Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 4.djvu/241

 ii s. iv. SEPT. 16, mi.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

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STONEHENGE : ' THE BIRTH OF MERLIN (11 S. iv. 128, 178). Stonehenge was first mentioned in the ninth century by Nennius, who asserts that it was erected in commemo- ration of the four hundred nobles who were treacherously slain near the spot by Hengist in 472. A similar account of its origin is given in the triads of the Welsh bards, where its erection is attributed to Aurelius Ambrosius, the successor of Vortigern ('Ency. Brit.,' llth ed., vol. xxv. p. 961). In the prose romance of ' Merlin ; or, The Early History of King Arthur ' (c. 1450-60), edited by Wheatley and published by the Early English Text Society, 1899, p. 57, it is related how "Merlin moves the stones to Stonehenge."

Several incidents in the play of ' The Birth of Merlin,' such as the begetting of a child by the agency of a demon, are found in Geoffrey of Monmouth, ' Historia Reg. Brit.,' v. 18. For the intercourse of the devil with women see Burton's ' Melancholy,' Part III. sect 2. The sprinkling of founda- tions with blood (IV. i.) is in Nennius, and the interpretation (IV. v.), Nennius, ' Hist.,' 42 ; and the death of Vortigern (IV. iii.-v.), Nennius, ' Hist.,' 47, 48. lii V. i. the devil is enclosed in a rock. This appears in the legend to have been Merlin's fate, for in 1603 appeared for the first time in print some old alliterative Scottish prophecies attributed to Merlin, in which we read (1. 11. 114-20).
 * Hist. Brit.,' 40, 42 ; the fight of the dragons,

When the cragges of Tarbat is tumbled in the sey, At the next sommer after sorrow for ever. Beides bookes have I scene, and Banister's also, Mervelous Merling and all accordes in one. Mervelous Merlins; is wasted away With a wicked woman, woe might shee be ; For shee hath closed him in a craige on Cornish cost.

This woman, according to the Celtic legend, js the enchantress Nimiane.

Concerning Merlin, it has been considered whether there were two Merlins or one, that is, whether Merlinus Ambrosius and Merlinus Caledonius (Myrddin) had a separate existence. Rhys ( ' Studies in Arthurian Legend,' p. 162) remarks that "under the name Ambrosius or Emrys were confounded the historical Ambrosius and the mythic

Merlin Ambrosius, in whom we appear to have the Celtic Zeus, in one of his many forms."

Nennius ('Historia Britonum,' cap. xl., &c;) does not give the name of Merlin ; for the boy who is born without a father, and who explains to the king why his castle walls do not stand, replies, on being asked his name, " I am called Ambrose," the British for which is Embries, that is, the leader. The only really historical personage is the Welsh bard Myrddin, and Merlin Ambrosius is for the most part legendary. G eoffrey of Monmouth ('Vita Merlini') borrowed the name Ambrosius from Nennius, and Merlin (Myrddin) from Welsh tradition. A slight amount of actual prophetic Welsh tradition, added to a much larger amount of prophecy concocted by Geoffrey himself, made up the book of Merlin's prophecies. The Merlin of the play will erect the monument in honour of his mother. This is the author's variation of the legendary accounts, unless he owed anything to the older ' liter Pendragon,' acted by the Admiral's company in 1597.

TOM JONES.

"TEA AND TURNOUT" (11 S. iv. 170).- Although the phrase quoted by DIEGO is seldom heard, its. origin is fairly obvious. To. old-fashioned folk who had not reconciled themselves to the afternoon-tea habit the more substantial meal formerly in vogue would no doubt seem much more hospitable than a light afternoon tea, and the idea underlying the phrase appears to be that the new form of hospitality is of a very insignificant description, and that the guest is expected not to linger after the con- clusion of the meal, but to take his leave, or in popular language " turn out " at once. LEONARD J. HODSON.

WALL CHURCHES (11 S. iii. 287, 377, 434). I see no mention of Silchester, Hants, in this connexion. There the modern church is built close to the mound of the east wall of the Roman city, and its graveyard tops the mound of the wall. This church has thirteenth-century work remaining in it, and probably is the descendant of the earliest Saxon church of the manor. It stands but a short way south of the original east gate. Visitors are told that at the east gate, or near it, a temple stood wherein Roman legions left their eagles while in the city. The Society of Antiquaries has un- earthed two temple structures contiguous to this churchyard, but on its west side, though they may have extended more to the east.