Page:Notes and Queries - Series 10 - Volume 2.djvu/597

 ii. DEC. 17, 1904.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

493

'Farewell.' From a short biographical notice in the first-named number, it would appear that the married name of Mrs. Hemans's only sister was Gray. W. B. H.

THE TENTH SHEAF (10 th S. ii. 349, 454). In the accounts given of the practice of setting out tithe the most important point has been omitted. The setter-out, beginning at a corner of the field, proceeded down one row of shocks, and, counting the shocks as he went, stuck a branch into one of them chosen by him (without previous arrange- ment), being between the first and the tenth ; and then proceeded up and down the lines of shocks, putting a branch in every tenth shock, counting from the one first marked. The object was to prevent a fraud on the part of the farmer, who, if he had known which shocks would be marked, might have made them smaller than the rest. I have frequently heard my father explain the process. He had often been employed, when young, to set out tithe. J. F. K.

Godalming.

HOLBORN (10 th S. ii. 308, 392, 457). PROF. SKEAT misquotes me and gives my words a different setting, and by so doing uninten- tionally' misrepresents my meaning. I did not say that " hollowness " was ''not cha- racteristic of words connected with water" although I might have said so with truth. I said that hoi occurs in *' water- words where the idea of hollowness is not specially characteristic." There is nothing specially hollow about a beach or a ford ; and the river Hull is as bankless as may be. On the other hand, we are familiar with Waterbeach, Waterford, water-brook, and even Waterland.

W. C. B.

"PROPALE" (10 th S. ii. 369). This word is included in the Glossary to Sir Walter Scott's novels, meaning "to publish or disclose." The same explanation is given by N. Bailey, 1759, and Dr. Ash, 1775.

EVERARD HOME COLEMAN. 71, Brecknock Road.

1 ; (10 th S. ii. 348). This is only a form of island, as shown and explained in the'NE.D.' It is not uncommon in place or field names. There is a Little Isle in Coreley parish, Shropshire ; and Cream Island adjoins an ancient British village in the parish of Sancreed, Cornwall. AYEAHR.

I dp not know that I can help MR. ARKLE in this matter. I may, however, point out as a coincidence at least that the Welsh word for an island, ynys, which is the Welsh form of insula, means not only an island, but

also a low-lying meadow. A meadow on the bank of the Cynon, close to which I am writing, is always known as " Yr Ynys" (the island). Many place-names in Wales com- pounded with Ynys are far away inland, such as Ynyshir in the Khondda Valley, Ynyslas in Cardiganshire, and others that might be mentioned. D. M. R.

The word He was formerly in use as mean- ing an ear of corn (vide Webster). From this fact MR. ARKLE has the reply to his query. CHAS. F. FORSHAW, LL.D.

Bradford.

'THE DEATH OF NELSON' (10 th S. ii. 405). Although not exactly to the point, it may be interesting to mention that in my musical library is an oblong folio volume containing a collection of printed and MS. glees for three, four, and five voices, by various eminent masters, dating from 1792 to 1809, including one for four voices by Stephen Paxton, undated (c. 1806), originally entitled in print ' On the Death of Major Andre ' (" This Gained a Prize Medal "), but slightly altered, apparently in a contemporary hand, to 4 On the Death of the ever lamented Lord Nelson,' and made to commence :

Round the Gallant the Gallant [sic] Nelson's Urn Be the Cyprus foliage spread, Fragrant spice profusely burn, Honours gratefull to the dead.

Further on the word "soldier's," as printed, is altered to " sailor's." W. I. R. V.

POEM BY H. F. LYTE (10 th S. ii. 327, 351). Like PROF. LAUGHTON, I regret that the old tune to ' The Sailor's Grave ' has fallen into desuetude, for, to my mind, it was far more characteristic than the new tune, even though the latter is by Sir Arthur Sullivan. I have the old tune in a little volume, 'Songs, Rounds, and Quartets,' published by George Routledge & Sons about 1869, when I bought the book. The words are there attributed to Lyte, and the music to C. H. P., by which I understand the initials of C. H. Purday, though whether he was composer of the original air, or only responsible for the setting, I do not know. W. B. H.

The words of the poem are set to music by Mrs. H. Shelton, and need no better setting.

J. ASTLEY. Coventry.

ALEXANDER AND R. EDGAR (10 th S. ii. 248, 352). I have only just seen the inquiry for information about the Edgars of Bristol. If G. F. R. B. can get to the Bristol Museum Library, he will find in the Jeffries.