Wright gave an account of a holiday spent in Norway. After a few remarks
on the beauty of Norwegian cathedrals in general, and on the wooden
church at Borgund, he proceeded to describe a Viking’s ship which he had
seen. The mound in which the Viking was supposed to be buried was very
much dilapidated. The ship was built entirely of oak, and apparently had
neither deck nor seats, so that the rowers had to stand upright to row
it. The word Viking, he added, is probably derived from the Vicks or
Fiords, and is in no way akin to the word sea-king. Mr. F. W. Headley
pointed out, with reference to the Viking’s ship, that the planks were
fastened on to the ribs of the ship by withies. Speaking of Trondhjem
Cathedral, he mentioned the transepts as in good repair. The nave, now
almost gone, has contained some very fine Norman work, and the apse at
the end of it, which is divided from the choir by a light screen,
contains several styles of architecture, ranging from Early English to
Flamboyant. Several photographs were passed round in illustration of the
speaker’s remarks. Mr. A. W. T. Perowne spoke of Knaresborough Castle,
in one of the dungeons of which may be seen a pillar with twelve arches
springing from it. He also spoke of Fountains Abbey, which contains both
Early English and Norman work--the cloisters and refectory being
specimens of the latter. He also gave short accounts of Ripley, Bolton
Abbey, Fountains Abbey, and St. Mary’s Abbey, at York. Mr. H. F. Fisher
described Wimborne Minster, a cruciform building having two towers--the
central and the western. Between the central tower and the east end is
a Norman arch. Under the chancel is a crypt, and there is a church
library over the vestry. The church contains also a lunar orrery, of
which there are only two other specimens in England--at Wells and at
York. Mr. H. Swainson next spoke of Bosham, near Chichester. The setting
out of Harold from Bosham Harbour on a voyage to Normandy is recorded in
the Bayeux tapestry. The church is built on the site of an old Roman
basilica. In the vestry may be seen the corbels of the floor of the room
once occupied by the man who kept the light in the tower. The church has
a wooden spire. The chronicler spoke of St. Nicholas Church, Leicester,
where are some Roman bricks in the tower, and of the Town-hall, which is
of wood. He next spoke of Warwick Hospital, founded by the Earl of Essex
for twelve old men and a minister, each of whom has a strip of garden;
they all move up in turn whenever one dies, the minister always
retaining the first strip. Passing on into Shropshire, he spoke of
Wenlock Priory, which contains two very large ambulatories; also of the
Town-hall, where are a set of stocks, which are not fixed, but stand on
wheels. In speaking of Lichfield Cathedral, he mentioned the three
spires, and seven huge decorated windows in the Lady-chapel, and also
the watching gallery, a feature which exists also in St. Alban’s Abbey.
The Close at Lichfield was formerly defended by a moat, of which the
present Minster pool is a survival. He also censured the recent removal
of the “Pedlar’s Window” from the parish church at Lambeth. Mr. E. P.
Ash, a visitor, spoke of Eisenach and the Wartburg, which is said to
derive its name from the following incident of Lewis the Springer, who
in one of his hunting expeditions, happening to come on the hill on
which the Wartburg now stands, exclaimed “_Wart Berg_ du sollst meine
_Burg_sein” Having given some account of the connection of St. Elizabeth
with the Wartburg, from which she was ultimately expelled, and took
refuge in a convent, he proceeded to speak of Luther, who is said to
have spent ten months therein translating the Bible. Several relics of
Luther and his family may be seen there still. In the chapel are some
swords that are supposed to have belonged to Gustavus Adolphus.
SURREY ARCHÆOLOGICAL SOCIETY.--At a special general meeting held Oct.
15, Mr. Granville Leveson-Gower, F.S.A., in the chair, it was resolved
that the annual general meeting be hereafter held in January or
February, instead of in June or July as at present.
Antiquarian News & Notes.
PROFESSOR SAYCE left England in November to spend the winter in Egypt.
THE mode of treatment of the west front of Westminster Hall is under the
consideration of Parliament.
THE musical library of Mr. Julian Marshall was lately sold by auction at
the rooms of Messrs. Sotheby, Wilkinson & Hodge.
THE four-light east window of Akely Church, near Buckingham, has been
filled with stained glass by Messrs. Meyer & Co., of Munich.
IT is reported, on what we believe to be good authority, that Lord
Carnarvon is about to resign the Presidency of the Society of
Antiquaries.
THE Bishop of Peterborough having disapproved of the action of the
Committee for the restoration of the Cathedral, the work has been
stopped.
A MEMORIAL painted window to Richard Hooker, the “judicious” divine of
Queen Elizabeth’s reign, has just been unveiled in his old church,
Bishopsbourne, near Canterbury.
THE library belonging to Sir John H. Thorold, at Syston, very rich in
ancient and curious books, will be sold by Messrs. Sotheby & Wilkinson
on the 12th of December and following days.
THE intended collection of Turner’s works at the Winter Exhibition of
the Academy will not be made this season, owing to the dampness of the
walls of the new rooms at Burlington House.
THE ancient civic maces belonging to the borough of Tenby have been
lately repaired and restored by Mr. G Lambert, F.S.A., and at his cost.
This is one result of the recent Archæological Congress in South Wales.
Mr. W. BLACK’S last novel, “Judith Shakespeare,” is worthy of notice for
the vast amount of antiquarian interest with which the author has
contrived to invest not only Stratford-on-Avon, and Shakespeare’s house,
but the interior of his home.
“NOSSETT’S MYTHOLOGY,” Greek and Roman, has been now translated into
English by Mrs. Angus W. Hall. The book, which is illustrated with
drawings by the translator, will be published by Messrs. Kirby & Endean.
THE Hardwicke historical manuscripts, which chiefly consist of
correspondence with foreign Courts during the reigns of George I. and
II., were lately sold to Mr. Astor, who has presented them to the Astor
public library in New York.
MR. R. GARNETT, the kind and courteous Superintendent of the Reading
Room of the British Museum, has given up his position, having accepted
the post of Assistant Keeper. Mr. Fortescue, who is well known to
_habitués_ of the Museum, succeeds Mr. Garnett.
THE _East Anglian_ is about to be revived under the title of _The
Suffolk Antiquary and East Anglian Archæological Notes and Queries_. It
will be edited by the Rev. C. H. E. White, of Ipswich, Hon. Secretary of
the Suffolk Archæological Institute. We wish the newly revived venture
all possible success.
THE Hon. Lewis Wingfield has been engaged in mounting four new
productions--“Cymbeline,” which will be played at the Lyceum in March
next, for Miss Anderson; “The School for Scandal,” for Mrs. Langtry, to
be produced at the Prince’s Theatre; “As You Like It,” for the St.
James’s; and an important revival of “The Comedy of Errors,” for the
American Dromios, Messrs. Robson & Crane.
MR. THACKERAY TURNER, as Secretary of the Society for the Protection of
Ancient Buildings, writes to the _Times_ from 9, Buckingham-street,
Strand, very strongly remonstrating against a proposal which has been
made, and which has been sanctioned by the architect, Mr. Pearson,
gradually to re-face the exterior stonework of Westminster Abbey. He
says that by so doing we shall only be forestalling the action of time.
