A Now ready, royal 8vo. 210, xvi pp. cloth gilt, 108. 6d. CALENDAR of WILLS relating to the COUNTIES of NORTHAMPTON and RUTLAND, proved in the Court of the Archdeacon of Northampton, 1510 to 1652. Edited by W. P. W. PHILLIMORE, M.A. B.C.1. This forms Vol. I. of the INDEX LIBRARY, & Series of Indexes and Calendars to British Records. Issued Monthly, price 28.; Annual Subscription, 218. Prospectus on application. London: CHAS. J. CLARK, 4, Lincoln's Inn-fields, W.C. Net prices: paper, 28. 6d. ; cloth (uncut), 38. 6J.; postage, 3d. THE WANTED to PURCHASE, Early and Illumi nated Manuscripts-Fine Specimens of Bookbinding-Book Printed on Vellum-Miniatures-Enamels-Ivories-Fine Old Sevres Dresden, or English China-Old Wedgwood Plaques and VasesMajolica, Arms, Armour, and fine old Steelwork-Bronzes- Early Prints, Etchings, Engravings, and Drawings.-Rev. J. C. JACKSON 11, Angel-court, Throgmorton-street, E.O. COURT and CITY REGISTER and ROYAL KALENDAR.-WANTED, any Editions of above Works before 1770, and for 1771, 1774, and 1785.-Address, stating price and condition, ARTHUR DASENT, Tower-hill, Ascot, Berks. NORTHAMPTONSHIRE HOMES. With Views of Boughton PRESS CUTTING AGENCY, 359, STRAND. House and Geddington Cross, and a Plan of the celebrated Vistas at "Mr. Wise's little book is an interesting contribution to English family history."-Scotsman. "The diction throughout is both racy and scholarly." Kettering Guardian. "Without romancing, without letting his imagination run away NEWSPAPER CUTTINGS on all subjects, Literary, Artistic Political, from the Newspapers, Periodicals, Magazines, and Reviews of the World. Statistics, Files Searched, Special Information, and all Press Work: Translations and Reporting.-ROMEIKE & CUR TICE'S only address in England, 359, Strand, London, W.C. Telegraph," Romeike, London." Telephone, 2663. with him, Mr. Wise has yet managed to give us pictures of the past, MR. A. M. BURGHES, AUTHORS' AGENT and to reproduce the charm of some of our old county history." Northampton Mercury. "We can recommend this work as one that gives much valuable and interesting information."-Kettering Leader. "This pleasant little work....The value of the book is increased by a well-arranged index."-Northampton Herald. Messrs. W. E. & J. GOSS, Publishers, Market-place, Kettering; and all Booksellers'. NORTHAMPTONSHIRE NOTES and QUERIES. An Illustrated Quarterly Journal. Part XXI. contains MATTHEW HOLBECHE BLOXAM-RUNNING THURSDAY-MANTELL (MAUNTELL) of HEYFORD and COLLINGTREE-The WELSH BIBLE in ALTHORP LIBRARY-ROSE FAMILY of DAVENTRY-GLIMPSES of OLD NORTHAMPTON, 1697-The SHEPPARD FAMILY: William Shepard, of Kingsthorpe Thomas Shepard, of Wilbarston; Thomas Shepard, of Kingsthorpe; Anne shepard, widow of Thomas Shepard, of Wilbarston-The HUSPITAL of ST. JOHN and ST. JAMES at BRACKLEY (Illustration)-HOARD of ROMAN COINS-ASHBY FAMILY-MONU. MENTAL INSCRIPTIONS from other COUNTIES-PLOUGH MONDAY-LOCAL DIALECT- PREBENDARIES of PETERBOROUGH CATHEDRAL-GIBBES FAMILY, of TOWCESTERGLIMPSES of OLD NORTHAMPTON: its Signs (Illustration). Northampton: TAYLOR & SON. London: ELLIOT STOCK. Part XXVI., price Sixpence, APRIL, 1889, and ACCOUNTANT. Advice given as to the best mode of Publishing. Publishers' Estimates examined on behalf of Author Transfer of Literary Property carefully conducted. Safe Opinion obtained. Twenty years' experience. Highest references. Consults tion free.-1A, Paternoster-row, E.C. FAMILY HISTORY.-The Advertiser (a linguist) desires EMPLOYMENT in furnishing Genealogical and othe information relating to the Foreign as well as Native Ancestry English Families, more especially those of Gloucestershire, Wiltshir and Glamorganshire.-Address ALTON, Illustrator of Pedigrees, Great Russell-street, Bloomsbury, W.C. FORTY THOUSAND PAMPHLETS. — CLE MENT S. PALMER, Antiquarian Bookseller, 100, Southamp ton-row, W.C., is now printing, and will publish next week, a CATA LOGUE of his large COLLECTION of PAMPHLETS, and will for ward it post free on application.-C. S. P. will also send his Catalog se of Books if desired. W. HARPER'S CATALOGUE of BOOKS, Miscellaneous and Theological, forwarded post free on! application.