Notes and Queries, Number 44, August 31, 1850

    R.

Wood-carving, Snow Hill (Vol. ii., p. 134.).—The carving alluded to by A.C. is, I believe, of artificial stone, and represents Æsop attended by a child, to whom he appears to be narrating his fables. It is or rather was, a work of some merit, and is, as A.C. observes, "worth preserving;" but, alas! of this there is but little chance. The house in question (No. 41. Skinner Street), and also the one adjoining, have been tenantless for many years; they belong to two old ladies, who also own the two deserted houses at the corner of Stamford Street, Blackfriars Road. It is scarcely necessary to speak of the now somewhat picturesque condition of the houses alluded to in either locality, for the pitiably dilapidated condition of them all must have been matter of remark for many years past to any one at all acquainted with London. The house, 41. Skinner Street, is also worthy of remark from another circumstance. It was formerly occupied by William Godwin, the well-known author of Caleb Williams, Political Justice, &c. It was here he opened a bookseller's shop, and published his numerous juvenile works, under the assumed name of Edward Baldwin.

    E.B. PRICE.

Waltheof (Vol. ii, p. 167.).—I believe that Waltheof (or Wallef, as he is always styled in Doomsday Book) never appeared at the court of William the Conqueror in the character of an envoy; but in 1067, little better than six months after the first landing of the Normans, we find him, in conjunction with Edgar Atheling and others, accompanying the Conqueror in his triumphal return to Normandy, as a hostage and guarantee for the quiescence of his countrymen. At this period, it is probable he might have first become acquainted with Judith; but this must rest on conjecture. At all events, we have the authority of William of Malmsbury for saying that Waltheof's marriage did not take place until the year 1070, soon after his reconciliation with the king on the banks of the Tees. Your correspondent errs in ascribing 1070 as the date of Waltheof's execution; the Saxon Chronicle distinctly states May 31st, 1076, as the date of his death; while the chronicle of Mailros, and Florence of Worcester, assign it to the preceding year: in which they are followed by Augustin Thierry. T.E.L.L. has also fallen into an error as to the cause of Waltheof's execution, which he states arose from his participation in a conspiracy at York. Now the crime for which he was accused, and condemned (on the evidence of his wife), was his inviting over the Danes to the invasion of England. This was the primary cause; although his being present at the celebrated marriage-feast at Norwich was doubtless a secondary one. According to Thierry, he left two children by Judith.

    DAVID STEVENS.

Godalming.

The Dodo (Vol. i., pp. 261. 410.).—I have the pleasure to supply Mr. Strickland with the elucidation he desires in his Query 7., by referring to Hyde, Historia Religionis Vet. Persarum, p. 312.

"Et ut de Patre (Zoroastris) conveniunt, sic inter omnes convenit Matris ejus nomen fuisse Dôghdu, quod (liquescente gh ut in vocibus Anglicis, high, mighty, &c.) apud eos plerumque sonat Dôdu; nam sonus Gain in medio vocum fere evanescere solet. Hocque nomen innuit quasi foecundidate ea similis esset ejusdem nominis Gallinæ Indicæ, cujus Icon apud Herbertum in Itinerario extat sub nomine Dodo, cujus etiam exuviæ farctæ in Auditorio Anatomico Oxoniensi servantur. Reliqua ex Icone dignoscantur. Plurima parit ova, unde et commodum foecunditatis emblema."

    T.J.

"Under the Rose" (Vol. i., p. 214.).—I find the three following derivations for this phrase in my note-book:—

I. "The expression, 'under the rose,' took its origin," says Jenoway, "from the wars between the Houses of York and Lancaster. The parties respectively swore by the red or the white rose, and these opposite emblems were displayed as the signs of two taverns; one of which was by the side of, and the other opposite to, the Parliament House in Old Palace Yard, Westminster. Here the retainers and servants of the noblemen attached to the Duke of York and Henry VI. used to meet. Here also, as disturbances were frequent, measures either of defence or annoyance were taken, and every transaction was said to be done 'under the rose;' by which expression the most profound secrecy was implied."

