Notes and Queries, Number 45, September 7, 1850

If the passage from Measure for Measure, which has been the subject of much controversy in your recent numbers, be read in its natural sense—there is surely nothing unintelligible in the word "delighted" as there used.

The object of the poet was to show how instinctively the mind shudders at the change produced by death—both on body and soul; and how repulsive it must be to an active and sentient being.

He therefore places in frightful contrast the condition of each before and after that awful change. The BODY, now endowed with "sensible warm motion," to become in death "a kneaded clod," to "lie in cold obstruction, and to rot." The SPIRIT, now "delighted" (all full of delight), to become in death utterly powerless, an unconscious—passive thing—"imprisoned in the viewless winds, and blown with restless violence round about the pendant world," how intolerable the thought, and how repulsive the contrast! It is not in its state after death, but during life, that the poet represents the spirit to be a "delighted one." If we fall into the error of supposing him to refer to the former period, we are compelled to alter our text, in order to make the passage intelligible, or invent some new meaning to the word "delighted," and, at the same time, we deprive the passage of the strong antithesis in which all its spirit and force consists. It is this strong antithesis, this painfully marked contrast between the two states of each, body and spirit, which displays the power and skill of the poet in handling the subject. Without it, the passage loses half its meaning.

MR. HICKSON will not, I hope, accuse one who is no critic for presuming to offer this suggestion. I tender it with diffidence, being conscious that, although a passionate admirer of the great bard, I am all unlearned in the art of criticism, "a plain unlettered man," and therefore simply take what is set before me in its natural sense, as well as I may, without searching for recondite interpretations. On this account, I feel doubly the necessity of apologising for interfering with the labours of so learned and able a commentator as MR. HICKSON has shown himself to be.

    L.B.L.

VENTRILOQUISM

(Vol. ii., p. 88.)

Plutarch (tom. ii., p. 397.D.) has these words:

[Greek: "Ou gar esti theou hae gaerus oude ho phthoggos, oude he lexis, oude to metron, alla taes yunaikos: ekeinos de monas tas phantasias paristaesi, kau phos en tae psuchae poiei pros to mellon."]

If that be the passage referred to be Rollin, nothing is said there about ventriloquism. The Scholiast on Aristoph. (Plut. 39.) tells us how the Pythian received the afflatus, but says nothing about her speaking from her belly: He only has

[Greek: "Ta taes manteias hae mallon manias ephtheggeto hraemata."]

In another place of Plutarch (tom. ii., p. 414. E.) we have [Greek: eggastrimuthoi] and [Greek: puthones] used as synonymous words to express persons into whose bodies the god might be supposed to enter, "using their bodies and voices as instruments." The only word in that passage which appears to hint at what we call ventriloquism is [Greek: hupophtheggesthai].

I have very little doubt that amongst the various tricks of ancient divination ventriloquism found a place; but I cannot give that direct evidence which MR. SANSOM asks for. I think it very likely that "the wizards that peep and mutter" (Isa. viii. 19.) were of this class; but it is not clear that the [Hebrew: 'obot]—the [Greek eggastrimuthoi] of the LXX.—were so. The English version has "them that have familiar spirits." The Hebrew word signifies bottles; and this may mean no more than that the spirit of divination was contained in the person's body as in a bottle, "using his body and his voice as instruments," as in the place of Plutarch quoted above. We have something like this, Acts, xix. 15., where "the evil spirit answered," no doubt in the voice of the demoniac, "Jesus I know," &c. Michaelis (Suppl., p. 39.) gives a different meaning and etymology to [Hebrew: 'obot]. He derives it from the Arabic, which signifies (1) rediit, (2) occidit sol, (3) noctu venit or noctu aliquid fecit. The first and third of these meanings will make it applicable to the [Greek: nekromanteia] (of which the witch of Endor was a practitioner), which was carried on at night. See Hor. Sat. I. ix.

I do not think that the damsel mentioned Acts, xvi. 16. was a ventriloquist. The use of the word [Greek: ekraze] in the next verse, would lead us to infer that she spoke in a loud voice with her mouth open; whereas the [Greek: eggastrimuthoi] are defined by Galen (Glossar. Hippocr.) as [Greek: oi kekleismenou tou stomatos phthengomenoi].

Consult Vitringa and Rosenmüller on Isa. viii. 19., Wolf and Kuinoel on Acts, xvi. 16., Biscoe on the Acts, ch. viii. §2; where references will be found to many works which will satisfy Mr. SANSOM better than this meagre note.

    [Hebrew: B]

Ventriloquism (Vol. ii., p. 88.).—In reply to Query 1, I wish to call Mr. SANSOM'S attention to Plutarch de Oraculorum defectu (Lipsiæ, 1777, vol. vii. p. 632.), and to Webster's Displaying of supposed Witchcraft (chaps. vi. and viii.). Queries 2 and 3. Besides the extraordinary work of Webster, he may consult the elaborate dissertations of Allatius on these subjects, in the eighth volume of Critici Sacri. Query 4. On the use of the term [Greek: eggastrimuthos] by the sacred writers, Ravanelli Biblioth. S., and by classical authors, Foesii Oeconomia Hippocratis; and for synonymous "divinorum ministrorum nomina," Pollucis Onomasticon.

    T.J.

