Page:Notes and Queries - Series 10 - Volume 3.djvu/403

 10*8. HI. APRIL 29, 1905.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

331

bloody and cruell neighbourhood made waste and deserte all the Countrey. The memorie of this Giant remaineth yet to this present, in a small Territorie, seated near to Florence ; where the Great Dukes have a goodly place of pleasure, called Mugello. This Giant carried usually a great heavie Club of yron, whereat hung Jive or six huge Balles of the same metal, wherewith he smote downe all passengers, without extending any pitty : untill he was manfully defied, and slaine in a single Com bate, by Eurard the French Knight, who to conserve the remembrance of his good successe, obtained of the Emperour Charlemagne (by an especial priviledge) L'Escu d'Or a Cinq Tourteaux de Gueules, 2, 2, 1 to signalize the Balles or Bowles of the Giant's yron Club, all freshly tincturde with his Blood : And from thence it is, that they are still conserved for Armes to the Illustrious House of Medicis."

From "gules" the transition to azure in the tincture of the " balls " probably occurred with Pedro (second of the name). Pedro, after the death of King Charles VIII., whom he had followed in the conquest of Naples, took part with Louis XII., who, "in acknowledgement of the Lore which he bare to the said Pedro, would needes have him to beare in the Chiefe of his Shield of Armes, Un Tourteau (TAzur, & Trois Flews dt Lys d'Or, 2, 1, and not one and two as they are represented by ignorant Paiuter&and Carvers." Book viii.ch. vii.pp. 317-18, ' The Order of St. Stephen instituted in the Year 1561 by Cosmo de Medicis, the 1st Duke of Florence.' It is a point with regard to which one is not absolutely certain, but I think it was at this time that the other five "torteaux d'azur" were altered from their original "gueules." The Medici arms are depicted in eight or nine instances upon engravings by Callot in the Maume Collection (Brit. Mus.), but I do not remember with certainty whether the "tor- teaux" have the parallel lines in fesse which in heraldic engravings represent the azure tincture.

The subject is one upon which there is, doubtless, much further to be said. Does, for instance, the sign exist in other countries ? Or how was it, if not, that the three balls became peculiar to England ? Is, or was, the Neapolitan monte di pieta, or public pawn office, distinguished by such a sign, or the French mont de piete ? The latter, however, does not date, I believe, from earlier than 1777. The most exhaustive account of " Lending- houses " is probably that of Beckmann in his 'History of Inventions.' Cf. also The Anti- quary, December, 1904, p. 380 ; and report of Archaeological Institute meeting in The Atheneeum, 15 March, 190S.

J. HOLDEN MACMlCHAEL. 6, Elgin Court, Elgin Avenue, W.

SMALL PARISHES (10 th S. iii. 128, 193, 274, 317). My cousin the late Henry Kirke Hebb, Town Clerk of Lincoln, resided in a house lie

built in Lindura Road, Lincoln, called the Cold Bath House, there being a Roman bath in the grounds attached to the house. The total area of the house and grounds was about one acre, and constituted an entire parish. Although my cousin, with his two nephews, were the only occupants of the house, he was, I believe, required to make an annual return of the number of poor in the parish and to appoint overseers and guardians of the (non-existent) poor. I do not think he was called upon to appoint churchwardens to a non-existent church, but this may have been the case.

It is satisfactory to add that this curious parish is not likely to become the prey of the speculative builder, as my cousin by his will has directed that the house and grounds shall be maintained in their present con- dition, and has empo.wered the trustees of the property to expend a certain sum for that purpose. It would be a thousand pities if the Roman bath, which is in a perfect state of preservation, were obliterated by ruthless hands. JOHN HEBB.

PANCAKE DAY (10 th S. iii. 225). With reference to MR. RATCLIFFE'S note on the observance of Pancake Day in the Midlands and the mention of the bell being rung at 11 A.M., the following note from North and Stahlschmidt's 'Church Bells of Hertford- shire ' may be of interest :

"The 'Pancake' Bell really the shriving bell, rung on Shrove Tuesday to call men and women to confession is still rung at Ashwell at noon, the 5th bell being used. It was also rung formerly at Baldock, Hitchin, and Hoddesdon."

H. P. POLLARD.

"PoMPELMOUS " (10 th S. iii. 168, 191, 256). As to the pamplemose fruit, Bernardin de St. Pierre, in the opening of ' Paul et Virginie,' writes: "a droite le chemin qui mene du Port-Louis au quartier des Pamplemousses." The fruit is not indigenous in Southern India, therefore that language must be excluded.

ANGLO-INDIAN.

LANGLEY MEYNELL : SIR ROBERT FRANCIS (10 th S. iii. 270). Meynell Langley is a town- ship in the parish of Kirk Langley, some five miles north-west of Derby, and is the seat of Godfrey Franceys Meynell, Esq.

In Bigsby's 'History of Repton' (pp. 332 and 404) may be found an account of Fore mark Hall, co. Derby, the seat of the Burdett family, to whom it came by marriage. The descent is thus alluded to in the above- mentioned book :

" Thomas Burdett, of Seckington and Bramcote, ni, born the 3rd of August, 1585, was by his