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[Transcriber's note: Original spelling varieties have not been
standardized; "TR:" as in [TR: Lilith] marks a transcriber's note.
Characters with macrons have been marked in brackets with an equal
sign, as [=e] for a letter e with a macron on top. Underscores
have been used to indicate _italic_ fonts, or _emphasis_ in Greek.
A list of volumes and pages in "Notes and Queries" has been added
at the end.]




NOTES and QUERIES:

A MEDIUM OF INTER-COMMUNICATION

FOR

LITERARY MEN, ARTISTS, ANTIQUARIES, GENEALOGISTS, ETC.

"When found, make a note of."--CAPTAIN CUTTLE.

VOL. IV.--NO. 102. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 11. 1851.

Price Threepence. Stamped Edition, 4_d._




CONTENTS.

                                                                Page


      NOTES:--

      Effigies of  English Sovereigns extant in France, by
      W. S. Gibson                                               265

      Arabic Inscriptions--Mocatteb Mountains, by T. J.
      Buckton                                                    266

      Additions to Cunningham's Hand-book of London              267

      Richard Rolle of Hampole, No. II.                          268

      A Funeral in Hamburgh, by W. S. Hesleden                   269

      Folk Lore:--The Baker's Daughter--"Pray remember the
      Grotto" on St. James's Day--The King's Evil--Bees          269

      The Caxton Coffer, by Bolton Corney                        270

      Minor Notes:--Braham Moor--Portraits of Burke              270

      QUERIES:--

      General James Wolfe, who fell at Quebec                    271

      Walker's Sufferings of the Clergy                          272

      Minor Queries:--Colonies in England--Buxtorf's
      Translation of the "Treatise on Hebrew Accents"
      by Elias Levita--The Name "Robert"--Meaning of
      "Art'rizde"--Sir William Griffith of North
      Wales--The Residence of William Penn--Martial's
      Distribution of Hours--Moonlight--Ash-sap given to
      new-born Children--Cockney--Full Orders--Earwig--The
      Soul's Errand                                              272

      MINOR QUERIES ANSWERED:--Call a Spade, a Spade--Prince
      Rupert's Drops--"Worse than a Crime"--Arbor Lowe,
      Stanton Moor, Ayre Family--Bishop of Worcester "On
      the Sufferings of Christ"--Lord Clifford--Latin
      Translation of Sarpi's Council of Trent--Livery
      Stables                                                    274

      REPLIES:--

      Mabillon's Charge against the Spanish Clergy--Campanella
      and Adami--Wilkes MSS., by Henry Hallam                    275

      Printing                                                   276

      The Pendulum Demonstration, &c.                            277

      Winifreda--"Childe Harold," by Samuel Hickson              277

      The Three Estates of the Realm, by William Fraser          278

      Meaning of Whig and Tory, by David Stevens                 281

      Recovery of Lost Authors of Antiquity, by Kenneth
      R. H. MacKenzie                                            282

      MS. Note in a Copy of Liber Sententiarum                   282

      Replies to Minor Queries:--Warnings to Scotland--Fides
      Carbonaria--Fire Unknown--Pope and Flatman--Pope's
      Translations or Imitations of Horace--Lord Mayor
      not a Privy Councillor--Herschel anticipated--Sanford's
      Descensus--Pope's "honest Factor"--"A little Bird told
      me," &c.                                                   283

      MISCELLANEOUS:--

      Notes on Books, Sales, Catalogues, &c.                     285

      Books and Odd Volumes wanted                               286

      Notices to Correspondents                                  286

      Advertisements                                             287




Notes.


THE EFFIGIES OF ENGLISH SOVEREIGNS EXTANT IN FRANCE.

In the year 1816, Mr. Charles Stothard discovered in a cellar (as it is
described) of one of the buildings adjoining the ruined abbey at
Fontevraud, which was then used as a prison, the monumental effigies of
King Henry II., Eleanor of Aquitaine his queen, King Richard I., and
Queen Isabella of Angouleme. It had been feared that these monuments
shared the destruction of the royal tombs from which they were torn, in
the fearful outrages of the Revolution; but they were found to have
escaped the general havoc, although they had suffered some mutilation.
They are described to be sculptures almost coeval with the decease of
the sovereigns represented, and to possess such a chaste grandeur and
simplicity of character as to add great artistic value to their
historical importance. Mr. Stothard represented to the English
government of that day the propriety of rescuing such venerable
monuments from further injury, and of bringing them to Westminster
Abbey; and an application appears to have been made, through some
official channel, to the French authorities; but it was not successful,
though it had the effect, as it is said, of inducing the latter to
direct measures to be taken for the better preservation of these
effigies. About the same time, Mr. Stothard discovered the monumental
effigy of Queen Berengaria in the ruins of her once-stately abbey-church
of L'Espan, near Mans, which he found converted into a barn; but it was
then in contemplation to place this effigy in the church of St. Julien
there, when the restoration of that edifice should be completed. A
memoir (which I cannot here obtain) on the sepulchral statues of English
sovereigns at Fontevraud was read in 1841 in the congress of the Society
for Preserving the Historical Monuments of France; and by the researches
of M. Deville, a distinguished antiquary of Normandy, another effigy of
King Richard "of the Lion Heart" was brought to light in 1838, from
beneath the modern pavement of the choir of Rouen Cathedral, and was
shortly afterwards made known in England by the very interesting
communication made by Mr. Albert Way to the Society of Antiquaries of
London, and published in vol. xxix. of the _Archaeologia_.

