Notes and Queries, Number 29, May 18, 1850

"The French word tout-à-l'aise, which is in English, all at ease; as if Brutus at his arrival in such a pleasant soil … should here assure himself and his fellow-travellers of ease, rest, and content; and the l, in this long time, is changed into n, and so from tout-à-lesse we now call it tout-à-nesse, and briefly Totnessse. This would I willingly applaud, could I think or believe that Brutus spake so good French, or that the French tongue was then spoken at all. Therefore, I shall with the more ease join in opinion with those who would have it named Dodonesse, which signifieth [in what language?] the rocky-town, or town on stones, which is also agreeable with the opinion of Leland."

Totnes is denominated Totenais and Totheneis in Domesday Book; and in other old records variously spelt, Toteneis, Totteneys, Toteneys, Totton', Totteñ, Totenesse, Tottenesse, Tottonasse, Totonie, &c. Never, Donodesse.

J.M.B.

Totnes, April 23. 1850.

Dr. Maginn's Miscellanies.—Towards the end of 1840, Dr. Maginn issued the prospectus of a work to be published weekly in numbers, and to be entitled "Magazine Miscellanies, by Dr. Maginn," which was intended to comprise a selection from his contributions to Blackwood, Fraser, &c. Will any one of your multitudinous readers kindly inform me whether this work was ever published, or any portion of it?

J.M.B.

Dr. Maginn's "Shakspeare Papers."—The Doctor published several very able critical dissertations under this, or some similar title, about the year 1837, in one of the monthly magazines, for references to which I shall feel obliged.

J.M.B.

Dr. Maginn's Homeric Ballads.—Between 1839 and 1842, the "Homeric Ballads," from thirteen to sixteen, appeared in Fraser's Magazine. Will any correspondent favour me with specific references to the numbers or months in which they were published? I may add, that I shall esteem it as a very great favour to receive authentic reference to any articles contributed to Blackwood, Fraser, &c., &c., by Dr. Maginn. The difficulty of determining authorship from internal evidence alone is well-known, and is aptly illustrated by the fact, that an article on Miss Austen's novels, by Archbishop Whately, was included in the collection of Sir Walter Scott's prose works.

J.M.B.

Poor Robin's Almanack.—Who was the author or originator of Poor Robin's Almanack? Are any particulars known of its successive editors? In what year did it cease to be published? The only one I possess is for the year 1743,—"Written by Poor Robin, Knight of the Burnt Island, a well-wisher to Mathematicks," who informs his readers that this was his eighty-first year of writing. What is meant by Knight of the Burnt Island?

I must not omit to add, that at Dean Prior, the former vicar, Robert Herrick, has the reputation of being the author of Poor Robin.

J.M.B.

Totnes, April 18. 1850.

The Camp in Bulstrode Park.—Is there any published account of this camp having been opened? It is well worth the examination of a competent antiquary.... It is not even alluded to in Mr. Jesse's Favourite Haunts, nor does that gentleman appear to have visited the interesting village of "Hedgerley" (anciently Hugely), or Jordans, the Quakers' Meeting-house, and burial-place of Penn, between Beaconsfield and Chalfont. Chalfont was anciently written Chalfhunt, and is by the natives still called Charff[)u]nt; and Hunt is a very common surname in this parish: there was, however, Tobias Chalfont, Rector of Giston, who died 1631. "Chal" appears to be a common prefix. In Chalfont (St. Peter's) is an inscription to Sir Robert Hamson, Vycar, alluded to in Boutell's Brasses. In a cupboard under the gallery staircase is a copper helmet, which, prior to the church having been beautified in 1822, was suspended on an iron bracket with a bit of rag, as it then looked, to the best of my memory. I have heard that it belonged to the family of Gould of Oak End, extinct.

A.C.

Hobit, a measure of corn in Wales; what is the derivation?

A.C.

REPLIES

DR. PERCY AND THE POEMS OF THE EARL OF SURREY

I have the means of showing what Dr. Percy did with the poems of the Earl of Surrey, because I have a copy of the work now before me.

It can hardly be said that he "prepared an edition" of those poems, as supposed by your correspondent "G." on the authority of Watts's Bibliotheca Britannica, but he made an exact reprint of the Songes and Sonnettes written by the Right Honorable Lorde Henry Haward, late Earle of Surrey, and other, which was printed Apud Richardum Tottell. Cum privilegio ad imprimendum solum. 1557. The Bishop of Dromere made no attempt at editing the work much beyond what was necessary to secure an exact reimpression. He prefixed no Life of Surrey (a point "G." wishes to ascertain); and, in fact, the book was never completed. It contains considerably more than the reprint of the poems of Lord Surrey, and was intended to consist of two volumes with separate pagination; the first volume extending to p. 272., and the second to p. 342.