-58, Tabernacle-street, Finsbury-square, E. C. BOOKS BOUGHT. -To Executors, Solicitors, &c. -HENRY SOTHERAN & 00., 36, Piccadilly, and 136, Strand, Second-hand Booksellers, PURCHASE LIBRARIES, or Smaller Col MONTHLY CHRONICLE of NORTH-COUNTRY lections of Books, in town or country, and give the utmost value it. LORE and LEGEND. Illustrated. cash; also Probate. valuers promptly sent. Removals without trouble or expense to sellers. Libraries Catalogued and Arranged. Established 1816. Telegraphic address," Bookmen, London." Code in use, Unicode. U. MAGGS, Bookseller, 159, Church-street, Paddington, London, W.-CATALOGUE 83 (52 pp.), now ready and post free to Buyers, contains Books on America, Australia, Heraldry, &c.-Early Printed, Cruikshank, Standard, and Miscellaneous Books generally: HENRY GRAY, Genealogical and Topographical Bookseller and Publisher, 47, Leicester-square, London. W.C. (opposite the Alhambra). Catalogues free.-In preparation, Vol. I. of the Tombstone Library, a Collection of Monumental Inscriptions. Small Paper, 78. 6d.; Large Paper, 12s. 6d. Prospectus free. TURTLE SOUP, and JELLY, and other SPECIALTIES for INVALIDS. Caution.-Beware of Imitations. Sole Address 11, LITTLE STANHOPE-STREET, MAYFAIR, W. LONDON, SATURDAY, APRIL 6, 1889. CONTENTS.-N° 171. Rantanning-C. Davenport-Dickensiana-English Ceme- trician family. In the third line were the Graphemes, and Telegrapheme in the midst of them. Now the only respectable portion of the Grapheme family are those which are mated with nouns, such as the Zographemes, the Skiagraphemes, &c. These had been invited to join Telegrapheme's standard. They soon, however, perceived that he was not one of their honest, decent race, but an impostor and a monster that ought never to have seen the light. So they altogether withdrew from him, and refused him any help or countenance whatsoever. Telegrapheme, therefore, was left in the third line, with only the preposition-headed Graphemes on the one side of him, and the adverbheaded on the other-here the Eugraphemes, the Dysgraphemes, and other such outlandish folk; there the Anagraphemes, the Epigraphemes, and the like. Now I saw in my dream that just as the signal was about to be given for the battle, the men of the first two lines demanded to know against whom they were being led,'* for hitherto it had been concealed from them. When they 276-Wyre-lace: Hummed-Drill, 277-Clarendon House-hubbub arose among them. They said Telegram were told that it was against Telegram a mighty and Hussars-Swing, 267-Heraldic-Joachim's Prophecies -Trapezium-Maturins-Rev. J. Webb-"I do not like thee, Dr. Fell"-Works by North Family-C. DavenportHeraldic, 268-Picture by Crowley-Portrait of J. Harrison -The Huttons-W. Duff-" Warple way "-W. Whitfield, 269. REPLIES:-Milton's Sonnets-A Fool and a Physician, 270“Divine Aspasia,” 271-'The Conduct of the Allies'-Great Gaming-Literary Plagiarisms, 272-Gibbon's Autobio Judges: Sir W. Grant-Steel Pens-Indictments against graphy-Chittlehampton, 273- Soapstone Figures — Blue The Nimbus-W. Mitford-Heraldry-Wordsworth's Ode NOTES ON BOOKS :-Jessopp's Coming of the Friars.' Notes. TELEGRAM: BATTLE OF THE GRAMS AND THE GRAPHEMES. (Continued from p. 163.) The roar of approaching conflict on classic ground might well arouse the shades underneath. Tiresias, ever watchful, gives the alarm. Bacchus rallies Hercules-who had been in a state of apoplectic stupor ever since his surfeit at the cookshop in Nephelococcygia (see Aristoph., Aves')-perhaps by administering a hair of the old dog as a restorative. Minerva is on the field armed cap-apie, as the arbitress of the elegant arts and of classic warfare. Tiresias records the battle as witnessed from Dreamland. Loquitur Tiresias: "I had a dream, and in my dream I saw the battle of the Grams and the Graphemes. The latter had been drawn up by Classic Field-Marshal Richard Shilleto, after the most approved ancient (not Greek, to be sure, but Roman) fashion, in three lines. These were the Hastati, the Principes, and the Triarii. In the first line were the Anagrams, the Epigrams, and all the rest of the preposition - headed children