Pompeius Festus I am unacquainted with; but on consulting Plutarch, in Mario, the following contradictory statements may be seen: "The Germans called banditti Cimbri;" and, "Hence, therefore, these barbarians who came into Italy first issued; being anciently called Cimmerii, and afterwards Cimbri, and the appellation was not at all from their manners."
That the old Germans may have called robbers Cimbri, does not prove that word implies robbers, or anything of the kind; but it indicates that the intrusion of the old Germans on the lands of the Cimbri caused the invaded to make reprisals on the invaders; and then the injured Germans connected or identified the Cimbrian name with that of enemy or robber.
GOMER.
Stoke (Vol. v., pp. 106. 161. 213.).
—I think that the towns and parishes of Tawstock, Culmstock, Tavistock, Plymstock, Stockton on Tees, Severn Stoke, Stoke in Teignhead, Stoke on Tern, Stoke on Trent, must have received their names from a stockade of some kind in the rivers near which they are situated. There is at a ford across the river Severn, about half a mile from Welsh Pool, a weir made of stakes and brushwood erected a few yards above the ford, for the sole purpose of diminishing the force of the current, and spreading the water into a stream of an uniform depth. I conjecture that in ancient times the fords of our larger rivers were kept in a passable state during the winter season by weirs of this description, and that there were fords in the rivers at the places above mentioned. There is near Nuneaton the chapelry of Stock in Ford, but I am not sufficiently acquainted with that place to be able to conjecture from what circumstance it may have derived its name. I infer that one meaning of the word stoke is wood of any kind, from the fact that the opening through which coals are introduced under the larger boilers in our houses is called a stoke-hole, from the wood formerly used for fuel.
S. S. S. (2).
King's College Chapel Windows (Vol. v., p 276.).
—See Blomefield's History of Norfolk, vol. i. p. 406., and vol. ii. p. 388. At the latter reference, under the head of Richard Nykke or Nix, Bishop of Norwich, 1500, occurs this passage: "This bishop incurred a premunire for extending his jurisdiction over the Mayor of Thetford, and was fined for it. With part of the fine, it is said, the beautiful windows in King's College Chapel, Cambridge, were purchased." The statement is given at greater length at the first of the above-quoted references. I never heard of the story before I met with it in Blomefield.
T. H. L.
Mr. Blomefield, referring to Richard Nykke, Bishop of Norwich (1500-1535), says he incurred a premunire for extending his jurisdiction over the Mayor of Thetford, "and was fined for it, with part of which fine 'tis said the beautiful painted glass windows in King's College Chapel at Cambridge were purchased."—Hist. of Norfolk, 8vo. edit., ii. 52.; iii. 546.