning this place (Macao), namely, that the Portuguese Sunday here is the Saturday with the Spaniards of the Philippine Islands, and so forward through all the days of the week, although there be scarce any difference in the longitude of both places. But the reason is, the Portuguese, in coming to Europe, pass eastward, whereas the Spaniards, coming from America, pass westward; so that between both, they have sailed round the globe: in doing which there is necessarily one day lost, as we have taken occasion to show in the introduction to this work."
John P. Stilwell.
Dorking.