Page:Notes and Queries - Series 12 - Volume 1.djvu/503

 128.1. JUSEIT, i9i6.j NOTES AND QUERIES.

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I quote the following examples from Speight's ' Nidderdale,' 1894, where he is speaking of Brimham Rocks. At p. 426 is a striking representation of " The Dancing Bear." At pp. 427, 428, he says :

" The resemblances to natural and artificial objects are often most striking. There we have the Elephant Rock, the Porpoise Head, the Dan- cing Bear the Boat Rock, showing the bow and

tern completely, &c."

"Close to the Rocking Stones are the appro- priately named Oyster-shell Rock, and the Hippo- potamus's Head. '..... and Boar's Snout Further

south are the Frog and Tortoise Rocks, the latter representing from one point of view a capital resemblance to a tortoise creeping up the face of the crag towards the imaged frog a good imita- tion of a cannon the Yoke of Oxen, Mushroom

Bocks, Druid's Oven, Dog's Head, Telescope," &c.

At p. 451 is a striking view of the remark- able rock called " Gladstone's Head," Madge Hill.

I do not know whether any of the above rocks have been " touched up " by the hand of man ; if they have, there must have been some accidental resemblance in the first instance to suggest the idea.

J. T. F.

Durham.

FATHER CHRISTMAS AND CHRISTMAS STOCK- INGS (12 S. i. 69, 173, 291). I have ascer- tained that the child's book to which I re- ferred at the first of these pages was ' The Christmas Stocking,' by the authors of ' The Wide, Wide World,' ' Queechy,' ' Dollars and Cents,' &c. The copy I had was published in London by James Nisbet & Co. in 1854, and I think the work had made a transatlantic appearance earlier than that. Santa Claus is spoken of as a giver of gifts. All the treasures found in little Carl Krinken's stocking made in England and hung up in America tell him stories, and in that due to the hose itself we are in its native isle, and we have a fragment of mumming play with Father Christmas in full fig. His hair and lengthy "beard were white ; he was crowned with yew and ivy, and carried a staff adorned with holly - berries. Brown and long was his robe, dotted about with white to imitate snow. He said :

Oh ! here comes I, old Father Christmas, welcome

or not,

I hope old Father Christmas will never be forgot, Make room, room, I say, That I may lead Mince Pye this way.

Pp. 243-4.

I fancy that the name Carl Krinken indicates German influence on the imagina- tion of the authors. ST. S WITHIN.

JULIUS CJGSAR ON " SUDDEN DEATH " 12 S. i. 429). This remark is not to be bund in Caesar's own writings, but is re- corded by Plutarch (' Vit. Cses.,' cap. 63), who tells us that, when Caesar, on the night 3efore his assassination, was dining with Vtarcus Lepidus, the question was raised as
 * o which kind of death was the best. Caesar,

who had been busy signing letters, interposed, and, before any one else could answer, said, ' Ore unexpected " ('0 aTrpoo-SoKrjTos).

A sentiment closely akin to this appears
 * o be attributed to him in the life by

Suetonius, cap. 86, namely, that it was Detter " insidias undique imminentes subire semel quam cavere semper." But the text is unfortunately in a corrupt state.

EDWARD BENSLY.

See Plutarch's ' Lives,' englished by Sir Thomas North (' Julius Caesar ') :

'And the very day before [the Ides of March! Caesar, supping with Marcus Lepidus, sealed certain letters as he was wont to do at the board : so talk falling out amongst them, reasoning what death was best : he preventing their opinions, cried out aloud, ' Death unlocked for.' "

A. R. BAYLEY.

Enumerating incidents that occurred before the assassination, Plutarch says :

'The day before, when Marcus Lepidus was entertaining him, he chanced to be signing some letters, according to his habit, while he was re- clining at table ; and the conversation having turned on what kind of death was the best, before any one could give an opinion he called out, ' That which is unexpected.' " Long's version, c. 63.

In his ' Caesar, a Sketch,' p. 521, Froude states the matter thus :

"The same evening, the 14th of March, Caesar was at a * Last Supper ' at the house of Lepidus. The conversation turned on death, and on the kind of death which was most to be desired. Csesar, who was signing papers while the rest were talking, looked up and said, ' A sudden one.' "

THOMAS BAYNE. [H. PARR also thanked for reply.]

OLD FAMILY CHURCH LIVINGS (12 S. i. 388). The diocese of Chichester furnishes many instances of livings which have been held by members of the same family for many years. Thus in the case of the parish of Salehurst, for nearly three centuries prior to 1878 no incumbent was appointed (with the possible exception of two non-resident vicars during the minority of the patron's nominee) who was not a relative either of his predecessor or of the patron. The Rev. Stephen Jenkin, who died Vicar of Salehurst in 1 827, was a descendant of the Rev. William