Page:Notes and Queries - Series 10 - Volume 1.djvu/15

 TO'" s.i. JAN. 2, 1904.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

Borghini, in the second book of his ' Riposo,' dedicated to Don Giovanni Medici, writes at great length as to the significance of colours. I extract what relates to green (ed. 1584, pp. 237-8) :

" Vsa la Chiesa Santa i parameuti neri nelle roga- tioni, e ne giprni di affltttione, e d' astinenza per li lieccati, & in altri tempi, che hora nori dico per venire ;'i trattare del verde sesto colore. Questo perche non participa molto del nero non <. cosi ignobile come il color nero, ben che sia men nobile degli altri colori : & alcuui vogliono, perche egli noil e anupuerato fra i quattro element!, che egli sia di tutti il men pregiato ; nondimeno egli rappresenta alberi, piante, prati, verde herbette. e fronzuti colli, cose giocondissitne, e dilleteuoli alia vista ; pero non dee esser tenutp in poca stima. Signinca allegrezza, amore, gratitudine, amicitia, honore, bonta, bellezza, e secondo la comune opinione speranza. Fra le pietre pretiose s' asso- miglia allo smaraldo, fra le virtu dimostra la for- tezza, fra pianeti Venere, fra metalli il piprabo, iiell' eta dell' huomo la gipuentu fino a trentacinque anni, nei giorni il giouedi, nelle stagioni la Prima uera, ne : niesi il verde oscurp Aprile, & il verde chiaro Maggio, e ne' sacramenti il matrimonio. E' il verde di grandissimo couforto alia vista, e la mantiene, e conspla quando e affaticata ; e percio gli occhi molto si dilettano, e si compiacciono del color uerde. Vsa la santa Chiesa i paramenti uerdi nell' ottaua dell' Epifauia, nella Settuagesima,nella Pentecoste, nell' Auento, e ne giorni feriali, e cbmuni."

Q. V.

^VE must request correspondents desiring in- formation on family matters of only private interest to affix their names and addresses to their queries, in order that the answers maybe addressed to them direct.

SADLER'S WELLS PLAY ALLUDED TO BY WORDSWORTH. I shall be obliged if any one can tell me what was the date of the play, founded on the story of John Hatfield and Mary of Buttermere,and produced at Sadler's Wells Theatre, to which Wordsworth alludes in the ' Prelude,' book vii. It must have been between 1803 and 1805, for the poem was finished during the latter year, and during the management of the Dibdins. In the Brit. Mus. collection of Sadler's Wells playbills I came across one in which was announced for 25 April, 1803, ' William and Susan,' the favourite burletta, in which are various views of the lake of Buttermere. Possibly this is the play in question.

H. W.. B.

[Xo mention of this work occurs in the 'Biographia l)ramatica' of Baker, Reed, and Jones, 1812.]

MILESTONES. When did our forefathers begin to recognize the importance of accu- rately marking distances on our high roads ]

Even in these days we are, as is well known, much behind our continental neighbours in this regard, as well as in that of "finger- posts " and like indicators. From the follow- ing paragraph, which I have found in the London Evening Post for 10 September, 1743, it would seem that the setting up, or at least the providing of funds for setting up, of milestones, even on such an important high road as that between Croydon and London, was at that time left to the public spirit of private individuals :

" On Wednesday they began to measure the Croydon Road from the Standard in Cornhill and stake the places for erecting milestones, the in- habitants of Croydon having subscribed for thirteen, which 'tis thought will be carried on by the Gentle- men of Sussex."

W. MOY THOMAS.

FELLOWS OF THE CLOVER LEAF. Informa- tion is sought as to the history of this society or order. On 17 May, 1866, Capt. Arthur Chilver Tupper, F.S.A. (when did he die and where buried ?), exhibited to the Society of Antiquaries two small pewter flagons about 8 in. high. One was inscribed "Jochim Lvers 1645"; the other, "Peter Fisker 1645 Dit is Der Repper gesellen er klever Blat." Each bore L. S. and shield with castle as pew- terer's mark. T. CANN HUGHES, F.S.A.

Lancaster.

'ASTR.EA VICTRIX.' Can you inform me where to find a poem entitled 'Astrsea Victrix, or Love's Triumph/ by L. Willan, gent. ? It was probably published about 1750 or later. I was born Willan, my grand- father being a certain Dr. Robert \Villan, F.R.S., F.S.A., born at Sedbergh, Yorkshire. He practised in Bloomsbury Square, and died in 1812. My ancestors lived in or about Sedbergh for several hundred years, and Leonard and Lancelot were two family names. Willan is quite a Yorkshire name. MARY AUGUSTA Ho WELL.

Holy Trinity Parsonage, High Cross, Tottenham

SPEECH BY THE EARL OF SUSSEX, 1596. I desire to know if there is in existence a perfect copy of "a speech by the Earl of Sussex at the tilt," 1596. There is a mutilated MS. of it in the Duke of Northumberland's collection. It begins : " Most divine, and more mighty than that queen to whom all other queens are subject." JOHN OATES.

Rutland House, Saltoun Road, S.W.

MAYERS' SOXG. (See 3 rd S. vii. 373.) Is it possible to ascertain what was the musical rendering of this ballad ? I am giving a paper on the Hertfordshire Mayers' Song shortly, and am anxious to have it sung by