Chapter L: L. L

[Two editions of this work have been published: the first appeared
in 1751, and the other in 1829; both in 4to. The title-page of the
latter edition informs us that it was "translated into English
from the Hebrew, by Flaccus Albinus Alcuinus of Britain, Abbot of
Canterbury, who went a pilgrimage into the Holy Land and Persia,
where he discovered this volume, in the city of Gazna." But it
appears that this Alcuin of Britain was no other than Jacob Ilive;
and, according to Rowe Mores, the whole of it is a palpable
forgery. He states, that "the account given of the translation is
full of glaring absurdities. Mr. Ilive, in the night-time, had
constantly an Hebrew Bible before him, and cases in his closet. He
produced the _Book of Jasher_; and it was composed in private, and
the same worked off in the night-time in a private
press-room."--Rowe Mores' _Diss. on Founders_, p. 64. See also
Nichols' _Literary Anecdotes_, vol. i. p. 309.]

Minor Queries.

_Old China._--It was gratifying to see some inquiries respecting Dutch china, which it is to be hoped will lead to a further pursuit of such subjects. Some connoisseur would confer a benefit upon the community if he would be kind enough to give a concise description of the various styles and to point out the distinguishing marks of old china generally, by which its beauties might be appreciated and its value estimated: there is great difficulty in acquiring such information.

C. T.

_Pagoda, Joss House, Fetiche._--No such word as _Pagoda_ is known in the native languages: _Dewal_, according to Mr. Forbes (_Orient. Mem._ vol. i. p. 25.), is the proper name. I have read somewhere or another that _Pagoda_ is a name invented by the Portuguese from the Persian "Pentgheda," meaning _a temple of idols_. _Joss_, applied to the Chinese temples, seems to be the Spanish _Diós_ (Deus), as _diurnal_ becomes _journal_.

"The Fetiche of the African (says Mr. Milman) is the Manitou of
the American Indian. The word _Fetiche_ was first, I believe,
brought into general use in the curious volume of the President de
Brosses' _Du Culte des Dieux Fétiches_. The word was formed by the
traders to Africa from the Portuguese _Fetisso_, chose fée,
enchantée, divinée, ou rendant des Oracles." De B. p.
18.--_History of Christianity_ (3 vols. 1840), vol. i. p. 11.

Query, Is this word the same as a common word in Ireland (upon which Banim founded a tale), ycleped _fetch_, which answers to the Scotch _wraith_?

EIRIONNACH.

"_And Eva stood and wept alone._"--A good many years ago I deciphered on the marbled paper cover of one of my school-books the lines of which the following are what I yet retain in memory:

"And Eva stood, and wept alone,
Awhile she paused, then woke a strain
Of intermingled joy and pain.

Yes, O my mother! thou art fled.
And who on this lone heart will shed
The healing dew of sympathy,
That stills the bosom's deepest sigh?
Yes! thou art fled, but if 'tis given
To spirits in the courts of heaven
To watch o'er those they love (for this
Must heighten even angels' bliss),
If blessing so refined and pure
Our mortal frailty can endure,
Oh! may my mother's spirit mild
Watch over and protect her child."

I have never since, through a tolerably extensive course of reading, met with the poem to which these lines belong, and have inquired of others, without more success. Can any of your correspondents inform me of the name of the poem, and of its author?

S. S. WARDEN.

_Hearne's Confirmation.--Baxter's Heavy Shove.--Old Ballad._--In _Narratives of Sorcery and Magic_, by Thomas Wright, Esq. (1851), vol. ii. p. 163., mention is made of a work by the associate of the notorious Hopkins, the "Witch-finder General," one John Hearne, entitled, _A Confirmation and Discovery of Witchcraft_ (1648). I should esteem it a great favour if any of the numerous readers of your valuable journal can inform me where a copy of Hearne's work is to be found, as it appears to be wanting in the British Museum, and several other of the public libraries. I already happen to possess a copy of Matthew Hopkins's _Discovery of Witches_, 4to. (1647), an extraordinary little work, which Sir Walter Scott acknowledges he was acquainted with but by name.

There is a tract, too, by the celebrated author of the _Saints' Rest_, which I never yet could put eyes on, though I have for some years "collected" rather largely; I allude to Baxter's _Heavy Shove_, mentioned at page 99. of Lackington's "Life," and in one or two other works; but among a very large collection of old editions of Baxter's works possessed by me, it is not to be discovered. If any of your correspondents can enlighten me upon the subject I shall be much gratified.

