Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 1.djvu/460

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NOTES AND QUEEIES. [11 s. i. JUNE 4, 1910.

There does not seem any ground fo supposing that the gateway of the house of the Augustinian or Austin Friars was ever known as St. Austin ? s Gate, although "the Augustine Gate" mentioned in thi will of Sir Richard de Pedelowe (' Cour Hust. Wills, 2 i. 617, A.D. 1349) is identified by Dr. Sharpe, without any apparent reason, with the gate of the Augustinian Friars.

The shortened form ' ' Austin " which appears as early as ' Piers Plowman, indicates that the name Augustine was pronounced with the accent on the firs syllable, and not, as now, on the second. H. A. HARBEN.

About the end of the sixteenth century and the opening of the seventeenth " St Austin's Gate " was a common abbreviation of " St. Augustine*s Gate, Ji and both forms will be found figuring on the titles of the early Shakespeare and other quartos of the period. Oftentimes the spot is clearly indicated as being situate ' * in Paules Church-yarde. 1 * See Mr. Pollard's ' Shake speare Folios and Quartos,* 1909, for ex amples. WM. JAGGABD.

THE LILY-WHITE BOYS : THE TEN O's (11 S. i. 366). In Cornwall this folk-song is classed with Christmas carols. The singers divide into two parties, and the following musical dialogue ensues : " Come and I will sing you. n " What will you sing me ? " " I will sing you one O. ? ' ' What is your one O ? "

One of them is all alone, And ever will remain so.

This introduction is sung at the beginning of each verse, and the answers form an accumulative poem after the fashion of
 * ' The house that Jack built. n

The Cornish version differs in many respects from that given by B. M. A., e.g.

Two of them are lily- [or little] white babes.

Three of them are strangers.

Five 's the ferry man in the boat.

Six the cheerful waiter.

Eight's the great archangel.

Nine the moon shines bright and clear.

Two parts which the Cotswold apparently lacks are :

Eleven of them are gone to heaven ; Twelve 's the twelve Apostles. Do the lily-white babes refer to the babes in the wood ? Perhaps the three strangers were the Wise men from the East.

P. JENNINGS. St. Day.

song

The version of this song given by B.M.A. is surely corrupt. I have not heard it for some time, but, to the best of my recol- lection, the version with which I was once familiar ran as follows (I omit the numbers which agree with the version of B. M. A.) :

One is one and all alone,

And evermore shall be so.

Three, three, the rivals.

Four are the Gospel-makers.

Five are the symbols at your door.

Six are the six bright shiners.

Seven are the seven stars in the heaven.

Eight are the eight bold strangers.

Nine are the nine night-walkers.

Eleven are the eleven that went up to heaven.

Twelve are the twelve Apostles.

I think it is obvious that this is better than the version given by B. M. A., and I suggest the following identifications :

1. The one God.

2. The two Testaments.

3. The Trinity (rivals in old English = equals).

5. The five wounds of Christ.

6. The Pleiades (?).

7. The sun, moon, and five planets.

8. The eight persons in the Ark. 11. The Apostles without Judas.

I cannot suggest an explanation of 9 ; and 4, 10, and 12 explain themselves. B. M. A. explains 9 as I explain 7 ; but surely he cannot think that the primitive author knew anything of Uranus and Neptune, and the number 7 is clearly to be connected with the 7 days of the week. No. 9 pro- bably represents some constellation. B.

Some amendments can be made in the words of this song as given in ' N. & Q. ? at least if it was sung correctly as I used to hear it in Cambridge days.

1. The word following the word of number in stanzas iv., &c., should be for\ not " of " ; thus " Nine for the nine bright shiners," &c.

2. There are two further verses, of which the respective third lines are :

Eleven for the eleven that went up to heaven, and And twelve for the twelve Apostles.

3. The fresh line of stanza vi. I used to hear sung as

Six for the six proud walkers. STo one,. I believe, knew what it meant.

LIM.

This song is widely known. Forty years ago it was regularly sung at the harvest uppers on Norfolk farms. It was believed here that the references were chiefly reli- gious, and implied recollections sadly