Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 4.djvu/504

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NOTES AND QUERIES. tn s. iv. DEC. w, 1911.

GEORGE MORLAND'S INN SIGN (11 S. iv.

447). The sign, according to Hassell's ' Memoirs of the Life,' &c., was that of bull not a " bell."

Morland was returning from Deal to London on foot, with his brother-in-law Williams. A riotous evening had left them penniless, and, with a " craving appetite for some refreshment," they found them- selves in the neighbourhood of a roadside inn, " over which was placed an animal intended for a bull."

Morland entered the house, obtained the commission to paint a new sign for five shillings, and persuaded the landlord to send to Canterbury to purchase the needful materials. Meanwhile the pair refreshed themselves, and before the painting was finished had disposed of " a dinner, exhausted several pitchers of good ale, and a quantum sufficit of spirits" to the amount of ten shillings, after which, convinced that it was impossible to extract the difference, " the chagrined landlord reluctantly suffered the travellers to depart " on promise of payment at a future day.

" Upon his arrival in town Morland related the adventure at the ' Hole in the Wall,' in Fleet Street, and a gentleman set off privately towards Canterbury in quest of the ' Bull,' which he purchased of the landlord for ten guineas."

Another sign mentioned as painted by Mor- land is that of the " White Lion " at Pad- dington. AITCHO.

DILLON ON DISRAELI (11 S. iv. 449). The epithet alluded to by J. D. has been not infrequently applied, by people who favour slang expressions, to some one whom they wish, politely, to term " a blasted lyre ! " I can, in my own experi- ence, trace it back to 1860 ; but I think we could find instances of far earlier date probably in the annals of duelling,

HERBERT B. CLAYTON.

39, Renfrew Road, Lower Kennington Lane.

The allusion is probably the reverse of complimentary. I have heard it put into a conundrum in reference to another public man : " Why is So-and-so like a harp struck by lightning ? " " Because he is a blasted lyre." FRANCIS P. MARCH ANT.

Streatham Common.

[Several other correspondents reply to the same effect.]

" VIVE LA BELGE " (IIS. iv. 129, 174,215). After their entertainment in London the Belgian visitors dispersed themselves over the country, where volunteers who had shared in the hospitalities of Belgium the

year before were anxious to reciprocate. A small party came to Derby, where (after- being escorted from the station by the local volunteer battalion) they were received in the Market-Place by the Mayor and Corpora- tion amid the greatest enthusiasm. On their way to Chatsworth, where they went next day to lunch, they alighted at Crom- ford to find a banner, with "Vive la Beige" in large characters, stretched across the road.. Before they entrained again at Matlock Bridge champagne was served, literally in buckets. There was a ball for them that same night, but perhaps the most hilarious moment of a very memorable time was when, in returning thanks at the inevitable banquet, a captain of the Belgian National Guard explained with the utmost gravity, and in excellent English, that they too were volunteers, just as we were, with the simple difference that they were " obliged to be volunteers." C. M.

Warrington.

" MAKE A LONG ARM " (11 S. iv. 44, 118, 158, 215). A familiar expression here also. H. L. FAIRCHILD.

Cazenovia, New York.

BURIAL IN WOOLLEN: " DOLBERLINE " (US. iv. 368). Mrs. Palliser ('History of Lace,' 1902) alludes to the custom of using lace as a decoration to grave-clothes, and at p. 366 occurs this foot-note :

" That grave-clothes were lace-trimmed we infer from the following strange announcement in The London Gazette for August 12th to 15th, 1678 :

" 'Whereas decent and fashionable lace-shifts and Dressings for the dead, made of woollen, have been presented to his Majesty by Amy Potter, widow (the first that put the making of such things in practice), and his Majesty well liking
 * he same, hath upon her humble Petition, been

graciously pleased to give her leave to insert this advertisement, that it may be known she now wholly applies herself in making both lace and plain of all sorts, at reasonable prices, and lives in Crane Court in the Old Change, near St. Paul's Church Yard.'

" Again, in Nov. of the same year :

" ' His Majesty, to increase the woollen manufac- ture and to encourage obedience to the late act for Burying in woollen, has granted to Amy Potter jhe sole privilege of making all sorts of woollen .aces for the decent burial of the dead or other- wise, for fourteen years, being the first inventor thereof.' "

Mrs. Palliser makes no special mention of woollen lace, nor of the name " Dolber- ine." Is this intended for " Colbertine " ? At p. 339 she says :

" It is difficult now to ascertain what descrip- tion of lace was that styled Colbertine. It is written Colberteen, Colbertain, Golbertain, Col- yertine. Evelyn in his 'Fop's Dictionary ' (1690);