Notes and Queries, Number 46, September 14, 1850

Langley, Kent, Prophetic Spring at.—The following "note" upon a passage in Warkworth's Chronicle (pp. 23, 24.) may perhaps possess sufficient interest to warrant its insertion in your valuable little publication. The passage is curious, not only as showing the superstitious dread with which a simple natural phenomenon was regarded by educated and intelligent men four centuries ago, but also as affording evidence of the accurate observation of a writer, whose labours have shed considerable light upon "one of the darkest periods in our annals." The chronicler is recording the occurrence, in the thirteenth year of Edward the Fourth, of a "gret hote somere," which caused much mortality, and "unyversalle fevers, axes, and the blody flyx in dyverse places of Englonde," and also occasioned great dearth and famine "in the southe partyes of the worlde."

He then remarks that "dyverse tokenes have be schewede in Englonde this year for amendynge of mannys lyvynge," and proceeds to enumerate several springs or waters in various places, which only ran at intervals, and by their running always portended "derthe, pestylence, or grete batayle." After mentioning several of these, he adds—

"Also ther is a pytte in Kent in Langley Parke: ayens any batayle he wille be drye, and it rayne neveyre so myche; and if ther be no batayle toward, he wille be fulle of watere, be it neveyre so drye a wethyre; and this yere he is drye."

Langley Park, situated in a parish of the same name, about four miles to the south-east of Maidstone, and once the residence of the Leybournes and other families, well-known in Kentish history, has long existed only in name, having been disparked prior to 1570; but the "pytte," or stream, whose wondrous qualities are so quaintly described by Warkworth, still flows at intervals. It is scarcely necessary to add, that it belongs to the class known as intermitting springs, the phenomena displayed by which are easily explained by the syphon-like construction of the natural reservoirs whence they are supplied.

I have never heard that any remnant of this curious superstition can now be traced in the neighbourhood, but persons long acquainted with the spot have told me that the state of the stream was formerly looked upon as a good index of the probable future price of corn. The same causes, which regulated the supply or deficiency of water, would doubtless also affect the fertility of the soil.

    EDWARD R.J. HOWE.

Chancery Lane, Aug. 1850.

MINOR NOTES

Poem by Malherbe (Vol. ii., p. 104.).—Possibly your correspondent MR. SINGER may not be aware of the fact that the beauty of the fourth stanza of Malherbe's Ode on the Death of Rosette Duperrier is owing to a typographical error. The poet had written in his MS.—

"Et Rosette a vécu ce que vivent les roses," &c.,

omitting to cross his t's, which the compositor took for l's, and set up Roselle. On receiving the proof-sheet, at the passage in question a sudden light burst upon Malherbe; of Roselle he made two words, and put in two beautiful lines—

"Et Rose, elle a vécu ce que vivent les roses,
L'espace d'un matin."

(See Français peints par eux-mémes, vol. ii. p. 270.)

    P.S. KING.

Kennington.

Travels of Two English Pilgrims.—

"A True and Strange Discourse of the Travailes of Two English Pilgrimes: what admirable Accidents befell them in their Journey to Jerusalem, Gaza, Grand Cayro, Alexandria, and other places. Also, what rare Antiquities, Monuments, and notable Memories (concording with the Ancient Remembrances in the Holy Scriptures), they sawe in the Terra Sancta; with a perfect Description of the Old and New Jerusalem, and Situation of the Countries about them. A Discourse of no lesse Admiration, then well worth the regarding: written by one of them on the behalfe of himselfe and his fellowe Pilgrime. Imprinted at London for Thomas Archer, and are to be solde at his Shoppe, by the Royall Exchange. 1603."

A copy of this 4to. tract, formerly in the hands of Francis Meres, the author of Wit's Commonwealth, has the following MS. note:—

"Timberley, dwellinge on Tower Hill, a maister of a ship, made this booke, as Mr. Anthony Mundye tould me. Thomas, at Mrs. Gosson's, sent my wyfe this booke for a token, February 15. A.D. 1602."

    P.B.

QUERIES

QUOTATIONS IN BISHOP ANDREWES' TORTURA TORTI

Can any of your contributors help me to ascertain the following quotations which occur in Bishop Andrewes' Tortura Torti?

P. 49.:

"Si clavem potestatis non præcedat clavis discretionis."

P. 58.:

"Dispensationes nihil aliud esse quam legum vulnera."

P. 58.:

"Non dispensatio est, sed dissipatio."

This, though not marked as a quotation, is, I believe, in S. Bernard.

P. 183.:

"Et quæ de septem totum circumspicit orbem Montibus, imperii Roma Deûmque locus."

P. 225.:

"Nemo pius, qui pietatem cavet."

P. 185.:

"Minutuli et patellares Dei."

I should also be glad to ascertain whence the following passages are derived, which he quotes in his Responsio ad Apologiam?

P. 48.:

"[Greek: to gar trephon me tout ego kalo theon.]"

P. 145.:

"Vanæ sine viribus iræ."

P. 119. occurs the "versiculus,"

"Perdere quos vult hos dementat;"

the source of which some of your contributors have endeavoured to ascertain.

    JAMES BLISS.

Ogbourne St. Andrew.

MINOR QUERIES

The Spider and the Fly.—Can any of your readers, gentle or simple, senile or juvenile, inform me, through the medium of your useful and agreeable periodical, in what collection of nursery rhymes a poem called, I think, "The Spider and Fly," occurs, and if procurable, where? The lines I allude to consisted, to the best of my recollection, of a dialogue between a fly and a spider, and began thus:—

Fly. Spider, spider, what do you spin?
Spider. Mainsails for a man-of war.
Fly. Spider, spider, 'tis too thin.