234
NOTES AND QUERIES. [IIB.X. SEPT. 19,191*
GUILDHALL LIBRARY : SUBJECT INDEX
(11 S. x'. 147). The Guildhall Librarian,
interrogated as to the use of simplified
spelling forms in the Subject Index, was very
prompt in disclaiming the independent
adoption of these " eyesores " by the library
authorities. He explained that they were
taken over from the American Dewey
Decimal classification, the excellence of
which justified its use, and even perhaps
expiated its folly in clinging to such " mon-
strosities." Such broad-mindedness on the
part of the Guildhall Library is, I think,
well worthy of a note even of a query.
As well might a man take credit to himself
for reading Shakespeare despite his spelling
peculiarities, many of them, I can guarantee,
" American " in form (center, scepter, and the
like).
One had thought the day was past for these ebullitions against the efforts of spelling reformers, many of whom are scholars of the highest linguistic attainments. Sometimes an obvious truth cannot be said too often, and therefore I make no apologies for saying tritely that there is no beauty in any letter or combination of letters ; what is mistaken for beauty of form is in this case beauty of association. The " nyu speling " would bring the same beauty in time before our children with half the pother and waste of time in its acquisition. It is strange that men like Sir James Murray, a maker of dictionaries, and Prof. Skeat, whose name even to the man in the street suggests ety- mology, have seen no point in retaining our present spelling system, at the cost of con- venience and fitness. Their knowledge of our language taught them to love it wisely, distinguishing between reverence which is based on knowledge, and superstition which is based on sentiment.
Those who think the etymological argu- ment all-powerful should look to their ground, for our present spelling system, either through the mistakes of printers or misinformation of scholars, not infrequently obscures the derivation of certain words (cf. sovereign, rhyme, and redoubt).
J. MONTAGU.
PRESENTING THE LORD MAYOR OF LONDON TO THE CONSTABLE or THE TOWER (11 S. x. J90). This practice was authorized by charter dated 17 June, 27 Edw. I. (A.U. 1299), and four instances of it will be found in Dr. Keginald Sharpe's Calendar of the City Letter -Book C (pub. 1901), pp. 51, 102, 174, 176. The fullest account of it occurs in that relating to the election of John de
Bluiid as Mayor in 1303, on p. 174, and
(omitting the names of the Aldermen and
Sheriffs for the sake of brevity) runs as
follows :
" Monday the Feast of SS. Simon and Jude [28 Oct.], 31 Edward I. [A.D. 1303],. John le Blund elected to the Mayoralty for the third time by the Aldermen, the Sheriffs, and also oy the whoie Commonalty. The following day he was pre- sented by the said Aldermen, Sheriffs, and Com- monalty to Sir Ralph de Sandwych, the Constable of the Tower, who admitted him to the Mayoralty at the outer gate, according to the terms of the charter of liberties of the City and the King's writ, which came to him thereon the year before last (allero anno precedents), as appears supra, an oath being there taken of him to keep the City well and faithfully to the use of Sir Edward, the illustrious King of England, and his heirs, &c., and to do right and justice to poor and rich alike, &c."
P. 51 of Dr. Sharpe's ' Calendar of Letter- Book C ' = fo. xxxvi b of the original. It is evident, therefore, that the reference given in MR. ABRAHAMS'S quotation is, as he sur- mised, wrong in ascribing it to ' Liber Albus," which = Letter-Book E ; and also in the date. ALAN STEWART.
MEDICINAL MUMMIES (11 S. ix. 67, 70, 115, 157, 195, 316 ; x. 176). In The Chemist and Druggist of 25 July last there is a very interesting account of La Pharmacie de 1'Hotel-Dieu, still existing, at Troyes, in which the writer of the article was shown recently a specimen of actual mummy, " blackened, but unmistakable," in one of some 360 old drug-boxes (cf. Shakespeare's "beggarly account of empty boxes") on the top shelves. This particular box bore a picture of two mummies and the title " Momie." The lady in charge of the pharmacy thought that mummy was used for the bitumen it contained, but there was more in it than that. Lemery attributes its virtue to the oil and volatile salt in the body, and Alleyne compares its action to that of " Parmasitty." True Egyptian mummy was always rare in pharmacies.
C. C. B.
"KENNEDEE" (11 S. ix. 190). In the sixteenth centiiry the Kennedys were the most powerful family in the south-west of Scotland. The chief of the clan was the Earl of Cassilis a title merged later in that of the Marquis of Ailsa. Gilbert, fourth Earl of Cassilis, was known as the " King of Carrick." He is famous, or infamous, as the Earl who roasted the Abbot of Cross- raguel until he signed a deed conveying the Abbev lands to the Earl, an incident which
