Wakefield.
_Welsh Money._--I have never seen in any work on coins the slightest
allusion to the money of the native princes of Wales before the
subjugation of their country by Edward I. Is any such in existence? and,
if not, how is its disappearance to be accounted for? I read that
Athelstan imposed on the Welsh an annual tribute _in money_, which was
paid for many years. Query, In what sort of coin?
J.C. Witton.
_A skeleton in every House._--Can you or any of your correspondents
explain the origin of that most significant saying "There is a skeleton
in every house?" Does it originate in some ghastly legend?
Mors.
[Our correspondent is right in his conjecture. The saying is
derived from an Italian story, which is translated in the
_Italian Tales of Humour, Gallantry, and Romance_, published
some few years ago, with illustrations by Cruikshank.]
_Whetstone of Reproof._--Can any of your readers inform me who was the
author of the book with the following title?
"The Whetstone of Reproofe, or a Reproving Censvre of the
misintitled Safe Way: declaring it by Discourie of the Authors
fraudulent Proceeding, and captious Cauilling, to be a miere
By-way, drawing pore Trauellers out of the royalle and common
Streete, and leading them deceitfully into a Path of Perdition.
With a Postscript of Advertisements, especially touching the
Homilie and Epistles attributed to Alfric: and a compendious
Retortiue Discussion of the misapplyed By-way. Avthor T.T.
Sacristan and Catholike Romanist.--Catvapoli, apud viduam Marci
Wyonis. Anno MDCXXXII." Sm. 8vo. pp. xvi. 570. 198.
It is an answer to Sir Humphrey Lynd's _Via Tuta_ and _Via Devia_. In
Wood's _Ath. Oxon._, edit. Bliss, fol. ii. col. 602, two answers to the
_Via Tuta_ are mentioned; but this is not noticed. From the author
stating in the preface, "I confesse, Sir Humfrey, I am Tom Teltruth, who
cannot flatter or dissemble," I suppose the initials T.T. to be
fictitious.
John I. Dredge.
_Morganatic Marriages.--Morganatique._--What is the derivation of this
word, and what its _actual signification_?
In the _Dictionnaire de l'Académie Française_ (ed. 4to., 1835), the word
does not appear. In Boister's _Dictionnaire Universel_ (Bruxelles, 1835)
it is thus given:--
"Morganatique, _adj. 2 g._, nocturne, mystérieux, entrainée par
séduction; (mariage) mariage secret des princes d'Allemagne avec
une personne d'un rang inférieur."
And the same definition is given by Landais (Paris, 4to., 1842), but
this does not give the derivation or literal signification of the word
"_morganatic_." It is not in Johnson's _Dictionary_; but in Smart's
_Dictionary Epitomized_ (Longman and Co., 1840) it is thus given:--
"Morganatic, _a._, applied to the marriage in which a gift in
the morning is to stand in lieu of dowry, or of all right of
inheritance, that might otherwise fall to the issue."
This, however, is inconsistent with the definition of _nocturne_,
_mystérieux_, for the gift in lieu of dowry would have nothing of
mystery in it.
Will some of your correspondents afford, if they can, any reasonable
explanation which justifies the application of the word to inferior or
left-handed marriages?