MR. MURRAY’S list of forthcoming works includes the following:
“Bolingbroke, an historical study,” by J. Churton Collins. “London; its
history, antiquarian and modern,” by James Thorne, F.S.A., and H. B.
Wheatley, F.S.A. “Works of Alexander Pope,” with notes, &c., by W. J.
Courthope. “History of the Roman Empire, from the establishment of the
Empire to the accession of Commodus, A.D. 180.”
CATALOGUES of rare and curious books, most of which contain the names of
works of antiquarian interest, have reached us from Messrs. Jarvis and
Son, 28, King William-street, W.C. (comprising a copy of “Othello,”
4to. edition, 1655); Messrs. Fawn and Son, Queen’s-road, Bristol; Mr.
Geo. Redway, York-street, Covent-garden; Mr. Henry Gray, Cathedral-yard,
Manchester; Messrs. Robson and Kerslake, 23, Coventry-street, Haymarket,
W.; Von Kühl, Jägerstrasse, Berlin; Von Albert Cohn, Mohrenstrasse,
Berlin.
THE descriptive and historical account of the Cathedral Churches of
England and Wales, which has been for some time past in preparation,
will be published forthwith by Messrs. Cassell & Co. The contributors
will include Canon Tristram, Dean Kitchin, Rev. Dr. Jessopp, Canon
Venables, Prebendary Havergal, Prebendary Gregory Smith, Rev. R. St.
John Tyrwhitt, Canon Swainson, Dean Howson, Archdeacon Norris, Canon
Creighton, Professor T. M‘Kenny Hughes, Rev. Professor Coolidge, and the
Bishop of Sodor and Man. The work will contain an introduction by the
Rev. Professor Bonney.
MR. FREDERICK HAWKINS’S “Annals of the French Stage from its Origin to
the Death of Racine,” have been published by Messrs. Chapman & Hall. Mr.
Hawkins, says the _Times_, is the first English writer who has
undertaken to deal with this subject on a scale larger than that of a
magazine article. It is understood that he has endeavoured to give his
work some value as one of literary history and criticism, and has
devoted much care to an elucidation of the relations between the Church
and the stage in olden times. For his information as to the material
situation of the Comédie Française he is indebted to the unpublished
registers of that theatre.
THE following articles, more or less of an antiquarian character, appear
among the contents of the magazines for November:--_Quarterly Review_,
“France under Richelieu.” _Art Journal_, “Collection of Casts at South
Kensington;” “The Western Riviera, La Mortola, and Ventimiglia;” “Marble
and Marble Mosaic.” _English Illustrated Magazine_, “Play, a Scene from
the Life of the Last Century;” “Eton.” _Edinburgh Review_, “The Irish
Massacres of 1641;” “Boulger’s History of China.” _Temple Bar_,
“Recollections of Canning and Brougham;” “A Visit to Rothenburg.”
_Century Magazine_, “The Old Sedan Chair;” “Sculptors of the Early
Italian Renaissance.” _Contemporary Review_, “Wurzburg and Vienna;”
“Goethe;” “Greek Cities under Roman Rule.” _Monthly Packet_, “Cameos
from English History.” _Journal of Education_, “The Teaching of
History.”
THE civic procession to the Royal Courts of Justice on “Lord Mayor’s
Day” (November 10) contained several picturesque and interesting
pageants, representing different historic incidents and personages
connected with the early history of the City of London. These included
William the Conqueror, Richard Cœur de Lion, Henricus Fitz-Alwyne,
the first Mayor of London, Richard II., and Queen Elizabeth. The
immortal “Dick” Whittington was represented sitting by the Highgate
mile-post, accompanied by his cat, and in the act of listening to the
bells of Bow Church, a model of which, as it was in A.D. 1400, came next
in the procession; and this was followed by a counterfeit presentment of
Sir Richard Whittington in all his civic dignity. The representative of
Lord Mayor Walworth, standing over the slain Wat Tyler, was received
with groans and hisses as the procession passed along.
THE _Progrès de l’Aisne_ gives the following particulars with regard to
some discoveries which have lately been made by M. Moreau, a wellknown
antiquarian, at Chouy, near St. Quentin. The village, though situated
upon a height, is well provided with water, and M. Moreau has
discovered traces of ancient Roman baths, though the small number of
arms found induces the belief that it was never a military post during
the Roman occupation. The cemetery was used as a place of interment from
a period preceding the conquest of Gaul by Cæsar until the eighth
century without interruption, and a large number of Gallic and
Gallo-Roman graves have been discovered. Among other articles found were
a Gallic boot sole, studded with nails, 27 buckles, clasps and plates in
bronze and iron, 38 bracelets, rings, and other articles of personal
adornment, mostly in bronze, though a few are silver-gilt, six bronze
pieces of money of the time of Licinius, Crisus, Constantine II.,
Valens, and Valentianus I., two bronze dishes, 89 earthen dishes and 14
in glass, nine iron swords, 15 hatchets, daggers, and javelins, 108
flints of all shapes, thousands of coffin nails, and a signet ring with
nine facets, upon which are engraved the greeting _vivas_, the dove and
olive branch, the palm, the lamb, the stag, and the hare, symbols in use
among the early Christians.
AMONG the various properties advertised for sale is Etall Castle, one of
the Northumbrian “Peel Castles,” as they are styled. It is situated in
the parish of Ford, about six miles from Coldstream, in the valley of
the Till, a tributary of the Tweed. The present mansion is modern, of
stone, with a heavy roof, and large square windows. It is approached by
an avenue of finely-grown trees, the gardens are laid out in the Italian
style, and the entire estate comprises about 3,440 acres. Near the
mansion is the parish church, built by Butterfield in 1850, in memory of
the late Lord Frederick Fitzclarence and his only daughter. On the west
of the village, on the banks of the river, and about a quarter of a mile
from the mansion, are the picturesque ruins of the ancient castle, once
the abode of the noble family of Manners. This castle was taken by the
army of James IV. of Scotland on his invasion of England in the year
1513, shortly before the battle of Flodden Field, and is mentioned by
Sir Walter Scott in the Fifth canto of “Marmion,” as well as the other
border fortresses in the neighbourhood--Wark, Ford, and Norham. Over the
entrance of the castle are sculptured the arms of Manners, it having
been embattled by Sir Robert de Manners, who was knighted on the field
of battle by Edward III. In the grounds is a handsome chapel, built of
stone in the style of the Edwardian period; and near the river are to be
seen the foundations of St. Mary’s Chapel and Well.--_Times._
THE dispersion of collections of art work is being apparently followed
up by the sale of properties remarkable for historic or antiquarian
features. The sales of the Island of Herm and of Boscastle, in Cornwall
(both of which were abortive), have been, or are to be, succeeded by two
others of a still more remarkable character. The one is the extensive
ruins of Middleham Castle, in Yorkshire, celebrated for its splendid
Norman keep, built by Robert Fitz Ranulph, and famous as the stronghold
of Warwick, the king-maker, and as the favourite residence of his
son-in-law, Richard III. The fine appearance of the keep has, however,
been considerably interfered with by the Decorated buildings which
surround it, and which were erected in the fifteenth century by Robert
Neville, “the peacock of the North.” In later times, many of the scenes
in “The Last of the Barons” were laid at Middleham. The second sale is
that of Goodrich Court and Castle, which, for picturesque effect, is one
of the most beautiful and attractive localities in the scenery of the
Wye. Goodrich Court was, in Sir Samuel Meyrick’s time, noted for its
unrivalled collection of mediæval armoury. The mansion itself is a
restoration by the late Mr. Blore. The castle, of which the principal
remaining features are the gateway, a three-storied Norman keep, and an
Edwardian banquetting-hall, was successively the residences of the Earls
of Pembroke and the Talbots, and, later on, stood a gallant siege under
Sir Henry Lingen, who held it for the King against the Parliamentary
army.
