Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 2.djvu/359

 ii s. vm. NOV. i, MS.]' NOTES AND QUERIES.

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Several cases of heart-burial in walls of churches were recorded in The Church Times in 1897. I may mention one under the north window of the north transept of Yaxley Church, near Peterborough, and another in a pillar on the north side of the nave of Landbeach Church, near Cambridge. In 1866 a human heart was discovered " embedded in the soffit of a Transitional arch on the north side of the nave " of Woodford Church, Northamptonshire. See Northamptonshire Notes and Queries, i. 75.

To the list of references to heart-burial in ' N. & Q.' may be added 8 S. iii. 83, 138, 193, 276 ; vii. 516 ; 9 S. ii. 106 ; xii. 307, 434. JOHN T. PAGE.

Last August I saw a monument in Nar- borough Church, Norfolk (between King's Lynn and Swaffham), which may record a case of heart-burial. In the north wall of the sanctuary, about 7 ft. from the ground, is a small niche containing the demi-figure of a lady holding a heart. It commemo- rates a member of the Narborough family who, it is said, died in 1293, and ordered her heart to be buried in this church.

G. MONTAGU BENTON.

Saffron Walden, Essex.

In the former chapel of St. Mary's Hall (now annexed to Oriel College) at Oxford a heart (I think, of a former Fellow) is said to be interred. I do not know whether this 13 in a niche ; perhaps some Oxford resident can say. During the latter part of my undergraduate days at Oriel (1897-1901) a nine days' wonder was caused by a ghost - story to the effect that, just before mid- night every night, the heart was heard to beat. Men living in " Scimmory " quad were extremely proud of their " ghost " till it was discovered that the sound was really caused by the clock preparing to strike. H. I. B.

"JONGHEER" (11 S. viii. 309). "Jonk- heer " or " Jonker " is rendered in Franck's ' Etymologisch Woordenboek der Neder- landsche Taal ' (second enlarged edition by N. van Wijk, 's - Gravenhage, 1912) by " Jong Edelman " (i.e., young nobleman). The earlier Middle-Dutch " Jonchere " cor- responds with Middle Low German " Junk- her " and Middle High German " Junc- herre," which was contracted into " Junker " in Modern German, denoting originally " Junger Herr," but generally confined to the sense of a young nobleman of high birth (sometimes without regard to age), and

applied as a title of honour like the Dutch; equivalent "Jonker" or "Jonkheer." Cf. also * Verwijs en Verdam : Middelneder- landsch Woordenboek,' vol. iii. (Hague, 1904). p. 1070, where the Middle Dutch "Jonchere/' " Jonghheer," or "Jonckher" is explained,, after Kilian's ' Old Dutch-Latin Dictionary ' (Trajecti Batavorum, 1777), as " adolescens nobilis, olim baroni films."

It is perhaps worth mentioning as well the Old English cognate word "Younker," which is well known to have been preserved in several English dialects, applied in a wider sense (or deteriorated ?) to any young- ster, youth, or child, as stated in Prof. Jos. Wright's ' English Dialect Dictionary,' where the Middle Dutch " Jonckheer " " Joncker," a young gentleman, is quoted from Hexham's ' Zhitch and English Dic- tionary ' (printed at Rotterdam, 1658-60).

H. KREBS.

Lucis is quite right in his surmise that "Jonkheer" (not "Jongheer") is an in- ferior in fact, the lowest title of Dutch nobility. It corresponds with the female ' ' Jonkvrou w " ( " Me j onkvrou w ' ' ). Neither the male nor the female title is used in verbal address, the " Jonkvrouw " being spoken to as Freule, the " Jonkheer " a& Mijnheer, like every one else. J. F. S.

[L. L. K. who mentions that the corresponding German word "Junker " = French " damoiseau " also thanked for reply.]

WHITE HORSES (US. vii. 109, 215, 295,. 375). The preponderance of white horses which used to be remarkable in Paris fifteen or twenty years ago existed only amidst draught-horses. It was due simply to the fact that the two great breeds of French draught -horses the race, boulonnaise and the race percheronne largely employed in Paris are exclusively white or grey. Since that time the black colour has been introduced in the percherons, in accordance with American demands ; but the boulonnais are still for the most part white or grey.

On the subject of white feet, called in French balzane, the following rimes are very- popular all over the country :

Balzane de un, Cheval de rien ; Balzane de deux, Cheval de gueux ; Balzane de trois, Cheval de Roi ; Balzane de quatre, Bon a abattre.

CHARLES NOUGUIER.

St. Germain-des-Pr&3.