II. According to others, this term originated in the fable of Cupid giving the rose to Harpocrates, the god of silence, as a bribe to prevent him betraying the amours of Venus, and was hence adopted as the emblem of silence. The rose was for this reason frequently sculptured on the ceilings of drinking and feasting, rooms, as a warning to the guests that what was said in moments of conviviality should not be repeated; from which, what was intended to be kept secret was said to be held "under the rose."

III. Roses were consecrated as presents from the Pope. In 1526, they were placed over the goals of confessionals as the symbols of secrecy. Hence the origin of the phrase "Under the Rose."

    JARLTZBERG.

Ergh, Er, or Argh.—Might not these words (queried by T.W., Vol. ii. p 22.) be corruptions of "burgh," aspirated wurgh, and the aspirate then dropped; or might not ark, argh, &c., be corruptions of "wark:" thus Southwark, commonly pronounced Southark? I merely offer this as a conjecture.

    JARLTZBERG.

Royal Supporters (Vol. ii., p. 136.).—E.C. asks when and why the unicorn was introduced as one of the royal supporters. It was introduced by James VI. of Scotland when he ascended the throne of England, on account of the Scottish royal supporters being two unicorns rampant argent, crowned with imperial, and gorged with antique, crowns, with chains affixed to the latter passing between their forelegs and reflexed over their backs, unguled, armed, and crined, all or; the dexter one embracing and bearing up a banner of gold charged with the royal arms; the sinister, another banner azure, charged with the cross of St. Andrew, argent. Queen Elizabeth had used as supporters, dexter, a lion rampant gardant, crowned; and sinister, a dragon rampant, both or. She also used a lion ramp. gardant crowned, and a greyhound, both or. James adopted as supporters, dexter, a lion ramp. gardant, crowned with the imperial crown, or; sinister, an unicorn argent, armed, crined, unguled, gorged with a coronet composed of crosses patées, and fleurs-de-lis, a chain affixed thereto passing between its forelegs, and reflexed over the back, all or. These have been used as the royal supporters ever since their first adoption, with but one exception, and that is in the seal of the Exchequer, time of Charles I., where the supporters are an antelope and stag, both ducally collared and chained.

    E.K.

The Frog and the Crow of Ennow.—In answer to M. (Vol. ii., p. 136.), I send you the edition of "the frog and the crow" which I have been familiar with since childhood. I can give you no history of it, save that it is tolerably well known in Lancashire, and that the point consists in giving a scream over the last "oh!" which invariably, if well done, elicits a start even in those who are familiar with the rhyme, and know what to expect.

The Frog and the Crow

"There was a jolly fat frog lived in the river Swimmo,
And there was a comely black crow lived on the
river Brimmo;
Come on shore, come on shore, said the crow to the
frog, and then, oh;
No, you'll bite me, no, you'll bite me, said the frog
to the crow again, oh.

"But there is sweet music on yonder green hill, oh,
And you shall be a dancer, a dancer in yellow,
All in yellow, all in yellow, said the crow to the frog,
and then, oh;
Sir, I thank you, Sir, I thank you, said the frog to
the crow again, oh.

"Farewell, ye little fishes, that are in the river Swimmo,
For I am going to be a dancer, a dancer in yellow;
Oh, beware, Oh, beware, said the fish to the frog
again, oh;
All in yellow, all in yellow, said the frog to the fish,
and then, oh.

"The frog he came a-swimming, a-swimming, to
land, oh,
And the crow, he came a-hopping to lend him his
hand, oh;
Sir, I thank you; Sir, I thank you, said the frog to
the crow, and then, oh;
Sir, you're welcome; Sir, you're welcome, said the
crow to the frog again, oh.

"But where is the music on yonder green hill, oh;
And where are the dancers, the dancers in yellow,
All in yellow, all in yellow? said the frog to the
crow, and then, oh;
Sir, they're here; Sir, they're here, said the crow to
the frog, and eat him all up, Oh," (screamed.)