of the old Пpáupa stock. In the second line were the descendants of Dame гpapun, the Monogrammi, the Parallelogrammi, and their brethren, a rough and uncouth set, difficult to combat with. In this line also were the Eugrammi, and some others of pa was their friend and brother; nay, each party claimed him to be of their proper stock, kith and kin. It ended in both the first lines going over to Telegram's side, and turning their arms against Telegrapheme. Upon this Telegrapheme was hard pressed indeed. But worse was in store for him, for the vile rabble by whom he was surrounded, mutually aware of their own hideousness and hatefulness, and no longer able to bear the light of day, began to hack and cut at one another-the preposition-headed against the adverb-headed, and the adverb-headed against the preposition-headed. Telegrapheme himself fell in the general mélée. "I further saw in my dream that the Classic Field-Marshal was saved by the intervention of Minerva, who loved and respected him for his general scholarship and for his many amiable qualities. She reproved him, however, for having lent himself to so bad a cause, and commanded him not again to draw his classic sword till an occasion should arise more worthy of his championship and her favour. To the leader on the other side Minerva sent her congratulations on the victory that had been gained, while she expressed her regret at the want "They were being led." In the telegram controveray several other questions came in incidentally for discussion, among these the use of the verb substantive with its own participle, as in the instance above. H. thought it "a kind of grammatical incest." In defence I quoted the German "Ich bin gewesen," "Ich war gewesen," "gewesen sein," "Ich werde werden," "Ich werde geworden sein," &c.; and from 'Eton Grammar' poor old "futurum esse.' Is such a grammatical enormity to be alleged against such old friends? The usage has now become common. See R.V., Acts ii, 47, and in general literature passim. 4. Used before a range of mountains - The Mounth, The Ochils; but not before a single mountain-Criffel, Ben Cruachan, unless per Rule 7, The Cobbler, and possibly per Rule 6, The Knipe. of generalship that he (the leader of Telegram's month. These, and a few more of like character, forces) had shown, especially at the discourage- I cannot account for. ment which he had occasioned to many of Telegram's friends by even partially acknowledging the claims of Telegrapheme. Indeed, she made no secret of it that the victory was not owing to any skill or ability on his part, but solely to the intrinsic goodness of Telegram's cause. To Telegram himself, now duly installed in office and commissioned in England's service, Minerva heartily wished long life and happiness." Received at Oxford and Cambridge midway office between Plutonia and Nephelococcygia. "THE" IN PLACE-NAMES. A. C. 5. Not used before compound Celtic names of ordinary Celtic structure (by which I mean having the noun first)-Ben More, Loch Striven; but sometimes used where the noun comes last-The Gareloch. 6. Used before a limited number of Celtic words, chiefly monosyllables, which have in a sense entered the local English vocabulary-The Knock, The Cloch, The Inch. The same rule applies where an English suffix is tagged on-The Knockhill. Properly speaking, however, the original noun becomes an adjective by the change. We say Lochmaben; but there is a stone called The Lochmabenstane. In the same way we should say "the Lochmaben town clock." 7. Used before Teutonic descriptive names, simple and compound-The Thwaite, The Horseclose, The Kirkbeck; but not before words ending in by, whether descriptive-Newby, Aldby-or from personal names- -Warmanby,* * Gillesbie. Is it caprice or rule which decides whether "The" is or is not admissible before place-names? A couple of years ago I found myself puzzled to account for the fact that while many places have "The" as a recognized official prefix, and many more have it on the common tongue, there is yet a considerable class of names before which "The" is never put, and would be universally felt to be an error if it