Page:Notes and Queries - Series 10 - Volume 2.djvu/135

 ii. AUG. e, 1904.) NOTES AND QUERIES.

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Holy Communion. Scarce had this taken place when Ignatius Loyola placed himself before the altar, and swore upon the Bible to lead henceforth a life of poverty, chastity, and obedience. He swore to tight to all eternity only for the things of God, of the Holy Mary, and her Son Jesus Christ, as true spiritual knights, as also for the protection of the holy Romish Church and its supreme head the Pope; and for the extension of the true faith among unbelievers devoting his life thereto. 'Ad majorem Dei gloriam' (to the exaltation of the glory of God), he exclaimed, as he finished taking the oath, and his wild piercing eyes shot like lightning out of his leaden-coloured haggard countenance. After him the six others took the same oath, and each exclaimed at the finish ' Ad majorem Dei gloriam.' On the termination of this ceremony, however, they did not at once leave the chapel, but remained shut up in it until late in the evening, muttering their prayers, and without a bit of food or a drop of water having passed their lips. As they at last rose up from their knees, Ignatius Loyola marked upon the altar three large capital letters: these were I.H.S. 'What do those signify?' demanded the others. 'They signify,' answered Ignatius with solemn utterance, ' "Jesus Hominum Salvator," and they shall henceforth be the motto of our institution.' From that time these words were inscribed on the banners of the Society to indicate that the members of the same desire to be considered Assistants of the Saviour Jesus."

I have troubled you with this long extract, without abridgment, to ask if all this is really true. Is this the origin of the letters I.H.S., and do our churches bear on their altars and tables as a fact the badge of the Jesuits 1 The A.M.D.G. I have always supposed to be their motto, and (but quaere) the "Patiens quia seternus": but is the I.H.S. theirs as, well ?

I have read the notes on "Stat crux dum volvitur orbis " (10 th S. i. 393) with interest. Would it be asking too much for B.W., or some other learned contributor, to note in your columns the mottoes and badges of all the different Orders?

By-the-by, is the translation given above of A.M.D.G. the correct one? "To the greater glory of God " seems more literal ; and yet is not that an impossibility, and a contradiction on the face of it ? Lucis.

SHAKESPEARE AUTOGRAPH. Can any of your American correspondents or others tell me the present whereabouts of the Shake- speare autograph purchased last April at Sotheby's rooms by Mr. A. Jackson, of 224, Portland Street, for a client out of Eng- land ? REGINALD HAINES.

Uppingham.

ETON LISTS. Can any one put me on the track of any MS. lists of Eton College prior to 1791, when they first began to be printed ? At present I have lists or copies of lists for the following years : 1678, 1707, 1718, 1725,

1742, 1745, 1747, 1752-4, 1756-71, 1773, and 1775-91. I should be very glad to hear of any others, and also of duplicates for any of the above-mentioned years.

R. A. AUSTEN LEIGH.

8, St. James's Street, S.W.

ITALIAN INITIAL H. It is of course well known that initial h only survives in the singular and in the third person plural of the present tense of the verb avere. In what appears to be an excellent little book by the late Policarpo Petrocchi, 'La Lingua e la Storia Letteraria d' Italia dalle origini fino a Dante/ Roma, 1903, the words /ia and hanno appear as a and anno* I shall be glad to know whether this is an idiosyncrasy of the publishers, Ermanno Loescher <fe Co., or whe- ther it is sanctioned by the Accademia della Crusca, or any other authoritative institu- tion. The name of the publishers seems to suggest that the dreibund has something to do with the innovation. A man who, at home, is guilty of such monstrosities as tun and tat (for thun and that) may very well have acquired an unreasoning prejudice against the letter h. Q. V.

COURT DRESS. The Hungarian Professor Vambery, in a delightful letter (part of which I here give in order to make my query intelli- gible) to his friends, lately published in the continental newspapers, gives an interest- ing description of a visit to the Court of Edward VII. Invited " to dine and sleep " at Windsor Castle, he gives the following account of the first evening's dinner :

" On the card of invitation were, as usual, direc- tions given for the dress to be worn during the only formal function of the day, the dinner, and thus worded : ' Evening dress, kneebreeches and orders.' As regards myself, there could hardly be any ques- tion that I, with my lame legs, should put on knee- breeches.

"About the time when I generally go to bed, the company of guests assembled, the ladies in full dress and the gentlemen in Court dress or uniform. When their Majesties, preceded by the Master of the Household, entered, the ladies placed themselves on the right and the gentlemen to the left. The Queen, as gracious and beautiful as ever, saluted the company, and, by way of distinction, gave her hand to the newcomers. Then the King followed in Court dress, with the star and ribbon of the Garter. The black coat with a red collar a novelty for the year became him, the master of fashion, admirably well."

I will stop here and proceed with my query. Does not the amiable professor here make a confusion with the so-called Windsor

the book as I have read ; but it probably is there. Is the second person singular at, to distinguish it from "to the "(pi.)?
 * I have not happened to find an d in so much of