Kitabı oku: «Notes and Queries, Number 63, January 11, 1851», sayfa 4
THE FROZEN HORN
(Vol. ii., p. 262.)
The quotation from Heylin is good; "the amusing anecdote from Munchausen" may be better; but the personal testimony of Sir John Mandeville is best of all, and, if I am not mistaken, as true a traveller's lie as ever was told. Many years ago I met with an extract from his antiquated volume, of which, having preserved no copy, I cannot give the admirable verbiage of the fourteenth century, but must submit for it the following tame translation in the flat English of our degenerate days.
He testifies that once, on his voyage through the Arctic regions, lat. ***, long. ***, the cold was so intense, that for a while whatever was spoken on board the vessel became frost-bound, and remained so, till, after certain days, there came a sudden thaw, which let loose the whole rabblement of sounds and syllables that had been accumulating during the suspense of audible speech; but now fell clattering down like hailstones about the ears of the crew, not less to their annoyance than the embargo had been to their dismay. Among the unlucky revelations at this denouement, the author gravely states that a rude fellow (the boatswain, I think), having cursed the knight himself in a fit of passion, his sin then found him out, and was promptly visited by retributive justice, in the form of a sound flogging. If this salutary moral of the fable be not proof sufficient to authenticate both the fact in natural history, and the veracity of the narrator, I know nothing in the world of evidence that could do so. It may be added, that the author of Hudibras, in his significant manner, alludes to the popular belief of such an atmospheric phenomenon in the following couplet:
"Where Truth in person doth appear,
Like words congeal'd in northern air."
Hudibras, Book i. Canto i.
It is possible that Zachary Grey, in his copiously illustrated edition of the poem, may have quoted Sir John Mandeville's account of this notable adventure, in his wanderings, like a true knight-errant, through Scythia, Armenia, Egypt, Arabia, Syria, Media, Persia, Chaldea, Greece, Dalmatia, Belgium, &c. He wrote an Itinerary of his travels in English, French, and Latin. In these he occupied nearly forty years, and was long supposed to have died in the course of them, but (as if his person had been "congealed in northern air" and suddenly thawed into warm life again) when he re-appeared, his friends with difficulty recognised him.
J.M.G.
Hallamshire.
DOMINICALS
(Vol. ii., p 154.)
I believe to have been that kind of customary payment or oblations made on Sundays to the rector, or his vicegerent, of the church where a person heard divine service and received the sacraments:
"Hostiensis dicit quod in præcipuis festivitatibus tenetur quis offerre, et cogi potest; maximè cum sit quasi generalis consuetudo ubique terrarum … et intelligit festivitates præcipuas, dies Dominicos, et alios dies festivos."—Lyndwood, Prov., p. 21., not. e., ed. Oxon. 1679.
Though Lyndwood himself, as I understand him, seems to doubt the cardinal's statement, that the payment could be enforced, unless sanctioned by local custom.
Ducange, in v. "Denarius," 8vo. ed., Adel. 1774, says, the "Denarius de Palmâ" and "Denarius Dominicalis" were the same:
"Habebit (vicarius) cum eis victum suum competentem, et ad vestes sibi emendas XL. solidos Andegavenses, et Denarium singulis diebus Dominicis ecclesiasticâ consuetudine offerendum."
On this extract from a charter he observes:
"Erat itaque Denarius de Palmâ, ille qui singulis Diebus Dominicis et [lege à] fidelibus offerrebatur. Cur autem dictus 'de Palmâ' non constat, nisi forte sic dictus fuerit quod in manum seu palmam traderetur." Denarius Dominicalis, idem.—Arest. MS. a. 1407.
It would seem also from his definition to be the same as the payment called "Denaria Sacramentorum," that is:
"iidem denarii qui singulis offerrebantur Dominicis, ideoque Sacramentorum dicti, quod tempore Sacrosancti Missæ Sacrificii, pro excellentiâ interdum nudè appellati Sacramentum, a fidelibus offerrentur."—Annal. Bened., t. iv. p. 466., n. 80. ad annum 1045.
These extracts sufficiently explain, perhaps, the payment known by the different names of "Dominicals," "Palm-penny," and "Sacrament-pence;" and still indicated, probably, by the weekly offertory of our communion service.
Of a kindred nature were the "Denarii pro Requestis," or "Denarii perquisiti," sometimes also called "Denarii memoriales," pence paid for masses in memory of the dead: called "pro requestis," because they were obtained by special petition [requesta] from the curate; and "perquisiti," "perquisite pence," because they were demanded [perquirebantur] from the devotion of the parishioners, over and above the customary offerings. And in this, perhaps, we find the origin of our word "perquisite." (Lyndw. Prov. p. 111., notes c, e. and p. 237.)
