Notes and Queries, Number 51, October 19, 1850

In the Monasticon Eboracense, by John Burton M.D., fol., York, 1778, under the head of "Eschewolde, Essold, Esscholt, or Esholt, in Ayredale in the Deanry of the Ainsty," at pp. 139. and 140., your correspondent JAYTEE will find that the site of this priory was granted, 1 Edward VI., 1547, to Henry Thompson, one of the king's gens d'armes, at Boleyn; who, by Helen, daughter of Laurence Townley, had a natural son called William, living in 1585 who, assuming his father's surname, and marrying Dorothy, daughter of Christopher Anderson of Lostock in com. Lanc. prothonotary became the ancestor of those families of the Thompsons now living in and near York. He may see also Burke's Landed Gentry, article "Say of Tilney, co. Norfolk," in the supplement.

Minar's Books of Antiquities (Vol. i., p. 277.).—A.N. inquires who is intended by Cusa in his book De Docta Ignorantia, cap. vii., where he quotes "Minar in his Books of Antiquities." Upon looking into the passage referred to, I remembered the following observation by a learned writer now living, which will doubtless guide your correspondent to the author intended:—

"On the subject of the imperfect views concerning the Deity, entertained by the ancient philosophical sects, I would especially refer to that most able and elaborate investigation of them, Meiner's very interesting tract, De Vero Deo."—(An Elementary Course of Theological Lectures, delivered in Bristol College, 1831-1833, by the Rev. W.D. Conybeare, now the Very Rev. the Dean of Llandaff. )

A.N. will not be surprised at Cusa Using the term "antiquitates" instead of "De Vero Deo," if he will compare his expressions on the same subject in his book De Venatione Sapientiæ, e.g.:—

"Vides nunc æternum illud antiquissimum in eo campo (scilicet non aliud) dulcissima venatione quæri posse. Attingis enim antiquissimum trinum et unum."—Cap. xiv.

    T.J.

Smoke Money (Vol. ii., pp. 120. 174.).—Sir Roger Twisden (Historical Vindication of the Church of England, chap. iv. p. 77.) observes—

"King Henry, 153¾, took them (Peter's pence) so absolutely away, as though Queen Mary repealed that Act, and Paulus Quartus dealt earnestly with her agents in Rome for restoring the use of them, yet I cannot find that they were ever gathered and sent thither during her time but where some monasteries did answer them to the Pope, and did therefore collect the tax, that in process of time became, as by custom, paid to that house which being after derived to the crown, and from thence, by grant, to others, with as ample profits as the religious persons did possess them, I conceive they are to this day paid as an appendant to the said manors, by the name of Smoke Money.

    J.B.

Smoke Money (Vol. ii., pp. 120, 269.).—I do not know whether any additional information on smoke money is required but the following extracts may be interesting to your Querist:—

"At this daie the Bp. of Elie hath out of everie parish in Cambridgeshire a certeine tribute called Elie Farthings, or Smoke Farthings, which the church-wardens do levie, according to the number of houses or else of chimneys that be in a parish."—MSS, Baker, xxix. 326.

The date of this impost is given in the next extract:—

"By the records of the Church of Elie, it appears that in the year 1154, every person who kept a fire in the several parishes within that diocese was obliged to pay one farthing yearly to the altar of S. Peter, in the same cathedral."—MSS. Bowtell, Downing Coll. Library.

This tax was paid in 1516, but how much later I cannot say.

The readers of Macaulay will be familiar with the term "heart-money" (History, vol. i. p. 283.), and the amusing illustrations he produces, from the ballads of the day, of the extreme unpopularity of the tax on chimneys, and the hatred in which the "chimney man" was held (i. 287.) but this was a different impost frown that spoken of above, and paid to the king, not to the cathedral. It was collected for the last time in 1690, having been first levied in 1653, when, Hume tells us, the king's debts had become so—

"Intolerable, that the Commons were constrained to vote him an extraordinary supply of 1,200,000l., to be levied by eighteen months' assessment, and finding upon enquiry that the several branches of the revenue fell much short of the sums they expected, they at last, after much delay, voted a new imposition of 2s. on each hearth, and this tax they settled on the king during his life."

