Page:Notes and Queries - Series 10 - Volume 7.djvu/233

 10 S. VII. MARCH 9, 1907.] NOTES AND QUEKIES.

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fully and keep properly if they were presen when it was manufactured.

Does this taboo still hold ? and is it als< observed in Italy and other vintage countries Macaulay says in ' Horatius ' : The harvests of Arretium,

This year, old men shall reap ; This year, young boys in Umbro

Shall plunge the struggling sheep ; And in the vats of Luna,

This year, the must shall foam Round the white feet of laughing girls "Whose sires have marched to Rome.

No doubt, though the work is hard, strapping peasant-girls could tread grapes ; but woulc not it be risking the success of the vintag were it permitted ?

From the folk-lore point of view woman is often dangerous. Is she allowed to press Italian wine ? or must it be done by the male sex, no matter what the difficulties are f.

B. L. R. C.

CHARLES II. AND DR. JAMES ERASER'S DAUGHTER. In ' Old Aberdeen,' by Ella Hill Burton Rodger (Aberdeen, 1902) p. 49, I find the following :

"The University's great patron was James Fraser, a distinguished son of the manse, who became a tutor to noblemen's sons abroad, and had the luck to inherit a fortune. He was familiar with the Court of Charles II., and scandal said the Merry Monarch wished to marry his beautiful daughter, ' but thought better of it.' "

Mrs. Rodger probably uses " marry " as a euphemism. What foundation is there for this piece of antiquated scandal ?

Fraser was the first Secretary of the Royal Hospital, Chelsea an office which he held till May, 1718. He had two daughters: Martha, who married Elijah Impey, and became mother of the well-known Chief Justice of Calcutta ; and Mary, who married Alexander Dunbar, of Grangehill.

P. J. ANDERSON.

" ESPRIT DE L'ESCALIER." D'ou vient la phrase " 1' esprit de Pescalier," que je n'ai, du reste, vue que dans un journal anglais ? Est-ce qu'elle est d'un usage courant dans la litterature francaise ? Peut-etre bien c'est une allusion a ce qu'a dit Pierre Nicole cle M. de Treville : "II me bat dans la chambre, mais il n'est pas plutot au bas de Fescalier que je Fai confondu." Cet esprit- la est tres repandu ; Olivier Goldsmith 1'avait, a ce que Ton dit, mais je cherche 1'origine de 1'expression.

EDWARD LATHAM.

CHURCHWARDENS' ACCOUNTS. Perhaps some of those who were kind enough to assist in elucidating certain obscure passages

in the wardens' accounts of SS. Anne and Agnes a few months since will also give their aid in connexion with the following entries in the accounts of the sister parish of St. John Zachary :

1611-12. Paied for the iij taprdls for the three windowes, xiij.

1612-13. Paied for the grate of S* Alphage for theire watercourse, xvj' 1. ""'

1614-15. Paid for a howreglasse and a schrve (?) pin, standing by the pulpett, ij 8 vj' 1.

1618-19. Paid to the Scavinger for Moregate, xvj' 1. f

1622-3. Payed for 2 Shcuhkovell*, iij 8.

1640-41. Paid to M r Rolfe for his rotten poynt*, 5" 6 d.

1646-7. Payd to J on Blinkow, Clerke of S e But- tolph's Ald r [i.e., Aldersgate], by Order of the Tryer of the first Classis, 6 s 8 <l.

1649-50. Layde out for Taxes for 20 3 M r Smith gave to the p'ish, 2 s ; & f or 3 U he gave to the poore of the same, 6 8.

1656-7. Payd for Candles for the x of Clocke Lanthornes, 7 s I' 1.

1658-9. Payd for the Skewers, 1 s 4 a.

1661-2. Paid M r Veiiable for half a yeare's assem* [i.e., assessment] for the Lord Maior's house, 1 19*.

. Paid M r Sheppard when he served on y c

Jury for scineing [*c] the ffaggetts & Billetts, 3 s 2 (1.

1666-7. Paid a Carman for fetching some cheese from the Greene yard, 1 s 6 d ; & a Porter for fetching- some bread from the Doghouse, 1 s.

1673-4. Paid for cleansing the Grate att Alder- manbury, 2 s 8 d.

1677-8. Paid y e ffee farmers Rent, 20 s.

W. McM.

[1646-7. The classi* was part of the Presbyterian form of church government, and was in force in England at this time. The ' N.E.D.' quotes from 'Ord. Lords and Commons,' 1646, "Scandalous

shines shall be certified to any Classis." The

trier was a commissioner appointed by Parliament to examine the character and qualifications of ministers.

1666-7. A greenyard is defined in the 'N.E.D.' as " an enclosure for the reception of stray animals and vehicles ; a pound."

1677-8. Fee- farm and fee-farm-rent are amply illustrated in the 'N.E.D.'']

" PR.EMUNIRE." I see in all textbooks and works of reference on English law that writs of " Praemunire," is a corruption of the word prcemonere. Can you tell me if there s any documentary evidence to support
 * he word prcemunire, in the old English
 * his statement ? The word prcemunire as

>arish referred to is doubtless 'St. Alphage, London Wall.
 * This item occurs annually at this time. The

t This also was a yearly payment of the period, ucceeding the above. It is "towards the Grate at Vtooregate " in 1622-3.

J It is clearly "rotten," but perhaps "cotten" i.e., cotton) is meant.

Aldermanbury lies quite outside the parish.