Chapter L: D. R

Ginnekin.

_Craton the Philosopher_ (Vol. viii., p. 441.).--

"At that time two brothers, who were extremely rich, sold their
inheritance by the advice of Crato the philosopher, and bought diamonds
of singular value, which they crushed in the Forum before all the
people, thus making an ostentatious exhibition of their contempt for
the world. St. John, happening to be passing through the Forum,
witnessed this display, and, pitying the folly of these misguided men,
kindly gave them sounder advice. Sending for Crato their master, who
had led them into error, he blamed the wasteful destruction of valuable
property, and instructed him in the true meaning of contempt for the
world according to Christ's doctrine, quoting the precept of that
teacher, his own Master, when, in reply to the young man who inquired
of Him how he might obtain eternal life, He said, 'If thou wilt be
perfect, go and sell all that thou hast and give to the poor, and thou
shalt have treasure in heaven; and come and follow me.' Crato the
philosopher, acknowledging the soundness of the apostle's teaching,
entreated him to restore the jewels which had been foolishly crushed to
their former condition. St. John then gathered up the precious
fragments, and, while he held them in his hand, prayed for some time
with his eyes raised to heaven. His prayer being concluded, and all the
faithful present having said _Amen_, the broken pieces of the jewels
became so closely united, that there remained not the slightest
appearance of any fracture. Then Crato the philosopher, with all his
disciples, threw himself at the apostle's feet, believed, and were
baptized; and Crato, preaching openly the faith of the Lord Jesus,
became a true philosopher. Moreover, the two brothers who before
destroyed their property to no purpose, now, in obedience to the
evangelical precept, sold their jewels, and distributed the price in
alms to the poor of Christ. And a multitude of believers began to
attach themselves to St. John, and to follow his steps."--_Ordericus
Vitalis_, b. II. ch. v. (Mr. Forrester's translation), Bohn's edit.,
vol. i. pp. 240, 241.

J. SANSOM.

_The Curfew_ (Vol. vii., pp. 167. 539.).--Add to the already long list of places where the curfew bell is still rung the following:

St. Werburgh's (Cathedral) Chester, Acton, Audlem, Nantwich, Wybunbury; all in Cheshire and adjoining parishes.

Madeley, Staffordshire. In this place also (Audlem) the very ancient custom of chiming at funerals is still maintained.

T. H. KERSLEY, B.A.

Audlem, Nantwich.

_Thomas Blount_ (Vol. viii., p. 286.).--Since forwarding the monumental inscription inserted as above, which makes this gentleman's death to take place on Dec. 26, I find that Sir William Dugdale, with whom Blount was on terms of intimacy, as he calls him "my very worthy friend," has the following notice of him in his _Diary_ under the year 1679:

"December 16. Mr. T. Blount dyed, at Orlton, Herefordshire, of an
apoplexie."

Thus making a difference of ten days, which is probably an error made by the engraver of the inscription. It may be interesting to know from the same authority, that Mr. Blount's chamber was in Fig Tree Court, on the back side of the Inner Temple Hall, London, his country residence being at Orlton. From his correspondence with Sir William, it appears that he rendered him much assistance in his works.

J. B. WHITBORNE.

_Pronunciations of "Coke" and "Cowper"_ (Vols. iv. and v. _passim_; Vol. vi., p. 16.).--So much, and so well to the purpose, has already been said in "N. & Q.," in support of the averment that the former of these names was originally pronounced _Cook_, that it may appear needless to adduce additional evidence; still, considering the source from which the testimony I am now bringing forward is derived, I think I may stand excused for recurring to the subject. It is from the Court Books of the manor of Mitcham (the birthplace of Sir Edward Coke), and from the parochial registers; in which, and, indeed, in all cotemporary records where sound was followed in the spelling, I find the name of this family written {604} _Cook_ or _Cooke_. The great Sir Edward's own baptismal register is thus entered--1551, Feb. 7. "Edward Cooke genero." Surely this is conclusive. The same pronunciation was vulgarly followed almost up to the present time. There must be many who remember at the Norfolk elections the cry of "Cook for ever," as well as that of the opposite political party who threw up their caps for _Woodhouse_; for so _Wodehouse_ was in like manner pronounced. Again, the Hobarts, another Norfolk family, were always called _Hubbarts_; and more anciently Bokenham, _Buckenham_, Todenham, _Tuddenham_, and others I could name, showing that in the Norfolk dialect the usage was in pronunciation to soften the _o_.

Now as regards the sound of Cowper, the same class of authorities, old deeds, court rolls, and parish registers, appears to lead to a different conclusion from that of your other correspondents. We have now no _Cowper_ family of Norfolk origin; of _Coopers_ we have multitudes: the names of whose forefathers were written _Couper_ or _Cowper_; and if written as pronounced, the analogical inference is that the original pronunciation was _Cowper_, Cooper being merely the modern way of spelling; and curiously enough, the parish of _Hoo_, in this county, is called and now usually spelt _How_.

G. A. C.

_Unkid_ (Vol. viii., p. 353.).--_Unketh_, _uncouth_, are different writings of the same word. Jamieson has _uncoudy_, which he explains, dreary; and _coudy_, i. e. couth, couthy, nearly allied to _cuth_, notus (see _couth_ (could), _uncouth_, _unketh_, in Richardson; and _coudy_, _uncoudy_, in Jamieson). Lye has "_Uncwid_, solitary; whence, perhaps, the not entirely obsolete _unkid_." Grose also tells us that, in the north, _uncuffs_ and _uncuds_ mean news. It is very plain that these are all the same word, differently written and applied.

Q.

Bloomsbury.

_To split Paper_ (Vol. viii., p. 413.).--

"Procure two rollers or cylinders of glass, amber, resin, or metallic
amalgam; strongly excite them by the well known means so as to produce
the attraction of cohesion, and then, with pressure, pass the paper
between the rollers; one half will adhere to the under roller, and the
other to the upper roller; then cease the excitation, and remove each
part."--From the _Civil Engineer and Architect's Journal_.

A. H. B.

_La Fleur des Saints_ (Vol. viii., p. 410.).--The work which Moliere intended was in all probability the French translation of a Spanish work entitled _Flos Sanctorum_. The author of it was Alonso de Villegas. It was first printed at Toledo in 1591, and an English version appeared at Douay in 1615. Some idea of the contents may be gathered from the following title: _Flos Sanctorum, Historia General de la Vida, y Hechos de Jesu Christo Dios y Senor nuestro; y de todos los Santos, de que reza, y haze fiesta la Iglesia Catolica, &c._ My copy is the Madrid edition of 1653.