Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 9.djvu/330

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NOTES AND QUERIES. en s. ix. APRIL 25, i9u

superseded a former unsatisfactory statue standing for a time in the Central Hall on the spot now occupied by Gladstone's. Bright was a Birmingham M.P. from 1857 to the time of his death.

Onslow Ford's statue of Dr. Robert William Dale (1829-95), unveiled 13 Oct., 1897, is also in the Art Gallery. " Dale of Birmingham " (a term by which he came to be known the world over) is represented seated, with cap and gown. While minister .at Carr's Lane Congregational Chapel, in which position he succeeded the veteran the IRev. John Angell James, his influence on the public and religious life of Birmingham was unchallengeable for nearly forty years. With the Rev. Charles Vince and George Dawson he made up a forceful triumvirate of militant Nonconformity never to be for- rgotten. Matthew Arnold spoke of him as a " brilliant pugilist." Preacher, pastor, poli- tician, pamphleteer, author, he died widely honoured and beloved. Birmingham under- stood him. WlLMOT COBFIELD.

(To be continued.)

WEBSTER AND THE ' N.E.D.'

(See ante, p. 302.)

grammatical, adj. = specious, according to the letter, not the spirit. " These are but gram- matical laments. ' ' W.D.,' V. v. 64. great-master, noun=steward (probably adapted from the French). " Great-master of her household." ' D.M.,' I. i. 95.

grine-rouge, noun (?). " Precious grine-rouge ! " reference to a melancholy fantastic, occurs in some of the 1612 quartos ; the rest and the later editions read gue or rogue. As the word grimsire=a,n austere person, existed, we may construe the present word grimrogue.) -grow, intrans. verb=to embrace, to get close to each other. "How they grow together!.... he was no woman's friend that did invent a punishment for kissing ! " ' D.L.C.,' I. ii. 239.
 * W.D.,' III. ii. 437. (This word, used with

handling, noun = possession. " Nor do you fear, though in thief's handling still." ' Cuck.,' II. ii. 102.

.high-erected, adj.=ahning at sublimity. "His high-erected thoughts." ' Mon. Col.,' 34.

high-going, adj. " An high-going sea." ' Mon. Col.,' Dedication, 6.

Holy Ghost, noun = a French order of knighthood, instituted 1579. " Knight of the Holy Ghost." ' W.D.,' IV. ii. 11.

horn-shavings, noun=an emblem of cuckoldom. " Your pillow, stuft with horn-shavings." ' W.D.,' I. ii. 81.

ice-pavement, noun = ground coated with ice. " In such slippery ice-pavements." ' D.M.,' V. ii. 337.

ill-scenting, ad j.= stinking. " Ill-scenting foxes." ' W.D.,' IV. i. 111.

improperly, adj. = improper. " Porters would have made it tottering and improperly." ' Mon. Hon.,' 193.

Indian pox, noun = a kind of scald experienced by Columbus's crew, and first mistaken for a venereal disease. " The calenture, or the scurvy or the Indian pox." ' D.L.C.,' III. iii. 199.

inquiry after. " Twill breed the less inquiry after her death."' D.M.,' V. ii. 322.

iper, noun(?). "A woodcock among birds, a hodmondod amongst flies ; amongst curs^ a trindle-tail, and amongst fishes a poor iper." ' App.,' III. iv. 39.

Janus, noun = (fig.) a double-dealer. " Good Janus, look not so many several ways at once." ' App.,' IV. i. 186. (The figurative meaning is not indexed.)

joint-ttcin, noun = twin-brother. " Natural death, that art joint-twin to sweetest slumber." ' W.D.,' V. ii. 31.

kind, ad j.= foolish. "Were she so kind as to expose herself." ' Cuck.,' V. i. 91. (Compare the double meaning of POND.)

knight, no un= rider.

I never knew man and beast, of a horse and

a knight

So weary of each other. ' D.M.,' II. iv. 53.

(Castruccio, the person alluded to, is a fat old courtier, and no knight.)

law-business, noun = the business of a lawyer. " This law-business will leave me so small leisure."' D.L.C.,' IV. ii. 462.

law- flesh, oun=man of law. "To see you as pretty a piece of law-flesh." ' D.L.C.,' V. ii. 2.

lay a hand to, phrase =to proffer welcome. " Will you bid your kinsman welcome ? No one .... will lay a hand to him." ' Cuck.,' II. iv. 119. (No quotation is given previous to 1634, and only the sense of to give help is illustrated. )

lay down, active verb =to conjure away (a spirit V " Tis not so great a cunning. .. .to raise tho devil ; the greatest cunning were to lay him down."' W.D.,' V. i. 93.

little-timbered, adj.=weakly built. "If a little- timbered fellow would justle a great logger- head."' App.,' III. ii. 29.

long- flourishing, adj. " The statists of long- flourishing Rome." ' App.,' I. iii. 109.

lungs of fox, no un= lungwort. " Restorative powder of the lungs of fox." ' D.L.C.,' IV. i. 6. (This is mentioned as being used by an orator. This herb, Pulmonaria officinalis,is so called from the spotted appearance of its leaves ; it was formerly employed for bronchial complaints. )

maid : sick of the maid, phrase = tired of remain- ing unmarried.' Cuck.,' I. i. 123. (This meaning is not pointed to, though an example quoted from Chapman's ' Odyssey,' vi. 52 [1615], illustrates it : " Thou shalt no more stand on the maid"=thou shalt no longer remain single.)

matrona, noun = manageress in an Italian hospital. " Yonder 's Flamineo in conference with the matrona."' W T .D.,' IV. i. 8.

mediate for, intrans. verb =to compound. " To yield up ship and goods, and mediate for our peace." ' Cuck.,' III. iii. 69. (In Marlowe's * Jew of Malta,' V.,last scene, 112, the verb is transi- tive in to mediate your peace. Webster uses it both transitively and intransitively in two other meanings : ' W.D.,' I. i. 35, and ' Appius,' II. i. 44.)