Page:Notes and Queries - Series 10 - Volume 10.djvu/378

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NOTES AND QUERIES. [io s. x. OCT. 17, iocs.

of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The charter is countersigned " Jacobus Massius, Secretarius." I find from Nicolini (' History of the Jesuits,' p. 324) that Noyelle was General of the Order from 1681 to 1687.

Can any of your readers identify Medio- lanum ? I find that the name has been applied to Llanvyllin or Meifod (Mont- gomeryshire), Nantwich (Cheshire), Drayton or Whitchurch (Shropshire), and Chesterton (Warwickshire). Was there ever a Jesuit college at any of these places ?

ROBT, GuYc Auldhouse, Pollokshaws.

" PORTIONS " : " PENSIONS." Can any of your correspondents kindly tell me the exact meaning of the words " Portions " and " Pensions " which we find in early eccle- siastical documents ?

EDWARD LAWS, F.S.A.

Brython Place, Ten by.

[The second definition of portion in the * N.E.D.' is "A quantity or allowance of food allotted to, or enough for, one person," illustrative quotations being cited from Caxton, Lord Berners's translation of Froissart, and the Bible (Esther ix. 22).

The ecclesiastical meaning of pension is defined as " A fixed payment put of the revenues of a benefice, upon which it forms a charge." The quotations range from 1316 to 1885.]

"THE ESSEX SERPENT." A day or two ago I noticed a public-house bearing the name " The Essex Serpent." What is the origin of this ? CROSS PATTE.

" BETTER AN OLD MAN'S DARLING THAN A YOUNG MAN'S SLAVE." Harrison Ainsworth has the variant of this in ' The Miser's Daughter' (Book III. chap, xv.), "She would rather be an old man's darling than a young man's warling." Is this a known variant, or a creation of the novelist ?

ALFRED F. BOBBINS.

MIDDAY AT BALE : BALE MADNESS. In the ' Memoires de J. Casanova ' (Brussels ed., V. chap. vii. p. 144 ; Paris ed., V. chap. xvii. p. 439) is the following :

" One of the peculiarities of the town of Bale is that midday is at eleven o'clock, an absurdity owed to an historical event which the Prince of Porentrui explained to me, but which I have forgotten. The people of Bale are said to be subject to a kind of madness of which the Sulzbach waters cure them, but which takes them again a little while after they have returned home." Translated.

What is the story of the Bale midday which Casanova forgot ?

Is there any legend to be found elsewhere concerning Bale madness ?

ROBERT PIERPOINT.

BILLY BUTLER THE HUNTING PARSON. At 2 S. x. 426 Butler is stated to be the author of the witticism " Pro aris et focis," and to have uttered it " at the mansion of the old Somersetshire family bearing the name of Phelips."

Can any one give me particulars relating to this " hunting parson " ? Who were his parents, and where did he officiate ?

J. C. BUTLER.

Law Society's Hall, Chancery Lane, W.C.

DE LA MOTTE DE LA GARRE. I should be much obliged for any information regarding the above family. It has-been stated that Margaret de la Motte married Francis Le Maistre of the celebrated Jersey family.

E. H. M.

r GEDNEY CHURCH, LINCOLNSHIRE.

(10 S. x. 248.)

ST. MARY MAGDALENE'S, Gedney, in South-East Lincolnshire, is what may be called one of the " surprise churches " of the Marshland district ; and so large and multi- farious are its parts that, used as the tra- velling ecclesiologist is to surprises, his wonder is not lessened to find what is almost a minster in a place where there are now only a few cottages for the parishioners. The nave of this church alone is about 100 ft. long by 65 ft. wide, with a chancel of 33 ft. more, all built of fine Barnack stone.

The things that strike the visitor most are (1) its tower, a smaller Mechlin, and (2) the long continuous range of clerestory windows, rising above a comparatively low aisle. The tower deserves very careful examination ; rising without any lessening in bulk to the height of 88 ft., and terminating as it does in a straight top, it appears as if it was meant to be continued still higher. The stages four in number are tall, of rich Early English work, except the uppermost stage, which is the highest. This has two lofty windows in each face, set close together, with ogee-shaped arches, their foliations penetrating a course of diamond work panelling. This is, of course, later than the lower stages. The buttresses in the lower part are Early English, but in the upper stage they are continued with double panelling of crocketed work. The lowest division is plain on every side ; the next has lancets with dog-tooth moulding in their heads ; the third has sumptuous work on all the four sides, I with double windows, each of two lights,