Chapter I: J. M

WHAT IS THE DERIVATION OF "GARSECG?"

This Anglo-Saxon word is used in the poetry of Beowulf and Cædmon, and in the prose of Orosius and Bede, &c. The _â_ in _gâr_ is twice accented in Cædmon; and Mr. Kemble has always accented it in Beowulf. In the Lauderdale MS. of Orosius it is written _garsæcg_ and _garsecg_; and in the Cotton MS. _garsegc_ and _garsecg_, without any accent. Grimm, Kemble, and Ettmüller make the first past of the word to be _gâr_, a spear, javelin, the Goth., _gairu_; Ohd., _kér_; O. Sax., _gér_; O. Nor., _geir_: and the latter, _secg_, a soldier, man. Thus _gârsecg_ would be literally "a spear-man," homo jaculo armatus. Mr. Kemble adds, it is "a name for _the ocean_, which is probably derived from some ancient myth, and is now quite unintelligible." Ettmüller gives it, "_Gârsecg, es_, m. Carex jaculorum, vel vir hastatus, _i.e._ oceanus.--Grymn's _Mythol._, p. xxvii."

Dahlmann, in his _Forschungen der Geschichte_, p. 414., divides the word thus: _Gars-ecg_, and says, _gar_ is very expressive, and denotes "what is enclosed," and is allied to the Ger. _garten_, a garden, like the A.-S. _geard_, a garden, region, earth. _Ecg_, Icl. _egg_; Ger. _egge_, _ecke_, a border, an outward part; that is, _what borders or encircles the earth, the ocean_. What authority is there for dividing the word into _gars-ecg_, and for the meaning he gives to _gar_?

Barrington, in his edition of _Orosius_, p. xxiii., gives "M. H. The Patton MS." among the transcripts. I cannot find any Hatton MS. of _Orosius_. Can he refer to the transcript of Junius?

THROW.

Minor Queries.

_Commemoration of Benefactors._--I shall be glad to learn by what authority an office for the Commemoration of Founders and Benefactors is used in our college chapels, since this office in not found in our Book of Common Prayer. And, farther, whether the office is the same in all places, _mutatis mutandis_. In my own college (Queen's, Cambridge), the order of service was as follows:--The Lesson, Ecclus. xliv. (read by a scholar): the sermon: the list of foundresses and benefactors: Te Deum laudamus: proper Psalms, viz. cxlviii., cxlix., cl.: the following versicles and responses:

"_V._ The memory of the righteous shall remain for evermore.
_R._ And shall not be afraid of any evil report.
_V._ The Lord be with you.
_R._ And with thy spirit."

Then followed an appropriate collect, introduced by the words "Let us pray;" and the office was concluded by the Benediction.

W. SPARROW SIMPSON, B.A.

_Pedigree of Richard, Earl of Chepstow._--At a recent meeting of the Kilkenny Archæological Society, there was exhibited, by permission of the Marquis of Ormonde, an original charter, under seal, of Richard, Earl of Chepstow, surnamed Strongbow, whereby he granted certain lands in his newly acquired territory of Leinster, to Adam de Hereford. The charter, which is beautifully and clearly written on a small piece of vellum, commences thus:

"Comes Ric' fil' com' Ric' Gisleb'ti omnibus amicis suis," &c.

As the usually given pedigrees (see Sir R. Colt Hoare's _Tour in Ireland_, Introd. p. lxxv.) make Richard Strongbow the son of Gilbert, the second son, and not Richard, the eldest son, of Gilbert de Tonbrige; query, Are we to supply "fil'" before "Gisleberti" in the charter, or are we to suppose that the second "Ric'" is a slip of the pen,--a thing, however, not likely to occur in a legal deed of so important a nature.

JAMES GRAVES.

Kilkenny.

_Twenty-seven Children._--In Colonel James Turner's defence (_English Causes Célèbres_, vol. i. p. 111.) he says, speaking of his wife, who was then also on trial for her life:

"She sat down, being somewhat fat and weary, poor heart! I have
had twenty-seven children by her; fifteen sons and twelve
daughters."

Is there any well authenticated instance of woman having had more than twenty-five children?

E. D.

_Esquires of the Martyred King._--In the Smith MSS. in the Bodleian Library, there are copies of certain petitions addressed to King Charles II., relating to a proposed Order of Esquires of the Martyred King. These forms of petition appear to have been derived _ex MSS. Asm._ 837.

Where is a full account of these proceedings to be found in print?

J. SANSOM.

_Braem's "Mémoires touchant le Commerce."_--Having lately seen a MS., of which I subjoin the title, and not being able to discover any further account of the writer of it than what is briefly given in the volume itself, I submit my wish to know something more about the author, and his, perhaps, still inedited work, to you and to your numerous readers, both in England and in Holland (where you have an able imitator), in the hope of gaining some further information about him. The MS. is a foolscap folio, containing about 340 pages, written in a bold, open hand, and bears the following title: _Mémoires touchant le Commerce que les Provinces Unies des Pays-Bas font dans les divers Endroits du Monde_. At page 306. this part of the MS. ends, and is signed by "Daniel Braems," who says of himself, that he left the Dutch possessions in the East Indies in 1686, and made his Report to the States-General of what he had seen, and delivered in a written copy. Mr. Braems says farther, that he was "dernièrement Teneur-Général des Livres à Batavie, et a ramené en qualité de Commandeur la dernière Flotte des Indes en ce pays;" and that his Report, as regards East India affairs, was made "touchant la constitution des affaires dans les Indes Orientales, ainsi qu'elle estoit lorsque la ditte flotte est partie de Batavie," and was delivered in May 26, 1688. The remaining pages of the MS. are taken up with a detailed account of the ecclesiastical and civil revenues of France for 1692, and also the "estat des affaires extraordinaires" for the years 1689, 1690, 1691, 1692.

