[Nares, in his Glossary, has given several examples from our earlier dramatists in which Mas is used as a colloquial abbreviation of Master, the plural being Masse.]
John Le Neve.
—Who was John Le Neve, the compiler and editor of the Fasti Ecclesiæ Anglicanæ, fol. 1716? He has been, though erroneously, supposed to be a brother of Peter Le Neve, Norroy. When did he die?
G.
[John Le Neve was born in Great Russell Street, Bloomsbury, Dec. 27, 1679. In his twelfth year he was sent to Eton School, and at the age of sixteen became a fellow-commoner of Trinity College, Cambridge, where he remained three years. He married Frances, the second daughter of Thomas Boughton, of King's Cliffe, in Northamptonshire, by whom he had four sons and four daughters. He died about 1722. Mr. Lysons, in Environs of London, says he had a house at Stratford, Bow. (See Nichols's Lit. Anecdotes, vol. i. p. 128.) In Cole's MSS., vol. i. p. 143., is the following curious note respecting his Fasti:—"I was told by my worthy friend and benefactor, Browne Willis, Esq., that though Mr. John Le Neve has the name and credit of the Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae, yet the real compiler of that most useful book was Bishop Kennett." The Bodleian contains a copy of this work, with MS. additions by Bishop Tanner.]
Meaning of Crow.
—At page 437. of Lloyd's Statesmen and Favourites of England is a letter from Queen Elizabeth addressed to the mother of Sir John Norris, written upon the occasion of the death of the said Sir John, which she commences thus: "My own Crow." This appears to me a very curious mode of address, particularly from a queen to a subject, and seems to mark a more than ordinary intimacy between the correspondents, for it has been suggested to me that it is still used as a term of endearment, in the same way as "duck," &c. are used: I have, however, never before met with it myself, and have sent you a Note of it now, not only because I consider it curious that the queen should thus write, but because I hope that some of your correspondents may be able to suggest how this word came to be thus used.
JOHN BRANFILL HARRISON.
Maidstone.
[Queen Elizabeth had pet-names, or nick-names, for all the people of her court. Burghley was her "Spirit," Mountjoy her "Kitchen-maid;" and so of many others.]