DURING the visit of a party of local archæologists to Wirksworth, in
Derbyshire, a paper was read by Dr. Webb, proving that lead mining had
been carried on there from time immemorial. The following circumstances
suggest that the Wirksworth mines were known to the Saxons: 1. A mine
near to Castleton was called Odin, after one of their gods. 2. Eadburga,
Abbess of Repton (to which monastic institution the lead mines at
Wirksworth appear to have belonged at this time), sent from Wirksworth,
A.D. 714, a leaden coffin, in which to bury St. Guthlac, Prior of
Crowland Abbey, and formerly a monk at Repton. 3. Kenewara, also Abbess
of Repton, gave the estate at Wirksworth, A.D. 835, to Humbert, the
Alderman, on the condition that he gave lead to the value of three
hundred shillings to Archbishop Colenoth, for the use of Christ’s
Church, Canterbury. That the mines were worked after the Norman Conquest
is proved by a survey, in the possession of the Duchy of Lancaster, of
Peveril Castle, made in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, who greatly
encouraged mining operations by inviting skilled workmen from abroad;
and this survey describes the castle as being covered with lead. As it
was built in the reign of the Conqueror, the lead used in its
construction was probably obtained from Derbyshire mines; in fact,
Domesday Book mentions the working of three lead mines at Wirksworth,
one at Crich, one at Ashford, one at Bakewell, and one at Metesford, a
manor in the neighbourhood of Matlock.--_Weekly Register._
AMONG the most interesting properties which of late have come into the
market is that of Boxley Abbey, near Maidstone, which was sold by
auction in October last by Messrs. Walton & Lee, of Mount-street,
Grosvenor-square. It is described as situated about two miles from
Maidstone, and as consisting of about 900 acres of first-class meadow,
hop and fruit plantations, arable and woodlands. It comprises the
remains of the old Cistercian Abbey of Boxley, with its more modern
Elizabethan residence, gardener’s cottage, stabling and offices,
gardens, lawns, fish-stews, and terraced walks, surrounded by the
abbey-gate or home farm lands, partly enclosed within the abbey walls.
The estate, we are told, “lies within a ring fence, is well watered by
an abundance of springs, is intersected by good roads, and abounds in
historical traditions.” The Pilgrim’s-road, trodden by the feet of so
many persons on their way to and from the shrine of St. Thomas at
Canterbury, and the walls of the Abbey, which is said to have been the
first abode of Cistercian monks in England, dating from the beginning of
the eleventh century, a splendid specimen of an old tithe barn in
excellent preservation, and a monastic chapel, now converted into a
dwelling-house, are objects of especial interest to the antiquary and
archæologist. The abbey itself was founded about the middle of the
twelfth century by William d’Ipres, Earl of Kent. In the reign of Edward
I. the Abbot was summoned to Parliament on several occasions; and Edward
II. took up his residence at this abbey during the siege of Leeds Castle
in October, 1221, from the refusal of its governor to provide lodgings
for Queen Isabella and her suite when going on pilgrimage to Canterbury.
It is said there was here a curious crucifix upon the rood-screen, which
came to be called the “Rood of Grace,” and of which the mechanism would
seem to have been extremely ingenious. To this rood or crucifix the
abbey was indebted for many offerings, its curious movements being
reported as miraculous, and, under that impression, great numbers of
people were continually resorting thither. At the time of the
Reformation, the rood was publicly exposed at St. Paul’s-cross, in
London, by the Bishop of Rochester, and soon afterwards broken to pieces
and burnt.--_Times._
THE Marquis of Bute has given £500 to the fund for establishing a
British School of Archæology at Athens. The executive committee
contemplate building a suitable house on Mount Lycabettus, in the
immediate vicinity of Athens, where a site has been placed at their
disposal by the Greek Government. It is intended that the house should
afford a residence for the director, and should contain a library of
reference. The aim of the school will be to promote the study of Greek
art and architecture in their remains of every period; the study of
inscriptions; the exploration of ancient sites; and especially all
branches of research which can illustrate Hellenic life and literature,
from the earliest age. Membership of the school will be open to all
students accredited by any university or college of Great Britain, by
the authorities of the British Museum, or of the Royal Academy, or by
any other institution qualified to give credentials. The director will
guide the studies of the members, and exercise a general supervision
over the researches undertaken by them; report on the work of the
school, and on any discoveries which may come to his knowledge; and also
afford information and advice to properly accredited British travellers
in Greece. It is believed that, through the agency of the school,
valuable notes might be collected from visitors to the Hellenic
countries, who, without being specialists, are competent scholars and
observers; and such notes might conveniently be registered in the annual
report of the school. The increasing interest in archæological studies
which is being manifested in the universities and schools of the country
warrants the hope that, when the school has been established at Athens,
facilities will be afforded to students desirous of proceeding thither
for the purpose of supplementing the knowledge derived from books by a
direct acquaintance with the scenes and monuments of Greek life. A
general feeling exists that England ought not to remain behind France,
Germany, and the United States in possessing a centre in Greece for the
furtherance of intellectual studies. The general committee, of which the
Prince of Wales is president, already includes representatives of the
Universities and public schools, of the Royal Academy, of the British
Museum, of the Society of Antiquaries, of the Society of Dilettanti, and
of the London Society for the Promotion of Hellenic Studies. While it is
believed that the funds already subscribed will probably be adequate for
the provision of a house and library, further contributions are still
needed for the purpose of endowing the office of director with a proper
salary, and of creating a printing fund for the publications of the
school. Any subscriptions towards these objects will be gratefully
received and acknowledged by the treasurer, Mr. Walter Leaf, Old Change,
E.C.; by the bankers, Messrs. Grindlay & Co., 55, Parliament-street,
S.W.; or by the secretaries, Mr. T. H. S. Escott, 38, Brompton-crescent,
S.W.; Mr. James Gow, 13, Old-square, Lincoln’s-inn; and Professor Jebb,
the University, Glasgow.
Antiquarian Correspondence.
Sin scire labores,
Quære, age: quærenti pagina nostra patet.
_All communications must be accompanied by the name and address of
the sender, not necessarily for publication._
“SWORD-SLIPPER.”
SIR,--In the registers of St. Nicholas’ Church (now the Cathedral) at
Newcastle-on-Tyne, in 1576, I find mention made of “William Browne,
Sword-Slipper;” as also of “Robert Peacock, Sword-Slipper;” and again in
March, 1586, of “Robert Heslop, Sword-Slipper.” Brand, in his “History
of Newcastle,” places the “sword-slippers” among the ancient but extinct
Companies of that town. As I can find no other record of such a
fraternity, may I venture to ask whether any of your readers can throw
light upon its object and history.
