Chapter I: Front Matter

[Transcriber's note: Original spelling varieties have not been standardized. Characters with macrons have been marked in brackets with an equal sign, as [=e] for a letter e with a macron on top; a breve (u-shaped symbol) on top of a letter o is marked by [)o]. Underscores have been used to indicate _italic_ fonts. A list of volumes and pages in "Notes and Queries" has been added at the end.]

NOTES AND QUERIES:

A MEDIUM OF INTER-COMMUNICATION

FOR

LITERARY MEN, ARTISTS, ANTIQUARIES, GENEALOGISTS, ETC.

"When found, make a note of."--CAPTAIN CUTTLE.

VOL. IV.--No. 98. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 13. 1851.

Price Threepence. Stamped Edition 4_d._

CONTENTS.

Page

NOTES:--

Madrigals in praise of Queen Elizabeth, by Dr. E. F.
Rimbault 185

MS. Notes in a Copy of Liber Sententiarum 188

Classification of Literary Difficulties 188

Minor Notes:--Meaning of "Ruell"--Curious Facts in
Natural History 189

QUERIES:--

Papal Bulls, &c. 189

Sir Walter Raleigh in Virginia, by Henry H. Breen 190

Minor Queries:--Wife of St. Patrick--Meaning of
Mop--William Lovel of Tarent Rawson--Cagots--Execution
under singular Circumstances--Rhynsault and
Sapphira--Mallet's Second Wife--Proverb, what constitutes
one?--Presant Family--The Serpent represented with a human
Head--Dr. Wotton--[Greek: Kolobodaktylos]--Essex's
Expedition to Ireland--Decretorum Doctor--Grimsdyke or
Grimesditch--Passage in Luther--Linteamina and Surplices 190

MINOR QUERIES ANSWERED:--Ellrake or Hellrake--Francis
Clerke--Nine Days' Wonder--Streso--The Willow
Garland--Name of Nun--"M. Lominus, Theologus" 192

REPLIES:--

Remarks upon some recent Queries, by H. Walter 193

Domingo Lomelyne, by W. D'Oyly Bayley 194

Petty Cury 194

The Dauphin 195

Replies to Minor Queries:--Visiting Cards--Sardonic
Smiles--Darby and Joan--Marriage of Bishops--Winifreda
--George Chalmers--The Three Estates of the Realm--"You
Friend drink to me Friend"--Broad Halfpenny Down--Horner
Family--The Man of Law--Riddle--Speculative Difficulties
--St. Paul--Commissioners on Officers of Justice in
England--Noble and Workhouse Names--Poulster--Judges
styled Reverend--The Ring Finger 195

MISCELLANEOUS:--

Notes on Books, Sales, Catalogues, &c. 199

Books and Odd Volumes wanted 199

Notices to Correspondents 199

Advertisements 200

Notes.

MADRIGALS IN PRAISE OF QUEEN ELIZABETH.

At the close of the reign of Queen Elizabeth, a musical work of an extraordinary character issued from the press of that industrious printer Thomas Este, the history of which it will be my endeavour to elucidate in the present communication. The title-page runs as follows:--

"MADRIGALES. THE TRIUMPHES OF ORIANA, to 5 and 6 voices: composed
by divers severall aucthors. Newly published by Thomas Morley,
Batcheler of Musick, and one of the gentlemen of hir Majesties
honorable Chappell, 1601. In London, Printed by Thomas Este, the
assigne of Thomas Morley. _Cum privilegio Regiæ Majestatis._"

The dedication is addressed--

"To the Right Honorable the Lord Charles Howard, Earle of
Notingham, Baron of Effingham, Knight of the Noble order of the
Garter, Lord High Admirall of England, Ireland, and Wales, &c.,
and one of her Majesties most honorable Privie Counsell."