In further illustration of this subject, I will quote the following note from Mr. Dansey's learned work Horæ Decanicæ Rurales, vol. i., p. 426., ed. 1844, which refers also to Blomefield's Norfolk, vol. iv. p. 63.:
"A.D. 1686. The dean of the deanery of the city of Norwich was committed to custody, on one occasion, by the itinerant justices, for exacting hallidays toll by his sub-dean in too high a manner; but on his proving that he took of every great boat that came up to the city on a holiday 1d. only, and of each small one a halfpenny; of every cart 1d., and of every horse or man laden an halfpenny; and of all bakers, butchers, and fishmongers, that sold their commodities on a holiday, 1d. each; and that his predecessors always had immemorially taken it, he was discharged.—Something of the same kind is related, in T. Martin's MS. history, respecting the dues exacted by the rural dean of Thetford. Dr. Sutton's MS. Letter."
E.A.D.
MEDAL STRUCK BY CHARLES XII.—RUDBECK'S ATLANTICA
Although no numismatist, yet, being resident at Stockholm, I have taken steps to enable me to reply to L.'s Query (Vol. ii., p. 408. of "NOTES AND QUERIES") respecting Charles XII.'s medal in commemoration of the victory at Holowzin.
No copy of the medal exists in the cabinet of the Royal Museum of Antiquities; but in that belonging to the National Bank, there is a very fine example of it in copper, and the inscriptions are as follow:
On the Reverse:—"Silvæ. Paludes. Aggeres. Hostes. Victi."
In the Exergue:—"Moschi ad Holowzinum victi A. 1708 3/14 Jul."
And round the margin the verse from Lucan in question:
"Victrices Copias Alium Laturus In Orbem:"
with the substitution of copias for aquilas, recorded by Voltaire and criticised by L.
The same inscriptions are given in Bergh's Beskrifning öfver Svenska mynt och Skädepenningar, 4to., Upsala, 1773; only he adds, that the inscription in the margin is only found on some copies.
I may transcribe Bergh's description in full:
"Slagetvid Holofsin.
'119. Konungens Bild och hamnunder Armen NAT. 17. JUN. 1682, SILVÆ. PALVDES. AGGERES. HOSTES. VICTI. En Wahl-platz pä hoilken stär en Rysk Trophé; och twenne fängar derwid bunden. I exerguen: MOSCHI AD HOLOFZINUM VICTI. A. 1708 3/14 JUL.
"Pä nägra exemplar är denna randskrift: VICTRICES COPIAS ALIVM LATVRVS IN ORBEM."
Could any of your readers obtain from the British Museum answers to the following Queries respecting Rudbeck's Atlantica, for the use of a Swedish friend of mine.
British Museum.—Biblioteca Grenvilliana—Olof
Redbeck, Atland sive Manheim.
Tomus i. S. anno 1675, 1679.
Has any one of these three copies a separate
leaf, entitled Ad Bibliopegos?
If so, which of them?
Has the copy with the date 1679 Testimonia at the end?
If so, how many pages do they consist of?
Have they a separate title and a separate
sheet of errata?
Is there a duplicate copy of this separate title
at the end of the Preface?
Tomus ii. 1689
How many pages of Testimonia are there at
the end of the Preface?
Is there, in any one of these volumes, the name of any former owner, any book number, or any other mark by which they can be recognised (for instance, that of the Duke de la Vallière)?
Should there be any other copy of any one of these tomes in the British Museum, these questions will extend to that volume also.
G.J.R. GORDON.
Stockholm, Dec. 17. 1850
REPLIES TO MINOR QUERIES
Fossil Deer (not Elk) of Ireland, C. Megaceros (Vol. ii., p. 494.).—Your correspondent W.R.C. will find in Mr. Hart's description of a skeleton of this animal (Dublin, 1825), in a pamphlet, published by W. Richardson (Dublin, 1846, M'Glashan), in Professor Owen's British Fossil Mammalia, and in the Zoologist (Van Voorst) for 1847 and for 1848, p. 2064., all that is known and much that has been imagined on the subject of his inquiry. The rib which he mentions is well known, and is in fact one of the principal bones of contention between the opposing theorists. I never before heard the story of the specimen shot in 1533, although several years ago I devoted some time to the subject. I am inclined to suspect that it must have been found in some Irish manuscript which has been discovered, since (in the year 1847) some bones of the fossil deer were found in a certain lake in the west of Ireland in company with those of a turkey. (See Zoologist, ub. sup.)
W.R.F.
Lincoln's Inn, Dec. 21. 1850.