were. How is this? Since the question occurred to me I have striven to formulate some law of place-name grammar on the point. I fear this article will only demonstrate my ill suc8. Not used before names properly amalgamatcess; but the field of inquiry is so large, and so exact ing a personal name, whether surname or baptismal a knowledge of records and of custom and dialect-Glenstuart (locally best known as The Glen, and throughout the whole British Islands would be needed to explain the seemingly contradictory phenomena, that a man with my very limited acquaintance with places and their names could not hope to solve the difficulties of the problem. The following notes are crude and insufficient. They are so tentative that I dare scarcely dignify them with the name of conclusions, even when restricted to place-names within my own ken. But they may lead to the establishment of sounder principles. That some such rules as I suggest do exist in place-name grammar I am perfectly satisfied. Possibly they have already attracted attention; if so, references will oblige. These remarks sufficiently disclaim all dogmatism in my statement of some apparent results of place-name study in some-Dumfries, Lockerbie, Ruthwell, Cummertrees parts of Scotland. My observation points in the direction of the following general principles, which by no means claim the rigidity of mathematics. "The," officially (by which I mean in documents and printed papers, &c.) or colloquially, is,— 1. Used before all plural names of places-The Trosachs, The Lothians. 2. Used before all names of rivers-The Nith, The Annan. 3. Not used before names of districts-Kyle, Annandale, Strathmore. (We cannot say "The" Kyle, &c.) To this plurals are exceptions, per Rule 1-The Rinns, The Mearns. Other exceptions are The Garioch, The Lennox, The Stor - thus illustrating a former rule), Charlesfield, Purdomston. This rule is definite and important, and may receive one lengthier instance. Near my home in Dumfriesshire there is a long straight parish road, made some time this century by a Mr. Roxburgh. Hence the road was known as Roxburgh's Road. But mark what thirty years did. Roxburgh is generally pronounced Rosebrugh, Roosebrugh, or Roosebro', and the name got down to Roose brus Road. Hence the transition was easy. The present generation of school children call it The Roosebuss Road, and I am pretty sure the name giving "roosebuss" or "rose-bush" will be pointed out to me on an early visit! 9. Not used before towns, villages, or parishes is a mansion near Annan. Its early spelling was Were- 1 -except in some anomalous cases of descriptive B. B. Cobbett, of Manchester, passed from this names-The Langholm, The Falkirk (in Stirlingshire the spotted kirk), following Rule 7, The Troon (in Ayrshire = the point) following Rule 6, The Largs (in Ayrshire) following Rules 6 or 1. 10. Used before street-names where descriptive, per Rule 7-The High Street, The Trongate, The Friar's Vennel, The Rottenrow; but not used where named after persons, per Rule 8-George's Road, Gladstone Street. These street-name rules are very far from exhaustive. Cui bono? is happily seldom asked in 'N. & Q.'; but there are potentialities here to answer the question. The rules now crudely formulated if perfected may test or tend to prove etymologies. For example, take Murraythwaite, a mansion and estate in Dumfriesshire. It has belonged for centuries to a family of Murrays, and it has very naturally been thought that from them it took its name. But whilst neighbouring mansions-Castlemilk, Hoddom, Kinmount, and Denby-never, on the popular tongue or otherwise, have "The " prefixed, it is generally The Murray what that is spoken of. Now if Rule 8 is accurate the Murray etymology must be wrong. And so it is; for Mourithweyte appears in the Annandale account in 1302, many years before the first of the Morays settled in the county. The name means the "moory thwaite." Nor are I take it as a thing nobody will dispute that in at least nine cases out of ten a prefixed "The" is a sign that a place-name, however unintelligible now, was once well understood by folk of English speech. Thus