As all that is known, with _certainty_, of the _origin_ of this work consists in the title-page and the dedication, I shall make no apology for quoting the latter at length:--

"Right Honorable,

"I have adventured to dedicate these few discordant tunes to be
censured by the ingenious disposition of your Lordship's Honorable
rare perfection, perswading my selfe, that these labours, composed
by me and others (as in the survey hereof, your Lordship may well
perceive), may not by any meanes passe, without the malignitie of
some malitious _Momus_, whose malice (being as toothsome as the
_adder's_ sting), couched in the progres of a wayfayring man's
passage, might make him retire though almost at his journeyes end.
Two speciall motives have imbouldened me (Right Honorable) in this
my proceeding. First, for that I consider, that as the body cannot
bee without the shadow, so _Homer_ (the Prince of Poets) may not
be without a Zoilist: The second and last is (the most forcible
motive), I know (not onely by report, but also by experiment) your
Lordship to bee not onely _Philomusus_, a lover of the _Muses_,
and of learning; but _Philomathes_, a personage always desirous
(though in all Arts sufficiently skilfull) to come to a more high
perfection or _Summum bonum_. I will not trouble your Lordship
with to to [_sic_] tedious circumstances, onely I humbly intreat
your Lordship (in the name of many) to patronage this work with no
lesse acceptance, then I with a willing and kinde hart dedicate
it. So shall I think the _initium_ of this worke not onely happely
begun, but to bee _finited_ with a more happie period.

"Your Honour's devoted in all dutie,

"THOMAS MORELY."

_The Triumphs of Oriana_ consists of twenty-five madrigals, set by the most eminent musicians of the day, and edited (as the title-page and dedication show) by Thomas Morley, a most "rare and cunning musician," and moreover an especial favourite with the reigning queen, in whose honour the work is said to have been composed.

Sir John Hawkins, in his _History of Music_, vol. iii. p. 406., says the "occasion" of the publication of _The Triumphs of Oriana_ was this:

"The Lord High Admiral, Charles Howard, Earl of Nottingham, was
the only person, who, in the last illness of Elizabeth, could
prevail on her to go into and remain in her bed; and with a view
to alleviate her concern for the execution of the Earl of Essex,
he gave for a prize-subject to the poets and musicians of the
time, the beauty and accomplishments of his royal mistress, and by
a liberal reward, excited them severally to the composition of
this work. This supposition is favoured by the circumstance of its
being dedicated to the Earl, and the time of its publication,
which was the very year that Essex was beheaded. There is some
piece of secret history which we have yet to learn, that would
enable us to account for giving the Queen this romantic name;
probably she was fond of it. Camden relates that a Spanish
ambassador had libelled her by the name of _Amadis Oriana_, and
for his insolence was put under a guard."

Dr. Burney, in his sketch of the Life of Thomas Morley (_General History of Music_, vol. iii. p. 101.), speaking of this work, says,

"As Italy gave the ton to the rest of Europe, but particularly to
England, in all the fine arts, during the reign of Queen
Elizabeth, it seems as if the idea of employing all the best
composers in the kingdom to set the songs in _The Triumphs of
Oriana_ to music, in honour of our virgin queen, had been
suggested to Morley and his patron, the Earl of Nottingham, by
Padre Giovenale, afterwards Bishop of Saluzzo, who employed
thirty-seven of the most renowned Italian composers to set
_Canzonetti_ in honour of the Virgin Mary, published under the
following title: _Tempio Armonico della Beatissima Virgine nostra
Signora, fabbricatole per opera del Reverendo P. Giovenale, A. P.
della Congregatione dell' Oratorio. Prima Parte, a tre voci,
Stampata in Roma da Nicola Mutii_, 1599, in 4to."

That by _Oriana_ is meant Queen Elizabeth, there can be but little doubt. The appellation surely does not countenance the supposition that there "must be some secret piece of history" in the case. Queen Elizabeth, we all know, was a woman of inordinate vanity. Even at the age of three score and ten she delighted in the names of _Cynthia_, _Diana_, and such like; and _Oriana_, who was the heroine of the well-known romance _Amadis de Gaul_, and a lovely and virtuous woman to boot, could not fail to gratify her. How D'Espes, the Spanish ambassador, could libel her under the double title of _Amadis Oriana_, it is difficult to imagine; but so it was, according to Camden (anno 1569). "_Libellos famosos spargit, in quibus Reginæ existimationem contumeliosè atterit sub nomine Amadis Orianæ._"

The pretty sounding tale related by Sir John Hawkins, that the work in question was undertaken with a view to alleviate the grief of the queen for the death of the Earl of Essex, and that prizes were given by the Earl of Nottingham for the best composition for that purpose, is entirely without foundation. Sir John Hawkins gives no authority for his statement, and I believe it rests entirely upon conjecture.