Though I have collected rather extensively among the ballad lore of this country, I am sorry to say I never could find out from what particular ballad the annexed stanza is derived. It is to be found, as an epigraph, in _Poetical Memoirs_, by the late James Bird, 8vo. (1823):

"Brunette and fayre, my heart did share,
As last a wyfe I tooke:
Then all the wayes of my younge dayes,
I noted in a booke!"

_Old English Ballad._

CHARLES CLARK.

Great Totham Hall, Essex.

_Gunpowder Mills._--When and where were the first gunpowder mills erected in this country? This Query was made in the _Gentleman's Magazine_ for October, 1791, and does not appear to have been answered. I think I have waited long enough for a reply, and almost fear the Query must have been forgotten.

W.

_Macfarlane of that Ilk._--Who is the present heir-male of this family? The latest account of it that I have been able to discover is contained in Douglas's _Baronage of Scotland_ (1798).

E. N.

_Armorial Bearings._--In the _Court Manual of Dignity and Precedence_ it is stated, that in the year 1798, when the subject of armorial bearings was before Parliament, 9458 families in England, and 4000 in Scotland, were _proved_ entitled to arms. Are any of the relative parliamentary papers still in existence, and where are they to be found? I have been unable to discover them in Hansard.

E. N.

_Scologlandis and Scologi._--In the _Collections of the Shires of Aberdeen and Banff_, published by the Spalding Club, and under the heading "Ellon," p. 310., there is given an

"Inquisicio facta super terris Ecclesie de Ellon. A.D. 1387,"

in which occur several times the two words _Scologlandis_ and _Scologi_. Neither of these words are found in Ducange; the nearest approach to either being _Scolanda_, which is considered to be equivalent to _Scrut landa_, namely, lands the revenue of which is to be applied to the providing of church vestments. I should be much obliged by any of your correspondents favouring me with their opinion as to the meaning of _Scologlandis_ and _Scologi_, which are used in the "Inquisicio" as follows:

"... Qui jurati deposuerunt quod terre Ecclesiastice de Ellon que
dicuntur le _Scologlandis_....

"... Item quod heres cujuslibet _Scologi_ defuncti intrare
consuevit hereditatem suam."

G. J. R. G.

_Ednowain ap Bradwen._--Can any of the readers of "N. & Q." give me information respecting this person, or the family descended from him, which is supposed to have lived in North Wales during the reign of Henry VII.? His armorial badge is figured in p. 250. of Enderbie's _Cambria Triumphans_, and is described as _Gules, three snakes braced, Arg._ There is an ancient font in our church, which, when restored to it in the year 1841, after having been put to vile uses for many years, did bear this badge, _but it does not bear it now_. The gentleman who undertook the direction of the repair of the sculpture on the font, not having been inspired by the Professor of History at Oxford with a due reverence for antiquities, ordered Samuel Davies, a stone-mason (who is still living in this town), to make the three snakes as much like one dragon as he could. This he attempted to do by chiselling away the head of one snake, inlaying in its place the head of a dragon; and making the other heads and tails into legs with claws. The result of these operations has been a dragon of a _very_ singular appearance. There is a portcullis with chains sculptured on one of the eight sides of the font; and it has been conjectured that the motive to the conversion of the _three snakes, braced_, into a dragon, was to make it appear probable that the font had been presented to the church by Henry VII.

AP JOHN.

Wrexham.

_Mummy Wheat._--As you have afforded space for a Query on "Wild Oats," you will not, I hope, deny me a corner for one on Mummy Wheat.

In the year 1840, a letter appeared in _The Times_, signed "Martin Farquhar Tupper," which detailed minutely the sowing, growing, and gathering of some mummy wheat. Mr. Tupper, it seems, had received the grains of wheat from Mr. Pettigrew, who had them from Sir Gardner Wilkinson, by whom they were found on opening an ancient tomb in the Thebaid. Mr. Tupper took great pains to secure the identity of the seed, and had no doubt that he had gathered the product of a grain preserved since the time of the Pharaohs. The long vitality of seeds has been a popular belief; I was therefore surprised to find that that interesting fact is now pronounced to be no fact at all. It appears, in _The Year-Book of Facts for 1852_, that Prof. Henslowe stated to the British Association, that "the instances of plants growing from seeds found in mummies were all erroneous." Can any one tell me how this has been proved?

H. W. G.

Elgin.

_The Trusty Servant at Winchester._--The singular emblematic picture of a "Trusty Servant," in the vestibule of the kitchen of Winchester College, is too well known to require a description. I remember once hearing a gentleman refer to some author as giving a description of a similar figure, and speaking of such representations as of great antiquity. Unfortunately I took no _note_ of it at the time, and I now hope to recover the reference by a _query_; and shall feel obliged to any of your correspondents who may be able to furnish me with an answer: "Who was the author referred to?"