records show the incomprehensible name The Murrays to have been The Moorhouse, whilst a name without a "The," like Comlongon, warns us that we need not look for a derivation from a Teutonic source. we entirely beholden to the local popular parlance of to-day to guide and aid in the quest. For eight or nine centuries, at any rate, the prefix has left its traces in innumerable charters and writings. Turning to the first volume of records at hand, I find three of my examples there in old deeds: "Le Garviach" (the Garioch) in 1321, an annual rent "de terra de le Trone in vic. de Are" in 1371, "le Mernys" in 1375 (Robertson's 'Index,' 8, 84; 95, 300; 119, 23). Moreover every personal name with "de la" or "del," such as Adam de la Crokidayk or Thomas del Strother (N. & Q.,' 7th S. vii. 31, 92), is an instance in point, and carries back the association of the definite article with a place-name to a date indefinitely distant. GEO. NEILSON. Glasgow. THE COBBETT FAMILY.-William Cobbett, the famous author of the Political Register,' left four sons and three daughters. It is now about fourteen years since the last of the sons, Mr. Richard life. The eldest daughter, Anne, died some years ago. The two younger daughters, Eleanor and Susan, kept home at Wilmslow, near Manchester, whither they removed from London. At Wilmslow also reside two of the grandsons of the Cobbett, William and Richard, of the firm of Cobbett, Wheeler & Cobbett, Manchester. The younger of the two sisters, Susan, died on Feb. 2. She was born at Botley, Hampshire, April 6, 1807, thus having nearly attained to eighty-two years of age. She was a good linguist, and some years ago published a translation of a little work for young pupils from the German of Aurelia Schopper, and a book of 'French Verbs and Exercises.' As a letter-writer the deceased lady's powers were remarkable. From an early age she assisted her father, at least as his occasional amanuensis, and probably from such close contact with her father derived, in addition to her natural capacity, much of the clearness of thought, epigrammatic sarcasm, and trenchant power of expression that characterized her correspondence. This much-regretted lady was peacefully laid to rest in Wilmslow Church on Feb. 5. Her sister the elder by about two years-still remains to pursue her earthly pilgrimage alone. Macclesfield. G. JULIAN HARNEY. REGENTS AND NON-REGENTS. - Some time since I asked a question respecting the Regents' or the Non-Regents' or Black-Hood House. Rymer, White-hood House in Cambridge University, and Foedera,' vol. iv. p. 411, col. 1, with p. 413, col. 1, explains the difficulty. Originally a regent was a tutor who was bound to deliver lectures to the students, and non-regents were Masters of Arts The Regents' House was that of the tutors, proand Doctors who were exempt from these duties. fessors, and lecturers; the Non-Regents' House their time. The distinction ceased long before was that of older graduates who had served 1858, when the terms were abolished, the duty of lecturing being confined to professors and tutors irrespective of their university standing. It is quite true that men took out the white lining of their hoods when they were really or nominally excused from lecturing. E. COBHAM BREWER. 'LES PANTINS ETERNELS.'-A discussion has lately taken place in the columns of a daily newspaper as to the originality of the ballad of Auld Robin Gray.' Whether Lady Ann Barnard saw or did not see the exquisite little poem now published cannot make much difference. It seems to me doubtful, for, had Lady Ann imitated the French poem, she would certainly have given the same dramatic ending. The most simple and most pathetic stories are as old as human nature. The most touching of all, the 'Death of Gelert,' is not only of great antiquity in Wales, but is, I believe, the oldest story in the world. It is a tradition of every ancient nation, and has been known in Persia, the oldest monarchy, from time immemorial, the difference being that in the East a serpent takes the place of the wolf. The story of the 'Bride of Lammermoor' is probably coeval with the institution of marriage. True