As the work is a rarity, owing to an unfortunate accident, some of your readers may like to see a brief notice of it. Watts (as quoted by "G." for I have not his portly volumes at hand,) states that the "whole impression" was "consumed in the fire which took place in Mr. Nicholls's premises in 1808." This was a mistake, as my extant copy establishes; and Restituta (iii. 451.) informs us that four were saved. Of the history of my own impression I know nothing beyond the fact, that I paid a very high price for it some twenty years since, at an auction; but the late Mr. Grenville had another copy, which I had an opportunity of seeing, and which had belonged to T. Park, and had been sent to him by Dr. Percy for the advantage of his notes and remarks. This, I presume, is now in the British Museum; whither it came with the rest of Mr. Grenville's books, four or five years ago.

The "Songs and Sonnets" of Surrey occupy only the first forty pages of vol. i.; then follow "Songs and sonnets" by Sir Thomas Wyat to p. 111. inclusive; and they are succeeded by poems "of uncertain authors," which occupy the rest of the the first volume. The second volume begins with "The Seconde Boke of Virgiles Ænæis," filling thirty pages; while "the Fourth Boke" ends at p. 57., with the imprint of R. Tottell, and the date of 1557. "Ecclesiastes and Certain Psalms by by Henry Earl of Surrey," which are "from ancient MSS. never before imprinted," close at p. 81. "Certayne Psalmes chosen out of the Psalter of David," consisting of the seven penitential psalms, with the imprint of Thomas Raynald and John Harrington," fill thirty pages; and to them is added "Sir Thomas Wyat's Defence," from the Strawberry Hill edition; which, with a few appended notes, carries the work on to p. 141.

A new title-page, at which we now arrive, shows us the intention of Dr. Percy, and the object at which he had all along aimed: it runs thus:—"Poems in Bland Verse (not Dramatique) prior to Milton's Paradise Lost. Subsequent to Lord Surrey's in this Volume, and to N.G.'s in the preceding." In truth, Dr. Percy was making a collection in the two volumes of all the English undramatic blank verse he could discover, prior to the publication of Milton's great poem. He was guilty of some important omissions, because bibliographical knowledge was not then as far advanced as at present, but he performed good service to letters as far as he was able to go; and the blank verse productions he subjoins are by George Tubervile, George Gascoigne, Barnabie Riche, George Peele, James Aske, William Vallans, Nicholas Breton, George Chapman, and Christopher Marlow. These occupy from p. 342. of vol. ii.

This list might now be considerably increased; but my present business is only to answer the Query of "G.," as to the nature and contents of the work. It has been said, I know not on what authority, that Steevens assisted Percy in preparing and printing it. I apprehend that the aid given by Steevens consisted solely in recommending the Bishop to procure certain rare productions which would contribute to the purpose.

J. PAYNE COLLIER.

May 7, 1850.

[To this we may add, that about 1767, when Bishop Percy printed these twenty-five sheets of poems of Lord Surrey and the Duke of Buckingham, it appears by a letter of the Bishop to Horace Walpole, that he presented a copy of them to Walpole, with a request for information about Lord Surrey. The Bishop never wrote the Life of Surrey; and in 1808 the whole impression was burnt, with the exception of a copy or two that the Bishop had given to his friends. In the letter to Walpole the Bishop says, "A few more leaves will complete that book, which with the second and Dr. Surrey's Songs and Sonnets, &c. will be sufficient for the book."]

SYMBOLS OF THE FOUR EVANGELISTS

Horne, in his Introduction, vol. iv. p. 254., says that Irenæus was the first to discover the analogy between the four animals mentioned by Ezekiel (i. 5. 10.) and the four Evangelists, which gave rise to the well-known paintings of these latter. He quotes from Iren. adv. Hoer. lib. iii. cap. 11.:—

"The first living creature, which is like a lion, signifies Christ's efficacy, principality, and regality, viz. John; the second, like a calf, denotes His sacerdotal order, viz. Luke; the third, having as it were, a man's face, describes His coming in the flesh as man, viz. Matthew; and the fourth, like a flying eagle, manifests the grace of the Spirit flying into the Church, viz. Mark."

