Page:Notes and Queries - Series 10 - Volume 4.djvu/160

 128 NOTES AND QUERIES. [io* s. iv. AUG. 12, iws. p. 293 : " If you do get married out here, don't have too many green and other gaudy dragons perry whimptering at your wedding." This term is strange to me, and I cannot find it in any dictionary. Is it American ? or Pidgin English .' or what 1 JAS. PLATT, Jun. NEWSPAPER LEADING ARTICLES.—Why are the more important leading articles in nearly all newspapers in the United King- dom divided into three paragraphs ? F. HOWARD COLLINS. Torquay. WARWICKSHIRE CHARTER.—A charter of the time of Edward III., granting lands in Warwickshire to William de Wellesbourne, rector of the parish, has an endorsement upon it aa follows: "Enrolled in the King's Exchequer at Warwick, 8 Henry VIII." Under what circumstances is it likely the charter was so enrolled ? B. R. HEARSEY : GAVINE. — Any clue to the ancestors of Andrew Hearsey, of Middel- burgh, Holland, 1752, father-in-law of David Gavine (vide Earl of Lauderdale), and related to the families of Pilborough, Fullerton, Erskine, Baird, Drummond, and Maitland, and proof that he was the great-grandfather of General John Hearsey, K.C.B., will oblige. A. C. H. "THE FATE OF THE TRACYS."—The proverb, " The fate of the Tracys is to have the wind in their faces," or something like it, presum- ably means that bad luck has attended the family as connected through Sir William de Tracy with the murder of Becket. I should be glad to learn the exact proverb—I sup- pose known in Devonshire—and whether phenomenal ill-luck has attended the Tracy family. JAS. CURTIS, F.S.A. SIR THOMAS BROWNE ON OBLIVION.—Can any of your readers tell me in which of Sir Thomas Browne's works the passage occurs which speaks of "Oblivion sitting upon a sphinx and looking towards Rome and old Thebes"? J. WILLCOCK. Lerwiek. CHIMNEY - STACKS.—In two instances in Hertfordshire—viz., atThundridge and Great Hormead—ancient manor-houses have been destroyed, but the chimney-stacks have been left intact, the popular theory being that the house is in existence while these remain standing. Is there any ground for this curious belief? and does it prevail elsewhere ? W. B. GERISH. Bishop's Stortford. "PICCANINNY": ITS ORIGIN. (10th S. iv. 27.) As this is admittedly adifficult word, and as little is known of its history, some new facts in regard to it will doubtless be acceptable. Prof. Skeat, in his 'Notes on English Etymology," quotes J. G. Stedman's 'Narra- tive ' (1796, ii. 258) as follows : " Small, peekeen. Very small, peekeeneenee." With a single exception, this is apparently the earliest recorded instance of the word, and points to the East Indies as its place of origin. The exception is in 'The Stanford Dictionary,' where we find an extract from the third part of D'Urfey's ' Comical History of Don Quixote' (1696). In Act IV. scene ii. of that play, pp. 40, 41, occurs the following :— Enter Poppet Marsilius.aw/ Poppet Melisendra. Teresa. Oh Gemini ! here's two pure fine things more. Mary. Oh Lord, but one of 'em's a black thing tho ; 1 warrant he's to eat the tother for being BO fair.... BONO. Performed by Two Poppet*, one rtprextnling a Captain, and t'other a Tovm Mis*. To the Tune of a Minuet. Pop. Capt. Dear Pinkaninny, // half a Ouiny To Lovt will win ye, 1 lay it here down. A little later in the same scene (p. 42), " Enter Poppet Don Gayferos on Horseback," and the following dialogue occurs :— P. Metis. Who calls with Voice as sweet as Morning Lark ? P. Don G. "Tis I, my Love, who come from France inth' dark. My dearest Piakaninny to set free. As "Pinkaninny" is given in one place and "Piakaninny" in another, it is evident that there has been a mistake somewhere ; and can we be sure that D'Crfey meant to employ the word piccaninny? If he did, he apparently did not understand its meaning. (It should be stated, however, that the puppets were "design'd to be acted by Children.") But leaving this doubtful ex- ample, let ine quote some certain ones. " At the time the wife is to be brought a bed, her husband removes his board, (which is his bed) to another room 'for many severall divisions they have, in their little houses, and none above sixe foot square) And leaves his wife to God, and her good fortune, in the room, and upon the board alone, and calls a neighbour to come to her, who gives little help to her deliverie, but when the child is borne, (which she calls her Pickaniunie) she helps to make a little fire nere her feet and that servea instead of Possets, Broaths, and Caudles. In a fortnight, this woman is at worke with her Picks-