Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 1.djvu/282

 274

NOTES AND QUERIES. en s. i. APR. 2, 1910.

s in the Armenian word is of a similar kind ; but it so happens that it is not, being virtually radical.

The Armen. lus-a-vor is explained in Brug- mann, ' Grammatik,' 559 (2nd ed., i. 511). It is precisely parallel to the Gk. Aevc-o-<opo9, and means "light-bearing" or "light bringing " ; cf. Lat. luc-i-fer. Thus the -a- is a mere stem ; and the suffix is really -vor, answering to Idg. -bhor, with v for Idg. bh. As to the u in lu#-, it is certainly long, though Brugmann does not know whether it represents Idg. eu or ou. As to the s, it represents the original Idg. q of the root leuq an unusual phenomenon, but probably due to the preceding u (Brugm., 644). The Arm. for "light" is lois ; but the genitive is lus-oy. WALTER W. SKEAT.

"THE FORTUNE OF WAR ' ? : "THE NAKED MAN " (11 S. i. 223). About a mile north-east of Holmsley Station (New Forest) nay cycling map (Bacon's, reduced from Ordnance Survey) gives " The Naked Man," and distinguishes the same by the mark wherewith cartographers are wont to connote a human habitation. The obvious inference is an inn ; but as a matter of fact there is no dwelling of any sort visible near the spot indicated. Instead, I found the tall stump of a tree, entirely denuded of bark, and in its consequent whiteness decidedly naked in effect. It stands alone on a wide stretch of moorland, and is a prominent feature of the landscape. It would be interesting to know how and when the tree got its name, and if at any time a building bearing the sign of " The Naked Man " stood anywhere in the vicinity. In that case MR. MAC- MICHAEL'S explanation of the sign as "suggesting the purchase of clothing" will scarcely serve, for tailors' establishments in the waste places of the Forest have, as I understand, never been plentiful. Perhaps a retired tailor or the son of such a person was indicated in this case.

J. B. DANIELS.

THE BURNING OF Moscow (11 S. i. 228). Few episodes in history have been more discussed than the question how and why Moscow was burnt. The whole matter is very fully and clearly treated in Mr. George's ' Napoleon's Invasion of Russia,' chap. viii. (T. Fisher Unwin, 1899). The author there points out that it was not due to the frenzied patriotism of the Russian nation, while, on the other hand, it is equally clear that it was not due to the deliberate act of the invaders. At the time it was undoubtedly

believed by contemporaries that it was the act of the Governor, Count Rostopchin, in support of which Mr. George cites Cham- bray, the ' most trustworthy of the French chroniclers ; Buturlin, who represents the official Russian view ; and Sir Robert Wil- son, the British Commissioner with the Russian army. At the same time the whole story rests on Rostopchin' s own word, and he subsequently published a formal denial. Apart from his testimony, the evidence is but slight. The case is thus summed up :

" On the face of the undoubted facts there is no adequate evidence that the burning of Moscow was deliberate, though there is of course no evidence that it was not. The case against Count Rostopchin rests mainly on the fact that his con- temporaries believed it, chiefly on his own avowal, and refused to believe his subsequent denial."

T. F. D.

May I point out that, whoever set fire to part of Moscow in 1812, the city was never burnt ? When Napoleon, having entered it on 14 September, was preparing to leave on 19 October, Daru proposed that the army, cutting loose from its base, should remain in Moscow for the winter. Daru, a most capable man, had been responsible for the supply of the army, and Napoleon, a master of detail, on hearing this advice, called it a lion's counsel : its possibility he did not dispute. No doubt probable difficulties at Paris made this proposal impossible. Apparently the army could have been given warm clothing from the stores in Moscow : indeed, the army carried off much with it. I am sorry to say that a commander of a troop of horse artillery of the Guard loaded his fourgon with a china breakfast service, which he took as far as Wilna.

The French so often are believed to have been driven out of Moscow by the fire, and to have emerged stripped of everything, that it may be worth while to give this reply. R. PHIPPS, Colonel.

(Late Royal Artillery.)

[Reply from LORD SHERBORNE next week.]

EARLY FIELD TELEGRAPH (11 S. i. 225). MR. ALFRED ROBBINS gives a case of ordinary telegraph, not field telegraph. The sema- phore was too slow for field use. The routes and times of the telegraphs of Napoleon's systems have, however, great historic interest. The Allies were badly" off in this respect, as is shown by the slowness with which the news of the descent from Elba reached them. Our own line from Pprtsmouth to London was effective.