There is also an interesting passage in Dionys Carthus. in Apocal. Enarr. iv. 7., from which the following is an extract:—

"Although the above exposition of Gregorius, in which by the man in meant Matthew, by the calf Luke, &c., be the common one, yet other holy men have held a different opinion, for as Bede relates on this point, Augustine understood by the lion Matthew, because in the beginning of his Gospel he describes the royal descent of Christ; by the calf he also understood Luke, because he wrote of the priestly descent of Our Lord; by the man Mark, because he omits the question of Christ's birth, and confines himself more especially to describing His acts as a man; by the eagle, all understand John, on account of the sublimity to which his Gospel soars. Others again understand by the lion Matthew; by the calf Mark, on account of the simplicity of his style; and by the man Luke, because he has more fully treated of Christ's human generation."

Would "JARLZBERG" kindly favour me with a reference to his interesting anecdote of the lion's whelps?

J. EASTWOOD.

Ecclesfield, May 9. 1850.

Your correspondent "JARLZBERG" (No. 24. p. 385.) inquires for the origin of the Evangelistic symbols. The four living creatures, in Ezekiel, i. 10., and Revelations, iv. 7., were interpreted from the earliest times to represent the four Gospels. Why the angel is attributed to St. Matthew, the lion to St. Mark, and so on, is another question: but their order in Ezekiel corresponds with the order of the Gospels as we have them. Durandus would probably furnish some information. The fabulous legend of the lion savours of a later origin. Some valuable remarks on the subject, and a list of references to early writers, will be found in Dr. Wordsworth's Lectures on the Canon of Scripture (Lect. VI. p. 151.), and his Lectures on the Apocalypse (Lect. IV. pp. 116, 117.)

C.R.M.

Symbols of the Evangelists (No. 24. p. 385.).—The symbols of the four Evangelists are treated of by J. Williams, Thoughts on the Study of the Gospels, p. 5—22. Lond. 1842.

M.

Oxford.

With regard to the symbols of the four Evangelists, "JARLZBERG" may consult a Sermon by Boys on the portion of Scripture appointed for the Epistle for Trinity-Sunday. (Works, p. 355. Lond. 1622.)

R.G.

[To these Replies we will only add a reference to Mrs. Jameson's interesting and beautiful volume on Sacred and Legendary Art, vol. i. p. 98., et seq., and the following Latin quatrain:—

"Quatuor hæc Dominum signant animalia Christum,Est Homo nascendo, Vitulusque sacer moriendo,Et Leo surgendo, coelos Aquila que petendo;Nec minus hos scribas animalia et ipsa figurant."]

COMPLEXION

Complexion is usually (and I think universally) employed to express the tint of the skin; and the hair and eyes are spoken of separately when the occasion demands a specific reference to them. "NEMO" (No. 22. p. 352.), moreover, seems to confound the terms "white" and "fair," between the meanings of which there is considerable difference. A white skin is not fair, nor a fair skin white. There is no close approach of one to the other; and indeed we never see a white complexion, except the chalked faces in a Christmas of Easter Pantomime, or in front of Richardson's booth at Greenwich or Charlton Fair. A contemplation of these would tell us what the "human face divine" would become, were we any of us truly white-skinned.

The skin diverges in tint from the white, in one direction towards the yellow, and in another towards the red or pink; whilst sometimes we witness a seeming tinge of blue,—characteristic of asphyxia, cholera, or some other disease. We often see a mixture of red and yellow (the yellow predominating) in persons subject to bilious complaints; and not unfrequently a mixture of all three, forming what the painters call a "neutral tint," and which is more commonly called "an olive complexion."

The negro skin is black; that is, it does not separate the sun's light into the elementary colours. When, by the admixture of the coloured races with the negro, we find coloured skins, they always tend to the yellow, as in the various mulatto shades of the West Indies, and especially in the Southern States of America; and the same is true of the "half-castes" of British India, though with a distinct darkness or blackness, which the descendant of the negro does not generally show.

Though I have, in accordance with the usual language of philosophers, spoken of blue as an element in the colour of the skin, I have some doubt whether it be a "true blue" or not. It is quite as likely to arise from a partial participation in the quality of the negro skin—that of absorbing a large portion of the light without any analysis whatever. This may be called darkness.

However, to return to the Query: the term pale is applied to the yellow-tinted skin; fair, to the red or pink; brown, to the mixture of red and yellow, with either blue or such darkness as above described; sallow, to yellow and darkness; and the only close approach to whiteness that we ever see, is in the sick room of the long-suffering fair complexion. In death, this changes to a "blackish grey," a mixture of white and darkness.

