[110]. ‘Emelina de Hogshawe’ (Inquis. post mortem). The name is now extinct, I believe.
[111]. Our ‘Deardens,’ however, may be in some cases but a corruption of the old ‘Derneden’—that is, the secret or secluded den. The Hundred Rolls give us, for instance, a ‘Ralph de Derneden.’ This word ‘dern’ was then in the most familiar use. Thus, in ‘Cursor Mundi,’ mention is made of ‘a mountain dern.’ Chaucer speaks of ‘derne love,’ and Piers Plowman of ‘derne usurie.’ Our ‘Durnfords’ but represent such an early entry as ‘Robert de Derneford;’ and of names now obsolete, we might instance ‘Dernehus,’ found also in the same roll as the above. Our ‘Dernes’ simple probably originated in the reticent and cautious disposition of their first ancestor. We may take this opportunity of noticing that ‘Dibdin’ is but ‘Deepden.’ One of our older rolls has a ‘Randolph de Depeden.’
[112]. By ‘ley’ I include both ‘lee,’ a shelter, and ‘lea,’ a pasture, for it is impossible to distinguish the two.
[113]. ‘John de Foxlee’ is mentioned. (Fines, Ric. I.)
[114]. More personal forms are found in ‘Henry Legeman’ (H.R.) and ‘Elias Layman’ (H.R.).
[115]. ‘William de Waldeslade’ occurs in the ‘Great Roll of the Pipe.’
[116]. Quite as good a story, and one less objectionable, is told of a Scottish Member of Parliament called Dunlop, who, at a large dinner party, having asserted that no one could make a pun upon his name, met with the instant reply from one of his guests, ‘Oh, yes, I can. Lop off the last syllable, and it is done.’
[117]. Thus in the ‘Proverbs of Hending,’ it is said: ‘When the coppe is fullest, then the hair is fairest.’
[118]. Talking of ‘Manners,’ however, we may add one on the celebrated Marquis of Granby:—
‘What conquest now will Britain boast,