_The Triumphs of Oriana_ (as we have seen) was printed at London in the year 1601. In the same year was published at Antwerp a collection of madrigals with the following title: _Il Trionfo di Dori, descritto da diversa, et posti in Musica, da altretranti Autori a Sei Voci, In Anversa, Appresso Pietro Phalesio_, 1601. From the date of these two collections, it appears almost impossible that either should have been an imitation of the other; and yet, by an extraordinary similarity in point of _style, number, variety of composers, and burthen of the poetry_, there can be but little doubt such was the case. The point will be therefore to ascertain if either of these works was printed previously to this date, 1601. I have no doubt that the _Orianas_ is the first and only edition of the work. On the other hand, there is good reason (from a variety of circumstances) to suppose that the copy of _Il Trionfo di Dori_ with this date will turn out to be the _second_ edition.

The poetry (if such it can be called) of the _Orianas_ is a paraphrase of _Il Trionfo di Dori_. The Italian burden or conclusion is always--

"Cantiam Ninfe e Pastori
Viva la bella Dori."

And the English version:

"Then sang the shepherds and nymphs of Diana,
Long live faire Oriana."

Mr. Oliphant, in his collection of poetry entitled _La Musa Madrigalesca_, is perhaps not far wrong when he says that the rhymes of the _Orianas_ would "disgrace the veriest tyro in Grub Street;" but, nevertheless, I have extracted a few specimens, premising that they are the best I could find among the "twenty-five":--

1.
"Hence! stars, too dim of light;
You dazle but the sight;
You teach to grope by night;
See here the shepherd's star,
Excelling you so far.
Then Phoebus wiped his eies,
And Zephirus cleer'd the skies.
In sweet accented cries,
Then sang the shepherds and nymphs of Diana,
Long live fair Oriana."

2.
"All creatures now are merry-minded,
The shepherds' daughters playing,
The nimphes are fa-la-la-ing;
Yond bugle was well-winded.
At Oriana's presence each thing smileth,
The flowres themselves discover,
Birds over her do hover,
Musick the time beguileth.
See where she comes, with flow'ry garlands crowned;
Queene of all Queenes renowned:
Then sang the shepherds and nymphs of Diana,
Long live faire Oriana."

3.
"Thus _Bonny-bootes_ the birthday celebrated
Of hir his Lady dearest;
Fair Oriana, which to his hart was neerest.
The nymphs and shepherds feasted
With clowted creame, and to sing were requested.
Loe! here the fair, created
(Quoth he) the world's chiefe goddesse.
Sing then, for she is _Bonny-bootes'_ sweet mistres.
Then sang the shepherds and nymphs of Diana,
Long live faire Oriana."

4.
"Come blessed bird! and with thy sugred rellish,
Help our declining quire not to embellish;
For _Bonny-bootes_ that so aloft would fetch it,
Oh! he is dead, and none of us can reach it!
Then tune to us, sweet bird, thy shrill recorder,
And I, Elpin and Dorus,
For fault of better, will serve in the chorus.
Begin; and we will follow thee in order.
Then sang the wood-born minstrel of Diana,
Long live faire Oriana."

Now a question arises, who was the _Bonny-boots_ mentioned in the two last-quoted madrigals?

Sir John Hawkins has the following hypothesis:

"Bonny-boots seems to be a nick-name for some famous singer, who,
because of his excellent voice, or for some other reason, had the
permission to call the queen his lady. Possibly the person meant
might be one Mr. Hale, of whom mention is made by Sir William
Segar, in his account of a solemn tilt, or exercise of arms, held
in the year 1590 before Queen Elizabeth, in the Tiltyard at
Westminster, with emblematical representations and music, in which
the above-mentioned Mr. Hale performed a part, by singing a song,
&c. Sir William Segar also says of this person, that he was her
majesty's servant, a gentleman in that art excellent, and for his
voice both commendable and admirable."--_Hist. of Music_, vol.
iii. p. 406.

Some gallant, high in favour with the Lady Oriana (Queen Elizabeth), is evidently alluded to in these madrigals; but I cannot agree with Sir John Hawkins, that a public singer like Mr. Hale would be permitted "to call the queen his lady." The idea is too absurd for a moment's consideration. Another conjecture is, that the individual designated _Bonny-boots_ was the Earl of Essex; but I shall here quote two extracts from a curious and rare work published by Thomas Morley in 1597, and entitled "_Canzonets, or Little Short Aers to Five and Six Voices_: Printed by Peter Short," &c.:--

1.
"Fly love, that art so sprightly,
To _Bonny-boots_ uprightly;
And when in Heav'n you meet him,
Say that I kindly greet him;
And that his Oriana,
True widow maid still followeth Diana."