"Away, let nought to Love displeasing" (Vol. ii., p. 519.).—This song, usually entitled "Winifreda," has been attributed to Sir John Suckling, but with what justice I am unable to say.
It has also acquired additional interest from having been set to music by the first Earl of Mornington, the father of the Duke of Wellington.
The author should certainly be known; and perhaps some of your correspondents can furnish a clue by which he may be discovered.
BRAYBROOKE.
Red Sindon (Vol. ii., pp. 393. 495.).—I have only just seen your correspondent, B.W.'s Query respecting the "red sindon," and refer him to Du Cange, where he will find—
"Sindon pro specie panni [Byssus tenuis], etc."
It was a manufacture that was used for dresses as well as hangings, and is constantly mentioned in inventories and descriptions of the middle ages.
J.R. PLANCHÉ.
Jan. 1. 1851.
Coleridge and the Penny Post (Vol. iii., p. 6.).—Mr. Venables asks a question in a way that may lead the reader to infer an answer, and an ungenerous answer; and he calls on Mr. Hill to give him satisfaction, as if Mr. Hill had nothing better to do than to inform Mr. Venables, and correct Miss Martineau's blunders. If Mr. Venables had taken an active part in bringing about the greatest moral movement of our age, he would have known that, amongst the hundred other illustrations adduced by Mr. Hill, was the very anecdote to which he refers; and that Mr. Hill quoted it, not once or twice, but dozens of times, and circulated it, with Coleridge's name, over the whole length and breadth of the three kingdoms, by tens of thousands of printed papers. Mr. Hill has not had a tithe of the honour he deserves—and never will have—and I cannot remain silent, and see his character questioned, though in matters too trifling, I think, even to have occupied a corner in "NOTES AND QUERIES."
C.W.D.
The Autograph of Titus Oates (Vol. ii., p. 464.).—It may be seen in the Library of St. John's College, Cambridge. It is written at the end of every chapter in "A Confession of Faith, put forth by the Elders and Brethren of many Congregations of Christians (baptized upon profession of Faith) in London and the Country." 12mo. Lond. 1688.
J.R.
Cambridge.
Circulation of the Blood (Vol. ii., p. 475.).—The passage in Venerable Bede referred to by J.MN. may have been in a tract De Minutione Sanguinis sive de Phlebotomia; (which occurs in the folio editions, Basle, vol. i. p. 472.; Colon., vol. i. p. 898.). In the enumeration of the veins from which blood may be taken, he says,—
"De brachio tres, qui per totum corpus reddunt sanguinem, capitanea linea, matricia, capsale."
The subject of bleeding is again referred to in Eccl. Hist., vol. iii, but not to the purpose.
J. EASTWOOD.
Ecclesfield.
True Blue (Vol. ii., p. 494.).—From documents relative to the wars of the Scottish Covenanters, in the seventeenth century, it appears that they assumed blue ribbons as their colours, and wore them as scarfs, or in bunches fastened to their blue bonnets and that the border English nicknamed them "blue caps" and "jockies." Hence the phrase, "True blue Presbyterian."
G.F.G.
Cherubim and Seraphim.—Why are the cherubim represented as a human head, with the wings of a bird? And why have the seraphim no bodily representation? What, in fact, is the supposed distinction between them?
OMEGA.
[Our correspondent will find much curious information on this subject, accompanied by some exquisite woodcuts, in Mrs. Jameson's Poetry of Sacred and Legendary Art.]
Darcy Lever Church (Vol. ii., p. 494.), which is referred to by your correspondent, is the first instance, I believe, of the application of a new material to the construction of an ecclesiastical edifice. It is built throughout, walls, tower, and spire, benches and fittings, of terra cotta from the Ladyshore works. The architect is that accomplished antiquary, Mr. Sharpe of Lancaster, who furnished the designs of every part, from which moulds were made, and in these the composition forming the terra cotta was prepared, and hardened by the application of fire. The style is the purest and richest Second Pointed, and the effect of the pierced work of the spire is, as your correspondent observes, very fine when seen from a distance. There is a rich colour, too, in the material, which has a remarkably pleasing result upon the eye. But a nearer approach destroys the charm. It is found to be a "sham." The lines of the mouldings, mullions, etc., are warped by the heat attendant upon the process of the manufacture. The exquisite sharpness of outline produced by the chisel is wanting, and there is (in consequence of the impossibility of undercutting) an absence of that effect of light and shade which is the characteristic of the mediæval carvings. The greatest shock is, however, experienced on an examination of the interior. What at first sight appear to be highly elaborated oaken bench-ends and seats are only painted earthenware. In point of fact, it is a POT CHURCH. A similar and larger structure by the same architect, and in the same material, has been erected near Platt Hall, in the parish of Manchester.
