Notes and Queries, Number 186, May 21, 1853

We stumbled on a stationary voice," &c.

But I doubt whether the poet had those passages in his thought, when he penned the opening of his noble poem "Locksley Hall." Of course I do not know, any more than A. A. D., and the rest; and I suppose we shall none of us get any enlightenment "by authority."

    Harry Leroy Temple.

Lake of Geneva (Vol. vii. p. 406.).—The account given in the Chronicle of Marius of what is called "an earthquake or landslip in the valley of the Upper Rhone," is evidently that of a sudden débâcle destructive of life and property, but not such as to effect any permanent change in the configuration of the country. That an antiquary like Montfaucon should have fallen into the blunder of supposing that the Lacus Lemanus was then formed, may well excite surprise. The breadth of the new-formed lake, as given by Marius, is impossible, as the mountains in the valley are scarcely anywhere more than a mile apart. The valley of the Upper Rhone is liable to such débâcles, and one which would fill it might be called a lake, although of short duration. Having witnessed the effects of the débâcle of 1818 a few weeks after it happened, I can easily understand how such a one as that described by Marius should have produced the effects attributed to it, and yet have left no traces of its action after the lapse of centuries.

    J. S.

Athenæum.

"Inter cuncta micans," &c. (Vol. vi., p. 413.).—In a small work, Lives of Eminent Saxons, part i. p. 104., the above lines are ascribed to Aldhelm, and a translation by Mr. Boyd is subjoined.

To Aldhelm also are attributed the lines so often alluded to in "N. & Q.," "Roma tibi subito," &c.

    B. H. C.

"Its" (Vol. vi., p. 509.; Vol. vii., p. 160.).—As the proposer of the question on this word, so kindly replied to by Mr. Keightley, may I give two instances of its use from the Old Version of the Psalms?

"Which in due season bringeth forth its fruit abundantly."—Ps. i. 3.

"Thou didst prepare first a place, and set its roots so fast."—Ps. lxxx. 10.

The American Bibliotheca Sacra for October 1851, p. 735., says (speaking of the time when the authorised version of the Scriptures was executed), "the genitive its was not then in use;" which is disproved by the quotations already given.

    B. H. C.

Gloves at Fairs (Vol. vii., p. 455.).—The custom of "hanging out the glove at fair time," as described by E. G. R., is, in all probability, of Chester origin. The annals of that city show that its two great annual fairs were established, or rather confirmed, by a charter of Hugh Lupus, the first Norman Earl of Chester, who granted to the abbot and convent of St. Werburgh (now the cathedral) "the extraordinary privilege, that no criminals resorting to their fairs at Chester should be arrested for any crime whatever, except such as they might have committed during their stay in the city." For several centuries, Chester was famous for the manufacture of gloves; and in token thereof, it was the custom for some days before, and during the continuance of the fair, to hang out from the town-hall, then situate at the High Cross, their local emblem of commerce—a glove: thereby proclaiming that non-freemen and strangers were permitted to trade within the city, a privilege at all other times enjoyed by the citizens only. During this period of temporary "free trade," debtors were safe from the tender mercies of their creditors, and free from the visits of the sheriff's officer and his satellites. On the removal of the town-hall to another part of the city, the leathern symbol of "unrestricted competition" was suspended, at the appointed season, from the roof of St. Peter's Church; until that reckless foe to antiquity, the Reform Bill, aimed a heavy blow at all our prescriptive rights and privileges, and decreed that the stranger should be henceforth on a footing with the freeborn citizen. Notwithstanding this, the authorities of the city still continued to "hang out their banner on the outward walls;" and it is only within the last ten years that the time-honoured custom has ceased to exist.

    T. Hughes.

Chester.

Astronomical Query (Vol. vii., p.84.).—Your fair correspondent Leonora makes a mistake in reference to the position, in regard to the zodiac, of the newly-discovered planets. It is indeed not at all surprising that these bodies were not discovered before, for this reason—they do not move within the circle of the zodiac: they lie far beyond it, so much so, that to include them the zodiac must be expanded to at least five times its present breadth. Hence they lie out of the path of ordinary observation, and their discovery is usually the result of keen telescopic examination of distant parts of the heavens. Leonora is of course aware, that, with the exception of Neptune (the discovery of which is a peculiar case), all the recently discovered planets belong to the cluster of asteroids which move between Mars and Jupiter. These are all invisible to the eye with the exception of Vesta, and she is not to be distinguished by any but an experienced star-gazer, and under most favourable circumstances; their minuteness, their extra-zodiacal position, and the outrageous orbits which they describe, all conspire to keep them out of human ken until they are detected by the telescope, and ascertained to be planets either by their optical appearances, or by a course of watching and comparison of their positions with catalogues of the fixed stars.