2.
"Our _Bonny-boots_ could toot it, yea and foot it;
Say lusty lads, who now shall bonny-boot it?
Who but the jolly shepherd, bonny Dorus?
He now must lead the Morris dance before us."

The conjecture that _Bonny-boots_ was the Earl of Essex at once falls to the ground; for he was not beheaded till 1601, and the title-page of Morley's _Canzonets_ bears date 1597.

That some conceit relative to the Lady Oriana existed long before the appearance of _The Triumphs_, is evident. Although the latter work was not published till the year 1601, yet in 1597 the idea had been acted upon by Nicholas Yonge in his _Second Book of Musica Transalpina_; for therein is the well-known madrigal by Giovanni Croce from _Il Trionfo di Dori_, adapted to the English words, "Hard by a crystal fountain," and ending with the burden, "Long live fair Oriana." Dr. Burney (_Hist. of Music_, vol. iii. p. 124.) says, that according to Hearne, a madrigal beginning with these words used annually to be sung by the fellows of the New College, Oxon, but he was unable to find it. Other madrigals in praise of Oriana may be found in Bateson's _First Set of Madrigales_, 1604; Pilkington's _First Set of Madrigales_, 1613; and in Vautor's _First Set of Songes_, 1619.

The publication of madrigals in praise of Queen Elizabeth, after her death, may be easily accounted for. They were (it is evident upon examination) originally composed with the others, but sent too late for insertion in the set; after which their respective composers had no opportunity of publishing them until the dates above given.

The conclusion then I arrive at is this, that _Il Trionfo di Dori_ was printed in Italy (most probably at Rome) between the years 1588 and 1597; that N. Yonge procured a copy of it from thence (as may be inferred from his Preface), and from it published Croce's madrigal. This copy was most probably seen by Thomas Morley, and gave him the idea of his _Triumphs of Oriana_. Morley was at this time an especial favourite with the queen, who had recently rewarded him with "a faire gold chaine." An offering then like the _Orianas_ could not fail of being acceptable to the vanity of Elizabeth, who, even at the age of sixty-eight, was extremely susceptible of flattery--especially when directed towards her person. It doubtless had the desired effect, and secured for Morley the patronage of the queen and the principal nobility. The publication of this work is thus easily explained without the intervention of any "secret piece of history."

EDWARD F. RIMBAULT.

MS. NOTES IN A COPY OF LIBER SENTENTIARUM.

As MS. notes in old books have been regarded as fit matter for this journal, I would contribute two or three from a copy of Peter Lombard's _Book of Sentences_, printed at Vienna in 1477. This has not only passed through divers hands before it came into mine, but several previous owners have left their names in it, and one of them very numerous marginal comments. Of these the earliest appears to have been Thomas Wallwell or T. Swallwell, a monk of Durham, who, from the handwriting, which is of the fifteenth century, I conclude was the marginal commentator. He has availed himself of the "Laus Deo" below the colophon to add "q' Ts. Wallwell monachus ecclesiæ cathedralis Dunelmensis." The words are abbreviated, but I have given them at length except the first, which, instead of being a _q_, with a comma, is a _q_ with an oblique line through it, that I thought might baffle the printer. The comments are very scholastic, and such as would then have been considered much to the purpose. It is possible some reader of this journal may be able to supply information respecting this erudite monk.

The next owner, judging by the handwriting, which seems little, if at all, later than 1500, has thus recorded his ownership on the blank side of the last leaf:

"Istius libri verus est possessor dominus Stephanus Merleye."

He was probably a priest, but I have discovered no annotations by him; though, as there is scarcely a page without writing on it, there may be some.

However, the note to which I would more particularly invite attention is at the top of the first page, and in the handwriting, I think, of the above-mentioned monk. It is in abbreviated Latin, but read in extenso it runs thus:

"Sententiæ Petri Lumbardi fratris Graciani qui decretum
compilavit, et etiam Petri Comestoris, qui scholasticam historiam
edidit et alia. Iste Petrus Lumbardus fecit istud opus, edidit
glossas psalterii et Epistolarum et plura alia. Fuit etiam
episcopus Parisiensis. Isti tres fratres uterini erant, et
floruerunt anno salutis 1154, qui fuit annus ab origine mundi
6353."