The pale complexion indicates a thick, hard, dry skin; the fair, a thin and soft one; and all the shades of dark skin render a large amount of ablution essential to health, comfort, or agreeableness to others. If any of your readers should feel curious about the characters of the wearers of these several skins, they must inquire of Lavater and his disciples.

D.V.S.

Home, April 1. 1850.

BALLAD OF DICK AND THE DEVIL

Looking over some of your back numbers, I find (No. 11. p. 172.) an inquiry concerning a ballad with this title. I have never met with it in print, but remember some lines picked up in nursery days from an old nurse who was a native of "the dales." These I think have probably formed a part of this composition. The woman's name was curiously enough Martha Kendal; and, in all probability, her forebears had migrated from that place into Yorkshire:—

"Robin a devil he sware a vow.He swore by the sticks2 in hell—By the yelding that crackles to mak the low3,That warms his namsack4 weel."He leaped on his beast, and he rode with heaste,To mak his black oath good;'Twas the Lord's Day, and the folk did prayAnd the priest in cancel stood."The door was wide, and in does he ride,In his clanking gear so gay;A long keen brand he held in his hand,Our Dickon for to slay."But Dickon goodhap he was not there,And Robin he rode in vain,And the men got up that were kneeling in prayer,To take him by might and main."Rob swung his sword, his steed he spurred,He plunged right through the thrang.But the stout smith Jock, with his old mother's crutch5,He gave him a woundy bang."So hard he smote the iron pot,It came down plume and all;Then with bare head away Robin sped,And himself was fit to fall."Robin a devil he way'd6 him home,And if for his foes he seek,I think that again he will not comeTo late7 them in Kendal kirk."8Y.A.C.

REPLIES TO MINOR QUERIES

Cavell.—In the time of Charles I., a large tract of land lying south-eastward of Doncaster, called Hatfield Chace, was undertaken to be drained and made fit for tillage and pasture by one Sir Cornelius Vermuyden, a celebrated Flemish engineer of that day, and his partners, or "participants," in the scheme, all or most of them Dutchmen. The lands drained were said to be "cavelled and allotted" to so and so, and the pieces of land were called "cavells." They were "scottled," or made subject to a tax or assessment for drainage purposes. Two eminent topographical writers of the present day are inclined to be of opinion that this word cavell is connected with the Saxon gafol, gavel-tributum—money paid—which we have in gavel-kind and gavelage. One of them, however, suggests that the word may be only a term used in Holland as applicable to land, and then introduced by the Dutch at the time of the drainage in question. I shall be obliged if any of your readers can inform me if the word "cavell" is so used in Holland, or elsewhere, either as denoting any particular quantity of land, or land laid under any tax, or tributum, or otherwise.

J.

[Our correspondent will find, on referring to Kilian's Dictionarium Teutonico-Latino-Gallicum, that the word Kavel is used for sors, "sors in divisione bonorum:" and among other definitions of the verb Kavelen, "sorte dividere terram," which corresponds exactly with his cavelled and allotted.]

Gootet (No. 25. p. 397.).—Is not this word a corruption of good-tide, i.e. holiday or festival? In Halliwell's Archæological Dictionary I find,—

"Good-day, a holiday; Staff.

"Gooddit, shrovetide; North. Shrove Tuesday is called Goodies Tuesday.

"Good-time, a festival; Jonson."

C.W.G.

Salt ad Montem (No. 24. p. 384.) as meaning Money.—Salt is an old metaphor for money, cash, pay; derived, says Arbuthnot, from salt's being part of the pay of the Roman soldiers; hence salarium, salary, and the levying contributions at Salt Hill. Your Querist will find several explanations of the Eton Montem in the Gentleman's Magazine; and a special account of the ceremony, its origin and circumstances, in Lyson's Mag. Brit. i. 557.

C.

Pamphlets respecting Ireland (No. 24. p. 384.)—I would refer "I." to No. 6161. in the Catalogue of Stowe Library, sold by Leigh Sotheby and Co., in January 1849. That lot consisted of two vols. of twenty-six tracts, 4to. Amongst them is "Gookin, the Author and Case of Transplanting the Irish in Connaught Vindicated, from Col. R. Lawrence, 1655." Messrs. Leigh Sotheby will probably be able to inform the Querist into whose hands these two vols. passed. The lot sold for the large sum of 4l. 18s.

