Page:Notes and Queries - Series 10 - Volume 1.djvu/39

 io*s.LjAs.,i9M.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

Bion, 25 June, 1894. Authority uncertain.

Cindiniah. Ditto.

Cuckoo, Standard, 9 May, 1898.

Cymbeline, Standard, 25 November, 1903.

Darius, Guardian, 2 July, 1884.

Demosthenes, Times, 30 January, 1882.

Donatilla, Standard, 2 June, 1903.

Dorinda Cassandra, Times, 12 February, 1895.

Evacustes, Standard, 4 September, 1890, p. 2, col. 8 (foot).

Gam, Times, 6 January, 1882.

Idonea, Times, 4 February, 1882.

Jugurtha, Standard, 2 August, 1897, and 21 October, 1898.

Kenaz, Times, 9 August, 1898.

Kerenhappuch, Times, 28 November, 1884.

Lois, Morning Post, 1 March, 1888.

Lysander, Times, 6 or 7 August, 1900.

Marmion, Standard, 21 April, 1900.

Neptune, given as having been born at sea, Gloucestershire Echo, 10 December, 1903.

Oriana, Standard, 3 November, 1903.

Othniel, between 14 and 19 May, 1894. Authority uncertain.

Pamela, name of a patient at the Chelten- ham Hospital.

Parmenas, borne by an artisan at Henbury, Bristol.

Phosphor, Standard, 29 June, 1903.

Puah. Authority uncertain.

Venice, Morning Post, 1 March, 1888.

Zelpa, Times, 31 December, 1880.

There was once a patient in the Chelten- ham Hospital with the name of Omega ; also one with that of Thennuthias. I have a slight acquaintance with a lady, one of whose Chris- tian names is Alpha. A man named Deborah Haris appeared at Worship Street Police Court, 8 November, 1894. A female with the name of Peter is noted by myself. Also Thalia appears in the Cheltenham Free Press, 19 October, 1899. But Ohe iam satis !

P. J. F. GANTILLON.

" ACERBATIVE." I see this word is not in the 'N.E.D.' It was used by the late Lord Salisbury some years back in a public speech with reference to the hostile tone of some of our continental critics. I have not got the reference by me, but no doubt some reader can supply it. A. T. K.

" TUNNELIST" : " TUNXELISM." These words occur in a rare tract entitled 'Observations on the Intended Tunnel beneath the River Thames,' by Charles Clark, F.S.A. (Graves- end, 1799). They are to be found in the following expressions : " the tunnelist and his friends" and "a complete system of tunnelism." L. L. K.

WE 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 may be addressed to them direct.

ST. BRIDGET'S BOWER. In Spenser's 'Shep- heards Calender, Julye,' occur the lines (37-44) :

In evill houre thou hentest iu hond

Thus holy hylles to blame, For sacred unto saints they stond,

And of them han theyr name. St. Michels Mount who does not know,

That wardes the Westerne coste ? And of St. Brigets bowre, I trow, All Kent can rightly boaste.

Where is, or was, St. Briget's Bowre ? From the context it was evidently a hill well known to all Kent, either from its conspicuous- ness or from some other distinction. For the mere fact that it bore the name of a saint would hardly justify the statement here made of it. So far as I see, no editor of Spenser has commented on the name, and some distinguished local antiquaries and his- torians have confessed their ignorance of the locality. Is the name, then, quite lost ? And if so, can conjecture adduce any hill to which the name St. Briget's Bowre would be for any reason applicable? Bower is, of course, not necessarily a place overarched with shrubs or foliage; the word has also signified a cottage, dwelling, or abode, a booth, and a chamber. But it would seem to follow that a hill so named must have been distinguished by a bower of some kind dedicated to St. Bridget. Perhaps it was a sacred spot, dismantled or abandoned at. the Reformation, the very name of which has since been forgotten, although it was evi- dently very well known in 1579. But in this case there would surely be other references to it, in sixteenth-century or earlier literature or records. I ve.nture to ask "all Kent "to aid in the identification of the locality, but shall be satisfied if even one man or maid of Kent furnishes a certain answer.

J. A. H. MURRAY.

' MEMOIRS OF A STOMACH.' Does any reader know the authorship of a humorous little book, which was published anonymously, I think, about forty-five years ago, with the title " Memoirs of a Stomach. Edited by a Minister of the Interior " 1 It is brought to mind by the fact that, in the pantomime at Drury Lane, the king's cook is called "Minister of the Interior" as well as "Little Mary," a very obvious association.

W. R. G.