Chapter M: C. R

The word Oasis, about which your correspondent H. L. TEMPLE inquires, is marked in Bailey's edition of Facciolati's _Latin Dictionary_ (in the Appendix) O[)a]sis, making the _a_ short.

[Hebrew: K]

_Frightened out of his Seven Senses_ (Vol. iv., p. 233.).--A passage containing the words "seven senses" occurs in the poem of Taliesin called _Y Byd Mawr_, or the Macrocosm, of which a translation may be found in vol. xxi. p. 30. of _The British Magazine_. The writer of the paper in which it is quoted refers also to the _Mysterium Magnum_ of Jacob Boehmen, which teaches "how the soul of man, or his 'inward holy body,' was compounded of _the seven properties_ under the influence of the seven planets:"--

"I will adore my Father,
My God, my Supporter,
Who placed, throughout my head
The soul of my reason,
And made for my perception
_My seven faculties_,
Of fire, and earth, and water, and air,
And mist, and flowers,
And the southerly wind,
_As it were seven senses of reason_
For my Father to impel me:
With the first I shall be animated,
With the second I shall touch,
With the third I shall cry out,
With the fourth I shall taste,
With the fifth I shall see,
With the sixth I shall hear,
With the seventh I shall smell;
And I will maintain
That _seven_ skies there are
Over the astrologer's head," &c.

W. FRASER.

_Eagles' Feathers_ (Vol. v., p. 462.).--The author quoted alludes to Pliny, _Nat. Hist._ b. x. c. 4.:

"Aquilarum pennæ mixtas reliquarum alitum pennas devorant."

K.

The allusion concerning which _Arncliffe_ inquires is explained by the following passage in _A Thousand Notable Things of Sundarie Sorts, &c._, printed by John Haviland, MDCXXX.

"Æligus writes, that the quilles or pennes of an Eagle, mixt with the
quilles or pennes of other Fowles or Birds, doth consume or waste them
with their odour, smell or aire."--P. 48.

EDWARD PEACOCK, Jun.

Bottesford Moors.

_Arms of Thompson_ (Vol. v., p. 468.).--It may be interesting perhaps to JAYTEE to know that I have a book-plate with the arms described: "Per pale, ardent and sable, a fess embattled between three falcons, countercharged, belled or." Underneath is engraved, "William Thompson, of Humbleton, in Yorkshire, Esq., 1708." The crest, a sinister arm in armour, grasping a broken lance, on a torse of the colours.

SPES.

_Spick and Span-new_ (Vol. iii., p. 330.).--In Dutch, _spyker_ means a warehouse, a magazine: and _spange_ (spangle) means anything shining {522} and thus _spick_ and _span-new_ means, shining new from the _warehouse_. (See Tooke's _Div. of Purley_, vol. i. p. 527.) This, with the guesses of Wachter and Ihre, may be seen by your correspondent in Richardson.

Q.

_Junius Rumours_ (Vol. v., pp. 125. 159. 474.).--"N. & Q." contains abundant speculation about the "Vellum-bound" to which your correspondent refers (p. 474.). Some persons, I know, consider it doubtful whether the printer did have a copy bound in vellum as Junius directed, and they strengthen their doubts by, as they assert, no such copy having ever been met with. MR. CRAMP, on the contrary, maintains that such copies are so common that the printer must have taken the Junius copy as a pattern. As MR. CRAMP, I observe, is become a correspondent of "N. & Q.," I will take leave to direct his attention to the question asked by V. B. (Vol. iii., p. 262.) Others, again, assuming that the printer did have a copy specially bound for Junius, think it doubtful whether it ever reached him. Of these differences and speculations your correspondent is evidently unaware; and he therefore raises a question as if it were new, which has been under discussion for thirty years. As a set-off, however, he favours us with an entirely original anecdote, so original, that neither the anecdote nor the tea-service were ever heard of by H. S. Woodfall's family. Yet it must be admitted that his story has all the characteristics of authenticity--names, dates, places. I know, indeed, but one objection, viz. that Mr. Woodfall never was "in prison on account of the publication of these redoubtable letters." He was tried, but _acquitted_, under the somewhat celebrated verdict of "guilty of printing and publishing _only_."

T. S. W.

_Cuddy, the Ass_ (Vol. v., p. 419.).--Jamieson is sometimes very absurd; but in my edition of his _Dictionary_ (Edinburgh, 1808), I do not find the _Hindoo_ root for _cuddy_ which you attribute to him. I only find: "CUDDIE, an ass--probably a cant term;" with a reference to the _Lothian_ dialect.

But if it be worth while to answer such questions, I would remind the inquirer that in Northumberland, and the adjoining districts of Scotland, _cuddie_ is the contraction of the very common name of _Cuthbert_ (_teste_ "Cuddie Headrig"); and that as the ass is called in other districts "Ned" and "Neddy," and in others again "Dick" and "Dicky," so he is called in Northumberland _Cuddie_ by a name familiar in the locality. Everywhere the male is called "Jack," and the female "Jenny;" are these also derived from the Hindoostanee?

C.

_The Authorship of the Epigram upon the Letter "H"_ (Vol. v., p. 258.).--I observe that a controversy has lately been carried on in your columns upon the authorship of the celebrated enigma on the letter _H_. Permit me, as one well acquainted with the circumstances, to corroborate the statement of E. H. Y. The epigram in question was written at the Deepdene, the seat of the late Thomas Hope, Esq., by Miss Catharine Fanshawe, in the year 1816, as is recorded in the heading of the original MS. of it contained in a contemporary _Deepdene Album_ still existing.

You may rely upon the authenticity of this information, which proceeds from one acquainted with the volume in question and its history.

B. P.

_John Rogers, Protomartyr, &c._--The reply to my inquiry, as to the present descendants of this celebrated divine, which appeared in "N. & Q," Vol. v., p. 307., is scarcely sufficient for the genealogical purpose for which I required the information; but I am not the less obliged to E. D. for the attention given to my request; and I should esteem it a favour to be further informed where I could procure a complete genealogical account of the family--to what county the martyr belonged, or if other descendants survive besides those mentioned by E. D.? John Rogers, Gentleman, buried in the nave of St. Sepulchre's Church, London, 1775, was a native of Wales.

I should feel grateful for any information, either in "N. & Q." or directed to me.

JOSEPH KNIGHT.

Aylestone Hall, Leicestershire.

"_Gee-ho_" (Vol. ii., p. 500.).--_Ge_ is undoubtedly "go;" and _a-hit_ or _hayt_ (common with waggoners in Notts) is "yate," "gyate," or "gate." Gang your gate.

Q.

_Twises_ (Vol. ii., p. 327.).--"Fr. _estuy_; a sheath case, or box to put things in, and more particularly a case of little instruments, or sizzars, bodkin, penknife, &c., now commonly called _ettwee_."--_Cotgrave._ Shenstone enumerates, among the temptations to drain the purse:

"The cloud-wrought canes, the gorgeous snuff-boxes,
The twinkling jewels, the gold _etwee_,
With all its bright inhabitants."
_Economy_, Part II.

Q.

_Ancient Timber Town-halls_ (Vol. v., pp. 257. 295. 470.).--During a visit to Sudbury in Suffolk in 1828, I was much struck with the old quaint-looking timber building used for corporate purposes, called the Moot Hall; I made a rude pen-and-ink sketch of the principal front. On a subsequent visit I found this building was standing, but that it had ceased to be used, a new town-hall having been erected. Since then I hear that the Moot Hall has been pulled down and its site thrown into the market-place. If I recollect rightly, the principal window of twelve lights was unglazed.