Chapter C: R. M

The _Glossary of Architecture_ supplies the following examples:--Beaulieu, Hampshire, c. 1260 (plate 166.), in the refectory; Combe, Oxfordshire, c. 1370 (plate 166.); Magdalene College, Oxford, c. 1480 (plate 166.), in the outer court; Frampton, Dorset, c. 1450 (plate 167.); Holy Trinity, Coventry, c. 1500 (plate 167.), restored by Mr. Rickman.

Are, or were, the pulpits in the refectories of the monasteries of Beverley, Shrewsbury, and Chester, referred to in the Glossary _sub voc._ PULPIT, of stone?

W. SPARROW SIMPSON.

There are ancient stone pulpits still existing at Beaulieu Abbey Church, now in use, A.D. 1260; Wells Cathedral, in the nave, A.D. 1547; Magdalene College, Oxford, A.D. 1480, in the south-east angle of the first court, formerly used at the University Sermon on St. John Baptist's Day; Combe Church, Oxon., Perp. style: Frampton Church, Dorset, A.D. 1450; Trinity Church, Coventry, A.D. 1500.

MACKENZIE WALCOTT, M.A.

To the list may be added that of Holy Trinity Church, Coventry, which is a very fine specimen, and furnished with bracket for the book. It adjoins the south aisle piers, and is in use.

G. E. T. S. R. N.

* * * * *

ANTIQUITY OF FIRE-IRONS.

(Vol. viii., p. 587.)

The invention of these domestic instruments, called "tongs, fireshovels, and prongs" by Sir T. Browne, dates from a very early period. The "shovel" is the A.-S. _fyr-sceofl_. Lye refers to "the fire-sholve" of the sixteenth century, which he tells us was "made like a grate to sift the sea-cole with," exactly as we see it constructed now (See Gage's _Hengrave_, p. 23.) The "poker" (see Du Cange, v. _Titionarium_) is mentioned by Johan. de Januâ in the thirteenth century. It had formerly two massive prongs, and was commonly called the "fire-fork." There is a poker of this description, temp. Hen. VIII., in Windsor Castle, which is figured in Britton's _Archit. Antiq._, vol. ii. p. 99. (See also Strutt's _Horda Angelcynn_, vol. ii, pp. 62. 64., and Fosbrooke's _Encyc. Antiq._, pp. 264. 305. 340.) The "tongs," A.-S. _fyr-tang_ (see Du Cange, v. _Tenalea_, _Tenales_, _Tenecula_), with which Swift mischievously directs us to stir the fire "if the poker be out of the way," are of the remotest antiquity. They are frequently spoken of in the sacred records, as by Isaiah, vi. 6.; and we all know to what purpose a similar weapon was applied by holy St. Dunstan. In fact, they are doubtless coeval with fires themselves. The word "tongs" is the old Icelandic, Norræna, or Dönsktúnga, _taung_, pl. _tángir_, the Dan. _tang_, Scot. and Belg. _tangs_, _taings_, Belg. _tanghe_, Alem. _zanga_, Germ. _zange_, Gall. _tenaille_, Ital. _tenaglia_, &c. The most ancient of the mytho-cosmogonic poems of the elder Edda attribute to this implement an origin no less than divine; for in the _Völo-spa_, st. vii., it is stated that when the mighty Oesir assembled on Idavöllr to regulate the courses of the stars, to take counsel for the erection of temples and palaces, and to build furnaces, amongst other tools, by them also then fabricated, _tángir scópo_, "they made tongs," for the use and delectation of the _völundr à járn_, or skilful blacksmith (the Weyland smith of "Kenilworth") and careful housewife of future days.

WM. MATTHEWS.

Cowgill.

ALIQUIS will perhaps find his question satisfactorily answered by a visit to Goodrich Court, Herefordshire, where the late Sir Samuel Meyrick, with the industry and exactness which distinguished that indefatigable antiquary, had arranged a series of rooms illustrative of the domestic habits of the twelfth, thirteenth, fourteenth, fifteenth, sixteenth, and seventeenth centuries.

It is so long ago since I saw these rooms (and then but very cursorily), that I will not undertake to say the series was complete from the twelfth inclusive; and when, recently, last there, the family were at home, and nothing but the armoury shown; but from the evident care taken of that unrivalled and magnificent collection by the present proprietor, the series of appropriate furniture, each _genuine_ specimens of the period they represent, is doubtless preserved intact, though I understood that the chambers had been since fitted up more consistently with the requirements of the nineteenth century.

BROOKTHORPE.

* * * * *

ORDER OF ST. JOHN OF JERUSALEM.

(Vol. vii., p. 407.)

R. L. P. asks "What members of the British language were present, when, in 1546, the English commander Upton attacked and defeated the famous corsair Dragut at Tarschien, in Malta?" {81}

In answer to the above question I would beg to remark, that in September, 1536, John d'Omedes ascended the Maltese throne on the decease of Didier de Saint Jaille; and his reign continued seventeen years, _i. e._ to 1553. In looking through several histories of the order, I am unable to find any mention made of a Turkish descent on the island in 1546. Had such an occurrence taken place, it doubtless would have been recorded; but as it is not, it would have been impossible for the Commander Upton to have distinguished himself in any such conflict as your correspondent supposes.

R. L. P. then asks, "What members of it were present (that is, the British language) when the Chevalier Repton, Grand Prior of England in 1551, was killed, after signally defeating the Turks in another attack on the island?"