MUS.
SOMERSET FOLK LORE.
SIR,--I cut the following paragraph the other day out of a local
Calendar for 1882:--
“On the eve of Twelfth Day, in Somersetshire, at evening, the farmers,
their friends, servants, &c., all assemble, and near six o’clock all
walk together to a field where wheat is growing. Twelve small fires and
one large one are lighted. The attendants, headed by the master of the
family, pledge the company in old cider. A circle is formed round the
large fire, when a general shout and hallooing takes place, which you
hear answered from all the villages and fields near. This being
finished, the company all return to the house, where the good wife and
her maids are preparing supper. A large cake is always provided, with a
hole in the middle. After supper the company all attend the head
herdsman to the wainhouse. The man, at the head of his friends, fills a
cup with ale, and stands opposite the first or finest oxen; he then
pledges him in a curious toast, and the company follow his example with
all the other oxen, addressing each by his name. This being over, the
large cake is produced with much ceremony, and put on the horn of the
first ox, through the hole in the cake; he is then tickled, to make him
toss his head. If he throws the cake behind, it is the mistress’s
perquisite; if before, the herdsman claims it. They then all return to
the house, and spend the rest of the day in festivity.”
May I ask whether this custom is really still kept up, or whether it is
among the old customs that have passed away?
CURIOSUS.
THE ISLAND OF THE SCOTS.
SIR,--The following jottings may be of interest to your correspondent,
“R. M. B.” The incident on which Professor Aytoun founded his wellknown
Lay is narrated in a tract, the full title of which is as follows:
Memoirs | of the | Lord Viscount Dundee, | the | Highland Clans, | and |
The Massacre of Glenco: | with | an Account | of | Dundee’s Officers
after they went to | France. | By an Officer of the Army. | Non ille pro
caris amicis | Aut Patria timidus mori (_sic_). Hor. Carm. Lib. 4, Ode 9
|.
Quis Cladem illius Noctis, quis funera fando | Explicet.--Virg. Æneid.
Lib. 2. |
| Series longissima Rerum | Per tot ducta Viros.--Ibid. Lib. I. |
London: Printed for Jonas Brown, at the Black Swan, 1714.
The tract itself is somewhat rare, but a reprint will be found in vol.
iii. of the “Miscellanea Scotica:” Glasgow, 1818. Sufficiently copious
extracts from it have been given by Professor Aytoun in the introductory
remarks to his Lay. Here is Lord Macaulay’s opinion on the matter. In a
note to the 13th chapter of his History he observes: “I have seldom made
use of the ‘Memoirs of Dundee,’ printed in 1714, and never without some
misgiving. The writer was certainly not, as he pretends, one of Dundee’s
officers, but a stupid and ignorant Grub-street garreteer. He is utterly
wrong both as to the place and as to the time of the most important of
all the events which he relates, the battle of Killiecrankie. He says
that it was fought on the banks of the Tummell, and on the 13th of June.
It was fought on the banks of the Garry, and on the 27th of July. After
giving such a specimen of inaccuracy as this, it would be idle to point
out minor blunders.”
It is by no means unlikely, therefore, that the Island of the Scots is
situated in one of the rivers of Utopia.
W. WILSON.
_Berwick-on-Tweed, September 5._
PORTREEVE.
SIR,--“You may put up the shutters, Thomas, it’s all over now!”
exclaimed the famous bootmaker to his shop-boy, on being solemnly
informed by a youthful customer, in words of awful admonition, that he
was under the painful necessity of withdrawing his custom. With similar
solemnity Dr. Pring has informed us that “the character of Mr. Round’s
papers is otherwise such as would deter me from giving any further time
to their discussion,” and “must for the future preclude my bestowing any
further notice on anything emanating from Mr. Round” (_ante_, p. 254-5).
Fortunately, this awful blow has not proved so crushing as might have
been feared. Indeed, though it is not for me to suggest that Dr. Pring
may possibly be well advised in shrinking from further criticism of my
papers, I may express my regret that he should have found no better plea
for his withdrawal than that of “misrepresentation”--a serious charge,
which I emphatically deny. It will be seen, on referring to Dr. Pring’s
original paper (_ante_, iv. 264), that his argument runs thus:--
“That the distinction thus insisted upon is correct, and at once
settles the true significance of the word _port_ in Port-reeve, is
placed beyond all question by passages still extant in the laws of
Athelstan, which ordain that no man shall buy any property outside
_the port or gate_” (the italics are his own), &c. &c.
It would indeed place the identity of _port_ and _gate_ “beyond all
question” if such an expression as “the port or gate” occurred “in the
laws of Athelstan.” _But it does not._ The expression is simply “that no
man buy any property _out of port_” (Stubbs’ “Select Charters,” p. 65).
Here it will be seen there is _nothing whatever_ to prove the identity
of “port” and “gate.” The words “or gate” are a deliberate addition, and
as it is on them alone that Dr. Pring’s argument, as will be seen, is
based, without them it falls to the ground. No reference to the views of
Camden, Sharon Turner, or any other writer can justify the insertion
into “the laws of Athelstan” of words _which are not in them_. In saying
this much, I am guilty of no “misrepresentation.” I am simply stating
facts and exposing misquotation.
May I, in addition, express my hope that Dr. Pring will devote the time
saved from discussing my papers to the task, as I suggested, of
converting Mr. Hall to his own _porta_ derivation? And may I also
assure him that the time which his solemn decision will save me shall be
devoted on my part to the further prosecution of those researches which,
however undeservedly, have attracted, strange as it may appear to him,
the welcome appreciation of scholars?
J. H. ROUND.
_Brighton._
WITCHCRAFT IN ROSS-SHIRE.
SIR,--No doubt most of your readers are familiar with the curious
details concerning witch doctors and their doings in Mauritius, which
were published in _The Times_ in August last. The following interesting
account of similar superstitions in the Highlands, by a correspondent of
the _Glasgow Herald_, caused considerable sensation on its appearance,
which would be about a week or two before the article in the former
paper. Unquestionably, the belief in witchcraft is still deplorably
widespread, the boasted “resources of civilisation” notwithstanding:--
“The belief in witchcraft, which has never become quite extinct in
the more remote parts of the Highlands, has recently been revived
in a certain parish on the west coast of Ross-shire. Considering
the strong disposition that exists in the Highlands to set down to
supernatural agency every trifling little incident that cannot be
otherwise readily accounted for, it is not surprising that cases of
supposed witchcraft should crop up from time to time. These cases
have generally only a local interest, form the subject of
conversation for a few days, and are then quite forgotten. Apart
from the serious loss sustained by the parties concerned, the
circumstances attending the present revival of the belief in occult
powers of darkness are of such a nature as to have confirmed not a
few in the belief in witchcraft who formerly were sceptical on the
subject. Some time ago a party of gipsies, who had been encamped in
the locality in question, took the liberty of grazing their horses
on pasture belonging to a township of small tenants in the
immediate neighbourhood of their camp. This unwarranted
encroachment on their rights the tenants resented, and drove away
the obnoxious intruders, bag and baggage, from the place. On taking
their departure, some of the gipsies were heard to remark that the
tenants might not be quite so conservative of their pasture, which,
ere long, they would have no cattle to consume. At the time no
notice was taken of this implied threat. Soon after, however, three
valuable cows belonging to one of the tenants died one after the
other in quick succession, suddenly, and under mysterious
circumstances, while two of the other tenants lost a cow each under
similar circumstances. The illness of which these animals died was
of very short duration, and was unknown to the nosology of the
local veterinarians, who were completely baffled, and such of the
carcases as were examined presented no morbid appearance whatever,
the various organs and tissues being, apparently, in a healthy
condition. A respectable farmer, noted in the district for
uprightness and integrity of character, and who is considered an
authority in veterinary matters, had been called to see one of the
animals shortly before it died, and, having carefully examined the
beast, at once pronounced it to have been “witched,” as the
symptoms were those of no known disease. On the strength of this
statement on the part of one who is looked on as an authority in
such matters, coupled with the ominous language made use of by the
gipsies, a considerable section of the community unhesitatingly
attribute the death of the cattle to the agency of witchcraft. As a
charm against the evil influences at work, one of the tenants,
acting on the advice of the initiated, had the door of his byre
changed from one side of the house to the other, but with what
result remains to be seen. Pending the efficacy of this charm, a
young man has proceeded to the Western Isles, with the view of
consulting a famous witch doctor, said to be in practice there. As
an indication of the prevalence of the belief in witchcraft it may
be stated that in the district in question there are two witch
doctors residing within a distance of twenty miles of each other.
