Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 4.djvu/383

 ii s. iv. NOV. 4, MIL] NOTES AND QUERIES.

377

1664/5, and was buried at Northaw, co. Herts, 3 September, 1667. He was suc- ceeded in the baronetcy by his eldest son, William, who married Mary, daughter of Sir Lewis Mansel, Bt., of Margam, co. Gla- morgan. He died 18 July, 1701, and was succeeded by his grandson William, his eldest son, Mansel Leman, having prede- ceased him. Mansel Leman had married on 17 May, 1683, Lucy Alie of St. Dunstan's-in- the-East. It was through these marriages that Great Prescott Street, Mansel Street, and Great and Little Alie Streets derived their names.

The name was accented on the first syl- lable, as in the ordinary word that occurs dn the old Shakespearian song :

A cup of wine, that 's brisk and fine,

And drink unto the leman mine, And a merry heart lives long-a.

' Henry IV.,' Part II., V. iii. W. F. PEIDEAUX.

" ALL MY EYE AND BETTY MARTIN "

(11 S. iv. 207, 254, 294, 313). May I submit the following, which I copy from a newspaper cutting dated December, 1906 ?

" MY EYE AND BETTY MARTIN. The origin of this phrase has been given by Dr. Butler, who was head master of Shrewsbury School, and after- wards Bishop of Lichfield and Coventry. It appears that many years ago a party of gipsies were apprehended and taken before a magistrate. The constable gave evidence against a very extraordinary woman, named Betty Martin. She became violently excited, rushed up to him, and gave him a tremendous blow in the eye. After which the boys and rabble used to follow the unfortunate officer with cries of ' My eye and Betty Martin.' "

H. GOUDCHAUX.

Versailles.

[MB. T. SHEPHERD and MR. GEORGE WHERRY -are also thanked for replies.]

" AS SURE AS GOD MADE LITTLE APPLES "

(11 S. iv. 289). I have always understood that this was a Devonshire or West-Country proverb, and that the full rendering was : " As sure as God made little apples on big .trees." JOHN HODGKIN.

I remember this saying in Norwich more than forty years ago ; and quite recently I heard it here in Bristol. Curiously enough, in both places I recall it as having been used by old Army officers.

FREDERICK T. HIBGAME.

This is a widely known saying in North Midland counties at any rate and years ago I often heard it in Derbyshire in this form, ""As sure as God made crab apples."

Crab or wild apples are by no means enticing to eat until they have been well "smothered," and even then are "as sour as a crab " ; but some eat them with a relish and consider them good for the body medicinally, though in what way I cannot say. It is a fruit despised, yet some say things in its favour and find pleasure in " munching " it. THOS. RATCLIFFE.

Worksop.

I have never heard this expression, but it recalls a saying familiar to me in London, " I can't do so-and-so for little apples."

H. I. B.

" He can't do this, that, or the other for little apples " has appeared within, I should say, the last ten years, probably originating at one of the Universities. These " little apples " have ousted from favour the older symbols, " toffee," " nuts," &c.

SUSSEX.

[C. C. B. and MR. F. A. RUSSELL are also thanked for their replies.]

DATES IN ROMAN NUMERALS (11 S. iv. 250, 315). The best * Synopsis of the Roman Numerals ' which I have met with is in ' The Tutor's Assistant ; being a Compendium of Arithmetic,' &c., by Francis Walkingame. I suppose, perhaps wrongly, that the Synopsis is given in all editions of Walkingame. Mine is "By T. Crosby. A New Edition corrected. . . .by Samuel Maynard, editor of Keith's Mathematical Works, &c., 1848."

On p. 45, foot-note, mention is made of S. Maynard, Mathematical and Philosophical Bookseller, No. 8, Earl's Court, Cranbourn Street, Leicester Square.

The Synopsis appears on pp. 19-22. Walkingame, Crosby, or Maynard says that he has been chiefly indebted to the following w^orks : Peter Bungus, ' Bergomatis Nu- merorum,' &c., second edition, 4to, Bergomi ooioxci ; M. I. Tritheme, ' Polygraphie,' 4to, Paris, 1561 ; and I. Gerrard, ' Sigla- rium Romanum,' 4to, London, MDCCXCII. In the date of the first of these three books the figure 8, which we call Arabic, lying on its side, means 1000.

In the Synopsis the reversed c (i.e., o) is invariably placed half above and half below the line. This, however, is not a general rule. For 1000 there are twelve variants : M ; or M ; or oo ; or a large O standing on and pierced by something like an anchor; or DO: ; or ciO ; or i ; or 8 ; or a symbol in the shape of St. Andrew's Cross with plain ends ; or one like M, its dexter stroke barbed, with a shallow middle,