"On dit dans l'Anjou et dans le Maine que Judas Iscariot est né à Sablé; là-dessus on a fait ce vers:
'Perfidus Judæus Sabloliensis erat.'
"Les Bretons disent de même qu'il est né au Normandie entre Caen et Rouen, et à ce propos ils recitent ces vers.
'Judas étoit Normand,
Tout le monde le dit—
Entre Caen et Rouen,
Ce malheureux naquit.
Il vendit son Seigneur pour trente mares contants.
Au diable soient tous les Normands.'
"On dit de même sans raison que Judas avoit demeuré à Corfou, et qu'il y est né. Pietro della Valle rapporte dans ses Voyages qu'étant à Corfou on lui montra par rareté un homme que ceux du pays assuroient être de la race du traître Judas—quoiqu'il le niât. C'est un bruit qui court depuis long tems en cette contrée, sans qu'on en sache la cause ni l'origine. Le peuple de la ville de Ptolemaïs (autrement de l'Acre) disoit de même sans raison que dans une tour de cette ville on avoit fabriqué les trente deniers pour lesquelles Judas avoit vendu nôtre Seigneur, et pour cela ils appelloient cette tour la Tour Maudite."
This is taken from the second volume of Menagiana, p. 232.
J. H. P. Leresche.
Manchester.
Milton's Widow (Vol. viii., p. 12.).—The information once promised by your correspondent Cranmore still seems very desirable, because the statements of your correspondent Mr. Hughes are not reconcilable with two letters given in Mr. Hunter's very interesting historical tract on Milton, pages 37-8., to which tract I beg to refer Mr. Hughes, who may not have seen it. These letters clearly show that Richard Minshull, the writer of them, had only two aunts, neither of whom could have been Mrs. Milton, as she must have been if she was the daughter of the writer's grandfather, Randall Minshull. Probably this Elizabeth died in infancy, which the Wistaston parish register may show, and which register would perhaps also show (supposing Milton took his wife from Wistaston) the wanting marriage; or if Mrs. Milton was of the Stoke-Minshull family, that parish register would most likely
disclose his third marriage, which certainly did not take place sooner than 1662.
Garlichithe.
Whitaker's Ingenious Earl (Vol. viii., p. 9.).—It was a frequent saying of Lord Stanhope's, that he had taught law to the Lord Chancellor, and divinity to the Bishops; and this saying gave rise to a caricature, where his lordship is seated acting the schoolmaster with a rod in his hand.
E. H.
Are White Cats deaf? (Vol. vii., p. 331.).—In looking up your Numbers for April, I observe a Minor Query signed Shirley Hibberd, in which your querist states that in all white cats stupidity seemed to accompany the deafness, and inquires whether any instance can be given of a white cat possessing the function of hearing in anything like perfection.