Replies.
ANACHRONISMS OF PAINTERS.
(Vol. iii., pp. 369. 517.; Vol. iv., p. 150.)
I have read D'Israeli's list of the above, to which J. E. alludes in Vol. iii., p. 369., and they are certainly well-known glaring instances of the inconsistencies and absurdities into which artists may be led by ignorance and total want of good taste and feeling: those given by J. E., at the same page, are also unhappy examples. I cannot, however, think that the instance, given by G. T. R. in Vol. iii., p. 517., deserves to be placed in the same category: the subject is, The Woman taken in Adultery; and G. T. R. complains of the anachronism of Steenwyk's having represented our Saviour as writing on the ground in Dutch. But this is not necessarily the result of ignorance, and is justifiable on the ground of making the painting more intelligible to his countrymen. For the same reason the writing is often in Latin; and, in fact, often as the subject has been painted, I do not recollect any instance of the proper language being used. In making the scene take place in a building of the architecture of the thirteenth century, Steenwyk has erred (if error it be) in company with the best Italian masters. Both Tintoretto and Paul Veronese engraft into their paintings the architecture and other accessories of their own day. In Tintoretto's celebrated picture of the Marriage of Cana, the artist has made use of the drinking vessels and loaves of bread still used in Venice at the present day. In fact, if strict accuracy were contended for, not a single representation by the old masters of this subject, and of the Last Supper, would pass muster, as, according to the facts of the case, our Saviour and His disciples would not be sitting at a table, but reclining on the ground. But I think these liberties not only defensible, but that the artist's faculty of thus introducing successfully into his paintings the scenes passing before his eyes is often a great proof of his genius; and pictures often owe much of their power and reality to this very circumstance. Space, as well as time, is often annihilated not from ignorance or inadvertence, but purposely, and with the most happy results. Tintoretto, in a painting of the Entombment of Christ, has introduced the stable of Bethlehem in the background; thus finely contrasting the birthplace of Him who was found "lying in a manger" with the fulfillment of the prophecy of His being "with the rich in His death:" and such liberties both of time and place are equally allowable in pictures of at all an imaginative character, the artist feeling that by sacrificing a minor and lower truth he can gain a higher, or make his subject appeal more to the sympathies of his spectators. The instance also noticed by P. P. in Vol. iv., p. 150., is no mistake, but a legitimate employment of a symbol: the cross or flag, with the motto "Ecce Agnus Dei," soon became the recognised symbol of St. John the Baptist, and as such was generally used without reference to the exact time when the motto became strictly applicable. The same strict criticism which would disallow this license, would require the Madonna to be always painted as a Jewess: but I cannot think that paintings are fairly liable to such close and prosaic scrutiny. P. P.'s instance of Zebedee's sons being represented as young children, is treading on more doubtful ground, and some great counterbalancing gain to the picture would alone justify such a bold alteration of facts: but if the subject be altogether treated in an allegorical manner, it might be defensible. His modern instances are, of course, sheer blunders, and cannot be too severely reprehended; and artists must always remember that such liberties should never be taken, unless by these means some higher object is gained. Nor should modern painters expect the same indulgence, until they express in their works the same spirit of devotion, and simple, childlike earnestness of feeling, which distinguish the early painters of the Italian Religious School.
B. H. C.
Oxford.
"AGLA," MEANING OF.
(Vol. iv., p. 116.)
I have the pleasure of being able to refer MR. MARTIN to an interpretation of this inscription. The mystical word AGLA belongs to that species of Cabbala, used by the Rabbinical writers, which is called Notaricon, and which consists of forming one word out of the initial letters of a sentence. Thus Agla is composed of the initials of
Attâh-Gibbor-Leholâm-Adonâi ("Thou art strong for ever, O Lord!"), and signifies either "I reveal," or "a drop of dew," and is the cabbalistic name of God.
They also reversed this process, and made an entire sentence from the letters of one word: thus of ב ר א ש ת Bereshith, which is the first word of Genesis, they made the sentence
Bârâ-Râkiya-Eretz-Shâmayim-Yâm-Tehomoth (i.e. "he created the firmament, the earth, the heavens, the sea, and the deep"). It would, however, be more correctly written
Vide Dr. Hook's Church Dictionary, art. Cabbala.
In Arnaud's work on the Vaudois, translated by Acland (Murray, 1825), there is mention made of certain inscribed talismans or preservatives, found on the slain French soldiers of Marshal Catinat, the inscriptions of which are given, and among them is one bearing the legend [+]AGVA[+]BATOME[+].
E. S. TAYLOR.
The word "AGLA" mentioned by your correspondent MR. MARTIN as being inscribed on a ring, is mentioned by Reginald Scott in his Discoverie of Witchcraft (1584), as being inscribed on the conjuring knives employed to describe the circles used in calling spirits. He gives a cut of "the fashion or form of the conjuring knife, and the names thereon to be engraved," and on one side is AGLA.
E. H. K.
According to M. Collin de Plancy, in his Dictionaire Infernal, vol. i. p. 34., this word is composed of the four first letters of the following Hebrew words, Athar, gabor leolam, Adonai, "Thou art powerful and eternal, O Lord," and was a cabbalistic word used against evil spirits. A brooch of gold found near Devizes, and set with rubies in the form of the letter [A], and having the word AGLA thereon, was shown at the Winchester meeting of the Archæological Institute by W. Herbert Williams (Journal, vol. iii. p. 359.).