One of these, who has been discredited for some time, on account of
professional bungling, is generally regarded as an impostor, and
has suffered in his practice accordingly. The other, who evidently
has played his cards better, still retains the unbounded confidence
of the credulous in these matters, and his services are much sought
after in cases of suspected witchcraft. Sometimes the services of
the witch doctor are anticipated by timorous people, who propitiate
reputed witches by means of presents. While many believe that
witchcraft is still as prevalent as ever, there are others who
believe that, though it did undoubtedly exist at one time, there is
no such thing now, and that witches are extinct. Others there are
who believe that, though not nearly so prevalent as formerly, a
veritable witch is still occasionally to be met with in the flesh.
Probably this diversity of opinion on the subject may be taken as
an indication that even in the Highlands belief in witchcraft is in
process of dying out, though slowly.”
P. J. MULLIN.
THE DE VERE MONUMENTS AT EARLS COLNE.
The following correspondence occurs in the _Standard_, Oct. 3:--
I.--SIR,--In the interests of archæology, and as a protest against
the alienation of our Historic Monuments, I ask to be allowed to
place before the public a statement in the hope that publicity may
prove the means of causing to be restored to their proper
resting-place in the Parish Church of Earls Colne, Essex, four
effigies of that once all-powerful family--the De Veres, Earls of
Oxford. I add a description of the monuments, taken from Murray’s
Handbook of the Eastern Counties: “Three of the effigies are carved
in alabaster and one in stone. They are supposed to commemorate
Robert, the fifth Earl, who died in 1295; Thomas, the eighth earl,
died 1371; Robert, the ninth earl, Marquess of Dublin and Duke of
Ireland, died 1392; and his second wife, Lancerona Serjeaulx the
joiner’s daughter (she wears the piked horn, or high head-dress,
introduced by Anne of Bohemia, Queen of Richard the Second, to whom
she had been Maid of Honour). This great Duke died at Louvain, and
Richard the Second, by whom he had been banished, caused his body
to be brought over, insisted that the coffin should be opened, so
that he might once more see his favourite, and attended it himself
in high procession to Earls Colne. John, the fourteenth earl, died
1426. At the dissolution of the Priory these effigies were removed
to the Parish Church, where they remained undisturbed until a few
years back, when for some reason (for which good cause should be
shown) they were transferred to, and now help to decorate, the
grounds of an adjacent landowner. Meetings of the Essex
Archæological Society have been held in this parish. It would be
interesting to learn whether any member was bold enough to enter a
protest against this spoliation; it would be doubly so to know
whether this transfer was done by power of a Faculty, the only
legal mode of transfer.”
R. H. H.
2.--SIR,--With reference to a letter in the _Standard_ of October 3,
signed by R. H. H., I venture to think that the writer is not altogether
correct in his facts, or, consequently, in his conclusions, concerning
the effigies of the De Veres.
Twenty years ago I made measured drawings of these valuable memorials,
and they were then adequately protected and properly cared for by the
late Mr. Carwardine at Earls Colne Priory, a modern house occupying the
site, or, at least, taking the place, of the ancient Priory. I believe I
am right in saying that the Parish Church was not, and never has been,
the resting-place of the De Vere Monuments, but that they originally
stood in the Priory Church, where the De Veres were buried, and that
they remained there after the Dissolution, and until they were removed
for protection from the weather to the spot they now occupy by a former
owner of the modern Priory. Had it not been for such timely care the
Monuments would probably not have been in existence at all at the
present day, for it is well known that, early in this century, the
Church was not careful to extend any special protection to objects of
this kind within or without its walls; they took their chance--usually a
very rough one.
It is notorious, and a melancholy fact, that in our own day the
recklessness and ignorance of church “restoration”--with its illegal,
not to say wicked, destruction of monuments of all kinds--have not
brought about much feeling of security with regard to those that remain
within the walls of churches; and while it has been a question of
protection rather than of “spoliation” at Earls Colne Priory, I for one
am Philistine enough to be grateful to the Carwardine family for the
respect they paid to the De Vere Monuments in their hour of need, and
when we may assume the Church held out no helping hand.
It is no peculiar thing that monumental effigies should be in private
hands--witness the examples in Furness Abbey, in the ruins of numerous
Yorkshire abbeys, and elsewhere--and I would ask, Are there many
instances of the care that has preserved for us, almost intact, effigies
and “weepers” like those at Earls Colne?
A. H.
_October 4._
ANCIENT AND MODERN BRITONS: A QUESTION FOR ANTIQUARIES.
SIR,--In the _St. James’s Gazette_ of July 10, there is a review of a
recently published book named “Ancient and Modern Britons.” Not having
even seen the book, I can only say of it that, _on the showing of its
critic_, the author’s opinions seem little to accord with mine. But let
that pass; my present object is to ask you whether the reviewer has done
well in writing the following sentences: “In Aberdeenshire there is a
stone--the ‘Newton Stone’--on which there are two inscriptions; one in
Ogham digits and another (according to the best authorities) in debased
Roman minuscular letters. Lord Southesk has lately propounded a theory
to the effect that these inscriptions ‘form a compound of Oriental and
Western ideas, beliefs, and languages.’ This explanation probably amused
the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, to whom it was originally
submitted; but to the author of ‘Ancient and Modern Britons’ it seems a
brilliant suggestion.”
