Page:Notes and Queries - Series 10 - Volume 5.djvu/143

. v. FEE. 10, 1906.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

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Gharb, which would rime pretty nearly with the second syllable in "disturb," allowing for a greater roll in the r. There is such a word as Gharib, which means the western side, in such a phrase as El -Gharibu-1-Jebel, the western side of the mountain. But such a locution as Et-Tarfu-1-Gharib would be in- admissible in Arabic. I agree with MR. KING that " there ought to be no puzzling as to how to accent Trafalgar."

W. F. PRIDEAUX.

BACTERIA : EARLY NOTICE (10 th S. v. 45). It may perhaps be useful that the exact reference for "Crescunt animalia qutedam minuta," &c., should be given. It is M. T. Varro, ' De Re Rustica,' i. 12, 2. The subject of the chapter, as given in ' Scriptores Rei Rusticse,' edited by Gesner, editio secunda, Lipsue, 1773, vol. i. p. 139, is "Quo sit loco potissimum statuenda vHla."

ROBERT PIERPOINT.

HAFIZ, PERSIAN POET (10 th S. v. 68). The edition of Brockhaus is still, I think, the best, and has not been superseded by another European edition of later date, viz., that of Rosenzweig-Schwannau, 3 vols., Persian text and German verse-translation, published at Vienna, 1858-64. R. A. N.

BORN WITH TEETH (10 th S. v. 8, 78) In Dr. Gairdner's 'History of the Life and Reign of Richard III.' (1878) I find the fol- lowing paragraph on p. 4 :

"He [Richard] left such a reputation behind him that even his birth was said to have proclaimed him a monster. He had been two years, we are told, in his mother's womb, and was born or rather, like Macduff, was by a surgical operation separated from his mother's body when he came into the world feet foremost, with teeth in his jaws, and with hair down to the shoulders." The authorities cited for the statement are Rous and More. JOHN T. PAGE.

Long Itchington, Warwickshire.

In Smith's * Mirabeau,'chap. iii., it is stated that at his birth that orator " had an im- mense head, almost amounting to a deformity ; a twisted foot; two molar teeth were found cut, and his tongue was tied to thefrcenum.

0. B.

Providence, R.I.

GOBESIUS: SHEETER (10 th S. v. 68). The first is probably Leonhard Gorecius, or Gore- tius. He wrote ' Descriptio Belli Ivonite, Palatini Valachire, cum Selymo Turcarum Imperatore,' a work included by Guagninus and Pistorius in their collections on Poland.

The second may be Joannes Schefferus, author of * De Militia Navali Veterum,' ' De Re Vehicular! Veterum,' * Memorabilium

Sueticse Gentis Exemplorum Liber,' &c., works published between 1654 and 1698. He died in 1679. C. DEEDES.

Chichester.

SELLING ONESELF TO THE DEVIL (10 th S. v. 29, 78). This may connect itself, as many other superstitions have done, with a per- verted use of Holy Scripture. Some of the old commentators point out that St. Paul, who was "sold under sin," as it were by a tyrant, was not in such a bad case as Ahab, "which did sell himself to work wickedness" (Rom. vii. 14; 1 Kings xxi. 20, 25).

W. C. B.

NAPOLEON'S CORONATION ROBE : ITS GOLD BEES (10 th S. v. 9, 76). If your correspondent will consult 'Crowns and Coronations,' by William Jones, F.S.A. (Chatto & Windus, 1898), he will find at p. 365 the information he seeks. FREDERIC ROWLAND MARVIN.

Albany, N.Y.

MANTEGNA'S HOUSE (10 th S. iv. 87 ; v. 74). Perhaps the following extracts may be of use :

"As stated by an inscription on the corner of the Lanzoni palace, Mantegna's house was opposite the church of Saint Sebastian, the front of which he had painted with such marvellous skill." ' Historical, Literary, and Artistical Travels in Italy,' by M. Valery, translated by C. E- Clifton (Paris, Baudry, 1852), Book ix. chap. xix. p. 300.

"San Sebastiano, now in a ruinous condition,

was erected by L B. Alberti in 1460; it offers

some dilapidated frescoes by Mantegna. Opposite stands the house of Mantegna, the ground on which it stands having been presented to him by Duke Ludovicp Gonzaga, with an honorary inscription; by the side of which is the Porta Pusterla, leading to the Palazzo del T." 'Murray's Handbook to Northern Italy,' thirteenth ed., 1874, p. 285.

Though it has no concern with Mantegna's house, the following is interesting :

MANTINE.E.

Esse parem hunc noris, si non prasponis Apelli,

JENEA MANTINEJE qui simulacra vides.

ANDREAS M ANTINEA, Apelles sure aeta-

tis, Equestri idcirco dignitate ornatus.

Obijt anno M.D.XVII.

It is under the heading "In S. Andrea? " in "Selectee Christian! Orbis Delicise per Fran-

iscum Sweertium : Colonise Agrippinse, 1608," p. 167.

1874 (p. 284), in the description of the church of Sant' Andrea, says :
 * Murray's Handbook to Northern Italy/

"Mantegna is buried in the chapel of San Gio- vanni His bust in bronze by Sperandio, erected

in 1516, ten years after Mantegna's death, by Ludo- vico Gonzaga, is an excellent piece of workmanship. The eyes are said to have been formed of diamonds."

Apparently the date of Mantegna's death as given by Sweerts is wrong. Mantegna's