lovers have been wronged in the same way for ages before Janet Dalrymple and Lord Rutherford existed. Within my own knowledge a case of a similar kind occurred, but without the same tragic termination. Robert Spencer, a real poet, achieved immortality not by the invention of Beth Gelert, but by writing the ancient tale in clear and flowing verse. Sir Walter Scott took the Wigtonshire story of the House of Stair, and, transferring it to the wilds of Lammermoor, gave it, by his skill, an interest that will last for ever. Horace told us, two thousand years ago, that it is difficult to make common subjects your own. Byron, appreciating this truth, took for the motto of 'Don Juan,' Difficile est propriè communia dicere, and in that poem decidedly succeeded in conquering the difficulty. The following may interest your readers. I asked the late Lord Lytton which he considered the best of Sir Walter Scott's novels. He replied "The one that I think the best is the one that you think the best—the one that is the best." We had not at any time discussed the novels, nor had I given the slightest hint as to what was my opinion. I said that I was much honoured by his confidence in my judgment. He answered, You know which is the best." I wrote some initials on a scrap of paper, without his observation. I told him that I had done so, and asked him to write down his opinion. On my paper were the letters "B. L.," on his 'The Bride of Lammermoor.' WILLIAM FRASER of Ledeclune Bt. Dic mihi qui sunt tres? Tres sunt patriarchæ, Duo sunt testamenta, &c., and so on to the number twelve. Four are the Evangelists; five, the books of Moses; six, the pitchers at the marriage at Cana; seven, the Sacraments; eight, the beatitudes; nine, the chorus of angels; ten, the commandents; eleven, the stars as seen by Joseph; twelve, the Apostles." It would be interesting if any contributor to 'N. & Q.' could finish a complete version of this Latin canticle. Mr. Long's book is perhaps not so well known as it should be. It contains several folk-songs, the tunes are absent. As the book was only pubtaken down from oral recitation, but unfortunately lished in 1886, and many of the singers must be still alive, the omission could without much difficulty be supplied. Such songs as 'Will the Weaver' and The Little Cappender must have a racy lilt about them. from which I began by quoting that he has been Apropos of tunes, Mr. Lang says in the paper told something resembling a memory of the music to which the words of "What is your one, oh ? » and his Maid," in Gilbert and Sullivan's opera of are sung may be heard in a duet "The Merry Man The Yeomen of the Guard.' A few weeks ago a lady told me that she had heard the identical tune which is heard in the opera sung some years ago by a fisherman on the coast of Devon, but she did not remember the words of the song. W. F. PRIDEAUX. ་ Jaipur, Rajputana. CAROLS AND SONGS.-In the January number of Longman's Magazine (p. 328), Mr. Andrew Lang has given two versions of the carol, "What is your one, oh?" on which a good deal has been written in 'N. & Q.' during recent years. Mr. Lang suggests that the words of the carol contain, perhaps, a rude-The following verses on Thomas Percy, Earl of THOMAS PERCY, EARL OF NORTHUMBERLAND. memoria technica of Catholic doctrine, or even something older than that, a reverberation from Northumberland, who was put to death for the Celtic legend. The latter theory is adopted by Rising in the North, have not, I think, been Mr. W. H. Long, in his 'Dictionary of the Isle of printed. I transcribed them many years ago from Cotton MS. Caligula B. 4, fol. 245:— Wight Dialect' (Reeves & Turner, 1886). At p. 152 of this very interesting compilation is given a somewhat sophisticated version (as I imagine) of the carol, which, according to Mr. Long, is 66 really a Christianized version of a rhythmic chant derived from the ceremonies of the Druids......The original Druidic rhythm combined precepts on Cos The Copie of a ryme made by one Singleton a gent of Lancashire now Prisoner at York for religion. A dolefull time of wepinge teares More then my hand and pen can wreite. |