Had the reviewer read the paper (extending over some twenty-five pages)
which the society referred to has done me the honour to publish in its
last volume of “Proceedings,” he could hardly have spoken of it so
discourteously; he would have recognised in it, I venture to think, a
result of careful study, far enough removed from wild and hasty
theorising. Allow me the favour of sufficient space in your columns to
explain and vindicate my position in this matter. First, as regards the
Ogham Inscription. The attempts to read this have been few and
unsatisfactory. My own reading--independently gained, and different from
previous versions--being known to Professor Rhys, he has authorised me
to say that he agrees with it as to every digit, except the three marked
doubtful in my own diagram. This concurrence only applies to the literal
arrangement (a matter of some difficulty), the question of
interpretation being reserved; but it is nevertheless an important and
much valued aid. Secondly: as regards the main inscription, it is going
rather far to say that the “best authorities” pronounce it to be in
“debased Roman minuscular letters,” considering the great differences of
opinion as to its nature that continue to exist; some fifteen attempts
at decipherment having been made, many of them by distinguished scholars
still (or lately) living. The Latin version by Dr. Whitley Stokes is
probably that referred to by the reviewer, being one of the latest. But
there is nothing to show that it is, or ought to be, accepted as final.
Besides other possible defects, it confessedly assigns no recognisable
meaning to five of the letters. Moreover, it differs from any
conceivable rendering of the Ogham legend. This is not fatal to it, but
it gives the advantage to a rival version which reconciles the two
inscriptions. It should also be noted that no perfectly accurate copy of
either inscription has been hitherto published.
My own conclusions, after months passed in the comparison of alphabets
and other study, were as follows: (1) That the characters are Greek,
resembling those in the Irish-Latin MSS. of the fifth to the seventh
century A.D., described by Mr. Westwood as “singular formed Irish-Greek
letters, in which capitals and minuscules are strangely mingled
together” (Pal. Sac. Pict.; see there Greek Pater Noster in Book of
Armagh); also, in some cases, resembling the letters of the alphabet on
the Kilmalkedar stone, in Ireland--characters described by Dr. Petrie as
“Græco-Roman or Byzantine characters of the fourth or fifth century
A.D.” (Ec. Arc. of Ir., p. 134). This assignment of the letters may be
accepted without necessarily adopting my version of the inscription, as
some of the characters severally resemble more than one letter. (2) That
the first half of the inscription is Celtic, sepulchral, and nearly
identical with the Ogham legend on the same stone. (3) That the second
half (and therein lies the ridicule, if ridicule there be) is religious
or mythological, and embodies sacred names belonging to the Mithraic
worship. Mithraism, as developed under the Roman emperors, was eminently
a compound creed--one which undoubtedly sought to unite “Oriental and
Western ideas and beliefs” (to cite your reviewer’s quotation from
“Ancient and Modern Britons”--ostensibly from me, but not so), though
not, of course, aiming to unite “languages.” It is only as regards
certain mythological names or titles that the Newton inscriptions are
not (on my view of them) entirely Celtic. Mithraic remains have been
largely found in England, especially in the north; there are apparent
references to its mysteries in the poems of the Welsh bards; and in
Scotland some of the, as yet unexplained, symbols on the sculptured
stones appear to belong to the same system.
I claim no right to dogmatise on these subjects; but I do claim to have
bestowed real work on them, and it is unseemly that the results of my
labour should be ridiculed by one who has not taken the trouble to find
out in what they consist. Is it more improbable that remains of
Mithraism should exist in Scotland than in other parts of Britain
accessible to Roman influences? The improbability lies the contrary way.
Why should there be more folly in seeking for traces of Paganism than in
seeking for traces of Christianity among the earlier antiquities of
Britain? The reproach surely rests with those who in such cases
formulate extreme opinions as to the universal presence or absence of
one of these religious elements, and refuse to see anything that
antagonises their enthusiasms or prejudices. In conclusion, allow me add
that, even if they disapproved of my paper on the Newton Stone (which I
have no reason to suppose), the Scottish Society of Antiquaries have not
only printed it in full, with my own illustrative diagrams, but are now
printing another paper of mine, of at least equal length, on the whole
of the Ogham inscriptions of Scotland--one which I sincerely hope may
prove not altogether unworthy of the honour thus conferred on it.
SOUTHESK.
_Kinnaird Castle, Brechin, N.B._
_TO CORRESPONDENTS._
THE Editor declines to pledge himself for the safety or return of MSS.
voluntarily tendered to him by strangers.
* * * * *
Books Received.
1. Old and New London. Vol. ii. By E. Walford, M.A. Cassells. 1884.
2. Transactions of the Essex Field Club. Vol. iii. 1884.
3. Transactions of Lancashire and Cheshire Antiquarian Society. Vol. i.
4. First Middle English Primer. By Henry Sweet, M.A., Oxford. Clarendon
Press. 1884.
5. Johnsoniana. Arranged and collected by R. W. Montagu. A. Boot & Son.
1884.
6. Registers of the Parish of Thorington. Edited by T. H. Hill, B.C.L.
Mitchell & Hughes. 1884.
7. Journal of British Archæological Association. Vol. xl. Part 3.
Trübner & Co. September, 1884.
8. Northamptonshire Notes and Queries. Part iv. Northampton: Taylor &
Son. October, 1884.
9. English Etchings. Parts xli. and xlii. D. Bogue, 27, King
William-street, W.C.
10. The Assignment of Arms to Shakespeare and Arden. By Stephen Tucker,
_Somerset Herald_. Mitchell & Hughes. 1884.
11. Hull Quarterly. No. 4. Hull: Brown & Sons. October, 1884.
12. The Genealogist. N. S. Vol. i. No. 4. October, 1884.
13. Johns Hopkins University Studies. X. Baltimore. October, 1884.
14. History of Aylesbury. Part xi. By R. Gibbs. Aylesbury. 1884.
15. The Essex Notebook and Suffolk Gleaner. No. 1. Colchester: Benham &
Co. October, 1884.
16. A Smaller Biblia Pauperum. A Reprint of the Text of John Wicliff,
with Preface by the late Dean Stanley. Unwin Brothers. 1884.
17. Miscellanea Genealogica et Heraldica. Vol. i. Nos. i. and ii.
Mitchell & Hughes. 1884.
18. Irish Landed Gentry when Cromwell came to Ireland. By John O’Hart.
Dublin: Gill & Son. 1884.
19. The Record Society for the Publication of Original Documents
relating to Lancashire and Cheshire. Vol. x. 1884.
20. Ye Earlie Englyshe Almanack. 1885. Pettitt & Co., Frith-street,
Soho.
21. The Algonquin Legends of New England. By C. G. Leland, Sampson Low &
Co. 1884.
22. The Chartulary of the Monastery of Lyminge. By the Rev. R. C.
Jenkins, M.A. Folkestone: R. Goulden. 1884.
23. Life, Times, and Writings of Thomas Fuller, D.D. Two vols. By the
Rev. M. Fuller, M.A. John Hodges. 1884.
* * * * *
Books, &c., for Sale.
Works of Hogarth (set of original Engravings, elephant folio, without
text), bound. Apply by letter to W. D., 56, Paragon-road, Hackney, N.E.
Original water-colour portrait of Jeremy Bentham, price 2 guineas. Apply
to the Editor of this Magazine.
A large collection of Franks, Peers’ and Commoners’. Apply to E.
Walford, 2, Hyde Park Mansions, N.W.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] Caxton’s Edition of Mallory’s King Arthur.
[2] It seems necessary to say that Caxton gratuitously explains
Camelot to be Winchester; but Caxton was a Kentish man, and, moreover,
lived many years abroad, in Burgundy and the Netherlands. He probably
knew something, though little, of Winchester, and nothing whatever
of Somerset. However, dates simply make it impossible, seeing that
Winchester was conquered by the Saxons in 515.
