Page:Notes and Queries - Series 10 - Volume 11.djvu/373

 10 s. XL APRIL IT, 1909.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

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over from Rugby with Thomas Carlyle to visit Naseby. JOHN PICKFORD, M.A.

Newbourne Rectory, Woodbridge.

[MR. JOHN T. PAGE contributed at 9 S. xi. 461 an article entitled ' Naseby Revisited,' in which he printed in full the inscription on the obelisk erected by the father and mother of Edward FitzGerald. MB. PICKFORD on 2 Aug., 1879, gave a long account in ' N. & Q.' (5 S. xii. 81) of his then recent visit to Naseby. References to the subject will be found in ' Letters of Edward FitzGerald to Fanny K enable ' and ' More Letters of Edward FitzGerald.]

MECHANICAL ROAD CARRIAGES. Early references to mechanical road traction are worth noticing in these days of the trium- phant motor-car. Here are two of more than ordinary interest.

In The Daily Advertiser of 4 March, 1742, it was announced that

" several gentlemen that had seen the curious chaise that travels without horses, lately arriv'd from Bern in Switzerland, are charm'd with the easy manner in which it is perfonn'd, it being capable of going forty miles a day, with very little trouble to the rider ; and we are further assur'd that on Thursday next it will be exposed to publick view at the Mitre Tavern, Charing- Cross."

On 23 April, 1742, this is advertised as being shown at " the Great Booth near the Steps in Middle Moorefields."

In the following August Pinchbeck had this road-carriage, or one of his own con- struction ; and The Daily Advertiser an- nounces :

" We are assur'd that last Wednesday evening Mr. Pinchbeck's curious machine chaise that travels without horses ran from Hampstead to Tottenham Court in less than forty minutes in the sight of several hundreds of people ; at which place it will continue to be shewn during the time of the fair, with two other very curious and surprising pieces of mechanism which were never before expos'd to publick view."

ALECK ABKAHAMS.

" HIGH LIFE," THE SIGN IN MODERN GREEK. The English words " High Life " are pretty common in France as a sign or title, e.g., on tailors' shops. In Smyrna is (or was when I was there last year) a shop a cafe, I think with the following Greek rendering, AI-AAI^, as a sign or title. It is interesting to observe that whereas the French spell the words correctly, but pronounce them " Eegleef," the Greeks, in this instance at all events, throw the spelling to the winds, but keep the true sound almost exact. There is, of course, nothing in Modern Greek which represents the sound of the English aspirated H.

ROBERT PIERPOINT.

FATHER ANGUS. Perhaps I may be permitted to add a few lines to the notice of this good man which appeared ante, p. 279.

As far back as 1859, being then curate to the Bishop of Aberdeen, I had the privilege of preparing George Angus for confirmation, as he then belonged to the Scottish Epis- copal Church. He had just obtained a commission in the Army, and was going out to India. For many years I lost sight of him, but our friendship was renewed through the medium of ' N. & Q.' Some twenty years ago I visited him at St. Andrews.

J. P.

" THA' WOODIN IMAGE." A friend of mine has a trick of calling every one who does a thing in an awkward or blundering fashion " tha' woodin image," spiced with con- tempt according to the magnitude of the offence. And it is by no means an un- common thing to use the phrase " a wooden image " about persons who are not " quick and certain," but " slow and sure."

I remember how, when, more than fifty years ago, I used to be taken at rare times to some of the large Midland towns, I always looked for the shop doors at which stood, or from the lintels swung, the " wooden images " signs of various trades, for the most part all black, though in Iron- gate, Derby, stood, I think, an almost life- size Highlander in full "war paint," coloured. It seems to me that the expression " tha' woodin image " is a sort of recollection of those wooden figure signs of years ago.

THOS. RATCLIFFE.

Worksop.

[The wooden Highlander at tobacconists' shops was discussed recently at considerable length ; see 10 S. vii. 47, 92, 115, 137, 457. See also ' Tobac- conist's Highlander: his Bat,' post, p. 307.]

SHAKESPEARE ALLUSION. I believe this has not yet been collected :

" The Players have a Play, where they bring in a Tinker, and make him believe himself a Lord, and when they have satisfied their humour, they made him a plain Tinker again ; Gentlemen, but that this was a great while agoe, I should have thought this Play had been made of me ; for if ever two cases were alike, 'tis the Tinkers and mine." ' The Lord Henry Cromwels Speech in the House. Printed, Anno Dom. 1659,' p. 5.

G. THORN-DRURY.

ATTNT SALLY : SALLEE. Under the head- ing 'Archery Butts' (9 S. iii. 371) I sug- gested that the " Aunt Sally " at whom so many /'shies" are taken at fairs was a descendant of the effigy of "a Turk for shott," of whom we find mention in Col.