Notes and Queries, Number 45, September 7, 1850

1. Has the Roman Catholic Church ever published a translation of the Scriptures, or any part of them, into the vernacular Irish? Have their missionaries in China ever translated anything beyond the Epistles and Gospels of the Missal? Or, is there any Roman Catholic translation into any of the vernacular languages of India? Or, are there any versions in any of the American dialects by Roman Catholic authors, besides those mentioned by Le Long in his Bibliotheca Sacra. And is there any continuation of his work up to the present day? I am acquainted with Bishop Marsh's volume, but he seems ill-informed and speaks vaguely about Roman Catholic versions.

2. What is the authority for the familiar story of a bill being brought into parliament for the suppression of all vernacular translations in Richard II.'s reign, and of its being stoutly opposed by John of Gaunt? "What, are we the dregs of the earth not to hear the Scriptures in our own tongue?" Usher mentions the circumstance (Historia Dogmatica, &c.), and it is borrowed from him by Fox. But I am so ignorant as not to know the original and cotemporary authority.

3. Your learned correspondent, DR. MAITLAND, in his Dark Ages, snubs D'Aubigné most unmercifully for repeating an old story about Luther's stumbling upon a Bible, and pooh-pooh's D'Aubigné's authority, Mathesius, as no better than a goose. May I ask whether it is possible to discover the probable foundation of such a story, and whether Luther has left us in his writings any account of his early familiarity with Scripture, that would bear upon the alleged incident, and show how much of it may be true?

    C.F.S.

MINOR QUERIES

The Lost Tribes.—A list of all the theories and publications respecting the ten tribes commonly called the Lost tribes, or any communication concerning them, will much oblige.

    JARLTZBERG.

Partrige Family.—Can any of your readers inform me where I can see the grant mentioned in the following note taken from Strype's Ecclesiastical Memorials, vol. iii. p. 542: "I find a grant to the Lady Jane Partrige for life, of the manor of Kenne in Devon, of the yearly value of 57l. 12s. 0-3/4d., but this not before April, 1553." Can any of your readers tell me how to obtain access to a private act 1st Mary, Sessio secunda. cap. 9., anno 1553, intituled, "An Act for the Restitution in Blood of the Heirs of Sir Miles Partrige, Knight"? Strype calls it an act for the restitution of the daughters of Sir Miles Partrige, and I think he must be right, as I have primâ facie proof that Sir Miles left no son. Were the debates on the acts of parliament recorded in those days, and if so, how can they be seen?

    J. PARTRIGE.

Birmingham.

Commoner marrying a Peeress.—Formerly, when a commoner married a peeress in her own right, he assumed her title and dignity. The right was, I believe, disputed during the reign of Henry VIII., in the case of the claimant of the barony of Talbois, when it was decided that no man could take his wife's titles unless he had issue male by her, but, if there were such issue, he became, as in cases of landed property, "tenant by curtesy" of her dignities. Can any of your correspondents inform me whether any subsequent decision has deprived of this right a commoner marrying a peeress and having issue male by her?

    L.R.N.

The Character "&."—What is the correct name of the character "&?" I have heard it called ample-se-and, ampuzzánd, empuzád, ampássy, and apples-and,—all evident corruptions of one and the same word. What is that word?

    M.A. LOWER.

Combs buried with the Dead.—When the corpse of St. Cuthbert was disinterred in the cathedral of Durham, there was found upon his breast a plain simple Saxon comb. A similar relique has been also discovered in other sepulchres of the same sanctuary.

Can any of your learned contributors inform me (for I am totally ignorant) the origin and intent of this strange accompaniment of the burial of the ancient dead. The comb of St. Cuthbert is, I believe, carefully preserved by the Dean and Chapter of Durham.

    R.S. HAWKER.

Morwenstow, Cornwall.

Cave's Historia Literaria.—My present Queries arise out of a Note which I took of a passage in Adam Clarke's Bibliography, under the article "W. Cave" (vol. ii. p. 161.).

1. Has not the bibliographer assigned a wrong date to the publication of Cave's Historia Literaria, viz. 1740, instead of 1688-1698?

2. Will some of your readers do me the favour of mentioning the successive editions of the Historia Literaria, together with the year and the place of appearance of each of them?

