Page:Notes and Queries - Series 12 - Volume 4.djvu/264

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NOTES AND QUERIES. [12 s. iv. SEPT., ms.


case of a baby born on that day, she spoke of its being the custom to put into its hands a small bird to kill.

I have never heard of the superstition as to the cruelty of boys born in May, referred to in MB. PAGE'S reply ; but Whit Sunday so commonly occurs in May that it seems possible there may be some link between the two superstitions. G. E. CLARKE.

SIR JOHN WILLIAM KAYE (12 S. iv. 189). The lines quoted by W. B. H. seem to be a translation or paraphrase of the well-known French sonnet :

Deux athletes toujours, dans un terrible effort, Luttent a qui vaincra ; zraia pendant des annees L'un a lon^temps de fleurs les tempos couronnees, Et, frais et beau longtemps, il semble le plus fort.

L'autre, athlete vieilli, sans pitie, sans remord, A les bras tout uses d'^treintes achamees ; I/ ceil creux, le teint livide et les mains decham^es. Ces deux hardis lutteurs, ce sont 1'homme et la mort.

La mort prend 1'avantage et de plus pres le serre. L'homme enfln sous les pieds de son pale adversaire Tombe ; la mort le montre et dit : " II a vecu."

L'homme un instant sous elle a sa gloire abattue,

Puia se dressant arm 6 de son ame, il la tue,

Et triomphe au moment qu'on le croyait vaincu.

DE V. PAYEN-PAYNE.

"WHISKEY," A CABBIAGE (12 S. iv. 217). A glance at the ' Concise Oxford Dic- tionary ' informs one that the vehicle gained its name from its lightness of motion. It went whisking along. ST. S WITHIN.

LAYING A GHOST (12 S. iii. 504 : iv. 31, 135, 200). The Bishop of Zanzibar, 1 believe, is of opinion that, among the un- civilized races where Christianity has not penetrated, demoniacal possession still per- sists. I have understood that he claims to have exorcised demons when the local exorcists or magicians (or medicine men) have not been able to do so. What form of exorcism he employ* I have not heard.

J. FOSTEB PALMER.

PRTTDENTIUS : TITLE-PAGE OF 1625 EDI- TION WANTED (12 S. iv. 190)J I cannot trace in the bibliographies any edition of 1625. Can this date simply mean that the copy was then bought by some one ? The first edition appeared in 1472 at Deventer, while there were at least two other editions issued before 1625 those of Giselinjfat Antwerp in 1564, and of Weitz at Hanover in 1613 (and also 16mo at Amsterdam in 1601). That put forth in 1667 by#N. Heinsius at Amsterdam seems to^be the ordinary edition ; there^are also


a "Delphin" edition of 1687, and several others later. The 1631 edition seems to be the only one in small " format."

W. A. B. COOUDGE. Grindelwald, Switzerland.

GOLDSWORTHY FAMILY OF DEVONSHIRE

(12 S. iv. 185, 228). I have for several years been engaged in transcribing the Parish Register of Ottery St. Mary, in which the name Goldsworthy and its variants fre- quently appear. The baptisms and mar- riages from 1601 to 1836 have already been published in the Transactions of the Devon and Cornwall Record Society, and the burials are now being issued.

H. TAPLEY-SOPER. The City Library, Exeter.

HUSSAR'S SWORD (12 S. iv. 130). While cleaning the sword about which I inquired at the above reference, I have discovered that at the back of the blade is engraved the name " J. J. Runkel." The initials might be intended for J or for F. The name seems to point to a German or Dutch origin. J. R. H.

NATURALIZATION BY ACT OF PARLIAMENT (12 S. iv. 130, 172). E. C. W. will be interested in seeing a transcript of one of my ancestor's naturalization certificates (I have the original). Some little time since I called at the Record Office in Chancery Lane, and saw the original signa- ture of the Peter de la Tour named therein. I also have copies of Acts of Parliament passed in the reign of Queen Anne in refer- ence to the naturalization of aliens at that time. OSCAR BERRY.

Monument Square, E.G.

[We have forwarded the transcript to the querist.]

"Acr OF PARLIAMENT CLOCK" (11 S. x. 130; 12 S. iii. 462; iv. 23, 61, 118, 144, 202). When in Canterbury in June this year I saw a good specimen on the wall of the staircase at the Rose Hotel.

HERBERT SOUTH AM.

There is an Act of Parliament clock in the Royal Mineral Water Hospital, Bath.

T. KIRBY.

BURROWES HALL (12 S. iv. 219). I have not seen the illustration of " Burrowes Hall " in Green's ' Short History ' about which MR. MADELEY inquires, but I think it possible that it may represent Burrow Hall, a fine Georgian house just on the border between Lancashire and Westmorland.

(Miss) A. M. PLATT.