Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 5.djvu/161

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9-s.v.FKB.24,i90o.] NOTES AND QUERIES.


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Duke of Guise, distributed green scarfs to all, openly rejoicing in the event." Louisa Stuart Costello, ' A Summer amongst the Bocages and the Vines,' ii. 132.

In modern times it seems to have become a badge of the elder line of Bourbon. I have among my notes the following cutting from the Lincoln Herald of 29 July, 1831 :

"The Messager des Ckambres states the occur- rence of a Carlist riot at Montpellier on the 15th instant, the name-day (St. Henry) of the Duke of Bordeaux. High mass was celebrated with much ostentation, and a novena for the return of the enfant du miracle, took place. A ball was announced, to which nobody but those who wore green and white ribbons should be admitted, and the ball- room was decorated in these colours. The tri-colour was to be trampled under foot ; and some young people of the party paraded the streets in tri- coloured slippers. The authorities interfered, and the ball was prevented."

The fact that green was used as a party distinction in the time of the Commonwealth has lately been dwelt upon in the pages of

  • N. & Q.' In a recent article in the Month

Mr. C. Kegan Paul has spoken of " the green banner of the Church of M. Comte" (July, 1899, 65). On the other hand, in mediaeval times, it is stated that a part of the dress of St. John the Evangelist was represented as green (Walcott, 'Sacred Archaeology/ 258); and Dante saw in Purgatory angels in green garments " like tender leaves new born " (Dugdale's 'Trans.,' canto viii.). Richard Whitford in his 'A Werke for Housholders,' 1537. condemns the form of words "by my hood of green," which was, in his day, an oath used by children. See Gasquet's 'Eve of the Reformation,' p. 314. We have, perhaps, here a reference to the colour of fairy garments. EDWARD PEACOCK.

The expression green - eyed, which PEOF. SKEAT considers subjective and not refer- ring to the hue of the eyes, is used with a different meaning in the vulgar inquiry "Do you see any green in my eye?" the verdancy of inexperience, of course, not the sickly cast of jealousy in the words of the much-loved serpent of old Nile

My salad days, When I was green in judgment.

' Antony and Cleopatra,' 1. v.

While reading the Professor's article Pope's lines at once occur to the mind:

Shun their fault who, scandalously nice, Must needs mistake an author into vice ; All seems infected that the infected spy, As all looks yellow to the jaundiced eye.

' fissay on Criticism.'

There is a striking difference in the meaning of blue in Browning's lines from that of the term true blue :


A thousand guilders, the mayor looked blue, So did the corporation too.

' Pied Piper of Hamelin.'

If I mistake not, the word blue has also been employed as a vulgar euphemism.

An amusing instance of what might be called " projected subjectivity," e. <?., " the pot calling the kettle black," is in 'Midsummer Night's Dream,' III. i.:

Snout. Bottom, thou art changed ! What do I see on thee ?

Bottom. What do you see? An ass's head of Hour own, do you ? [Italics mine.]

The answer of the " translated " prince of clowns to his questioner seems to me to be rather artificial, and the ass joke is surely overworked in the play.

In like manner Mr. Stiggins ('Pickwick Papers '), on reaching the temperance meeting in an inebriated condition, declared his opinion that " this meeting is drunk," and there- upon proceeded to assault the respectable brother who kept the door.

FRANCIS P. MARCHANT.

Brixton Hill.

FIRST HALFPENNY NEWSPAPER (9 th S. ii. 504; iv. 270, 357, 425, 526). The enterprise of Scottish journalists must not be over- looked in this discussion. Early in 1864 an ephemeral sheet appeared in the afternoon at Pittenweem, Fifeshire ; and about the same time the Greenock Telegraph, which still flourishes, was started as an evening half- penny paper. In August of the same year, independently of these, and starting from no precedent, the late Dr. Hedderwick founded his halfpenny afternoon daily, the Glasgow Evening Citizen. To all intents and pur- poses Dr. Hedderwick was a leader in the sphere of evening journalism, for, although he may have been slightly anticipated both in England and Scotland, there is the best reason for saying that he fared forth with his new paper" in the belief that nothing else of the kind had ever been attempted. His immediate and continuous success was the best justi- fication of what seemed to his friends at the time only a hazardous experiment. In its independent inception, character, and aim, this admirable journal deserves to be regarded as an adventurous pioneer and a suggestive national exemplar. To-day, with its thousands of advertisements, its fresh telegrams, and its skilful editing and management, it is one of the best newspapers in the country. There is little doubt that many of the existing afternoon journals, both in Scotland and Eng land, followed the brilliant lead of Dr. Hedderwick, who was, it may be added, not only an ingenious and enterprising journalist,