J. M.

_Newspapers._--Can any of your readers obligingly inform me when _The Suffolk Mercury or St. Edmund's Bury Post_ commenced? The earliest number I have seen is that of "Monday, Feb. 3, 1717, to be continued weekly, No. 43. Price Three Half-pence." The next is that of "Monday, May 2, 1726, Vol. xvi., No. 52." And the latest that of "Monday, October 4, 1731, Vol. xxii., No. 40." When did it cease? Were there any other papers before 1782 printed in Bury; or including the name of that town in its title?

BURIENSIS.

_Serjeant Trumpeter._--What are the privileges of persons holding this appointment?

EDWARD F. RIMBAULT.

_Lunhunter._--What is the etymology of this surname; or rather, what is a _lun_? We have the analogous names Wolfhunter and Todhunter (_i.e._ a hunter of foxes). I am not satisfied with the origin assigned to this designation in my _English Surnames_. Is there any beast of prey, or of the chase, bearing the provincial name of _lun_?

MARK ANTONY LOWER.

_Family of Bullen._--Could any of your readers inform me what branch of the Bullen family it was that emigrated to Ireland in the fifteenth or sixteenth century, and settled at Kinsale in the county of Cork? Their genealogical history I find it difficult, almost impossible, to discover. It is thought that the first of the family who settled in Ireland was nearly allied to the lovely but unfortunate queen of Henry VIII.; and the family consequently claim kindred with our famous Queen Elizabeth, though they seem unable to trace their pedigree so as to prove it. The present representative of this old family resides at Bally Thomas, in the neighbourhood of Mallow; but, singular to say, though proud of his name and race, can give no correct history of his pedigree; in fact, nothing more than a traditionary account of it. I find, in turning over the pages of Burke's _Landed Gentry_, the following note appended to the pedigree of the Glovers of Mount Glover:

"This Abigail Bullen was daughter of Robert Bullen, of Kinsale,
descended from the Bullen family, who came and settled in Ireland
in the reign of Elizabeth, and who are stated to have been not
remotely related to that queen."

Any information connected with this family I am most anxious to obtain.

E. A. G.

London.

_Burnomania._--I should be glad if any of your correspondents could favour me with the name of the author of this work: it is entitled _Burnomania, or the Celebrity of Robert Burns considered_, Edinburgh, 1811, 12mo., pp. 103. In his advertisement to the reader, the author says:

"Who is the author? Is he a poor man? Is he employed by the
booksellers? Is he a young student? Does he write for fame? For
gain? Does he wish to irritate, to offend, to indulge in a
sarcastic humour? To all these questions, the answer is 'No.'"

ELGINENSIS.

_Rent of Assize._--Can you or any of your correspondents explain certain difficulties I find in a schedule of the revenues of the bishopric of Winton, sent by Thomas Cooper, the Bishop of Winton, 1587, to the Lord Treasurer: Strype's _Annals_, vol. iii. part 2. p. 263. Oxon, 1824?

In the first place, there appears to be some misprint, as "the whole charge or value" is put at 3114_l._ 0_s._ 5_d._, and "ordinary reprizes and allowances deducted" 3389_l._ 0_s._ 11_d._, and then "remain of rent of assize of the same bishopric" 2773_l._ 10_s._ 6_d._, which appears afterwards to be a misprint for 2775_l._, &c. What is "rent of assize?" is it the _assessment_ of the bishopric for dues, rates, &c.? Also what is the meaning of "ob. q.," which is added after certain items?

Lastly, what is to be understood by the item "For ingrossing the great pipe," &c.? I should be much obliged by any explanation of these accounts.

H. C. K.

---- Rectory, Hereford.

_White Livers._--Can any correspondent give some information as to the popular superstition of _white livers_, or refer to any author that alludes to it in any way. In a recent account of poisonings in France, by a woman Named Helène Jagado, it is stated that though for a long time she was not suspected to be an actual murderess, yet "the frequency of deaths in the families by whom she was engaged excited a suspicion among the peasantry that there was something in her nature fatal to those who were near her; and they said that _her liver was white_, it being believed, in that part of France, that persons who are dangerous have _white livers_." In the midland counties there is a similar saying among the lower classes, and I have heard it said of an individual who had married and lost several wives by death, that he had a white liver. A young woman once told me that she had been advised not to marry a certain suitor, because he had a white liver, and she would be dead within a year. "White-livered rascal" is a common term of reproach in Gloucestershire. What is the origin and explanation of the supposed _white liver_?

AMBROSE FLORENCE.

Worcester.

_Welsh Names Blaen._--Can any of your correspondents tell the meaning of the word _Blaen_, which occurs so frequently in the names of places in Pembrokeshire, and perhaps other parts of Wales? Thus, there is _Blaen-awen_, near Monington; _Blaen-argy_, _Blaen-pant_, and _Blaen-hafren_, to the south of Hantwood; _Blaen-yr-angell_; _Blaen-y-foss_ and _Blaen-nefern_ near Penrydd; _Blaen-dyffryn_; and a great many more. It seems generally to be applied to farms.

α.

_Jesuits._--Can you give one any clue to the following line:

"Haud cum Jesu itis qui itis cum Jesuitis?"

A similar play on words was made a few years ago by an Italian professor in the university of Pisa. A large number of Jesuits made their appearance one day in his lecture room, as they believed that he was about to assail some favourite dogma of theirs. He commenced his lecture with the following words--

"Quanti Gesuiti sono all' inferno!"

When remonstrated with, he said that his words were

"Quanti--Gesu!--iti sono all' inferno!"