Page:Notes and Queries - Series 12 - Volume 8.djvu/88

(68 NOTES AND QUERIES. [12 s. vm. JAN. 22, 1921. "LUCASIA." (See 11 S. vii. 228.) MB. J. J. FOSTER'S inquiry about the meaning of 'Lucasia's Portrait,' a work ascribed to Samuel Cooper, has so far met with no reply in 'N. & Q.' The portrait is the subject of eight riming triplets under the title " To Mr. Sam. Cooper, having taken Lucasia's Picture given December 14, 1660,' on pp. 158, 159 of Mrs. Katherine Philips's Poems (1669). "Lucasia " was the poet- ess's romantic name for her friend Miss Anne Owen of Landshipping who entered the "Society of Friendship " on Dec. 28, 1651, and was married to a son of Sir Thomas Hanmer in May, 1662. See Mr. Gosse's essay on ' The Matchless Orinda ' in his '^Seventeenth Century Studies.' EDWARD BENSLY. GREY IN SENSE OF BROWN. This mean- ing is not clearly shewn in the 'N.E.D.,' but there is no doubt about it. "Grey," Latin grisius, often means brown, as do its equivalents in French and German. Brown paper is often called grey paper. The brown habit of the Grey Friars is described as "russett " in 1406. Brown loaves are called panes grisei in 1437-8. Pain bis is the modern French term for brown bread. Pisae grisiae, c. 1450, were the produce of the common " grey " or field pea, Pisum arvense, and are distinctly brown when ripe. The 'N.E.D.' has several quotations for " grey-eyed," which probably means, having eyes with brown irises. Eyes grey in the ordinary sense would scarcely be remarkable enough to deserve the epithet. J. T. F. Winterton, Lines. "REX ILLITERATUS EST ASINUS CORO- NATUS." (See 12 S. vii. 519.) From the review of Roger Bacon's edition of the ' Secretum Secretorum ' it appears that Bacon noted that Henry I. used to make the above remark to his father and brothers. No doubt he had in mind a passage in William of Malmesbury's ' De Gestis Regum Anglorum ' : "Itaque pueritiam ad spem regni litteris muniebat ; subinde, patre quoque audiente, jactitare proverbium solitus, 'Rex illiterates, asinus eoronatus.' Ferunt quinetiam genitorem, non prae- tereunter notata morum ejus compositione quibus vivacem prudentiam aleret,ab unoiratrum laesumet lacry man tern, his animasse, *Ne fleas, tili, quoniam et tu rex eris."' (ed. fctubbs, 'Rolls' Series, 11., 467-8). Although William of Malmesbury -Joes not say that Henry used to make this pointed remark to his brothers, the last sentence certainly suggests that he had done so to one of them, and promptly had hi& head punched. For we may say of boys, as Dr. Round said of the Irish, "Aevum non animum mutant." Apparently the gibe at an unlearned king, was already proverbial, and its origin may be lost in antiquity. The author of the ' Chronica de Gestis Consulum Andega- vorum ' attributed it to Fulk the Good,, Count of Anjou. Fulk was a canon of St. Martin of Tours, and liked to take part in the services at the festival of th.e Saint. The King of France visiting Tours on such an occasion, his nobles jeered at the Count, and Louis himself followed their example : Rex autem Franciae, cum aliis deludens, nobile opus viri derisit; quo audito, comes Andegavorum litteras hujusmodi tormam habentes scripsit : " Regi Francorum comes Andegavorum. Noveritis, domine, quia illitteratus rex est asinus coronatus." (" Chro- niques des Comtes d'Anjou,' ed. Marchegay et Sainaon, p. 71). But probably we are concerned with one of those stories which are revived at in- tervals under various guises and attributed to any one to whom they may seem appro- priate. Every reader must have com across instances of this practice, and Barrie has a hit at its occurrence in modern* journalism, in 'When a Man's Single.' G. H. WHITE. 23 Weighton Road, Anerley. WE must request correspondents desiring in- formation on family matters of only private interest to affix their names and addresses to their queries in order that answers may be sent to them direct. NEW STYLE. A contemporary ballad ('Political Ballads,' ii. 311) opens witn thi* couplet : In seventeen hundred and fifty-three The Style it was changed, to popery. In fact the Style was changed as from Jan. 1, 1751 (Old Style), which, in accordance with. 24 G. II. c. 23, became Jan. 1, 1752. Nicolas,, however, like the couplet quoted above, gives Jan. 1, 1753 in two places as the^ com- mencement of New Style in England. I am puzzled to explain an apparent in- accuracy ; though inasmuch as the New Style year, Jan. 1-Dec. 31, 1752, was incomplete by the elision of September 3-13 inclusive, in accordance with the Act of G. II., it can be stated with accuracy that