276
NOTES AND QUERIES, no s. vn. APRIL e, 1907.
the passage, it is safe to say, would be utterly
unintelligible to any Englishmen, except
the few who are familiar with the by-ways of
American politics ; for it would be quite
unreasonable to expect an Englishman to
state the provisions of the Wilmot Proviso,
or to explain the principles of the " Know-
Nothing Party." ALBERT MATTHEWS.
Boston, U.S.A.
When the Marquis of Hartington, now the Duke of Devonshire, was introduced to Lincoln, the great President said, " Har- tington, Hartington, why, that rimes with Partington ; any relation ? " These words could never have been uttered by a political genius like Walpole. Lincoln did not put in practice the maxim that a drop of honey catches more flies than a gallon of gall.
M. N. G.
SANTA FE : AMERICAN PLACE - NAMES (10 S. vi. 310, 353, 394, 452 ; vii. 17). I would like to remedy an injustice which I unintentionally did to the Century Company at the last reference, and by so doing add an excellent exemplification of the process there shown to be at work. They inform me that the second edition of the very useful ' Dictionary of Names ' did give the pro- nunciation " Squimo " for Esquimalt, but that, according to the Mayor of Victoria, the local pronunciation is now " Squimalt " or " Esquimalt." But it certainly was " Squimo " twenty years ago, when I was there, as I heard it from both naval men and civilians ; and it was evidently taken from the traditional (and therefore correct) pronunciation of the early colonists and habitants. If it has since changed, that is because the influx of settlers who know not Joseph, and insist on pronouncing in English fashion whatever letters they find in a word, has swamped the native and traditional element. The result is the reverse of that in " Norwich " : the latter restores an etymological form, or nearly so ; the former crystallizes a blundering guess by pronounc- ing letters never meant to be sounded.
FORREST MORGAN.
Hartford, Conn.
THE PRESTON JUBILEE (10 S. vii. 227). The Preston Guild, or Guilda Mercatoria, a jubilee celebrated every twentieth year, is the tenure by which the freemen retain their privileges : it was originally granted by Henry II., and confirmed by the charters of Charles II. It commences in the last week of August, and is proclaimed to continue twenty-eight days ; the festivities
lowever, have been limited to a fortnight..
The celebration of this jubilee is conducted
under the superintendence of the mayor
and three aldermen, appointed as stewards,,
who, with the other officers of the corpcra-
ion, dressed in their robes of ceremony, and preceded by their insignia of office and the regalia of the borough, walk from the uildhall, attended by the several trading companies and their banners and bands of music, and by the principal gentry resident in the neighbourhood, to the ancient cross or obelisk in the market-place. There a proclamation is read, calling upon all the
Burgesses, resident and non-resident, to appear before the stewards of the guild and three senior aldermen in open court,, and renew their freedom. During this
'estival various processions of the municipal
Dodies take place ; balls, concerts, dramatic representations, public banquets, and every species of amusement, are provided, and attract an immense concourse from the surrounding districts, to assist at the cere- mony, and share in the festivities.
ALFRED SYDNEY LEWIS. Library, Constitutional Club.
"WOODHENS" (10 S. vii. 229). It is probable that woodhens were hens allowed by the lord to stray on his property for sustenance. This in the first place, but as the inhabitants round the manor increased in numbers, the word would become syno- nymous for other conceded rights, such as those of tenants who had permission to collect wood, and to pasture swine. Eventu- ally either the bailiff or the lord seems to have exacted payment for the right.
J. HOLDEN MACMlCHAEL.
It is plain from MR. SOUTHAM'S citation that originally "woodhens" were hens paid to the bailiff of a manor as the price of certain woodland privileges. A tribute of poultry was often the condition of early tenures. ST. S WITHIN.
WINDMILLS IN SUSSEX (10 S. vii. 149, 214). From the top of Lewes Castle I have had 1 pointed out to me a windmill with five sails,. as the only one in Sussex, or indeed in the United Kingdom, with more than four sails. Perhaps this may meet the eye of one of your local contributors who may be kind enough to supply the name. JAS. CURTIS, F.S.A.
BOOK-STEALING : DEGREES or BLACKNESS (10 S. vi. 305, 353 ; vii. 212). In the Vargas-Macciucca rules, ix., for " abstineto "" read absterreto. I have a book from this