[3] William of Malmesbury.
[4] Avilion or Avalon is the ancient name for Glastonbury.
[5] Mallory’s King Arthur, edited by Caxton.
[6] MS. Dodsw. 47, f. 151.
[7] R. de Camvill.
[8] f.m.=feudum militis, a knight’s fee, same in meaning as 1 m., one
knight.
[9] Preface to “Pastoral Book.”
[10] See also, for Mr. Freeman’s view, “English Towns and Districts,”
p. 230: “Chester has no Roman remains _in situ_ to be compared to the
_New Port_ of Lincoln;” and p. 394, “There is [at Colchester] nothing
to set even against the New Port of Lincoln.” So, too, Mr. G. T. Clark
states that it “still bears a name which must have descended from
the time when it was first erected, ... and is called the New-port”
(“Military Architecture,” ii. 191).
[11] “The abiding Latin name of the gate, the _Nova Porta_, of itself
goes far to show that there could have been no long gap between Roman
or British and English occupation.” (English Towns and Districts, p.
200.)
[12] See Mr. J. Pickford’s article on this old mansion, vol. v. p. 190.
[13] “Southwell Minster: an Account of the Collegiate and Cathedral
Church of Southwell, Architectural, Archæological, and Historical.” By
Grevile Mairis Livett, M.A. Southwell: John Whittingham, 1883.
[14] Though his inspirations were, it is said, first noted in prose.
[15] I do not mean by this that _every_ human being is possessed of
the faculty, but that _some_ men are, though it may be in a proportion
of perhaps less than one in 100 millions.
[16] The passage is cited by the Encyclopædists to bring Nostradamus
into discredit, and is said to occur in the first volume of Gassendi’s
“Physics.” I have no doubt it is there, but I have not thought it
worth while to hunt through the six volumes folio of his collected
works to ascertain the fact. Bouys in his “Nouvelles Considerations”
says justly enough that the learned writers of the Encyclopædia would
take the testimony of Jean-Baptiste Suffren without any hesitation as
a thing not to be doubted; it would only be works that should be of
the most sacred authority to everyone else that they would think of
calling in question.
[17] To show the probability that they would not all prove erroneous,
it may amuse the reader to learn that Sir Thomas Brown did once in
sport attempt a prophecy in reply to an ancient metrical one that had
been sent him by a friend:--
“When new England shall trouble new Spain,
When Jamaica shall be Lady of the Isles and the main;
When Spain shall be in America hid,
And Mexico prove another Madrid;
When Mahomet’s ships on the Baltic shall ride,
And Turks shall labour to have ports on that side;
When Africa shall no more sell out her blacks,
To make slaves and drudges to the American tracts;
When Batavia the old shall be subdued by the new;
When a new drove of Tartars shall China subdue;
When America shall cease to send out its treasure,
But employ it at home for American pleasure;
When the new world shall the old invade,
Nor count them their lords but their fellows in trade;
When shall almost pass to Venice by land,
Not in deep water, but from sand to sand;
When Nova Zembla shall be no stay
Unto them that pass to or from Cathay;
Then think strange things are come to light,
Whereof but few have had a foresight.”
Now the most unlikely part of the above to be realised was the ships
of Mahomet appearing in the Baltic, but, nevertheless, it happened.
“Mahomet’s ships” did actually ride in the Baltic, manned by the
corsairs of Algiers, in 1819, so the line was verified, though not as
Brown intended. (_Quarterly Review_, xxvi. 191.)
[18] Van Hasselt.
[19] The name is Flemish: each consonant, therefore, must be sounded,
but the second vowel is short, Dam-Dam-mĕ.
[20] The Zwyn has entirely disappeared from the map of Europe.
Guide-books say that “mention is made of the harbour of the Zwyn in
the laws of the Saxon Ethelred.” I cannot endorse this statement,
having failed to confirm it on examination. The Zwyn was the scene of
the great maritime victory won by Edward III. over the French fleet in
1340, the harbinger of the naval supremacy of England.
[21] paper read at the Congress of the Archæological Institute at
Lewes, July, 1883.
[22] Mrs. Siddons’ maternal grandfather. For the gloves and the
story I leave them upon the conscience of the glazier, hereby
declaring myself ready to prove the utter falsehood of the whole
narrative.--ED.
[23] Of this John Ward I read that he was a well-known performer in
the time of Betterton, and was in 1723 the original Hazeroth in the
tragedy of “Mariamne,” by Elijah Fenton, the friend of Pope. It was
for his benefit that Mrs. Woffington at Dublin, in 1760, played Sir
Harry Wildair for the first time, and he was the maternal grandfather
of Mrs. Siddons, his daughter having married Mr. Roger Kemble, and
the great Kembles being the issue of that union. In considering the
probabilities of this story, we may therefore conclude that John Ward
was not likely to play a huge practical joke upon Garrick. We may
further assume that he was a man of the world, not over credulous, or
to be imposed upon with ease.--S. W. B.
[24] In his interesting remarks on the reduplication of synonyms, Mr.
Isaac Taylor gives us a marked example in the instance of Brindon
Hill, in Somerset, where “we have first the Cymric _bryn_, a hill.
To this was added _dun_, a Saxonised Celtic word, nearly synonymous
with _bryn_; and the English word _hill_ was added when neither _bryn_
nor _dun_ were any longer significant words.” Thus, in fact, we are
presented with a threefold instance of the kind in question. (See
“Words and Places,” p. 141.)
[25] This is actually represented in an accompanying map by a small
drawing clearly showing the usual form of the arched Roman gate.
[26] Camden’s “Britannia,” by Gibson, 1695, p. 855.
[27] “History of the Anglo-Saxons,” by Sharon Turner, 1823, vol. iii.
p. 224.
[28] From the _Entertaining Magazine_, March, 1814.
[29] The heads of the arrows are formed of flint.
[30] A large knife, of a metal resembling brass, was the only
implement of a metallic nature discovered in the barrow; it might,
therefore, be supposed to have been a present to the British chief
from the ‘princely merchants’ of Phœnicia.
[31] The Roman road, raised on flints, goes close to the barrow, and
deviates from the straight line on purpose to avoid it: a proof of the
antiquity of the barrow and the veneration of the Romans for the dead.
[32] _Hesus_ and _Taranis_, Celtic Deities, of the same character as
Woden and Thor in the Saxon mythology.
“Horrensque suis altaribus Hesus
Et Taranis, Scythicæ non mitior ara Dianæ.”--LUCAN.
[33] Even in the time of Lucan it was deserted, for he speaks of
“desertæ mœnia Lunæ.” (See Lucan, Phars. i. 586.) Bulwer, in his “King
Arthur” (Book iv. stanza 14), writes:--
“That old friendly soil
Whose ports, perchance, yet glitter with the prows
Of Punic ships, when resting from their toil
In Luna’s gulf, the seabeat crews carouse.”
[34] Calendar of State Papers, Report on the foundation, history, and
present state of St. Katherine’s Hospital.
[35] See _ante_, pp. 3-5.
[36] Freeman, Norm. Conq. (2nd ed.) ii. 237.
[37] England in the Early and Middle Ages, i. 103.
[38] Casters and Chesters (_Cornhill Magazine_, xlv. 434).