Over the word Graciani is interlined "monachi" in the same hand. In this statement two things are remarkable:--1. The allegation that these three well-known writers of the twelfth century were uterine brothers. 2. The mundane era. The former is hardly reconcileable with the generally received account of them, but it is not altogether new. Cave, writing of Gratian, adverts to a story of their having been brothers in the following words:

"Non desunt plurimi qui Gratianum, Petri Lombardi, Petrique
Comestoris germanum fuisse volunt, matremque tergeminos hos
fratres ex furtivo concubitu conceptos uno partu edidisse, quod
quidem nullo satis gravis autoris testimonio
fulcitur."--_Scriptores Eccl._, vol. ii. p. 216.

I am not going to advocate this story, for it is most likely false; and the monk's statement may not be correct; but as it is less improbable, it may be worth recording. Peter Lombard died in 1164. Gratian completed the Decretum about 1151, and probably survived some years, but I have not met with the date of his death. Peter Comestor died in 1198. They may therefore have all been contemporaries, though the last must have lived to a good old age, unless he were considerably younger than the others.

With regard to the mundane era by which the writer computed, it will be found to differ materially, not only from that now in common use among ourselves, but also from all that are mentioned by Sir H. Nicolas in his _Chronology of History_; for it assumes the Nativity to have occurred in the year of the world 5199. This, however, agrees with what appears to have been recognised as the era of the creation by the western churches from about the beginning of the fifth century (see De Vaine's _Dictionnaire Raisonné de Diplomatique_, voce _Comput_), though from some cause it seems to have been almost overlooked by modern writers in this country.

I have not attempted to explain the "_[q=]_" before Ts. Wallwell. It may have meant "quoth," or "quæsit;" but I am not satisfied with anything that has occurred to me. It stands thus:

"_Laus Deo. [q=]_, T_s_Wallwell
Mo'cs ec[=c]le cathedralis dune[=l]m."

"Ts." for Thomas is not usual, but those are clearly the letters: I have tried to read the "_s_" (which may have been meant for a capital) with the surname, but Swallwell is a stranger cognomen than that I have attributed to the monk. Some correspondent conversant with Durham may possibly recognise the name in one of its forms.

W. S. W.

Temple.

CLASSIFICATION OF LITERARY DIFFICULTIES.

Whatever may be the utility of your publication as a source of information to individuals, each on his own point of difficulty, there is a purpose, and one of its greatest ultimate purposes, which it must one day answer, though not immediately--I mean the furnishing of materials for general conclusions on the _difficulties of literature_. The queries which are sent to you are those which an author must put to himself in his closet; the manner in which others help him shows the manner in which he ought, if he could, to help himself. Occasionally, the querist betrays a want of power to reduce his own difficulty to its proper category; occasionally, also, the respondent fails to grapple with the real point. All this is instructive, and reconciles those who are instructed by it to the presence of many things which seem trivial or out of place to those who do not consider the nature of the whole undertaking. But the instruction I speak of will be much augmented in quantity and elevated in character, if ever the time should come when the mass of materials collected finds an architect to arrange it. The classification of the obstacles which an inquirer meets with, so treated as to give a view of the _causes_ of difficulty as they arise, both from the state of our books, and of our modes of using them, must surely one day suggest itself as a practicable result of the "NOTES AND QUERIES." The more this result is insisted on the more likely is it to be realised; and though it may need twenty volumes of the work to be completed, or even more, before anything can be done, the mere suggestion may induce some of your readers to keep an eye upon your pages with a view to something beyond current matter.

M.

Minor Notes.

_Meaning of "Ruell."_--In the "Rhime of Sir Thopas" Chaucer says:

"His sadell was of _ruell_ bone
His bridle as the sun yshone," &c.

Translated by Z. A. Z.:

"His saddle was of jit black bone."

Whitaker and Co. London, 1841.

Tyrwhitt says:

"His sadel was of _rewel_ bone."

What kind of material this was, I profess myself quite ignorant.