I am not aware that attention has been otherwise drawn to these effigies
since the publication of Mr. Stothard's great work, nor can I find that
his suggestion has at any time been revived, or that the steps which may
have been taken at Fontevraud for rescuing these monuments from
the gradual demolition which seemed to threaten them, were such as are
likely to insure their ultimate preservation. What those steps were, or
what is the present state of these interesting memorials, I have not
been able to learn; but, inasmuch as it appears that the tombs they
covered have been destroyed; that in the fury of revolutionary violence
the remains of the royal dead were scattered to the winds; and that the
abbey church of Fontevraud itself fell into a state of ruin, if not of
desecration; it will probably be agreed that the removal of these
monuments to Westminster Abbey is unobjectionable, and that their
deposit among the effigies of our early sovereigns in that glorious
edifice would be appropriate, and is much to be desired. Being strongly
impressed with that opinion, I trouble you with this note, which, if you
should deem it worthy of insertion, may elicit some information, and
perhaps lead to an application for leave to remove these monuments, and
place them in Westminster Abbey. The present time seems favourable for
such an effort; and if the object in view should have the sanction of
Queen Victoria, the interference of Her Majesty would probably prevail.

    W. SIDNEY GIBSON.

  Newcastle-upon-Tyne.


ARABIC INSCRIPTIONS--MOCATTEB MOUNTAINS.

The principle of decyphering propounded for the Nineveh inscriptions
(Vol. iv., p. 220.) is available equally, and with better prospect of
speedy solution, in the case of those of _Mocatteb_. A very interesting
narrative is given of these in Laborde's _Mount Sinai and Petra_ (p.
248). The site of them is seventy miles direct distance south-east from
Suez, and they extend on the rock three miles and more in length, at a
height of ten or twelve feet, and in the line of route to Sinai, which
is distant fifty miles south-east from Mocatteb. They also lie not only
in the usual caravan route, but almost in a direct line drawn from
Ethiopia to the cities of Nineveh and Babylon. Nimrod is represented as
an Ethiopian (Gen. x. 8.), "_Cush begat Nimrod_" = "_Nimrod was an
Ethiopian by descent_." The whole of this invaluable monument of the
most ancient geography, the tenth of Genesis, must be read with
reference to _nations_, and not individuals.

Both the valley and the mountains are named from these "Inscriptions" =
_Mocatteb_ in Arabic; that fact alone indicates considerable antiquity,
especially in a country like Arabia, where the fashion of changing any
usage, especially that of names of places, has never prevailed. The
vicinity of these inscriptions to that portion of the world wherein the
Mosaic law had its origin, and probably, as a necessary consequence, the
invention of an alphabet also; and likewise the great question of
ancient intercourse between Egypt, Ethiopia, Assyria (Chaldea), and
India, have rendered the interpretation of the Mocatteb inscriptions a
problem of paramount interest, insomuch that Bishop Clayton offered a
considerable sum of money for a copy of them. In the _Royal Society's
Transactions_, vol. ii. part vi. 1832, are specimens of 187 of these,
whereof nine are Greek and one Latin. Some of them are doubtless of the
sixth century.

Coutelle and Roziere (_Antiquities_, vol. v. p. 57.) copied seventy-five
of them, and Pococke and Montague give a few specimens. Seetzen,
Burkhardt, and Henneker _saw_ them; and Niebuhr may be said to have been
sent out expressly on their account, but the result was _nil_. Cosmus,
Montfaucon, Neitzchitz, Monconys, Koischa, and others, mention them, and
they have been seen by a caravan of persons familiar with Arabic, Greek,
Hebrew, Syriac, Coptic, Latin, Armenian, Turkish, English, Illyrian,
German, and Bohemian, to all of whom they were equally inexplicable.
Since the discovery of Daguerre, we are placed in a position to obtain a
real _fac-simile_ of the whole of these inscriptions, at a small expense
of time or money. Any person familiar with the use of the daguerrotype
(the less learned the better) could now speedily furnish what the good
Bishop so fervently longed after, were he only provided with the small
sum of a few hundred pounds to take him thither and bring back his
invaluable treasures. Although the Mocatteb are graven with an iron pen
in the rock (Job xix. 24.), they are not everlasting, for the rains have
had some effect in obliterating them, being cut, not on granite, as was
formerly thought, but on red sandstone. It is worth remark, that
although Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, he
rejected entirely the hieroglyphic system of writing, and that no
mention or allusion is made to the art of writing till 1491 B.C., in Ex.
xvii. 14.[1], just prior to the delivery of the law, and in
connection with the account of Jethro, his father-in-law; subsequently,
constant allusion is made to writing. There is only one reference to
this art in Homer (_Il._ z. 168.). The author of Job, who appears to
have had a much more enlarged knowledge of art and science than Moses,
speaks of the cutting and painting (for so the Arabic and Hebrew words
should be rendered, and not _printing_) on a roll, _i.e._ with the
_style_ and _brush_; also of the cutting (_felling_) with a chisel (in
Arabic, a _digger_) on lead, or on a rock.[2]

