[The singular custom at Rochford is of uncertain origin: in old authors
it is spoken of as belonging to the manor of Rayleigh. The following
account of "The Lawless Court," at that place, is printed by Hearne
from the Dodsworth MSS. in the Bodleian, vol. cxxv.:--"The manor of
Raylie, in Essex, hath a custome court kept yearly, the Wednesday nexte
after Michael's day. The court is kept in the night, and without light,
but as the skye gives, att a little hill without the towne, called the
King's Hill, where the steward writes only with coals, and not with
inke. And many men and mannors of greate worth hold of the same, and do
suite unto this strange court, where the steward calls them with as low
a voice as possibly he may; giving no notice when he goes to the hill
to keepe the same court, and he that attends not is deepely amerced, if
the steward will. The title and entry of the same court is as
followeth, viz.:
'Curia de domino rege,
Dicta _sine lege_,
Tenta est ibidem,
Per ejusdem consuetudinem,
Ante ortum solis,
Luceat nisi polus,
Seneschallus solus,
Scribit nisi colis.
Clamat clam pro rege
In curia _sine lege_:
Et qui non cito venerit
Citius poenitebit:
Si venerit cum lumine
Errat in regimine.
Et dum sine lumine
Capti sunt in crimine,
Curia sine cura
Jurata de injuria
Tenta est die Mercuriæ
prox. post festum S. Michaelis.'"
Weever, who mentions this custom, says, that he was informed that "this
servile attendance was imposed, at the first, upon certaine tenants of
divers mannors hereabouts, for conspiring in this place, at such an
unseasonable time, to raise a commotion."]
_Motto on old Damask._--Can your correspondents furnish an explanation of
the motto herewith sent? It is taken from some damask table napkins which
were bought many years back at Brussels; not at a shop in the ordinary way,
but privately, from the family to whom they belonged. I presume the larger
characters, if put together, will indicate the date of the event, whatever
that may be, which is referred to in the motto itself.
The motto is woven in the pattern of the damask, and consists of the
following words in uncials, the letters of unequal size, as subjoined:
"SIGNUM PACIS DATUR LORICÆ."
the larger letters being IUMCIDULIC. If the U's are taken as two V's, and
written thus X, it gives the date MDCCLXIII. Perhaps this can be explained.