Minor Queries.
Pasquinades.
—Can any correspondent tell me under whose reign the following pasquinade was published?
The reigning Pope had erected a new order of knighthood, and the crosses were very lavishly distributed; upon which Pasquin said—
"In tempi men' leggiadri e più feroci
S'appiccavan' i ladri in sulle croci,
Ma in tempi men' feroci e più leggiadri
S'appiccano croci in sopra ladri."
L. H. J. T.
Sir John Fenner's Bequest of Bibles.
—Sir John Fenner, by will dated 1633, desired his executors to employ monies in purchasing lands (which has since produced 620l. per annum, but now less than that amount), the rent to be laid out every Easter in buying Bibles and distributing money for and amongst the poor of ten parishes in the metropolis. I shall feel thankful for any information relating to that benevolent gentleman communicated either through your columns, or to me at 35. Gifford Street, Kingsland Road, London.
HENRY EDWARDS,
(a Subscriber from the beginning).
Friday at Sea.
—I have heard a story respecting the superstition in which sailors hold Friday as a day of departure. To disabuse them of this superstition, a ship—so runs the tale—was laid down on Friday; launched on a Friday; commanded by a captain named Friday; sailed on a Friday; and—so runs the story—was never heard of afterwards!
Is there—I believe not—any truth in this tradition; and where may the earliest allusion to it be found.
?
Meaning of "Knarres."
—In a minister's account of the time of Edward II., relating to Caernarvonshire, is an entry for rent received "de terra morosa et knarres:" the word is sometimes written gnarres. What does it mean? I believe in Norfolk and in other counties a description of scrubby woodland is known by the name of carrs (Query spelling). We find Knares-borough in Yorkshire, and Knares-dale in Northumberland, Nar-borough in Leicester, Nar-burgh and Nar-ford in Norfolk. Taking the n to be the expressive letter, we have perhaps specimens of its softened sound in the names of Snare-hill, Snar-gate, Snares-brook, &c., in various counties. Some of your etymological readers may be able to explain the derivation of these names, should they be considered to come from a common source, and with that the sentence quoted above.
J. BT.
Sir John Cheke.
—May I hope for a reply to my Queries—in what court poor Sir John Cheke was forced to sit beside Bishop Bonner, at the trials of the martyrs? and at whose trials he was present? His sad recantation took place in the year 1556, and his death, from a broken heart, in the year following; so that his being compelled to sit on the bench beside Bonner, must have been at the trials which took place between those two dates. I have Foxe, Fuller, and Strype's memoirs of Sir John Cheke; but I shall be grateful for any information about him from any other old volumes, or from private sources.
C. B. T.
Arms of Yarmouth.
—What authority has Gwillim, in his Display of Heraldrie, p. 258., for asserting—
"He beareth argent a chevron between three seals, feet erected, sable erased. These armes doe pertaine to the towne of Yarmouth in Norfolk."
C. I. P.
Gt. Yarmouth.
"Litera Scripta Manet."
—This is a favourite expression both with speakers and with writers. Is it a quotation? If so, I should be glad to learn whence it comes. It can scarcely be part of a verse, inasmuch as it contains a violation of a well-known metrical canon: final a short before sc.
W. S.
Linwood.
Bull the Barrel.
—What is the origin and exact meaning of the word bull in this phrase? I made a note of the passage in which I found it, thinking that it might possibly be connected in some way with Milton's "bullish." (See vol. iii., p. 241; vol. iv., p. 394.)
"On the third day after my departure from Zashiversk, my liquor was at an end from the effects of a very common sort of leak—it had been tapped too often. I could do nothing but bull the barrel, that is, put a little water into it, and so preserve at least the appearance of vodkey."—Cochrane's Narrative of a Pedestrian Journey through Russia and Siberian Tartary, during the years 1820-23. [Murray, 1824, one vol. 8vo.] p. 225.
C. FORBES.
Temple.
Nuremberg Token.
—What is the meaning of the following legend, which I find on an old brass or copper coin of extreme thinness, and of the size of a shilling:—
"HANNS . KRAVWINCKEL . IN . NVR ."
encircling three crowns disposed in a circle with fleur de lis intervening.
"GOTS . REICH . BLIBT . EWICK . E ."
encircling an emblem of Trinity, in the interior of which is a ball and cross.
There are no figures to indicate a date, but I conclude it belongs to the time of the Hanseatic league.
H. C. K.
Weber on the Material Media of Musical Art.
—Can any of your musical readers inform me whether the treatise on the material media of the musical art, promised by Weber in his Theory of Musical Composition, and which he therein frequently refers to, has ever yet made its appearance; and if so, whether any English translation has been published?
T. L. L.
Clement's Inn.
—I am an attorney; one of my predecessors in business was steward of Clement's Inn. He died, and his partner removed from the Inn to the City. I was articled to the partner, and I recollect that up to the time of his death, which occurred in 1837, he used to receive an annual visit from the minor officials of the inn, beadle, porter, &c., who presented four oranges, and received in return half a guinea. I used generally to suck the oranges, but it never entered my head to inquire what was the origin of the custom. You have probably a correspondent or reader amongst the "ancients" of the venerable society I have mentioned, who may be able to trace the origin of the custom which gave me the privilege of sucking the oranges in question.
Q. D.
Was Queen Elizabeth dark or fair?
—In Vol. iii., p. 432. of "N. & Q." there is a quotation from the Gentleman's Magazine, 1791, in which Queen Elizabeth is mentioned as of a "swarthy complexion." I had always thought of her as fair. Miss Strickland speaks of her "fair complexion," and cites De Maurier, who writes of her "white hands:" in addition to which, does not her "light auburn hair" betoken a light complexion? In one of your late numbers a madrigal is given wherein she is sung as "fair Oriana." This, however, may be no allusion to colour of complexion, but merely the poetic use of the word as synonymous with beautiful. How does the fact stand?
W. T. M.
Victoria, Hong Kong, Dec. 27, 1851.
The "Black Book of Paisley."
—I should be glad if any of your correspondents could favour me with any information relative to the "Black Book of Paisley," so often quoted by Scottish historical writers as the Chronicon Clugniense, being a chronicle of the public affairs and remarkable events kept by the monks of that monastery, and if the same or any part thereof has been reprinted by any of our societies or clubs. It was said to have been recovered at Rome by Sir Robert Spottiswoode, along with other records and MSS. of the Roman Catholic Church, which had been carried abroad from the Scottish monasteries at the Reformation.
ABERDONIENSIS.
"The Trial of the Princess of Wales, afterwards Queen Caroline."
—This book, Mr. Whitbread stated in his place in the House of Commons in 1812, was published, and afterwards suppressed, and bought up at an immense expense, some holders receiving 500l., and some as high as 2000l. for their copies. Is this correct?
ELGINENSIS.
Frith the Martyr, and Dean Comber.
—Frith the Martyr, and Dean Comber, were born in Westerham. Can any antiquary of the district point out the exact spot? I have often asked, but ever unsuccessfully; and I now regret that I did not inquire of Mr. Streatfeild, who resided in the parish, and whom I knew.
H. G. D.
Béocherie, alias Parva Hibernia—Béocera Gent.
—These words occur in Kemble's Ang.-Sax. Charters, Nos. 567. and 652. The first was an islet in Somersetshire; the latter were in Hants. Were the Béocera Gent Irish, and if so, whence the name?
B. WILLIAMS.