[39] Anglo-Saxon Britain (S.P.C.K.), p. 65.
[40] Norman Conquest (2nd ed.), i. 18. It is, however, but right to
state that Mr. Freeman may here not have meant what his words would
imply. He was probably thinking not of the whole “name” but of the
“Glou-,” for elsewhere he observes, “Here and there a place keeps a
Welsh name ... like _Gloucester_ and Winchester” (English Towns and
Districts, p. 35), and even goes so far as to proclaim, exactly as I
am myself doing, that “Our endless _chesters_ everywhere proclaim the
fact of their former Roman occupation. But they proclaim it by the
name given to it by foreign conquerors, not by any title which the
place bore while the rule of Rome lasted.” (_Ibid._ p. 192.)
[41] Roman Britain (S.P.C.K.), p. 180.
[42] Casters and Chesters, p. 423.
[43] _Ibid._ p. 419.
[44] Casters and Chesters, p. 434.
[45] Casters and Chesters, p. 422.
[46] _Ibid._, p. 421. So Mr. Freeman, in the case of Chester, claims
that “the name is historically a contraction” (English Towns and
Districts, p. 231).
[47] This is the case of “Newport Gate,” from my point of view, over
again (_ante_, p. 24).
[48] Stubbs, Const. Hist. i. 104.
[49] P.S.--As it would seem, from the letter of “A. H.” (_ante_, p.
47) that there are people who believe that the Anglo-Saxon “port” was
the “equivalent of haven,” or sea-port (_portus_), it may be worth
referring to the English Chronicle, where, so late as 1088, Worcester,
the town most distant from the sea, is spoken of distinctively as a
“port.” The passage is thus rendered by Mr. Freeman: “They came to
the port itself, and would then the port burn.” (W. Rufus, i. 47,
48.) In Earle’s “Philology of the English Tongue” (3rd Ed.) it is
explained that by _port_ was “signified, in Saxon times, just ‘a town,
a market-town.’ This is the sense of it in such compounds as Newport
Pagnell” (p. 19). It is, however, erroneously there too “derived
from the Latin _porta_, a gate.” It is also worth noting that in the
_Quarterly Review_, No. 315 (July, 1884), p. 9, it is asserted that “a
port-reeve is the equivalent of a shire-reeve (!): and has nothing to
do with _portus_, but much with _porta_”--the very error of which, I
hope, I have now effectually disposed.
[50] This _jeu d’esprit_ was written by Sir Joshua Reynolds to
illustrate a remark which he had made--“That Dr. Johnson considered
Garrick as his property, and would never suffer anyone to praise or
abuse him but himself.” In the first of these supposed dialogues, Sir
Joshua himself, by high encomiums upon Garrick, is represented as
drawing down upon him Johnson’s censure; in the second, Gibbon, by
taking the opposite side, calls forth his praise.
It should be added that the _jeu d’esprit_ was printed privately in
1816, given by Lady Thomond to Mrs. Gwynne, who gave it to a lady
connected with the family of Wynn of Wynnstay.
[51] The substance of this sermon, in consequence of a strongly
expressed wish, will form the subject of a paper in our next number.
[52] In all these quotations I give the words in the old-fashioned
version of Garencières, for the French would scarcely be understood by
the general reader.
[53] Sometimes, even as at iii. 87, he particularly says that
the warning he gives will be utterly useless to prevent the evil
announced: “Sang nagera, _captif ne me croiras_.”
[54] Compare this with the demon of Socrates.
[55] In these quatrains I quit Garencières, and translate the
rendering and Scholia of Le Pelletier.
[56] This reading of _Lonole_ is from the _Editio princeps_ of Pierre
Rigaud (Lyon. 1558. Avec les varientes de Benoist Rigaud. Lyon. 1568).
Others read: “_Doudlé_ donra topique.” Garencières reads _Londre_.
[57] _Donra_ is for _donnera_.
[58] _Topique_ simply stands for the common-places of writing, and
_Lonole_ is said by Le Pelletier to be the anagram of _Olleon_, or
Ολλὑων = Destroyer.
[59] After the death of Elizabeth he became James I.
[60] _Dechassé_ is a Latin form, and stands for _chassé_ simply.
[61] _Par ire_ equals _per iram_, by reason of (popular) fury.
[62] _Tracer_ is an old word equivalent to _faire chemin_, or as we
still say in English, to _trace a path_.
[63] _Contre_ equals “aupres a côté de.”
[64] Holland was detached from the Low Countries in 1579. Antwerp
stood on Spanish territory on the very confines of Holland. Philip IV.
made every possible effort to subdue Holland, and did not give over
till the Treaty of Westphalia, which established its independence in
1648, one year before the decapitation of Charles I.
[65] This expression occurs again, Century x. quatrain 7: “L’Isle
Britanne par vin sel en soucy.” Wine figuratively standing for heat
and courage, or force; whilst salt may represent wisdom, for its
incorruptibility as well as wit for its pungency.
[66] _Macelin_; Latin, _marcellum_; Italian, _marcellaio_, butcher.
[67] 1588 is the date of the destruction of Philip II.’s _Invincible
Armada_ by storms and by Drake in Cadiz Bay. From that time the
maritime supremacy of England dates, and, according to Nostradamus,
it is to last more than three centuries, but not four. It culminated
with the death of Nelson at Trafalgar, and the tale of that event
still stirs the soul to heroism, and to that still more sacred thing,
a sense profound of duty. But all that has happened since seems like a
slow toning down to gradual nothingness. In four years the bare three
centuries will stand completed. An Englishman may ask, I think, with
some emotion, how much the _plus_ stands for.
[68] This paper is the substance of a sermon preached in the parish
church of St. Mary, Tenby, on Sunday, September 6, 1884, before the
Congress of the British Archæological Association, from the text
Jeremiah vi. 16: “Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see,
and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein,
and ye shall find rest for your souls.”
[69] Mr. Gladstone.
[70] Max Müller, “Science of Religion.”
[71] “Plutarch: His Life, his Lives, and his Morals,” by Archbishop
Trench, p. 95.
[72] Discovered in 1779, now in the British Museum.
[73] A.D. 627.
[74] Bede’s Ecclesiastical History, by Dr. Giles, pp. 95, 96.
[75] Arles, 314 A.D.; Sardiæ 347; Ariminum 363.
[76] The Editor has learnt at the last moment that this Jeu d’Esprit
is to be found in a work by Miss L. Hawkins. It came to the Editor’s
hands in MS., in a private note-book formerly belonging to a member of
the family of Wynn, of Wynnstay.
[77] See ANTIQUARIAN MAGAZINE, vol. i. p. 78.
[78] See the frontispiece to the present number.
[79] These pyramids are minutely described by William of Malmesbury.
[80] Speed. I have followed Speed’s description taken from Giraldus,
save where Speed, in defiance of all chronology, makes the finding of
Arthur to have been during Henry II.’s reign, under Abbot Henry of
Blois. The dates show that it was during Richard I.’s reign, under
Henry de Soliaco.
[81] Almost certainly Henry de Soliaco, in whose abbey the remains
were discovered. Henry of Blois was buried at Winchester.
[82] Journal of the Archæological Institute, vol. xx. p. 395.
[83] See vol. iii. p. 144.