    Shirley Hibberd.

Tortoiseshell Tom Cat (Vol. v., p. 465.; Vol. vii., p. 271.).—See Hone's Year Book, p. 728.

    Zeus.

Sizain on the Pope, the Devil, and the Pretender (Vol. vii., p. 270.).—This is given as one of the prize epigrams in the Gentleman's Magazine for 1735, vol. v. p. 157.

    Zeus.

Wandering Jew (Vol. vii., p. 261.).—Your correspondent will find an account of the Wandering Jew prefixed to "Le Juif errant," the 3ième livraison of Chants et Chansons Populaires de la France.

    Thos. Lawrence.

Ashby-de-la-Zouch.

The earliest account of this legend is in Roger of Wendover, under the year 1228: De Joseph, qui ultimum Christi adventum adhuc vivus exspectat, vol. iv. p. 176. of the Historical Society's edition, vol. ii. p. 512. of Bohn's Translation: see also Brand's Popular Antiquities, vol iii. p. 360., Bohn's edition.

    Zeus.

Hallett and Dr. Saxby (Vol. vii., p. 41.).—I know nothing of the parties, but have the book about which S. R. inquires. The title is not accurately given in the Literary Journal. Instead of "An Ode to Virtue," by Dr. Morris Saxby, it is An Ode on Virtue by a Young Author, dedicated to Dr. William Saxby; with a Preface and Notes, Critical and Explanatory, by a Friend—"Mens sibi conscia recti"—A good intention. Printed anno Domini MDCCXCI, pp. 16.

A more stupid production could not easily be found; but, as it must be scarce, if the story about the destruction of all but eight copies is true, I transcribe a part of the dedication:

"Most August Doctor,

"The reputation you have acquired by professional merit, with the respect which is universally shown to you on account of your practical observance of moral philosophy, has induced me to select you as a protector of the following work; which being evidently intended to promote a cause for which you was always a zealous advocate, I have nourished the most flattering hopes that you will be rather pleased than offended by this unwarrantable presumption.

"It is necessary I should deviate from the general rule of celebrating a patron's virtues in a high strain of panegyric, being sensible how generally yours are known, and how justly admired."—P. 3.

The ode contains only ten lines:

"Virtue, a mere chimera amongst the fair,
Is now quite vanquished into air;
Formerly it was thought a thing of worth,
But now who thinks of such poor stuff.
It's only put on to deceive,
That us poor mortals on them may crave;
Fall down and swear their beauty far
Surpasses what are ever saw!
Then they who think all's true that's said," &c.

I omit the final line as unseemly.

Dr. Saxby is mentioned only on the title-page, and that part of the dedication which I have copied. He must have been a sensitive man to have felt such an attack, and a prompt one to settle his account with the author so quickly. As it is obvious that the ode was published solely to annoy him, we may be allowed to hope that in the "severe personal chastisement" he was not sparing of whipcord. The absence of place of publication and printer's name render inquiry difficult; and there is no indication as to whether Dr. Saxby was of Divinity, Law, or Physic.

    H. B. C.

U. U. Club.

"My mind to me a kingdom is" (Vol. i., pp. 302. 489.; Vol. vi., pp. 555. 615.).—The idea is Shakspeare's (Third Part of Hen. VI.):

"Keeper. Ay, but thou talk'st as if thou wert a king.
K. Henry. Why, so I am in mind; and that's enough."

    C. Mansfield Ingleby.
Birmingham.

Claret (Vol. vii., p. 237.).—The word claret seems to me to be the same as the French word clairet, both adjective and substantive; as a substantive it means a low and cheap sort of claret, sold in France, and drawn from the barrel like beer in England; as an adjective it is a diminutive of clair, and implies that the wine is transparent.

    John Lammens.

Manchester.