"In the _Turnament of Tottenham_, ver. 75. (_Anc. Poet._, vol. ii.
p. 18.), Tibbe is introduced with 'a garland on her head full of
_ruell_ bones.' The derivation in Gloss. Urr. of this word from
the French _riolé_, diversely coloured, has not the least
probability. The other, which deduces it from the French
_rouelle_, _rotula_, the whirl-bone or knee-pan, is more
plausible; though, as the glossarist observes, that sense will
hardly suit here."--Chaucer, by Thomas Tyrwhitt, Esq. Pickering:
London, 1830.

"His saddle was of _ruel_ bone."

Chaucer, by Thomas Speght.
London, 1687.

And its Glossary says:

"RUELL BONE, _f._ of the French word _riolé_, that is, diversely
colored: an Antistæcon in many words derived from another
language; as, in _Law_ from _Loy_, and _Roy_ from _Rex_."

So far the printed attempts at explaining this term _ruell_. May I submit for the consideration of your readers, that it is related to the French adjective _rouillé_, rusty; used by Molière in the form _enrouillé_. Evidently this has affinity to _ruber_, _rouge_, and _red_. So that Tibbe's garland would be of tortoise-shell combs: and the saddle would be of a similar nature.

_La Ryole_ is found as the name of the tenement occupied by Thomas le Bat (temp. Ed. III.?) Was this the sign of "The Comb," which is so often seen in the windows of our present shops?

J. W. P.

_Curious Facts in Natural History_ (Vol. iii., pp. 166, 398.).--In St. Lucia a coleopterous insect is found with a small plant growing directly from the back. I have myself seen it; but the plant consisted merely of the first two leaflets.

E. H. B.

Demerary.

Queries.

PAPAL BULLS, ETC.

A correspondent (S. P. H. T.) inquires, 1. Has there been any authorised collection of Papal Bulls, Breves, Encyclical Letters, &c., published since the beginning of the present century?

2. If not, has there been any authorised list of those addressed to the Roman Catholic Church in England or Ireland?

3. What bulls have, during the last century, been published against Bible Societies, &c., and where will I find _authorised_ copies of them, more particularly those of Pope Pius VII., bearing date 29th June, 1816, and directed to the Primate of Poland; that of 18th September, 1819, against the circulation of the Scriptures in the Irish Schools; that of Leo XII., dated 3rd May, 1824, directed to the Irish clergy, which last is the latest I am acquainted with?

4. What authority is there for using the "Form of receiving Converts from the Church of Rome," as published by the British Reformation Society? Does it occur in _any_ edition of the Book of Common Prayer?

5. What authority is there for the occasional services of 5th November, 30th January, 29th May, and 20th June? Some of these are, I am aware, specially directed by act of parliament; but the point upon which I wish to obtain information is, what the precise amount of obligation is that exists on the officiating minister to use or neglect the services in the absence of any specific directions on the matter from his Ordinary?

6. What authority is there for the use of the Gloria immediately after the minister's announcing the Gospel. No rubric _now_ appears to recognise it?

7. At what period did the practice of playing "a voluntary" upon the organ during the collection of the alms originate? And what is the earliest record of the alms being collected after the communion service and before the sermon, and not after the prayer for the Church Militant?

S. P. H. T.

[The Editor will be happy to insert a reply pointing out sources
of information. It is obvious that this is all which the limits of
the work and the claims of other correspondents and readers will
allow, when questions are proposed which contain many, and some of
them difficult and disputed, points.]

SIR WALTER RALEIGH IN VIRGINIA.

I remember having read, some time ago, a statement in the public prints, to the effect that the popular belief, as to Sir Walter Raleigh having visited Virginia, was unfounded: the fact being, that he had projected such a voyage, and that the vessels equipped by him for that purpose had actually reached that country; but that the illustrious voyager himself was prevented by some circumstance from conducting the expedition. This statement seemed to have been elicited by one of the subjects proposed for the decorations of the new Houses of Parliament, namely, "Sir Walter Raleigh landing in Virginia," and the idea was exploded with so much assurance that I had ceased to give it any credence. I find, however, in Hallam's _Literature of Europe_, 2nd edition, vol. iii. p. 179., that the fact of Sir Walter's having been in Virginia is relied upon by that historian, in the following passage:

"Harriott, the companion of Sir Walter Raleigh in Virginia, and
the friend of the Earl of Northumberland, in whose house he spent
the latter part of his life, was destined to make the last great
discovery in the pure science of algebra."

