Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 2.djvu/12

NOTES AND QUERIES. [11 s. vm. JULY 3, 1013. cannot doubt that Charles Lamb held the pen which drafted the complaint of that most intelligent, if also 'sad dog. Mr. Walter Jerrold, in his edition of Lamb's 'Essays and Sketches,' published in the "Temple Classics," is of opinion that the following extract from Lamb's letter of 25 July. 1825, to Hone "seems to tell against this contribution being his own":—

"You have done with mad dogs; else there is a print of Rowlandson's or somebody's of people in pursuit of [one] in a village which might have come in."

In the "Oxford" Lamb, Mr. Hutchinson prints it apparently without any doubt as to its authorship.

To put an end to any dubiety on the subject, it may be sufficient to point out that the original manuscript in Lamb's hand writing, with a short note at the end signed "C. L.," dated 16 July, 1825 (a week before its appearance in the 'Every-Day Book'), was sold by Messrs. Sotheby's on 18 July, 1904.

THE DEAF ADDEB THAT STOPPETH HER T^AB. In one of his Advent sermons the late Rev. A. H. Stanton conjured his con- gregation not to resemble " the deaf adder, which stoppeth both her ears " ; adding, in one of his inimitable asides, " though, how she can do it, I never could imagine."

But the problem had already been solved in the twelfth century. In the ' O.E. Homilies,' Second Series (E.E.T.S. Publica- tions, 1873, pp. 196, 198), occurs a passage on prayer, the modern rendering of which runs as follows :

" The adder seeketh a stone and layeth one ear thereto, and in the other ear she putteth her tail, .and so stoppeth up both."

This is in order that she may not hear the voice of the charmer, and the application is given :

" When we draw away from the evil which assaults us, let us go to the stone, that is. . . .our Saviour. . . .Upon Him we lay our right ear when we understand He is true GOD.... and stop up our ear against the teaching of the devil. Our left ear we close with our tail when we understand He became Man for us .... and so we stop both ears and do not hear the devil's charming."

E. M. F.

THE LOBD OF BUBLEIGH AND SABAH HOGGINS. (See US. vii. 61, 83, 143, 166.) A recent visit to the College of Arms has shown me that Lord Exeter, on 26 Feb., 1794, petitioned the Earl Marshal to issue liis warrant for granting arms to his wife 'Sarah. Countess of Exeter, and to be borne

also by her father, Thomas Hoggins of Great Bolas. co. Salop, gentleman. The Earl Marshals warrant is dated 4 March following. Accordingly, on 5 April. 34 George III.. 1794, Sir Isaac Heard, Garter, granted to Sarah, Countess of Exeter, these arms: Gules a lobster's claw erect Or, between three herons' heads erased argent, to be borne by the Countess, and also by her said father, Thomas Hoggins, and his descendants, with the following crest, namely, On a wreath of the colours a heron's head erased argent charged with a lobster's claw gules (Grants, xviii. 304).

The St. James's Chronicle for 57 May, 1796, states that at a court held on Ascension Day (5 May), 1796, the Countess of Exeter was presented by Mrs. Lecan. The King, Queen, and the four elder Princesses Avere present at this Court.

W. G. D. FLETCHEB, F.S.A.

LEGHOBN : ENGLISH MEBCHANTS THERE IN 1702. I add the following names from the title-page of the Italian Grammar pub- lished by Arrigo Pleunus. The surnames are in small type, the Christian names in capitals. Christopher Hanbury, Christopher Michel, Daniel Gould, Francis Arundel, George Colling, George Lambe. Gilbert Serle, Humphry Chestman, James Harriman, James Paitfield, John Horsey, Jonathan Basket, Richard Frome, Samuel Lambert, Samuel Thorold, Thomas Balle, Thomas Chamberlayne, Thomas Dorman. And John Bobbins, presumably of the same city, owned a copy of the later edition on 24 March, 1738-9.

BICHABD H. THORNTON.

THATCH FIRES. Hanging in the top of the porch of Bere Regis Church, near Wareham, are two Weighty iron hooks, like half -anchors, with a stretch of, perhaps, close on 2 ft. They are each on an iron shaft, which is split for a length of about a couple of feet, opening out to a width of about 3 in. at the lower end. Across the split are the okl bolts by which the hook was fastened to a pole, which must have been big and heavy a two-man power pole. I was told that the hooks formerly hanging in the churchyard have been kept at the church from old days, and that when a thatched cottage caught fire there was a rush for the hooks with which to tear off the burning thatch. Hanging to the hooks are heavy iron shackles, though what these were for I failed to learn. These very interesting objects are now in the dry, but rusted heavily.