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KOTES AND QUERIES. [12 s. IIL MAY. 1917.

to be remembred to you and Intreats you would Send him a Copie of the Company's

fenerall to the bay,* provided your other mployments lend you So much leisure and that it may be done without any Prejudice to your Selfe, which he would not have you in the least to hazard. Mine are of the Same nature as that you would favour me with what news you Shall have out of England concerning the building of the City t or any thing else, and that if the letters be not dispeeded away, as Soone as they come ashore, you would take mine (if I have any) and Send them away imediately by a Cossid, whom pray ingage by Promising him more then his ordinary hyre if he does, and agreeing to cutt off some if he does not arrive here in 7 or 8 days, and if I Should have any thing else come by the Shipps, pray take it into your Custody.

I hope my disposall of your money meetes with your approbation and also that you may find vend for the girdles &ca. I have not more to add at Present Save my best wishes for your prosperity and that you may have good news from England, So Subscribe

[Unsigned]

I hope you'l give us an ample account of the ladysj and their lady birds too. [Endorsed] To Mr Vickers July llth : 70

R. C. TEMPLE.

(To be continued.)

" THE KING'S SERJEANT." A recent small legal innovation is full of interest. The " cryer's," i.e. the usher's, proclamation immediately before the beginning of a criminal trial ran :

" If any one can inform my lords the King's Justices, the King's serjeant or attorney-general, ere this inquest be now taken. . . .of any treasons, murders, felonies ... .let him come forth and he shall be heard . . . . "

I take the words from Chitty's ' Criminal Law,' vol. iv. p. 315 (1826), but they are probably centuries old.

Since about 1914 the words " the King's serjeant " have been omitted at the Central

dated Dec. 7, 1669. See ' Letter Book,' vol. iv.
 * The Company's General Letter to HugIT

f The rebuilding of London after the great fire of 1666.

t See Letter XXXVII.

There is no example in the ' N.E.D.' of the use of " ladybird " for a lady's maid, which is apparently what is intended here. The usual meaning of the word in the seventeenth century was " sweetheart."

Criminal Court doubtless by the instruc- tions of the learned clerk of the Court, and reasonably enough, as such an official has long ceased to exist. But his origin goes back absolutely to that of the English bar. Probably the first English advocates in civil courts were King's Serjeants, i.e.* servants. HERMAN COHEN.

EN AND Cu. In Kirby's ' Winchester Scholars ' one of the Scholars of 1485 ap- pears as Richard En, that being also the reading of the boy's surname which Warden Nicholas adopted about the year 1687 r when he added an index of names to the original Register. But the entry itself runs : " Ricardus Cu de blanforde films tenentis in soka Vintonie xii. annorum in festo purificationis preterito Dorset."

Cu is replaced by Kewe in Register O, in the record that this boy took the Scholar's oath on Aug. 8, 1488. In the Hall-books of 1485-6, 1486-7, 1487-8, and 1489-90 r the most favoured spelling of the name is Kyw, but Kywe, Kew, Kewe, Keu, Ku r and Kw also occur. H. C.

EPITAPH ON A STONEMASON. The follow- ing epitaph at Little Marsden Church, Lancashire, is worth putting on record in ' N. & Q.' It is over the grave of John Hold en, stonemason (d. Nov. 7, 1869, set. 39) : He struggled bravely to complete for some one

else this stone, But sickness did his plans defeat and it was left

his own.

He wished it placed where now it stands un- finished, still the same

As when grim death did stay his hands and quench his vital flame.

F. H. C.

AUSTRALIAN SLANG. In a volume,' Songs by a Sentimental Bloke,' which has ob- t ained great popularity in Australia, are to- be found inter alia the following with their equivalents. Perhaps some word-groper among your readers can suggest their source :

Boko. The nose.

Bokays. Compliments.

Cliner. An unmarried girl.

Finger. An eccentric person.

Guyver. Make-believe.

Imshee. Begone.

Joes. Melancholy thoughts.

Mag. To scold.

Nark. A spoil-sport.

Ribuck. Correct (signifying assent).

Slats. The ribs.

Yakker. Hard work.

L. G. R. . Bournemouth.