With all due deference I would beg to state, that there was not in July, 1551, when Dragut made an attack on Malta, any English knight of the name of Repton; and it can be satisfactorily shown by the following extract, that at the period referred to by R. L. P., Nicholas Upton was Grand Prior of England, and _was not_ "killed" after signally defeating the Turks, but died from the effects of a _coup de soleil_:

"L'isola del Gozzo fu presa da Sinam Bassa, a persuasione di Dragutte,
il 1551, essendosi renduto a discrezione F. Galaziano de Sesse
Aragonese, Governatore, che vi rimase schiavo. Ma poco dopo il
Cavaliere F. Pietro d'Olivares, la ristaurò da danni patiti e vi
richiamò nuove famiglie a ripopolarla. Sinam, prima di andare al Gozzo,
fece una discesa in Malta, ma fu rispinto da Cavaliere: _nella quale
azione pel molto caldo sofferto, mori Nicolas Vpton, Gran Priore
d'Inghilterra._"--Vide _Codice Dip._, vol. ii. p. 573.; as also
Vertot's _History of the Order_, vol. iv. p. 144., date July, 1551.

That Sir Nicholas Upton was Grand Prior of England in 1551, is sufficiently shown in the above extract; and that _he was_ Commander of Repton, or Ripston, will be as readily seen by the following lines translated from the Latin, and to be found in a book of manuscripts of the years 1547, 1548, 1549, now in the Record Office. (Vide Lib. Bull. M. M. F. J. Homedes.)

"On the 15th November, 1547, Nicholas Upton was appointed by the Grand
Master Omedes Commander of Ripston in the language of England. And on
the 5th of November, 1548, he was exalted to the dignity of
Turcopolier, in place of the knight Russell deceased."

I am unable to inform R. L. P. what English knights were present in Malta in 1551; but enough has already appeared in "N. & Q." to show that they were few in number, and poor as regards their worldly effects. The Reformation had destroyed the British language, and caused the ruin of its members. The first severe blow against the Order of St. John of Jerusalem was given by Henry VIII., and the last by Queen Elizabeth in the first year of her reign. (Vide "N. & Q.," Vol. viii., pp. 189. 193.)

WILLIAM WINTHROP.

La Valetta, Malta.

* * * * *

GRAMMARS, ETC., FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

(Vol. ix., p. 8.)

St. Mary's College, Winchester (publisher, D. Nutt).--_Novum Florilegium Poeticum_; _Carmina quædam elegantissima_; _De Diis et Heroibus poeticis libellus_; _Homeri Ilias_ (Heyne) _et Odysseæ_; _Interpretatio Poikiles Istorias_; _Ovidii Fasti_, libri vi.; [Greek: Poikilê Istoria]; _Selectæ Historiæ ex Cæsare, Justino et Floro_; _Notes on the Diatessaron_, by the Rev. Frederic Wickham, now Second Master; _Græcæ Grammatices Rudimenta_, by Bishop Wordsworth, late Second Master; _Greek and Latin Delectus_, by the Rev. H. C. Adams, late Commoner Tutor.

Of Eton books there were in use the _Latin and Greek Grammars_; Pindar's _Olympian and Pythian Odes_; _Scriptores Græci et Romani_. A complete list of Eton and Westminster school-books will be found in the _London Catalogue_, which enrols _Vidæ de Arte Poeticâ_; Trapp's _Prælectiones Poetica_, and the _Rise, &c. of Poetry and Fine Arts in Ancient Rome_, as Winchester school-books.

In 1512, Winchester and Eton had a common grammar. Hugh Lloyd, D.C.L., Head Master, A.D. 1580-1602, wrote _Dictata_ and _Phrases Elegantiores_ for the use of the school. William Horman, M.A., Head Master of Winchester, 1495-1502, and Eton, 1489-1495, wrote _Vulgaria puerorum_.

Hugh Robinson, D.D., Head Master, wrote _Prayers_ and _Latin Phrases_ for the school. It is almost superfluous to name Bishop Ken's _Manual for Winchester Scholars_, edited by Dr. Moberly, the present excellent Head Master, some years since.

MACKENZIE WALCOTT, M.A.

In pursuance of the hint of MR. P. H. FISHER, I will describe an old school-book in my possession, which is bound up with Godwyn's _Romanæ Historicæ Anthologia_. It contains, 1. _Preces_; 2. _Grammaticalia quædam_; 3. _Rhetorica brevis_, and was printed at Oxford in 1616 by Joseph Barnes. Though there is nothing in the title-page to indicate that it was for the use of Winchester College, this sufficiently appears from the "Thanksgiving for William of Wiccham" in the grace after dinner, and also from the insertion of William of Wykeham's arms before the _Rhetorica brevis_. It bears abundant marks of having been used in the school, and contains, on the blank pages with which it was furnished, several MS. Wykehamical memoranda, some of them well known, and others, {82} perhaps, the exercises of the original owner. All are in Latin, except the following verses, which I transcribe:

_"On Queene Anne, Queene of the Scots._

March with his winds hath strooke a cedar tall,
And morning April weeps the cedar's fall,
And May intends noe flowers her month shall bring,
Since shee must lose the flower of all the spring;
Thus March's winds have caused April showers,
And yet sad May must lose her flower of flowers."