Notes and Queries, Number 34, June 22, 1850

The Hippopotamus.—The Scotch Kilt.—I was on the point of addressing a Minor Query to you, when No. 33. arrived, and therein I saw a Major Query from L. (p.36.), which prompts an immediate answer. He asks, "Has there been a live hippopotamus in Europe since the reign of Commodus?" To be sure there has, and Capitolinus would have set him right. A goodly assemblage of animals of all sorts was collected by Gordianus Pius, but used by the elder Philip, for the celebration of the secular games on the 1000th anniversary of the building of Rome, or A.D. 248. Among them were 32 elephants, 10 tigers, 10 elks, 60 lions, 30 leopards, 10 hyænas, 1 hippopotamus, 1 rhinoceros, 40 wild horses, 20 wild asses, and 10 giraffes, with a vast quantity of deer, goats, antelopes, and other beasts. "And," it is added in Captain Smyth's Roman Catalogue, "still further to increase the public hilarity, 2000 gladiators were matched in mortal affray."

The portrait of the hippopotamus exhibited on that splendid occasion is well represented upon the large brass medals of Otacilia Severa, Philip's wife, and on those of their son, Philip Junior. That of Otacilia is described at length in Captain Smyth's work.

Now for my Minor Query. Can you, Sir, or any of your intelligent correspondents, oblige me by saying who introduced the kilt into Scotland and when? However it may wound local prejudice, I fear our northern brethren will find its use to be much more recent than they seem willing to be aware of. At present I will not put a rider on the question, by asking, whether an Englishman first gave it them: but perhaps you, Sir, will sift it thoroughly, even although a whole corps of rabid MacNicolls should enter the field against you.

    Σ

Ashes to Ashes (Vol. ii., p. 22.).—The word is taken from Genesis, xviii. 27.:

"I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am but dust and ashes."

It is plain that this has nothing to do with the treatment of the corpse; but that whatever the exact meaning of the word in Hebrew may be, it is synonymous with dust. As to dust, this is perfectly plain in Genesis, iii. 19.:

"Till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken; for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return."

Here burial seems to be distinctly meant.

The Latin word cinis, which denotes ashes produced by burning, is derived from the Greek, which denotes natural dust, I forget whether burnt ashes also.

    C. B.

Dr. Maginn's Miscellanies (Vol. i., p. 470.).—Mr. Tucker Hunt (brother of Mr. F. Knight Hunt, author of The Fourth Estate, a History of Newspapers, &c. &c.) showed me some years since a collections of these papers from various sources, which he proposed to publish, and which I was very glad to learn, as I had always regretted that Dr. Maginn had left no memorial of his splendid talents in a seperate publication, but frittered away his genius in periodicals. As "J. M. B." appears very anxious to obtain an authentic reference to any article contributed by the Dr., I think if he could communicate with Mr. Tucker Hunt, it might be of great assistance. I have not the latter's address, but probably a note to the care of his brother's publisher, "D. Bogue, Fleet Street", might lead to a communication.

    W. H. Lammin.

Fulham, June 5. 1850

Living Dog better than a dead Lion.—For an answer to my Query at Vol. i., pp. 352. 371., where I asked for the authority upon which Baunez gave Homer credit for the expression (which is evidently none of his), "quod leoni mortuo etiam lepores insultant," a friend has referred me to Antholog. Græc.. 8vo. Lipsiæ, 1794, tom. iv. p. 112.; out of which you may, perhaps, think it not too late to insert the following Epigr. xi.

"Ὡς ἀπὸ Ἕκτορος τιτρωσκομένου ὑπὸ Ἑλλήνων,
Βάλλετε νῦν μετὰ πότμον ἐμὸν δέμας. ὅττι καὶ αὐταὶ
Νεκροῦ σῶμα λέοντος ἐφυβρίζουσι λαγωοί."

    J. Sansom.
Gaol Chaplains (Vol. ii., p. 22.) were made universal by act of parliament in the fourth year of George IV. Before that they may have existed in some places. In Gloucestershire from 1786.

    C. B.

Rome Ancient and Modern (Vol. ii., p. 21.)—Such a map as your correspondent A. B. M. describes, was at Rome in 1827. It was by Vasi. I got it, but never saw it in England.

    C. B.

Trianon (Vol. ii., p. 47.).—In justice to myself, and in reply to your correspondent C., who believes I have "not the slightest authority" for my explanation of the word Trianon, I beg to refer him to the French dictionaries, in some of which, at all events, he will find it thus written: Trianon, subst. masc., a pavilion.