According to the Biographia Britannica (ed. 2., "Cave, W."), this learned work came out in the year above stated, and there were two impressions printed at Geneva in 1705 and 1720 respectively.

    R.K.J.

Julin.—Will DR. BELL, who adverts to the tradition of the doomed city, Julin, in your last number (Vol. ii. p. 178.), oblige me by a "Note" of the story as it is told by Adam of Bremen, whose work I am not within reach of? I have long wanted to trace this legend.

    V.

Belgravia, Aug. 17. 1850.

Richardson Family.—Can of your correspondents inform me who "Mr. John Richardson, of the Market Place, Leeds," was? he was living 1681 to 1700 and after, and he made entries of the births of eleven children on the leaves of an old book, and also an entry of the death of his wife, named Lydea, who died 20th December, 1700. These entries are now in possession of one of his daughters' descendants, who is desirous to know of what family Mr. Richardson was, who he married, and what was his profession or business.

    T.N.I.

Wakefield.

Tobacco—its Arabic Name.—One of your correspondents, A.C.M. (Vol. ii., p. 155.), wishes to know what is the Arabic word for tobacco used in Sale's Koran, ed. 8vo. p. 169. Perhaps, if he will refer to the chapter and verse, or even specify which is the 8vo. edition which he quotes, some of your correspondents may be able to answer his Query.

    M.D.

Pole Money.—Some time ago I made a copy of

"A particular of all the names of the several persons within the Lordship of Marston Montgomery (in Derbyshire), and of their estates, according to the acts of parliament, for payment of pole money assessed by William Hall, constable, and others."

This was some time between 1660 and 1681. And also of a like

"Particular of names of the several persons within the same lordship under the sum of 5l., to pole for according to the acts of parliament."

Can any of your correspondents inform me to what tax the above lists applied, and what were the acts of parliament under which this tax (or pole-money) was payable.

    T.N.I.

Wakefield.

Welsh Money.—I have never seen in any work on coins the slightest allusion to the money of the native princes of Wales before the subjugation of their country by Edward I. Is any such in existence? and, if not, how is its disappearance to be accounted for? I read that Athelstan imposed on the Welsh an annual tribute in money, which was paid for many years. Query, In what sort of coin?

    J.C. Witton.

A skeleton in every House.—Can you or any of your correspondents explain the origin of that most significant saying "There is a skeleton in every house?" Does it originate in some ghastly legend?

    Mors.

[Our correspondent is right in his conjecture. The saying is derived from an Italian story, which is translated in the Italian Tales of Humour, Gallantry, and Romance, published some few years ago, with illustrations by Cruikshank.]

Whetstone of Reproof.—Can any of your readers inform me who was the author of the book with the following title?

"The Whetstone of Reproofe, or a Reproving Censvre of the misintitled Safe Way: declaring it by Discourie of the Authors fraudulent Proceeding, and captious Cauilling, to be a miere By-way, drawing pore Trauellers out of the royalle and common Streete, and leading them deceitfully into a Path of Perdition. With a Postscript of Advertisements, especially touching the Homilie and Epistles attributed to Alfric: and a compendious Retortiue Discussion of the misapplyed By-way. Avthor T.T. Sacristan and Catholike Romanist.—Catvapoli, apud viduam Marci Wyonis. Anno MDCXXXII." Sm. 8vo. pp. xvi. 570. 198.

It is an answer to Sir Humphrey Lynd's Via Tuta and Via Devia. In Wood's Ath. Oxon., edit. Bliss, fol. ii. col. 602, two answers to the Via Tuta are mentioned; but this is not noticed. From the author stating in the preface, "I confesse, Sir Humfrey, I am Tom Teltruth, who cannot flatter or dissemble," I suppose the initials T.T. to be fictitious.

    John I. Dredge.

Morganatic Marriages.—Morganatique.—What is the derivation of this word, and what its actual signification?

In the Dictionnaire de l'Académie Française (ed. 4to., 1835), the word does not appear. In Boister's Dictionnaire Universel (Bruxelles, 1835) it is thus given:—

"Morganatique, adj. 2 g., nocturne, mystérieux, entrainée par séduction; (mariage) mariage secret des princes d'Allemagne avec une personne d'un rang inférieur."