Page:Notes and Queries - Series 10 - Volume 4.djvu/231

 io»s.iv.SKT.2.iBii5.] NOTES AND QUERIES. 189 "Sacra Pagina")? The title does not seem to be of common occurrence. In the north transept of Chichester Cathedral is a series of conventional like- nesses of the Bishops of Chichester down to Sherborne, executed at the costs of that munificent prelate. The more recent of these mostly bear the degree, as would be expected, ''Sacrse TheoTogise Professor,'" equivalent to Doctor of Divinity ; but one, Sherborne's immediate predecessor, Fitz- James, is " Sacre Paginre Professor," and he is represented holding an open book. Fitz- James had been Warden of Merton College, Oxford, and Wood does not mention that he had studied at a foreign university. I have consulted the statutes of Oxford and Cam- bridge in vain. C. DEEDES. Chichester. PEARSE FAMILY.—Information is desired concerning the family and descendants of Col. Thomas Deane Pearse, Bengal Artillery, the friend of Warren Hastings. (Col.) H. W. PEARSE. Henbury Manor, Wimborne. GALLOWS OF ALABASTER.—In Blaclcwoods Magazine for June, p. 845, there is a quotation from Thomas Coryat's ' Crudities.' Speaking of Venice, the writer tells of a " marvellous fair pair of gallows made of alabaster, the pillars being wrought with many curious border* and works, which served for no other purpose but to hang the Duke whensoever he shall happen to commit any treason against the State." Did such a fabric ever exist? or was Coryat deceived or misinformed ? If his statement be correct, has any representation or description thereof come down to us? N. M. & A. J. H. CHRISTIE.—I shall be glad if any one can tell me where a report of the trial of J. H. Christie can be found. I believe that it took place in 1821, and that he was tried for having shot a Mr. Scott in a duel which resulted from some article Mr. Christie wrote concerning Edinburgh society. HERBERT SOUTHAM. DUMAS : ITS PRONUNCIATION. — Can any reader tell me how the great Frenchman who bore this name pronounced it—Dumasse or Duma? I have heard it both ways in France. English pronouncing biographical dictionaries appear to give only Duma ; but, on the other hand, the best of them—e.g., Smith's 'Cyclopaedia of Names,' 1895—give Barras as Barrasse, and Qenlis as Genlisse. There seems to be great diversity of opinion about final s, whether to sound it or not. Among French authorities I note that Littre gives Barra, but Landais gives Bar- rasse. Larousse gives Genlisse. Is there any general rule under which these and similar names can be brought? Is it a fact that the modern tendency is to restore the formerly silent final consonant—I mean, of course, in proper names ? JAS. PLATT, Jun. [The meridional French, as a rule, say Dumasse, Barranse, &.C., the septentrional Duma. Gascon practice seems to be to sound the final ».] " CORRECT."—I notice that, in his note on the Amir of Afghanistan's title (ante, p. 66), COL. PRIDEAUX speaks of certain translitera- tions as being " more, correct" or " less cor- rect, ' whilst PROF. SKEAT, in his reply on the pronunciation of the word coke (ante, p. 78), uses the phrase " the more correct cook," and I should like to elicit the opinion of gram- marians as to whether these degrees of com- parison, which are met with so frequently nowadays, are correctly expressed. For the purpose of emphasis, it is doubtless per- missible to form a superlative of this adjec- tive with such adverbs as "most," "per- fectly," "quite" ; but, when instituting com- parisons, is it not better to employ the words " more nearly " or " less nearly " ? GYPSY. Manchester. "BEAR BIBLE," SPANISH.—In a notice of Messrs. J. & J. Leighton's catalogue of books, part viii. (10th S. iii. 220), is the follow- ing : ''Under Spanish Books are the famous •Bear Bible,' 51. 5s., and Boccaccio, 1539, 121. 12s." What is the peculiarity of this Bible? ROBERT PIERPOINT. PENTEUS OR PUNTEUS.—In 'Bx>semary and Bayes,' a reply to Maryell's ' Rehearsal Transprosed,' 1672, mention is made of " Pilgrims salve " to cure the itch, " the which is to be had near the Stage of John Punteus in Co vent-garden," p. 18. In that amusing book, Le Neve's 'Pedigrees of the Knights,' Harl. Soc., p. 490, it is said that William Read, who was knighted in 1705 for " curing great numbers of seamen & soldiers of Windness gratis," " was a monte- bank formerly & servant to Penteus." Is anything known of him ? W. C. B. SANDERSON FAMILY OF EDMONTON.—I am getting together information relative to the ibove family, and shall be much obliged Eor any notes your readers may have. The family were connected with Edmonton and district from 1504 until the middle of the nineteenth century. Are there any descend- ants now living ? and do they bear arms ? CHAS. HALL CROUCH. 5, Grove Villas, Wanstead.