EDWARD HAILSTONE.
COLONIES IN ENGLAND.
(Vol. iv., p. 272.)
"The inhabitants of Haverfordwest derived their origin from Flanders, and were sent by Henry I. to inhabit these districts; a people brave and robust, ever hostile to the Welsh; a people, I say, well versed in commerce and woollen manufactures; a people anxious to seek gain by sea and land, in defiance of fatigue or danger; a hardy race, equally fitted for the plough and sword; a people brave and happy," &c.—Giraldus Cambrensis.
"A.D. 1107. About this season a great part of Flanders being drowned by an inundation, or breaking in of the sea, a great number of Flemings came to England beseeching the king to have some void part assigned to them, wherein they might inhabit. At the first they were appointed to the countrie lieing on the east part of the Tweed; but within four years after they were removed into a corner by the sea-side in Wales, called Pembrokeshire, to the end that they might be a defence there against the unquiet Welsh. It would appear by some writers that this multitude of Flemings consisted not onlie of such as came over about that time, by reason their countrie was overflowed with the sea [as ye have heard], but also others that arrived there long before, even in the daies of William the Conqueror, through the friendship of the queen, their countriewoman, sithens their numbers so increased that the realme of England was sore pestered with them; whereupon King Henrie devised to place them in Pembrokeshire, as well to avoide them out of the other of England, as also by their helpe to tame the bold and presumptuous Welshmen: which thing in those parts they brought verie well to pass; for after they were settled there, they valiantlie resisted their enemies, and made verie sharp wars upon them, sometimes with loss and sometimes with gaine."—Holinshed.
"Wallenses Rex Henricus, semper in rebellionem crebris expeditionibus in deditionem premebat; consilioque salubri nixus, ut eorum tumorem extenuaret, Flandrenses omnes Angliæ accolas eò traduxit. Plures enim, qui tempore patris pro matris paternà cognatione confluxerant, occultabat Angliâ, adeo ut ipsi regno pro multitudine onerosi viderentur. Quapropter omnes cum substantiis et necessitudinibus apud Rôs provinciam Walliarum, velut in sentinam congessit, ut et regnum defæcaret, et hostium brutam temeritatem retunderet."—William of Malmsbury.
"The yeare 1108 the rage of the sea did overflow and drowne a great part of the lowe countrie of Flanders, in such sort that the inhabitants were driven to seeke themselves other dwellings; who came to King Henrie and desired him to give some voide place to remaine in; who being very liberal of that which was not his owne, gave them the lande of Rôs, in Dyvet or West Wales, where Pembroke, Tenby, and Haverfordwest are now built; and there they remaine till this daie, as may be well perceived by their speeche and conditions, farre differing from the rest of the countrie."—Powell's Welsh Chronicle.
A similar colony is located in that part of Glamorgan called Gower; and the Flemish population, both of Rôs and of Gower, still retain many peculiar customs and words; while they scrupulously keep aloof from the Welsh, each people looking down upon the other, and considering intermarriage as a degradation. I have been told by a friend that Flemish colonies were also located in Norfolk and Cambridgeshire. This much is certain: in the last-named county fields are occasionally divided between different proprietors, in the manner known as "landshares," a custom which prevails to a great extent in Gower, and also, I believe, in Rôs. Am I right in considering this Flemish peculiarity?
SELEUCUS.
In an ancient map of this town, Pembroke (South Wales), of which the language is Norman-French, two districts of ours are mentioned thus: Le grene, which is now called "the green;" and Monton, now called "mountain." As regards the first, not a portion of green is discoverable; it is a disagreeable street, close to a large mill and sheet of water, with none of the conditions of a country green. I have often wondered at the name, feeling persuaded that there never could have existed such a spot here as would be so called, and was puzzled till I last week saw this old map. Tracing the matter, although no French substantive seems to exist spelled grene, the v.n. grener and its relatives afford a solution—as grenier is a granary, and grenetis the mill round a coin: so that I take it for granted, as our green in fact is in the immediate neighbourhood of the corn-mill, that from said pounding or grinding (grener) it solely is derived.
The solution of "mountain" is not so easy. It is a portion of the town outside the old fortifications, at the foot of a high hill; so never could have been dignified by the term "mountain" from its height,—in fact, it rises but little from the estuary, one arm of which here terminates. The tide here ceases; up to this spot "la marée monte." Am I right in conjecturing that montant (pronounced just like monton), meaning "rising" as well as mounting, may be the origin of the designation?
All the early memorials of Pembroke are either Norman or Flemish, those foreigners having settled here. We have no token of Welsh; perhaps there are not six people in the town who can speak the language. The names of some of the inhabitants are French and Flemish, and it is to be noted that their personal appearance corresponds with the type of their ancestral country. Our parish clerk, named Freyne, is a little Frenchman to all intents and purposes; and our street-keeper, Rushaut, has all the square stolidity and heavy features of the Low Countries.
Although unconnected with the foregoing, will you allow space for another record? Only within a few years the last of a family, invariably called "Cromwell," died. It was not their true name, but they have held it to perpetuate the treason of their ancestor, who followed the great Protector after he had temporarily abandoned the siege of Pembroke Castle; and, procuring an interview on "Ridgway," an eminence between here and Tenby, this unworthy townsman told the general to return, as the garrison were reduced "to a bean a day." The advice was followed. Pembroke was taken; but the stern captor ordered the traitor to be hanged! Thenceforward the family ever went by the name of Cromwell.
B. B.