Pimlico (No. 24. p. 383.).—The derivation of this word is explained from the following passage in a rare (if not unique) tract now before me, entitled Newes from Hogsdon, 1598:—

"Have at thee, then, my merrie boyes, and hey for old Ben Pimlico's nut-browne."

Pimlico kept a place of entertainment in or near Hoxton, and was celebrated for his nut-brown ale. The place seems afterwards to have been called by his name, and is constantly mentioned by our early dramatists. In 1609 a tract was printed, entitled Pimlyco, or Runne Red Cap, 'tis a Mad World at Hogsdon. Isaac Reed (Dodsley's Old Plays, ed. Collier, vii. 51.) says,—

"A place near Chelsea is still called Pimlico, and was resorted to within these few years, on the same account as the former at Hogsdon."

Pimlico is still, I believe, celebrated for its fine ale.

EDWARD F. RIMBAULT.

Pimlico (No. 24. p. 383.).—I see, by a passage in Lord Orrery's Letters, that there was a place called Pemlicoe in Dublin:—

"Brown is fluctuant; he once lay at a woman's house in Pemlicoe, Dublin." (Earl of Orrery to Duke of Ormond, Feb. 5. 1663, in Orrery's State Letters.)

This may be of use to "R.H.," who inquires about the origin of Pimlico. Ranelaugh, in the same parts, is doubtless also of Irish origin.

C.H.

[Pimlico in Dublin still exists, as will be seen by reference to Thom's Irish Almanac, where we find "Pimlico, from Coombe to Tripoli."]

Bive and Chute Lambs (No. 6. p. 93.).—I do not know whether my answer to your correspondent's inquiry about bive and chute lambs will be satisfactory, inasmuch as the price he gives of "bive" lambs "apeece" is larger than the price of the "chute." Twin lambs are still called bive lambs on the borders of Sussex and Kent; and chute lambs are fat lambs.

Chuet is an old word signifying a fat greasy pudding. It is rightly applied to Falstaff:—

"Peace, chewet, peace."1st Part K. Hen. IV.WM. DURRANT COOPER.

Latin Names of Towns.—"M." (No. 25. p. 402.) wishes for some guide with reference to the Latin names of towns. A great deal of assistance may be obtained from an octavo volume, published anonymously, and bearing the title "Dictionnaire Interprète-manuel des Noms Latins de la Géographie ancienne et moderne; pour servir à l'Intelligence des Auteurs Latins, principalement des Auteurs Classiques; avec les Désignations principales des Lieux. Ouvrage utile à ceux qui lisent les Poëtes, les Historiens, les Martyrologes, les Chartes, les vieux Actes," &c. &c. A Paris, 1777.

R.G.

Le Petit Albert (No. 24. p. 385.).—I suspect this Petit Albert, in 32mo.—a size in harmony with the cognomen—is only a catchpenny publication, to which the title of Le Petit Albert has been given by way of resembling its name to that of Albertus Magnus, who wrote a work or works of a character which gave rise, in the middle ages, to the accusation that he practised magical arts; and hence, probably, any abridgement or compendium of them, or any little work on such arts, would be styled by the French compiler Le Petit Albert. In the Biographie Universelle, it is affirmed that the rhapsodies known under the name of Secrets du Petit Albert are not by Albertus Magnus; a statement which favours the belief that the work mentioned by your correspondent "JARLZBERG" is one of that vulgar class (like our old Moore's Almanack, &c.) got up for sale among the superstitious and the ignorant, and palmed on the world under the mask of a celebrated name. According to Bayle, Albertus Magnus has, by some, been termed Le Petit Albert, owing, it is said, to the diminutiveness of his stature, which was on so small a scale, that when he, on one occasion, paid his respects to the pope, the pontiff supposed he was still kneeling at his feet after he had risen up and was standing erect.

J.M.

Oxford, April 19.

[Of Le Petit Albert, of which it appears by Grässe's Bibliotheca Magica there were editions printed at Cologne in 1722, Lyons 1775, and even at Paris in 1837, we are told in Colin de Plancy's Dictionnaire Infernal, s. v. Albert le Grand, "On a quelquefois défendu ce livre, et alors il s'est vendu énormément cher."]

Walter Lynne (No. 23. p. 367.).—"G.P." may look for Walter Lynne into Johnson's Typographia, i. 556., of which copies may be had very reasonably at Mr. Miller's (see end of No. 15.), 43. Chandos Street.