Page:Notes and Queries - Series 10 - Volume 2.djvu/166

 134

NOTES AND QUERIES. no* s. n. AUG. 13, 100*.

May I, in conclusion, protest against the antiquated practice of using Latin inscrip- tions on such monuments'? The English language is both extensive and dignified enough to provide suitable phrases, and, apart from mere pedantry, there is no reason why it should thus be continually flouted as if fit only for vulgar speech. J. DORMER.

THE ENGLISH CHANNEL (10 th S. i. 448 ; ii. 34). In Fernau Duero's * El Armada In vencible,' which contains all the dispatches relating to the Arrnada, the writers invariably call the English Channel "el Canal de Flandes" <the Flanders Channel) and the Bristol Channel" la Manga de Bristol "(the Bristol Sleeve). H. 2.

BAILIFF OF EAGLE (10 th S. ii. 46). No date of the Church Times issue alluded to is given ; but apparently mention is not there made of the fact that this holding of the Hospitallers was originally a commandery of the Knights Templar, who held the manor of Eagle by the gift of King Stephen. The duties of the Duke of Connaught as the Bailiff of Eagle, if they correspond to those of the old office, .are seemingly " the ordering of husbandry, the exercise of authority to gather the profits for the lord's use, to pay quitrents issuing out of the manor, fell [? or sell] trees, and -dispose of the under-servants." Is the King the present lord ?

J. HOLDEN MACMlCHAEL.

SILVER BOUQUET-HOLDER (10 th S. ii. 50). According to Chaffers's ' Handbook to Hall- Marks on Gold and Silver Plate' (London, 1897), the following are the Edinburgh hall- marks :

1. The standard mark. The deacon's initials from 1457 to 1757. After that the thistle.

2. The maker's mark, from 1457.

3. The town mark. A castle with three towers, from 1483.

4. The date letter, from 1681-2.

5. The duty mark of the sovereign's head, from 1784.

The bouquet-holder referred to by C. & T. would, therefore, seem to be of very early date if it was "evidently made before such marks were compulsory in Scotland "

T. F. D.

May this not possibly be of the date of Margaret " the Maid of Norway," who died in Orkney on her way to Scotland in 1290 ? THOMAS AWDRY.

A ROYAL CARVER (10 th S. ii. 27). The nolders of this office have already been given

in 5 th S. viii., from the time of James II (1686-9) to 1782, when the office in Englanc was supposed to have been abolished, bui continued in Scotland to 1818.

EVERARD HOME COLEMAN.

SPANISH PROVERB ON THE ORANGE (10 th S i. 206, 251;. Many years ago, when living ir a country that once belonged to Spain, ] used to hear the proverb quoted, "Honej is gold in the morning, silver at noon, anc lead at night." M.

Mangalore.

GORDON EPITAPH (10 th S. ii. 50). Mr. W. H Brown, in an interesting contribution t< Country Life of 17 June, 1899, entitlec 4 Curious Epitaphs,' says that this occur; "in a churchyard in Heading"; and as hii remarks were the result of ramblings througl the numerous churchyards of rural England when he made notes of his observations ai the time, it may be taken that his is the mon correct version. It is as follows :

Here lies the body of William Gordon ;

He'd a mouth almighty and teeth accordin' ;

Stranger, tread lightly on this sod,

For if he gapes, you 're gone, by God.

Can any reader say whether there is an^ truth in the statement that a wealthy anc eccentric old fellow named Thorp instructec his executors to pay 100 guineas for ai epitaph, which was to be truthful, brief, anc written in English verse? This brief couple is said to have taken the prize :

Thorp's

Corpse.

J. HOLDEN MACMICHAEL.

The subjoined ' Epitaph on a Glutton ' is i variant :

Here lies a famous belly-slave,

Whose mouth was wider than his grave :

Reader, tread lightly o'er his sod,

For, should he gape, you 're gone, by God.

G. SYMES SAUNDERS, M.D.

KING JOHN'S CHARTERS (10 th S. i. 469, 512 ii. 57). In the * Itinerary of King John, printed in the work entitled * A Descriptior of the Patent Rolls,' ed. J. D. Hardy, 1835 the dates when the king was at Vaudreuil Chateau de Vire, and Bonneville-sur-Touquef are given as follows :

Vaudreuil. 1199, 17, 18 July, 19, 20 Aug. 14 Oct. ; 1201, 14 Dec.

Chateau de Vire. 1199, 13 Dec.; 1201 11 Nov. ; 1203, 11, 12, 13 April, 21, 22, 23 Nov

Bonneville-sur-Touques. 1199, 5 July; 1200 4 Jan., 7 May ; 1201, 2 June, 30 Oct. ; 1203 11, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29. 30 March, 10, 11, 12 May 6 Aug., 5 Sept., 7, 9 Oct., 12, 13 Nov.