  [Footnote 1: "Jehovah said to Moses, Write this as a memorandum on
  a roll, and let it be read to Joshua, that I intend to obliterate
  entirely the memory of Amalek here below. And Moses built an altar
  and called it _Jehovah Nissi_ (Jehovah is my banner). The reason
  he assigned for the name was that a hand (power) opposed to the
  throne of Jah was (the cause of) Jehovah's perpetual warfare
  against Amalek." This is the _sense_ of the Hebrew as it stands,
  in the current language of our day, and not a copy of the words
  merely,--an error, it is conceived, into which most of the
  translators, from the Seventy downwards, have often fallen. If a
  conjectural criticism might be offered, let [Hebrew: kaf], _caf_,
  be inserted for [Hebrew: nun], _nun_, and instead of Jehovah
  _Nissi_ (banner), read Jehovah _Cissi_, "Jehovah is my _throne_;"
  then the reason assigned by Moses for the name becomes
  intelligible, which it certainly is not in the existing text,
  undoubtedly very ancient, being confirmed by the Samaritan.]

  [Footnote 2: The word, correctly translated _for ever_, according
  to the Masoretic system, means "as a witness or testimony," if
  pointed with _Tsereh_ instead of _Pathach_. The general sense of
  this chapter, in some respects obscure, appears to be, "I seek for
  justice, but cannot obtain it. Every obstacle is put in my way.
  Neither my own kindred nor servants obey me. Look at my most
  wretched condition; although I call you friends, you all hate me.
  You are not satisfied with persecuting my body, but you afflict my
  soul also. Oh that I could make an impression upon you. I would
  set forth my petition for relief from your persecutions on a roll,
  on lead, or on a rock, as a constant memorial in testimony of my
  sufferings and your hate; as I know that my Goel (Redeemer or
  Avenger) lives, and will at length ascend from the dust (sand or
  soil). (In his approach he raises a cloud of dust.) Then arise and
  destroy this (memorial), for, living, I shall get a judgment on my
  case, being personally present and not by representative, although
  I may be hardly able to attend from mental anxiety. Then you will
  say, why did we persecute him, we were all wrong. And you will
  fear punishment because you will learn that justice must be
  satisfied."

  Divested of its highly poetic diction, the above gives the subject
  matter in the vernacular.]

The examination of the copies of the inscriptions already in our
possession will probably determine whether the language is hieroglyphic,
syllabic, or alphabetic. The principal point is to enumerate the
characters found to be clearly distinct from each other. Should there be
found two to three hundred decidedly _distinct_ characters--assuming it
to be one language and one uniform character of that language, for many
nations (peoples) use more than one character--the language _a priori_
must be _hieroglyphic_. If 70 to 90, it will be _syllabic_; but if only
20 to 50, it may be safely concluded that it is alphabetic. The letters
distinct from each other may be less than 20, inasmuch as in the Arabic,
most probably the language which will solve this problem, one character
represents several sounds, the points, usually omitted, alone
distinguishing the difference between _be_, _te_, _tse_, _nun_, and
_jod_, between _jim_, _ha_ and _cha_, between _dal_ and _zal_, between
_re_ and _se_, _sin_ and _shin_, _zad_ and _dad_, _fe_ and _kaf_, &c.
&c. On the other hand, the language has increased the number of its
characters, by distinguishing _initial_ from _medial_ and _terminal_
letters, having retained only thirteen originally distinct characters in
its alphabet.

The Ethiopic, written from left to right, has manifestly furnished the
Arabs with their cursive character, the one uniformly printed, written
from right to left, or otherwise both have derived them from a common
source. Of the intimate relation early subsisting between the Ethiopians
and their Shemitic congeners in Asia, one remarkable instance is the
former retaining to themselves exclusively "the exalted horn," so often
mentioned in the Hebrew Bible, the wearing of which has been long
abandoned by every other family of that race.

    T. J. BUCKTON.

  Lichfield.


ADDITIONS TO CUNNINGHAM'S HAND-BOOK OF LONDON.

_St. Stephen's Church, Walbrook._--Sir Robert Chicheley, alderman and
twice Lord Mayor of London, is said, in Wm. Ravenhill's _Short Account
of the Company of Grocers from their Original_ (4to. Lond. 1689), to
have purchased the ground whereon St. Stephen's church stands, and to
have built, at his own charge, the church which was afterwards replaced
by the edifice