452
NOTES AND QUERIES, [9< s, xi. JPNE 1903,
Glanvill. As to similarity of name with
the essayist, I may mention that Fosters
flourished at North Curry (near Taunton) for
many generations. I have a pedigree com-
piled from the parish registers ; it begins
with the marriage of a John Foster in 1539.
The essayist was born, I believe, in York-
shire, but he may have sprung from this
North Curry stock. Perhaps ME. FEDERER
can tell us, if he would be so obliging.
J. J. FOSTER.
" OWL-LIGHT " (9 th S. xi. 349, 411). In cases of this kind the right book to consult is the 'English Dialect Dictionary.' As the merits of this work are perhaps not very adequately known, I beg leave to quote from it as follows :
" Owl, sb. and v (7) -light or -'s-light, twilight'
dusk (7) Lan. Aw olez think there's summat fine
abeawt th' eawl-leet, Waugh, 'Sneck-bant' (1867), '. ; Lan. 1 e. Lan. 1 Nkp. 1 Dor. We can do nothing
by this owl's light, Hardy, ' Wess. Tales' (1888),
ii. 164. Dev. Up-long in the owl-light, the owl-
light, the owl-light Up-long in the owl-light Theer
corned my maid wi' meBlk. and White (Mar. 14,
1896), 330."
Even this does not exhaust the information given, because the references to " Lan. e. Lan. Nhp." each with the reference number 1 added above it, signify that similar infor- mation is given in Nodal and Milner's ' Glossary of the Lancashire Dialect,' in Cunliffe's ' Glossary of Kochdale Words,' and in Miss Baker's ' Glossary of Northampton shire Words.' WALTER W. SKEAT.
ROBERT SCOT (9 th S. xi. 268, 334). Although COL. HOLDEN, in his query concerning the above man, states that "his bust may be seen in the old parish church of Lambeth,' it does not appear quite plain whether he knows the inscription on the monument o' which the bust is a portion. In case your querist does not, I venture to give it, as ] think that it may interest other readers should he be already acquainted with it The monument is of black and white marble The bust, which is stated to be "well executec and painted, and surrounded with artiller, and trophy work in basso-relievo," is in the centre. Tanswell, in 'The History am Antiquities of Lambeth,' 1858, gives thi inscription as follows :
" Nere to this place lyeth the body of Rober Scott, Esq r ., descended of the ancient Barrons o Bawerie, in Scotland. He bent himselfe to travel] and stvdie mvch, and amongst many other thinges he invented the leather ordnance, and carried t the Kinge of Sweden 200 men, who, after two yeare service for his worth and walour, was p'ferred t the office of Qvarter M r Generall of his Ma tie army w eh he possessed 3 yeares ; from thence w th hi
avovr he went into Denmarke (where he was
dvanced to be Gen'all of that King's artillerie)
heire beinge advised to tender his service to his
wne Prince, w ch he doing his Maj ie willinglie
ccepted & p'fered him to be one of y e gent, of his
ost honorable Prjvie Chamber, & rewarded him .ith a pension of 600Z. p' an'vm (this deserving pirit adorned with all endowments befitting a entleman) in the prime of his flovrishinge age vrrendred his sovle to his Redeemer, 1631. 3f his greate worth to knowe who seeketh more Vlvst movnt to Heaven where he is gone before, n Fravnce he tooke to wife Anne Scott, for whose emembrance shee lovingelie erected this memo- iall."
Arms, Or, three lions' heads erased gules, m paling Vert, a grey hound springing argent. Jrest, a lion's head erased.
W. E. HARLAND-OXLEY.
02, The Almshouses, Rochester Row, S.W.
MR. COOPER says that Scot was "descended
- rom the ancient barons of Bawerie, in
Scotland." " Bawerie " represents faithfully enough the local pronunciation of the word, 3ut the correct spelling is Balwearie, in which ! orm readers will recognize the name tradi- tionally associated with the wizard Michael Scott. The place is in the parish of Abbots sail, Kirkcaldy, and Michael's father is said bo have become possessed of it through his wife Margaret, daughter and sole heiress of Richard Balwearie of Balwearie.
THOMAS BAYNE.
I remember reading years ago that when Leslie, Earl of Leven, crossed the Border in January, 1644, he had some leather cannon with the army. Can any one tell me if this is authentic 1 HERBERT SOUTHAM.
Shrewsbury.
" NOTHING " (9 th S. xi. 166, 333, 395). I well remember a pungent rendering of this riddle, years ago, among Roman Catholic children in the county of Durham. Surely all such items of folk-lore are evolved, or so improved upon that to no one should authorship be attributed, simply because he has put it into print. My somewhat startling version is, " What is that which is better than God and worse than the devil, which the dead eat, and which if the living were to eat they would die ? " CHARLES COBHAM
Shrubbery, Gravesend.
LACAUX (9 th S. xi. 349). The parents of Noah Stephen Guyon's wife Elizabeth were Paul Louis Lacaux and Claude Mariette.
H. W.
"Oss": ITS ETYMOLOGY (9 th S. xi. 204). It has often been said that, before the Kelts came to Britain, this island may have been inhabited by a non-Aryan race, speaking an