The moral is obvious, and the diction too recent for the song to have any great antiquity. I have never seen it in print.

    T.I.

MISCELLANEOUS

NOTES ON BOOKS, SALES, CATALOGUES, ETC

It would, we think, be extremely difficult to find any subject upon which persons, otherwise well informed, were so entirely ignorant, until the appearance of Mrs. Jameson's Sacred and Legendary Art, as the one upon which that lady treated in those ably written and beautifully illustrated volumes. It seemed as if the Act of Henry VIII., which declared that the name and remembrance of Thomas à Becket should be erased from all documents, had had the effect of obliterating from all memories not only the often puerile, often offensive stories of the legend-mongers, but, with them, all remembrance of those holy men of old, whose piety towards God, and love for their fellow men, furnished example for all succeeding ages. To readers of all classes Mrs. Jameson opened up a new and most interesting subject: to lovers of Art almost a new world, from the light which her learning and criticism threw upon its master-pieces. What wonder is it, then, that the success of her Sacred and Legendary Art, confined as the two volumes necessarily were to legends of angels and archangels, evangelists and apostles, the Fathers, the Magdalene, the patron saints, the virgin patronesses, the martyrs, bishops and hermits, and the patron saints of christendom, should have led Mrs. Jameson to continue her labours? The first part of such continuation is now before us, under the title of Legends of the Monastic Orders: and most fitting it is that the three great divisions of the regular ecclesiastics should be thus commemorated, since of them Mrs. Jameson aptly remarks, that while each had a distinct vocation, there was one vocation common to all:—"The Benedictine Monks instituted schools of learning; the Augustines built noble cathedrals; the Mendicant Orders founded hospitals: all became patrons of the Fine Arts on such a scale of munificence, that the protection of the most renowned princes has been mean and insignificant in comparison." Nor is this their only claim; for the earliest artists of the Middle Ages were monks of the Benedictine Order. "As architects, as glass painters, as mosaic workers, as carvers in wood and metal, they were the precursors of all that has since been achieved in Christian Art: and if so few of these admirable and gifted men are known to us individually and by name, it is because they worked for the honour of God and their community, not for profit, nor for reputation." The merits of Mrs. Jameson's first series were universally acknowledged. The present volume may claim as high a meed of praise. If possible, it exceeds its predecessors in literary interest, and in the beauty of the etchings and woodcuts which accompany it. As a handbook to the traveller who wanders through the treasuries of Art, it will be indispensable; while to those who are destined not to leave their homes it will be invaluable, for the light it throws upon the social condition of Europe in those ages in which the monastic orders had their origin. It is a volume highly suggestive both of Notes and Queries, and in such forms we shall take occasion to return to it.

Messrs. Puttick and Simpson (191. Piccadilly) will commence, on Monday next, a four-days sale of the library of the late Rev. Dr. Johnson, Rector of Perranuthnoe, consisting of a good collection of theological and miscellaneous books.

We have received the following Catalogues:—John Leslie's (58. Great Queen Street, Lincoln's Inn) Catalogue of English and Foreign Theology, including several works of very rare occurrence, and forming the largest portion of the valuable library of the Rev. W. Maskell, M.A.; C. Gancia's (73. King's Road, Brighton,) Second Catalogue of a Choice Collection of Foreign Books, MSS., Books printed upon vellum, many of them great rarities, and seldom to be met with; J. Miller's (43. Chandos Street, Trafalgar Square,) Catalogue No. X. for 1850 of Books Old and New.

BOOKS AND ODD VOLUMES

WANTED TO PURCHASE

DAVIS, T., SOME INSTRUCTIONS FOR COLLECTING AND PRESERVING PLANTS, ANIMALS, 8vo., London, 1798.

THOMPSON'S REPORT ON THE FAUNA OF IRELAND, 8vo. London, 1844.