The Rev. Giles Moore, Rector of Horstead Keynes, Sussex, notes in his Diary (published by the Sussex Archæological Society),—

August 18, 1663.—I payed fore 1 half yeares earth-money 3s.

Other notices of this payment may be supplied by other correspondents.

    E. VENABLES.

Holland Land (Vol. ii., p. 267.).—Holland means hole or hollow land—land lower than the level of contiguous water, and protected by dykes. So Holland, one of the United Provinces; so Holland, the southern division of Lincolnshire.

    C.

Caconac, Caconacquerie (Vol. ii., p. 267.).—This is a misprint of yours, or a misspelling of your correspondents. The word is cacouac, cacouacquerie. It was a cant word used by Voltaire and his correspondents to signify an unbeliever in Christianity, and was, I think, borrowed from the name of some Indian tribe supposed to be in a natural state of freedom and exemption from prejudice.

    C.

Discourse of National Excellencies of England (Vol. ii., p. 248.).—A Discourse of the National Excellencies of England was not written by Sir Rob. Howard, but by RICHARD HAWKINS, Whose name appears at length in the title-page to some copies; others have the initials only.

    P.B.

Saffron Bags (Vol. ii., p. 217.).—In almost all old works on Materia Medica the use of these bags is mentioned. Quincy, in his Dispensatory, 1730, p. 179., says:—

"Some prescribe it (saffron) to be worn with camphire in a bag at the pit of the stomach for melancholy; and others affirm that, so used, it will cure agues."

Ray observes (Cat. Plant. Angl., 1777, p. 84.):

"Itemque in sacculo suspenditur sub mento vel gutture ad dissipandam sc. materiam putridam et venenatam, ne ibidem stagnans, inflammationen excitet, ægrotumque strangulet."

The origin of the "saffron bag", is probably to be explained by the strong aromatic odour of saffron, and the high esteem in which it was once held as a medicine; though now it is used chiefly as a colouring ingredient and by certain elderly ladies, with antiquated notions, as a specific for "striking out" the measles in their grandchildren.

    ת. א.

Milton's "Penseroso" (Vol. ii, p. 153.).—H.A.B. desires to understand the couplet—

"And love the high embower'd roof,
With antique pillars massy proof."

He is puzzled whether to consider "proof" an adjective belonging to "pillars," or a substantive in apposition with it. All the commentators seem to have passed the line without observation. I am almost afraid to suggest that we should read "pillars'" in the genitive plural, "proof" being taken in the sense of established strength.

Before dismissing this conjecture, I have taken the pains to examine every one of the twenty-four other passages in which Milton has used the word "proof." I find that it occurs only four times as an adjective in all of which it is followed by something dependent upon it. In three of than thus:

"– not proof
Against temptation."—Par. L. ix. 298.

"– proof 'gainst all assaults."—Ib. x. 88.

"Proof against all temptation."—Par. R. iv. 533.

In the fourth, which is a little different, thus:

"– left some part
Not proof enough such object to sustain."

    Par. L. viii. 5S5.
As Milton, therefore, has in no other place used "proof" as an adjective without something attached to it, I feel assured that he did not use it as an adjective in the passage in question.

    J.S.W.

Stockwell, Sept. 7.

Achilles and the Tortoise (Vol. ii., p. l54.).—Ιδιωτης will find the paradox of "Achilles and the Tortoise" explained by Mr. Mansel of St. John's College, Oxon, in a note to his late edition of Aldrich's Logic (1849, p. 125.). He there shows that the fallacy is a material one: being a false assumption of the major premise, viz., that the sum of an infinite series is itself always infinite (whereas it may be finite). Mansel refers to Plato, Parmenid. p. 128. [when will editors learn to specify the editions which they use?] Aristot. Soph. Eleuctr. 10. 2. 33. 4., and Cousin, Nouveaux Fragments, Zénon d'Elée.

    T.E.L.L.

Stepony Ale (Vol. ii., p. 267.).—The extract from Chamberlayne certainly refers to ale brewed at Stepney. In Playford's curious collection of old popular tunes, the English Dancing Master, 1721, is one called "Stepney Ale and Cakes;" and in the works of Tom Brown and Ned Ward, other allusions to the same are to be found.

    EDWARD F. RIMBAULT.