Notes and Queries, Number 15, February 9, 1850

Erratum. P. 181 col. 2. line 3., for obscurities, read obscenities.

Cambridge, Jan. 31. 1850.

    GASTROS.

Pokership—God tempers the Wind.—I am disposed to think that Parkership will turn out to be the right explanation, because almost every forest or chase contained a fenced park, in which the deer were confined; and the charge of the woods and park might be consigned to the same person; and the error in spelling the word was probably copied from one genealogist to another.

Nevertheless, Mr. Corney’s conjecture may be right, as Forby (Vocabulary, vol. ii. p. 258.) mentions Poke-Day as the day on which the allowance of corn is made to the labourers, who, in some places, receive a part of their wages in that form. Now the Pokerer might be the officer who distributed the grain on these occasions.

I open my note to add, that Mr. Gutch (No. 14. p. 211.) will find, in Sterne’s Sentimental Journey,—”God tempers the wind,” said Maria, “to the shorn lamb.”

The words which I have underlined are printed in Italics in my edition of the work (London, 12mo. 1790), which may indicate that they are quoted from some other author.

    BRAYBROOKE.

Audley End, Feb. 2.

Walewich or Watewich.—I have made the reference suggested by “W.B.M.”

Canute was residing at Walewich, and the Abbot of Ely was consecrated there by the Archbishop of Canterbury. This “Walewich” can be no obscure place, and we need not look for it in Cambridgeshire.

I am inclined to think that the word ought to have been written Warewich, i.e. Warwick.

Soham Mere (Mare de Soham) once covered 1369 1⁄2 acres.—Lyson’s Cambridge, 254.

Portum Pusillum, if not Littleport, was a place upon the Cam or the Ouse, within sight of Ely Minster.

Does your correspondent suppose that Northmouth was among the fens? If so, he may consult Inquisitio Eliensis, or Dugdale’s Map of the Bedford Level, which is in the Museum.

    J.F.M.

Dec. 22.

Madoc’s Emigration to America.—”ANGLO-CAMBRIAN” (No. 4. p. 57.), in contradiction to the occurrence of Madoc’s emigration, has adduced what he supposes to be a gross anachronism in the words “Madoc was directed by the best compass, and this in 1170!” Now, unfortunately for this opinion, the passage on which it is founded will not allow of his interpretation. The original words are in Sir Thomas Herbert’s Travels, and, in his expressive language, they are as follows:—”By Providence, the best compass, and benefit of the pole-star, he returned safely to his own country.” Most certainly this cannot imply that Madoc was acquainted with the mariner’s compass.

“J.M.T.” also seems to give great weight to the fact of a “Welsh-Indian vocabulary” having been formed, containing no trace of any Celtic root. This seems conclusive, yet it is not so; for I have some words, extracted from a vocabulary of the Mandan (Indian) language made by Mr. Catlin, during his sojourn among them, all of which, with very slight allowance for corruption, are clearly Welsh. Mr. Catlin believes the Mandans to have been descended from the followers of Prince Madoc, from the strong evidence which he considers his stay among them afforded him, and detailed in his work on the Indians. I regret to add, that the Mandans have been exterminated by the small-pox and the weapons of their enemies. I have long taken a deep, because a national, interest in this question, and have endeavoured to examine in the spirit of that noble precept, which ought to be bound up with the existence of every Cymro, “The truth against the world.” Consequently, I have found that much of what is put forth as evidence on this question is, as Mr. Corney has very justly intimated, quite inadmissible; in short, unworthy of belief. Still, the inquiry has afforded me sufficient reasons for viewing the question of Prince Madoc’s emigration as a fact, and for supporting it as such as far as my humble testimony will allow.

    GOMER.

Caerphili Castle.—With reference to “PWCCA’S” query (No. 10. p. 157.), it may be noted that Full is the Welsh word for “haste,” and, if the derivatur, must allude to the original structure having been hastily erected.

    GOMER.

Origin of word Bug.—I should feel obliged by your informing me whether the word Bug is not of Celtic origin, signifying a “Ghost or Goblin?” Vide Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew, Act I. Scene II.:—

“Tush, tush, fright boys with bugs.”

And whether, in Mathews’ Bible, A.D. 1537, the 5th verse of the 91st Psalm is not thus rendered:—

“Thou shalt not need to be afraid of any bugs by night”?

literally, in the Hebrew, “Terror of the night.”

    J.P.

[Bug in Welsh means a ghost or goblin. It is probably the same with the Icelandic Paki, an evil spirit. But on this etymology our correspondent can consult an article by Sir F. Palgrave, on the “Popular Mythology of the Middle Ages.” in the Quarterly Review, vol. xxii.;a paper, by Mr. Thoms, on the “Folk Lore of Shakspeare,” No. 6.; “Puck’s several Names,” in The Athenæum, Oct. 9. 1847; and lastly, Mr. Keightley’s most interesting work, The Fairy Mythology. vol. ii. p. 118., of which we are happy to hear that a new and enlarged edition may shortly be expected.]

MISCELLANIES

Excecution of Duke of Monmouth.—Among the memorials of the “rash but unfortunate Duke of Monmouth,” which have recently attracted much attention, and for which the public are principally indebted to certain inquiries originated in the “NOTES AND QUERIES,” I have not observed any notice taken of an anecdote respecting him, which is current among our neighbours on the Continent; namely, that he gave six guineas to the executioner, the JOHN KETCH of that day, to perform his work well!—

“Le Duc de Monmout donna six guinées au Bourreau de Londres, pour lui bien couper la tête; mais le misérable ne mérroit par ces guinées, puisqu’il la lui coupa très mal.”

This anecdote is introduced, in the form of a note, into the folio Dictionary of Pierre Richelet, a most valuable work, and full of history, ancient and modern. Can any of your correspondents produce the authority for this anecdote? Richelet himself does not give any, but merely relates the story, apparently with a view of illustrating the term “guinea,” as applied to the gold coin of Charles the Second. Vid, voc. “Guinée.”

    J.I.

By Hook or by Crook.—I send you a note, which I made some years ago.

This expression is much more ancient than the time of Charles I., to which it is generally referred. It occurs in Skelton, Colin Clout, line 31. a fine:—

“Nor wyll suffer this boke
By hooke ne by crooke
Prynted for to be.”

In Spenser, f. 2. v. ii. 27.:—

“Thereafter all that mucky pelfe he tooke,
The spoile of peoples evil gotten good,
The which her sire had serap’t by hooke and crooke,
And burning all to ashes pour’d it down the brooke.”

In Holland’s Suetonius, p. 169:—

“Likewise to get, to pill and poll by hooke and crooke so much, as that–”

In a letter of Sir Richard Morysin to the Privy Council, in Lodges Illustrations, &c., i. 154:—

“Ferrante Gonzaga, d’Arras, and Don Diego, are in a leage, utterlie bent to myslyke, and to charge by hook or by crooke, anything don, or to be don, by the thre fyrst.”

    L.S.

Cupid Crying.—The beautiful epigram upon this subject, which appeared in No. 11 p. 172., was kindly quoted, “for its extreme elegance,” by the Athenæum of the 26th January, which produced the following communication to that journal of Saturday last:—

“Will the correspondent of the ‘NOTES AND QUERIES,’ whose pretty epigram appears copied into your Athenæum of Saturday last, accept the following as a stop-gap pending the discovery of the Latin original?

“En lacrymosus Amor! Fidem quia perdidit arcum
Vapulat! Exultans Cælia tela tenet.
Ast illam potuitne Puer donare sagittis?