    J. K. R. W.

Miscellanies

Aboriginal Chambers near Tilbury (Vol. i., p. 462.).—Mr. Cook, of Abeley, Essex, having seen this Query, which had been kindly quoted into The Athenæum of the 25th ultimo, communicated to that journal on Saturday, June 1st, the following information respecting two of these caves, the result of a personal examination of them:—

"The shafts are five in number; and are situated at the edge of Hanging Wood, in the parish of Chadwell, about three miles from Grays Pier. I descended two of them in 1847, by means of a rope and pulley fixed to the branch of a neighbouring tree,—taking the precaution to have a lighted lanthorn swinging a few yards beneath me. They were between eighty and ninety feet in depth,—their diameter at the top six feet, gradually diminishing to three feet at the bottom. There was a great deal of drift sand at the bottom of the shaft, extending a considerable way up, which nearly blocked up the entrance to the chambers. By treading down the sand I soon gained an entrance, and found five chambers communicating with the shaft—three on one side and two on the other. In form they were nearly semicircular. Their dimensions were small, not exceeding thirty feet in length by fifteen in width, but very lofty; they were quite dry and free from foul air. The chambers in both shafts corresponded exactly with each other in size, form, and number. I trust this brief account may be of some service to those gentlemen who intend to explore them, and should be most happy to afford any assistance in my power."

Mistake in Conybeare and Howson's Life of St. Paul.—In the splendid and learned Life of St. Paul, now publishing by Messrs. Longmans, there occurs in a note a broad assertion, but quite erroneous, which may mislead those who would be inclined to take it without examination, induced by the general accuracy and learning of the work. At page 35, note 1., the writer says, "It is remarkable that the Sadducees are mentioned in no other books of the New Testament, except St. Matthew and the Acts." I mentioned this as a fact to a friend, who immediately remembered a passage in St. Luke, chap. xx. v. 27.: "Then came to him certain of the Sadducees," &c. I then turned out Sadducees in Cruden, and there found only Matthew and Acts referred to. On looking at the passage of St. Mark parallel to the abovementioned of St. Luke, I read, "Then came unto him the Sadducees," &c. (xii. 18.) The note, therefore, should end, "except the first three Gospels and the Acts."

    E. S. Jackson.

Miscellaneous

NOTES ON BOOKS, CATALOGUES, SALES, ETC

The Rev. W. Haslam, the author of Perran Zabuloe, has just issued a little volume entitled The Cross and the Serpent, being a brief History of the Triumph of the Cross through a long Series of Ages in Prophecy, Types, and Fulfilments. Though the present work belongs to one of the two classes which, for obvious reasons, we do not undertake to notice in our columns, there is so much of curious matter illustrative of Folk Lore, early remains, and old-world customs, in the third part of it, as to justify our directing the attention of our antiquarian readers to the archæology of the volume. The Druidic Beltein or Midsummer Fire still burns brightly, it appears, in Cornwall. We shall endeavour to transfer to our Folk Lore columns some passages on this and other cognate subjects.

Mr. Russell Smith announces a series of Critical and Historical Tracts on the subject of, I. Agincourt; II. First Colonists of New England (this is already issued); and III. Milton, a Sheaf of Gleanings after his Biographers and Annotators. The name of Joseph Hunter, F.S.A., which figures upon their title-pages, is a sufficient warrant that they will deserve the attention of the historical student.

Mr. M. A. Denham, the author of the interesting Collection of Proverbs and Popular Sayings relating to the Seasons, Weather, &c., published by the Percy Society, also intends to issue some Tracts (limited to fifty copies of each) illustrative of the antiquities of the northern parts of the kingdom. The first is to be on The Slogans or Slughorns of the North of England; the second, on "Some of the Manners and Customs" of the North.

We have received the following Catalogues:—Joseph Lilly's (7. Pall Mall) Catalogue of a Choice and Valuable Collection of Rare, Curious, and Useful Books; William Andrews' (7. Corn Street, Bristol) Catalogue, Part IV., 1850, Books just bought from the Deanery, Armagh, &c.; and J. Russell Smith's (4. Old Compton Street, Soho) Bibliotheca Historica et Topographica; Books illustrating the History, Antiquities, and Topography of Great Britain and Ireland.

BOOKS AND ODD VOLUMES WANTED TO PURCHASE

(In continuation of Lists in former Nos.)

Grey's Method of Learning Hebrew.

[The edition that contains the History of Joseph as a Praxis, not that which contains the Proverbs.]

Oakley on Our Lord's Passion.

*** Letters, stating particulars and lowest price, carriage free, to be sent to Mr. Bell, Publisher of "NOTES AND QUERIES," 186. Fleet Street.

Notices to Correspondents

Title and Index to Volume the First. A Double Number will be published next week, containing Title and copious Index to the First Volume, price 9d., or stamped to go post free, 11d.

The Monthly Part will be ready at the same time, price 1s. 9d., including the Title and Index.

Delta. The following appears to us the true reading of the legend of the seal transmitted:—

+ MINATIVS. T. MRRIS. PPOx. ECCLExIES:SCE:

MRIE. D′. GALLATE

There appears little doubt as to the last word, whatever may be the locality intended. "Gallatum" has been used for "Wallop" in Hampshire, but it is doubtful if this seal applies to that place.

C. F. O. The Phigaleian Marbles are in the British Museum. The casts described were modelled from them by an accomplished London Artist.

Errata.—No. 33., p. 39, 40., in the article Cosas de España, Tereda should be Texeda; and for Carrascon, which recently had been reprinted, read has.