Page:Notes and Queries - Series 10 - Volume 7.djvu/289

 TO S. VII. MARCH 23, 1907.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

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r it is impossible to imagine. We can forgive our ancestors of hundreds of years ago, when the densest ignorance prevailed with -regard to foreign languages, for doing things of the kind ; but in the present day such a misleading corruption is unpardonable.

RALPH THOMAS. [C. C. B. also refers to Sandy Hook.]

LEGENDS ON ENGLISH GOLD AND SILVER OINS (10 S. vii. 183). Since MR. JAMES WATSON has done me the honour of men- tioning my name, I may perhaps be allowed to make a few remarks on his interesting note with the above title.

Henry III.'s gold penny is the first native gold coin struck after the Conquest ; but of course in earlier times there was a gold coinage of the ancient British kings. The introduction of this coinage occurred pro- bably about the middle of the second century B.C., the type being derived from the stater of Philip II. of Macedon ; but the type of both obverse and reverse suf- fered a sad " sea-change " in the course of translation from East to West.

The legend from Luke iv. 30, " Jesus .autem transiens per medium illorum ibat," was believed. by Ruding to refer to Ed- ward III.'s great naval victory over the Trench off Sluys on Midsummer Day, 1340.

The later legend in full runs : " Per crucem tuam salva nos Christe Redemptor."

" Tali dicata signo mens fluctuari nequit " on Henry VIII. 's George noble is from a hymn by Prudentius written in the fourth century, entitled ' Hymnus ante Somnum.'

" Veritas Temporis filia " was adopted by Mary Tudor with the device of " Time drawing Truth out of a pit," in allusion to her attempts at a reconciliation with Rome. "The legend from Psalm cxviii. 23, was in full : "A Domino factum est istud et est mirabile in oculis nostris."

There is a misprint in the legend from Matt. xix. 6 : " Quse Deus conjunxit nemo -separet."

Charles I.'s " Religio Protestantium leges Anglias libertas Parliamenti " is a reference to the King's declaration to his Privy Council at Wellington on 19 Sept., 1642. It occurs constantly, in its abbreviated form, upon the fine coins of the Oxford Mint when that city was the royal headquarters.

Another of this king's mottoes is gene- rally given as " Amor populi presidium

The title of " Fidei Defensor " is first used by George I. on his coins, but is found on the Great Seal from the time of Henry VIII.

The shilling of 1504 gives the first genuine portrait ; but I suppose the heads of the lungs on the coinage before the assumption by Edward I. of the conventional Gothic full-face were generally intended to be portraits more or less probably rather less than more. Compare the Conqueror on his pennies with his likeness on the Bayeux Tapestry. A. R. BAYLEY.

The text " Jesus autem transiens per medium illorum ibat " was, I believe, regarded as a protection against robbers when carried about in the pocket inscribed on coin or medal. Was it in concession to that belief that our kings adopted this legend, thus giving a kind of Government security not worth very much to the holders of their gold pieces ?

ST. SWITHIN.

" ESPRIT DE L'ESCALIER " (10 S. vii. 189). Is not this " backstairs " wit ? It was customary to build royal palaces with a staircase for State visitors, and another for those who sought the sovereign upon private matters. Will Chiffinch, with his vulgar bluntness, was an indispensable page of the backstairs to Charles II., and a menial who had probably become spoilt by persons who sought an interview with his royal master, when it was very desirable on the part of such applicants to conciliate those who were appointed to guard the backstairs : Once, we confess, beneath the patriot's cloak, From the cracked bag the dropping guineas broke, And, jingling down the backstairs, told the crew "Old Cato is as great a rogue as you."

Pope's ' Epistle to Lord Bathurst.'

J. HOLDEN MACMlCHAEL.

For an explanation of this phrase, and an instance of mistranslation by an eminent man of letters, see ' The King's English.' foot of p. 32. FRANCIS P. MARCHANT.

Streatham Common.

This phrase was discussed in the Inter - mediaire in 1877, vol. x. pp. 226, 366, 530. Unfortunately, no definite result was at- tained. One correspondent ascribed it to Rousseau, in the form " Je n'ai jamais d' esprit, qu'au bas de 1'escalier."

JAS. PL ATT, Jun.

" FORWHY " (10 S. vii. 185). In ' Hymns Ancient and Modern ' the first line of the fourth stanza of " All people that on earth do dwell," No. 166, is printed

For why ? the Lord oar God is good.

W. C. B.