Page:Notes and Queries - Series 10 - Volume 10.djvu/251

 10 s. x. SEPT. 12, 1908.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

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active the spleen, the more it disposed to laughter, correcting the tendency of the liver to produce melancholy. Then, as one cannot run laughing, a good spleen would be said to hinder running or the tendency to hurry or to worry. Conversely, deficiency of spleen, while * good for running races, would diminish ease of temper ; thus it is said of a restless man " a ges de rato dins lou cors " (he has nought of spleen in the body). But splenetic melancholy, a fit of the spleen, would occur when " the splene is to feble to purge the malancolient blood " (' O.E.D..' " melancholiaiit " ). So ancient and mediaeval medicine believed in stimu- lating the spleen to healthy reaction on the liver. One way was by merrymaking. Hence the French adjective desopilant, commonly applied to an amusing story or comedy, means one that, by making the ribs shake with laughter, will " desopiler la rate," an expression which found its way from Provence. Here " desoupila la rato," " se purga la rato," " mouse la rato " (to milk the spleen), " la rato jais " (the spleen gushes), testify to the persistence of the idea that laughter is good for health.

With " spleen " and " rate " we also have "milt," in Provencal meusso ; an easy- going man is said to have " uno bello meusso." This word is so probably related to meu, honey, that it seems to corroborate the presumed derivation of rato, the spleen, from L. radius, in the sense of the organ having been likened to a honeycomb, Fr. " rayon de miel," Pr. " rai de meu " (though now generally " bresco de meu ").

Thus two of the three terms for spleen rato and meusso correspond, the one to the rai (= honeycomb) structure of the spleen, the other to the presumed meu ( = honey) secretion which required milking or purgation if it accumulated. And as we find in the English " milt " a double mean- ing, due to the influence of " melt " anc " milk," in regard to the milt of male fishes so we find in Proven9al a corresponding idea in the supposed effect of merrimenl on the spleen. EDWARD NICHOLSON.

2, Berkley Street, Liverpool.

DR. JOHNSON'S ANCESTORS AND CONNEXIONS.

(See 10 S. viii. 281, 382, 462 ; ix. 43, 144, 302, 423 ; x. 44.)

Michael Johnson's Apprentice. The late MR. H. SYDNEY GRAZEBROOK, F.S.A., showed in * N. & Q.' twenty-five years ago (6 S. v. 147) that about 1692 Michael Johnson had

lvmg*"with him at his house in Sadler's Row, Market Street, Lichfield, an apprentice named Simon Martin, aged sixteen. I suggested in my book (p. 217) that he was probably related o the Simon Martin who was Junior Bailiff of Lichfield in 1684, and to the Simon Martin who in 1661 contributed 1Z. towards an armed force for the service of Charles II. and the defence of Lichfield.

I am now able to give fuller particulars of this apprentice. " Symon, son of Mr. Symon Martin, Jun.," was baptized at St. Mary's, Lichfield, on 4 March, 1676/7. Simon Martin, " the elder," of Lichfield, gent., in his will dated 31 Oct., 1681, and proved 14 Dec., 1681, at Lichfield, asks to be buried amongst his parents and relations in St. Mary's Church ; and leaves the house in St. John Street where he dwells to his son Simon, to whom he also bequeaths his library, and various pieces of land in Lich- field. He also mentions his wife Sarah ; John and Simon, sons of his late son John Martin ; his daughter Sarah, wife of Robert Wood ("he hath been a prodigall"), and her children ; his son-in-law, Mr. Adin Froggatt, and his wife ; and his grandson William Froggatt. The will of his son, Simon Martin, " the elder," of Lichfield, gent., dated 4 Feb., 1687/8, was proved at Lichfield on 2 April, 1688. He mentions that his children are mostly small, and leaves his property to his wife Abia Martin for their education till they come of age. His study of books, his writings and muniments, he leaves to his son John Martin, except those books or writings appearing to belong to the Register Office, desiring him to let his other son Simon have some of them. He mentions his two daughters, Elizabeth and Mary ; his late father Simon Martin ; and other relatives. One Simon Martin occurs as a notary public in Lichfield in 1669 and 1670 ; this probably was the second Simon, the father of Michael Johnson's apprentice.

Few will quarrel with me for identifying this apprentice with the Mr. Simon Martin, bookseller, who was elected a member of the Common Council of Leicester in 1702 (James Thompson's ' History of Leicester in the Eighteenth Century,' 1871, p. 18). On 16 July, 1708, Simon Martin voted in favour of enclosing the South Fields in Leicester (ibid., p. 26). At the time of the Rebellion in 1715

" a body of soldiery was also quartered here in October; as on the day of commemorating the Coronation (the 20th) the commissioned officers were invited to the Ordinary at Mr. Simon Martin's (ths White Horse)."-/6iU, p. 35.