Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 4.djvu/512

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NOTES AND QUERIES. m s. iv. DEC. 23, 1911.

found in the Madras bazaar a miniature without name, which, from his intimate acquaintance with the family of the writer of ' Le Recit d'une Soeur,' he immediately recognized and bought. This was the long- lost portrait. But no explanation was ever forthcoming of the manner in which it found its way to India.

J. H. RIVETT-CARNAC.

NEEDLES IN CHINA: QUAINT USE. " The importation of needles at Chungking last year increased from 31,963,000 to 334,700,000. In many parts of the province these are put to a <use that is not perhaps generally known. It is -customary to ornament the centre of the roof ridge of a Chinese house with an elaborate plaster -decoration usually in the form of a design em- bodying the character ' fu,' meaning happiness. 'To prevent this being damaged by the depreda- tion of crows, large numbers of needles are stuck point outwards into the plaster while it is still

rSOft."

I cut the foregoing paragraph from a news- paper some months ago. It reminded me of what Josephus wrote about the Temple of Jerusalem of his time, in ' Wars of the Jews,' Book V. chap. v. sec. 6 :

" On its top it had spikes with sharp points, to prevent any pollution of it by birds sitting mpon it."

ST. SWITHIN.

LORD HERBERT OF CHERBURY'S RAB- BINICAL STUDIES. Though Sir Sidney Lee Jias elected to leave the question quite open both in his valuable introductory notice and in the appendices to his edition oJ Lord Herbert of Cherbury's 'Autobiography .(Routledge), we know too much of the great sixteenth century to have any doubts whether such an adventurous spirit as Lore Herbert would, in due time, be drawn to one of the most fascinating of studies. He
 * spent many of his earlier years (from 1590

to 1624) among the foremost Continenta scholars and philosophers ; but I think Isaac Casaubon ("that incomparabl .scholar" with whom Herbert had man; familiar conversations in Paris during the year 1608) must have directed his arden pupil and admirer to the writings of Erasmus Reuchlin, and Buxtorf, and inspired tin Rabbinical enthusiasm and zeal he acquirec towards the end of his career. The Ian guage of those passages, at the end of th 'Autobiography, 1 implies more than a cur sory acquaintance with Rabbinical method .and machinery. Writing of his famous wor] ' De Veritate,' which Grotius was urgin him to print, he says :

" I took my book in my hands and devoutl. said these words : ' O thou eternal God, Autho

f the light which now shines upon me, and river of all inward illuminations, I do beseech 'hee of Thy infinite goodness to pardon a greater squest than a sinner ought to make ; I am not atisfied enough whether I shall publish this look " De Veritate "; if it be for Thy glory, I eseech Thee give me a sign from heaven ; if iot, I shall suppress it.' I had no sooner spoken hese words, but a loud though yet gentle noise ame from the heavens, for it was like nothing on arth, which did so comfort and cheer me, that took my petition as granted."

Ie thereupon decided to print the book, w this " asking for a sign " is a well-known Rabbinical device, and was introduced sub- equent to the close of the canon, and the iges of prophecy, as a coefficient of morality ' Mesachta Yoma,' 9). The finest example )f the uses of the " Bath Koul," or " voice rom the skies," is to be found in ' Pirke Aboth,' vi. 2. Rabbi Joshua Ben Levi said :

" Every morning a Bath Koul hovers over Mount Horeb and proclaims, ' Woe unto all who shall despise the study of the Torah : inasmuch as whoso fails to study it is denounced therein as " a vile being." ' In another place we read:

The tablets are God's own handiwork, and the .nscriptions " graven " thereon were prepared in Heaven.' Now you are not to spell it charuth

graven), but cheiruth (freedom) ; since those only are ' freemen ' who study the Torah ; whoso study the Torah are exalted step by step ; even as it was proclaimed in Numb. xxi. 19, '^In- somuch as ye did consent to accept " the gift " of Dhe Torah (Ummeemattono, from tnatton=g\it) ye are now become sole legatees of the Divine (Nacliliel), and with " this boundless heritage " of Mine (Ummeenachliel), ye may raise your- selves to " the highest places " (Bamoth) of the World.'"

From such rugged material the old exegetes struck glittering ore, and beguiled the scanty leisure during the hours periodically allotted to Seechath Chulin (" informal talks," or con- versaziones), which always inaugurated " the heavv debates" associated with " the Halacha " (jurisprudence).

M. L. R. BRESLAR.

Percy House, South Hackney.

CAPT. CUTTLE'S HOOK. Everything con- cerning Capt. Cuttle, our " guide, philo- sopher, and friend," is of interest to readers of ' N. & Q.' In the engraved title of my copy of ' Dombey and Son,' " with illus- trations by H. K. Browne" (1848), the captain has his hook on the left wrist ; while in the engraved fantasy facing it, which introduces t he characters of the story, he wears it on his right wrist. On p. 86 we are told that he " re-attached the hook to his right wrist." In seven of the other pic- tures in the book he appears with it on his "right wrist" ; but in one other (opposite