468
NOTES AND QUERIES. [n s. x. DEC. 12, wu.
even in its earliest days of festivity, haying
almost through the whole of her life entertained
from one to two thousand persons of both sexes
six nights out of seven in the week ; she was an
excellent poetess, could be gay and grave by
turns, and yet sometimes, catching disorder from
intrusive guests, could be dull enough in all con-
science ; her memory was excellent, and her
singing kept in such a gradual state of improve-
ment that it was allowed her voice was better
the three or four last years of her life than when
she was in her prime, at the latter end of the last
century. She had a rout of near two thousand
people at her house the very night of her death ;
the old lady felt herself in such spirits, that she
said she would give them no supper without a
song, which being complied with, she fell gently
back in her chair, and expired without a groan.
Dr. Palmer, one of her family physicians, attended
her in her last moments, and announced her dis-
solution to the company."
There is nothing to show the name or date of the paper this is cut from, but there is the date immediately above it of 6 June, 1791. Can any reader kindly supply any information regarding Madame Drury ? dates of birth, death, parentage, &c., also marriage. CHARLES DBTJBY.
" As SOUND AS A BOACH'S." la not this a novel expression ? I recently heard it used in reference to a man's heart. " Bell," in the same sense, we know, of course.
CECIL CLABKE.
Junior Athenaeum Club.
" GALIMAN." Can any of your readers locate this alien ? The word occurs in a decision of the King's Bench Court, 23 Henry VI. :
" Si un alien comme Lombard ou un Galiman on tiel marchant que vient ici per licence et sauf conduit et prend icy en Londres ou aillours un meason per le temps si ascun debruse le meason et prend ses biens il aura action de trespas : mais s'il soit enemy le Roi et vient eins sans licence ou sauf conduit autre est. Et puis a auter jour le Defendant dit que le Plaintiff est et fuit jour du brief purchas^ un alien n6 en le dit vill de L. desoub le legiance le roi de Denmarke qui est enemy a," &c.
" Debruse " means evidently something like destroy.
" Purchasing a brief " is the technical language of the time for procuring a writ to be issued.
It seems that both were friendly aliens, and settled in England permanently or whilst carrying on business. The purport of the judgment was to the effect that the friendly alien, as distinct from the enemy alien, was entitled to protection, and his foreign birth did not deprive him of civil rights in this country. L. G. R.
Bournemouth.
AUTHOBS OF QUOTATIONS WANTED. 1.
" Over the hills and far away." 2. " Nihil
tetigit quod non ornavit."
JOHN B. WAINEWBIGHT
[1. A line of a nursery song which, as Halliwell- Phillipps points out in ' The Nursery Rhymes of England,' is partly to be found in one called ' Jockey's Lamentation,' . for which v. ' Pills to purge Melancholy,' 1719, vol. v. The beginning is :
Tom he was a piper's son,
He learned to play when he was young ;
But all the tune that he could play
Was ' Over the hills and far away.' The song goes on to relate Orpheus-like exploits on the part of Tom.
2. This is a slightly incorrect reminiscence of part of Johnson's epitaph on Goldsmith in West- minster Abbey :
Qui nullum fere scribendi genus
Xon tetigit, Nullum quod tetigit non ornavit.]
ALPHABETICAL NONSENSE. Will some reader kindly supply the missing lines, and give the correct version ?
One old ox opening oysters.
Two toads totally tired trying to trot to Tenterden.
Three thirsty tailors tickling trout.
Four funny Frenchmen flying to France for fashions.
Five fat friars fanning a fainting fly.
Six silly sailors sailing south for salmon.
Seven ....
Eight
Nine niggardly noblemen nibbling nuts.
Ten tomtits twittering on the top of a tall tree.
AlTCHO.
" GBIMTHECOLLIEB." The orange hawk- weed (Hierocium aurantiacum) is often called " Grim the Collier." Can any reader give a reason for this sobriquet ? W. EL- A.
LATINITY. I distinctly remember seeing an inscription made by, or on, a bishop in an English cathedral. It was of some length, and ended :
Monumentum poni curavit .... [not jussit}. Is there any authority for this use of the infinitive passive ? or is pomndum the only legitimate word ?
CABD COINCIDENCE. I have not read in books, but have heard from old cribbage players, that the following rule is so general that they conduct their play in accordance with it, namely, when court cards, medium numbers, or " little ones " predominate in your hand, your opponent holds the same class.
Is this peculiar to the game ? and is there any mathematical explanation ? J. K.
Cape of Good Hope.