REPLIES TO MINOR QUERIES

Earl of Oxford's Patent (Vol. ii., p. 194.).—M.'s quotation from the Weekly Oracle relates to Harley's having been stabbed at the council-table by the Sieur de Guiscard, a French Papist, brought up for examination 8th March, 1711. The escape of the Chancellor of the Exchequer was the subject of an address from both Houses to the Queen; and upon his being sufficiently recovered to resume his seat, the Speaker delivered to him the unanimous congratulations of the House of Commons. Harley was shortly after created Earl of Oxford, by patent bearing date 24th May, 1711, which recites, inter alia,—

"Since, therefore, the two Houses of Parliament have declared that the fidelity and affection he has expressed in our service have exposed him to the hatred of wicked men, and the desperate rage of a villanous parricide, since they have congratulated his escape from such imminent dangers, and put us in mind that he might not be preserved in vain, we willingly comply with their desires, and grant him who comes so honourably recommended by the votes of our Parliament, a place among our peer," &c. &c.—Collin's Peerage, vol. iv. p. 260. edit. 1789.

Guiscard died in Newgate of the wounds which he received in the scuffle when he was secured.

    BRAYBROOKE.

[O.P.Q., who has kindly replied to M.'s inquiry, has appended to his answer the following Query:—"Is Smollett justified in using the words assassin and assassinate, as applied to cases of intended homicide, when death did not ensue?"]

The Darby Ram (Vol. ii., p. 71.).—There is a whimsical little volume, which, as it relates mainly to local matters, may not have come under the notice of many of your readers, to which I would refer your querist H.W.

It is entitled,—

"Gimcrackiana, or Fugitive Pieces on Manchester Men and Manners ten years ago. Manchester, 1833." cr. 8vo.

It is anonymous, but I believe truly ascribed to a clever young bookseller of the name of J.S. Gregson, since dead.

At page 185. he gives twelve stanzas of this ballad, as the most perfect copy from the oral chronicle of his greatgrandmother.

In The Ballad Book (Edinb. 1827, 12mo.), there is another entitled "The Ram of Diram," of a similar kind, but consisting of only six verses and chorus. And the Dublin Penny Journal, vol. i., p. 283., contains a prose story, entitled "Darby and the Ram," of the same veracious nature.

    F.R.A.

Rotten Row and Stockwell Street.—R.R., of Glasgow, inquires the etymology of these names (Vol. i., p. 441.). The etymology of the first word possesses some interest, perhaps, at the present time, owing to the name of the site of the intended Exhibition from all Nations in Hyde Park. I sent to the publishers of Glasgow Delineated, which was printed at the University press in 1826, a contradiction of the usual origin of the name adopted in that city, showing the impossibility of the expression bearing any reference to the dissoluteness or immorality of the former residents, and also contradicting its having any thing to do with "rats," or "rattons," Scotticè; although, in 1458, the "Vicus Rattonum" is the term actually used in the Archbishop of Glasgow's chartulary. My observations, which were published in a note, concluded as follows:

"The name, however, may be also traced to a very remote and classic origin, although we are not aware that it has hitherto been condescended on. In ancient Rome was what was called the Ratumena Porta, 'a nomine ejus appellata (says Gessner in his Latin Thesaurus) qui ludiero certamine quadrigis victor juvenis Veiis consternatis equis excussus Romæ periit, qui equi feruntur non ante constitisse quam pervenirent in Capitolium.' The same story is related by Pliny, from whom and other authors, it appears that the word Ratumena was then as proverbially applied to jockies as Jehu in our own days. From the circumstance of the Rotten Row Port (of Glasgow) having stood at the west end of this street, and the Stable Green Port near the east end, which also led to the Archbishop's castle, it is probably not only that it was the street through which processions would generally proceed, but that the port alluded to, and after it the street in question, were dignified by the more learned of our ancestors with the Roman name of which, or of the Latin Rota, the present appears a very natural corruption."

I may here refer to Facciolati's Dictionary, voce "Ratumena Porta," as well as Gessner's.

As to Stockwell, also a common name, it is obviously indicative of the particular kind of well at the street, by which the water was lifted not by a wheel, nor by a pump, nor a pulley, but by a beam poised on or formed by a large stock, or block of wood.

    Lambda.

Hornbooks (Vol. ii., p. 167.).—Mr. Timbs will find an account of hornbooks, with a woodcut of one of the time of Queen Elizabeth, in Mr. Halliwell's Notices of Fugitive Tracts, printed by the Percy Society, 1849. Your readers would confer a favour on Mr. Timbs and myself by the communication of any additional information.

    R.

Passages from Shakspeare (Vol. ii., p. 135.).—

Ang. We are all frail.

Isab. Else let my brother die,
If not a feodary, but only he
Owe, and succeed thy weakness.

Ang. Nay, women are frail too.

    Measure for Measure, Act. ii. Sc. 4.
I should paraphrase Isabella's remarks thus:—

"If it be otherwise, if we are not all frail as thou sayest, then let my brother die, unless he be but in the same case as others; if he alone possess and follow thee in that particular frailty to which thou has half confessed."

A feodary, I should observe, was an officer of the Court of Wards, who was joined with the escheator and did not act singly; I conceive therefore that Shakspeare by this expression indicates an associate; one in the same plight as others; negatively, one who does not stand alone. In Cymbeline, Act iii. Sc. 2., we read:

"Senseless bauble,
Art thou a feodary for this act, and lookst
So virgin-like without?"

where feodary clearly means confederate, associate. According to some, the word signifies one who holds land by the same tenure as the rest of mankind; whilst Mr. Knight, in a note on Henry IV. Part i. Act i. endeavors to show that it includes both the companion and the feudal vassal.