Are there any data to support Mr. Hallam's opinion? Such is his general accuracy, that few would be disposed to question any statement deliberately put forward by him. In this instance, however, he may have adopted, without inquiry, the tradition which has been current for the last two hundred and fifty years.

HENRY H. BREEN.

St. Lucia, July, 1851.

Minor Queries.

134. _Wife of St. Patrick._--Will some one of your Irish contributors inform me when the 18th of March began to be celebrated in honour of S. Sheelagh, and the ground on which it is asserted that she was the wife of St. Patrick? I cannot find that St. Patrick was married; I am aware, however, that the silence of the usual authorities goes but a little way to disprove the popular tradition, as in days when women were but beginning to assume their present equable station, the mention of a wife at any time would be only casual.

W. DN.

135. _Meaning of Mop._--In the midland counties, servants are hired by the year in the following manner. On the several Tuesdays about Michaelmas, all who wish for engagements collect together at the different towns and villages, whither the masters resort for the purpose of hiring them. Those meetings which occur previous to Michaelmas day are called _statute-fairs_, while those which take place after that day are termed _mops_. Query, What is the derivation of this word? I have been told that the later assemblies are so called because they consist of the inferior servants who were not engaged before,--such as use a _mop_ instead of sweeping clean and scouring. A friend conjectures that the name implies "an indiscriminate _mopping-up_ of all sorts, the greater number of servants having gone before, and there being only a few left." I have no book to which I can refer for information on this subject.

J. H. C.

Adelaide, South Australia.

136. _William Lovel of Tarent Rawson._--In Hutchins's _Dorset_, vol. i. p. 91., is a pedigree of _Lovel_ of Tarrant Rawson carried back to the later years of Hen. VII. In that genealogy the first person is described as _William Lovel_ of Tarent Rawson, alias "_Antiocheston_." Under what circumstances did he come by this cognomen? Was he connected with any branch of the house of Yvery, and in what manner?

The arms are Barry nebulé of six O. and G., quartering 2. Arg. a cheveron G. between three ermines; 3. Erm. a cheveron sab.; 4. Erm. on a chief indented G. three ducks A.

Crest: a fox az. bezanté collared with a coronet O.

AMANUENSIS.

137. _Cagots._--Can any of your readers give me any information about the Cagots in the south of France, whose history has been written by Mons. Michel, in a work entitled _Sur les Races Maudits_? There seems to be great doubt about their origin; are they remnants either of the Saracens or the Paulicians? They still, I am told, exist in the deep Pyrenean vallies, and are a most degraded race. Is there any analogy between them and the Cretins of the Alps, with the difference, that in the Alps Cretinism is regarded with kindness, in the Pyrenees with scorn? If so, does this point to the existence of a Celtic and non-Celtic element in the races inhabiting the respective mountain chains? idiotcy being reverenced especially among the Celtic races. Then, as before the first French revolution, the Cagots had a particular place and door set apart for them in the churches. Does not this look like their being Paulicians forced into orthodoxy, or equally, perhaps, Saracen Christians, similar to the Jew Christians of Spain?

RUSTICUS.

138. _Execution under singular Circumstances._--I have read somewhere, but failed to "make a note of it" at the time, an anecdote of a singular occurrence at Winchester, to the following effect.

Some years ago a man was apprehended near ----, in Hampshire, charged with a capital offence (sheep-stealing I believe). After being examined before a justice of the peace, he was committed to the county gaol at Winchester for trial at the ensuing assizes. The evidence against the man was too strong to admit of any doubt of his guilt; he was consequently convicted, and sentence of death (rigidly enforced for this crime at the period alluded to) pronounced. Months and years passed away, but no warrant for his execution arrived. In the interval a marked improvement in the man's conduct and bearing became apparent. His natural abilities were good, his temper mild, and his general desire to please attracted the attention and engaged the confidence of the governor of the prison, who at length employed him as a domestic servant; and such was his reliance on his integrity, that he even employed him in executing commissions not only in the city, but to places at a great distance from it. After a considerable lapse of time, however, the awful instrument, which had been inadvertently concealed among other papers, was discovered, and at once forwarded to the high sheriff, and by the proper authority to the unfortunate delinquent himself. My purpose is brief relation only; suffice it to say the unhappy man is stated under these affecting circumstances to have suffered the last penalty of the law.

Query, Can any of your readers inform me if this extraordinary story is founded on fact?