Minor Queries Answered.
The Twentieth of the Thirty-nine Articles.
—In a note to a work entitled Sketches of the History of Man, Dublin, 1779, at vol. i. p. 104. I observe the following statement:
"In the Act 13th of Elizabeth, anno 1571, confirming the Thirty-nine Articles of the Church of England, these Articles are not engrossed, but referred to as comprised in a printed book, intitled 'Articles agreed to by the whole Clergy in Convocation holden at London, 1562.' The forged clause is, 'The Church has power to decree Rites and Ceremonies, and authority in Controversies of Faith.' That clause is not in the Articles referred to; nor the slightest hint of any authority with respect to matters of faith. In the same year, 1571, the Articles were printed both in Latin and English, precisely as in the year 1562. But soon after came out spurious editions, in which the said clause was foisted into the Twentieth Article, and continues so to this day," &c.
This is a grave charge. Is it a true one? I have not at hand the authorities by which to examine it, and therefore seek an answer from some of your readers who may be able to give it. My question refers to the imputation of a clause having been foisted into our Articles of Faith by a forgery, and still continuing in them; not to the truth of any part of our Articles as they now stand. To this there is sufficient testimony.
CM.
London, July 25. 1851.
[The following note from p. 131. of Mr. Hardwick's recently published History of the Articles will furnish a reply to this Query:—
"He (Laud) was accused of forging the contested clause in Art. XX. And after appealing to four printed copies of the Articles, one of them as early as 1563, and all containing the passage which the Puritans disliked, he added, 'I shall make it yet plainer: for it is not fit concerning an Article of Religion, and an Article of such consequence for the order, truth, and peace of the Church, you should rely upon my copies, be they never so many or never so ancient. Therefore I sent to the public records in my office, and here under my officer's hand, who is public notary, is returned to me the Twentieth Article with this affirmative clause in it, and there is also the whole body of the Articles to be seen.'—Remains, ii. 83. (quoted by Bennet, 166.) The copy thus taken before the destruction of the records is said to be still extant; Bennet made use of it, and has printed it in his Essay, 167-169.">[
Exons of the Guard.
—Can any of your readers inform me what are the duties of these officers, and the derivation of their title? I find, in the papers describing her Majesty's state ball, the following: "the exons or capitaines exempts de la garde du corps;" but that does not throw much light upon the subject.
E. N. W.
Southwark.
[The name of Exempts or Exons is manifestly borrowed from that of the officers in the old French Garde du Corps, who were styled in their commissions Capitaines Exempts des Gardes du Corps. Richelet describes the Exempt as the officer who commanded in the absence of the Lieutenant or Ensign, and who had charge of the night watch. In both cases, the duties of the English and French officers are completely parallel.]
Curious Monumental Inscription: "Quos Anguis tristi."
—Have any of your readers seen Latin verses constructed in the following curious manner? I copied these many years ago from an old magazine:—
| "Qu | an | tris | di | c | vul | stra | |
| os | guis | ti | ro | um | nere | vit, | |
| H | san | Chris | mi | t | mu | la |
Quos anguis tristi diro cum vulnere stravit,
Hos sanguis Christi miro tum munere lavit."
J. O. B.
[The inscription quoted by our correspondent has been preserved by Stow, in his Survey of London, who, describing the monuments in the church of St. Anne in the Willows, says (p. 115. ed. 1842), "John Herenden, mercer, esquire, 1572; these verses on an old stone.">[
Meaning of "Deal."
—I shall feel greatly obliged to any of the readers of your entertaining and instructive miscellany, if they can explain the meaning of the word deal, as used in Exod. xxix. 40. A tenth of flour is the verbal rendering of the Hebrew, the Septuagint, and the Vulgate. It was introduced by Coverdale and Tyndale, and is, I believe, in all our English translations except the Puritan or Genevan, which has "a tenth part;" and Mr John Ray of Glasgow, in his revised translation, who renders the word "the tenth of an ephah." Is this use of the word deal noticed in any dictionary?
GEORGE OFFOR.
Hackney, July 13. 1851.
[The word "deal" in the passage referred to by our correspondent clearly signifies "part," and corresponds with the German "theil." It is from the A-S.; and Chaucer uses the phrases "never a del" and "every del," for "never a bit" and "every bit." In the Vision of Piers Ploughman we have a nearly parallel phrase to that used in our Bibles:
"That hevedes of holy church ben
That han hir wil here
Withouten travaille the tithe deel
That trewe men biswynken."
L. 10571. et seq., ed. Wright.]
La Mer des Histoires.
—Who is the author of La Mer des Histoires? I have seen the first volume in large folio; the type and paper are beautiful, the capital letters very fine. It is stated in the preface to be a translation from the Latin of Rudimentum Noviciorum, with the addition of the French Chronicles, and made at the instance of André de la Haye, Seigneur de Chaumot, Paymaster of Sens. It is printed at Paris in the month of July, 1448, by Pierre le Rouge. In how many volumes is the work comprised? Is it very scarce?
R. C. H. H.
[Greswell, in his Annals of Parisian Typography, p. 307., says, "The designation La Mer des Histoires seems, as a popular one, to have been given to French chronicles of various descriptions. Two impressions thus entitled appeared Parisiis, post 1500, viz., 'Mer des Histoires et Chroniques de France: extrait en partis de tous les anciens chroniquers, &c. jusqu' au temps de Francois I.,' 2 voll. fol. Galliot du Pres, 1514, 16; and more especially 'La Mer des Hystoires et Croniques de France: Extraict en partie de tous les anciens croniquers,' 4 voll. fol.—'Le premier volume,' Galliot du pre, 1517; 'Le second volume,' M. le Noir, 1517; 'Le tiers volume,' sine anno et impressoris nomine; 'Le quatriesme liure,' Par. 1518. Panzer says that both these chronicles, of which the latter seems to be an improved edition of the former, are said to have been compiled by Johannes Descourtils, the French king's historiographer.">[
"The noiseless Foot of Time."
—Not having by me at present the means of ascertaining, will some one kindly inform me where the above words are to be found in Shakspeare, giving me the exact reference?
R. VINCENT.
["Let's take the instant by the forward top;
For we are old, and on our quick'st decrees
The inaudible and noiseless foot of time
Steals ere we can effect them."
All's Well that ends Well, Act V. Sc. 3.]