Page:Notes and Queries - Series 10 - Volume 10.djvu/449

 10 s. x. NOV. 7, 1908.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

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References are given to Ibn Abd al Hakam and Ibn Khallikan. But a note on p. 14 of Sir H. H. Johnston's ' Colonization of Africa ' says :

"The origin of the name Kairwan has been much disputed. When I visited this place I was told by an Arab that the word was the Arab name for a small bustard-like courser (a bird which the French called Poule de Kairouan), and that seeing this bird in large numbers where it is still to be found in the marshy plain on which the city was built, the Arabs gave its name to the town." Has the point been settled yet ? The only Arabic dictionary I possess (Hava's, Beyrut, 1899) gives karwdn, a kind of partridge ; but the bird may have been called after the town, and not vice versa.

ALEX. RUSSELL.

Stromness.

SIB MATTHEW DE RENZI. I have in my possession a crayon drawing of a family monument with the following inscription :

" This Monvment was erected for y e R* Worship- ful | Sir Matthew D e Renzi who died August y e 29 th being | of 57 y rs born at Cvllen in Germany & descended from | that famous & renowned warrior, George Castriot | tals Scanderbeg who in y e Chris- tian War fought | 52 battailes with greet conqvest & honour against | y e grand Turke). He was a great traveller & general | lingyist & kept correspond- ence with most nations | in many weighty affairs & in 3 years gained great | perfection for this nation by composing a dictionary | & chronicle in y e Irish tongue & in accounts most | expert exceeding all others to his great | applause. This work was accomplished by his son | Matthew D e Renzi Esquire August y e 29 th 1635."

The monument appears to be a wall tablet with a recessed arch surmounted by a sort of roof, which is supported by two short columns. Beneath the arch is the head of Sir Matthew de Renzi in relief. The pillars have the Turkish crescent at the corner.

In what part of Ireland is this monu- ment to be found, and what is the history of Sir Matthew ? Is his claim to be descended from Scanderbeg well authenti- cated ? Are there any branches of the family still existing ? L. J.

[See the notice of him in the ' D.N.B.,' which says none of his writings is extant.]

W. H. PRICE = ELIZABETH RUSHBROOKE. I should be very glad to receive any infor- mation as to the marriage of the above persons. William Henry Price, of Charlton House, Wantage, Berks, many years a magistrate for the county, who died 27 Feb., 1826, aged seventy four, married as his second wife Elizabeth, daughter of Col. Rushbrooke. She died 13 Aug., 1827, aged seventy-four. To what family of

Rushbrooke did she belong, and in what direction should I prosecute my inquiries ? LEONABD C. PRICE. Essex Lodge, Ewell.

GERMAN LEATHER BINDINGS : " CUIR- BOUILLI " : " CUIR-CI&ELE." I have seen it stated that the early German bookbinders (say of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries), besides ornamenting their leather-bound books with small stamps and panel stamps, adorned some of them by methods called cuir-bouilli and cuir-cisele. Can any reader give me a terse technical description of these methods, and state at what periods they were actually employed in Germany ? Please give authorities. BIBLOS.

HERALDRY IN FROISSART : " PILLOW." I read in Froissart's ' Chronicles,' wherein he describes the war with Scotland, that " the Scotch king had for one of his leaders the Earl of Moray .... who bore upon his banner Argent, three pillows gules." Will one of our heraldic authorities explain " pillow " ?

Further, the narrative says " Sir James Douglas bore for his arms Argent, on a chief argent." Surely this is incorrect.

BERNARD LORD M. QUILLIN.

SHOREDITCH FAMILY. Any information as to the Shoreditch or Shordich family will greatly oblige. The family has been traced in the parish registers of Ickenham and Stanmoreup to 1789. G. H. L.

ST. PANCRAS BOROUGH COUNCIL : ITS MOTTO. This body has taken to itself a coat of arms and a motto ; the latter runs, " Constans justitiam moniti." Can any one translate it ?

I have read that in 1288 a clock was put up at Westminster, out of a fine imposed on a corrupt Chief Justice, with the motto " Discite justitiam, moniti." Is " Con- stans " some one's bad writing for " Discite " as deciphered by the Borough Clerk ?

JOHN B. WAINE WRIGHT.

[This example of bad Latin was discussed in the press a year or so ago. There is no defence for it.]

" BOOKSELLER." The earliest example of the use of the word " bookseller " given in the ' New English Dictionary ' is of the year 1527, when it appears on the title-page of Ralph Higden's ' Polychronicon,' which was ' Imprented. . . . at ye expences of John Reynes bokeseller." The word *' book- bynder" was in use in 1389, as the ' Dic- ionary ' informs us ; and one would expect