Page:Notes and Queries - Series 2 - Volume 1.djvu/18

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NOTES AND QUERIES.

S. N 1., JAN. 5. '56.

fair friend, that, if in the course of the ensuing year of 1856, which is leap-year she should so far forget herself as to suggest a union between herself and a bachelor acquaintance, who should be uncivil enough to decline her proposals, she could, thereupon, demand from him the gift of a new silk dress. But, to claim this dress with pro- priety, she must, at the time of asking, be the wearer of a scarlet petticoat ; which, or the lower portion of which, she must exhibit to the gentle- man, who, by k the law of leap-year, is compelled to present to the lady the dress, that shall cover the petticoat, and assuage her displeasure at the rejection of her proposals.

This item of feminine folk lore may prove ex- ceedingly useful to the male readers of " N. & Q.," in putting them upon their guard during the forthcoming leap-year. For, it is not, probably, without a determined significancy, that the wear- ing of scarlet petticoats is made one of the chief novelties in ladies' dresses for this winter season. Indeed, it may reasonably be inferred, that the ladies' law of leap-year is about to be inflicted upon the gentlemen in its most expensive silk-dress form ; and, that the assumption of these scarlet petticoats is merely the initiatory step to a sterner process.

From a careful consideration of the various clangers (arising from this feminine folk lore) that will beset me, and all other bachelors, during the next twelve months, I am inclined to think that Mr. Meagles' advice with regard to beadles, is worthy of imitation ; and that whenever we see a young lady, " in full fig," with a scarlet petticoat coming down a street, we shall show our best dis- cretion by turning and running away.

CUTHBERT BEDE.

Burying a Parish.

" The sexton of Cullompton, in Devonshire, who died a few days since, had buried upwards of 4000 persons, while the population of the town is only 3655. It is said that the sextonship has been in his family for a period of 200 years." Saunders' News-Letter, Dec. 6, 1855.

ABHBA.

Over Door Inscriptions. The words " NOW NOBIS" are inscribed above the door of one of the houses in the College of Durham Cathedral. Some eighty years ago, or more, a commercial traveller, on leaving the cathedral, where he had attended the afternoon prayers, sauntered through the col- lege, and observed the above inscription ; which, from ignorance of the Latin language, he was unable to comprehend ; and seeing one of the vergers (a well-known eccentric character), called to him to come and expound the unknown words. The verger, thinking he was a stranger, waiting and hoping for an invitation from the doctor in residence (which, in days gone by, was usually given to strangers who attended morning and evening prayers in the cathedral), dryly answered

him : " The words, Sir, mean, ' Nobody comes here but ourselves.' " FRA. MEWBURN.

Mendelssohn's " Elijah." A curious perversion of a text from the Book of Isaiah occurs in the concluding chorus of this celebrated Oratorio. The passage will be found in chap. Iviii. v. 8., which in the authorised version runs thus : " Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily : and thy righteousness shall go before thee (shall be thy vanguard), the glory of the Lord shall be thy rereward (rearward):' In the Oratorio the h*t phrase of the text is translated " and the glory, of the Lord shall ever reward you."

H. J. GAUNTLETT.

8. Powys Place, Queen Square.

UNPUBLISHED LETTERS OF CHARLES I., AND WHAT HAS BECOME OF CHARLES'S LETTERS TO THE EARL OF GLAMORGAN ?

" NOTES AND QUERIES," and your correspon- dent MR. WITTON (1 st S. xii. 219.), have brought to light a curious and important collection of Letters of Charles I. On reading the first of them, as published (1 st S. xii. 219.), I suspected its genuineness ; but a sight of the whole col- lection, with the inquiries I have been led to make, preparatory to bringing the volume under the notice of the Council of the Camden So- ciety, have fully satisfied me that the manuscript is unquestionably what it pretends to be. Its publication will be a feather in the cap of " N. & Q. ;" a valuable addition to the Series of the works of the Camden Society, as well as to the historical materials for the most interesting period in our annals ; and a memorial of the good fortune of MR. WITTON as a purchaser of MSS., and of his judicious liberality in the use of them. It is the intention of the Camden Council to publish the book as soon as possible ; I hope within a few weeks.

The inquiries into which I have been drawn in connexion with this MS., have brought before me another subject on which I request permission to say a few words.

Every body is more or less acquainted with the dispute, of such great importance in estimating the character of Charles I., as to the powers which he is said to have given to the Earl of Glamorgan, to make peace with the Irish Roman Catholics, and to obtain from them the assistance of a con- siderable body of men intended to have been em- ployed in- England against the parliament. Zea- lous defenders of Charles I. have disputed the authenticity of the documents conferring these powers. Carte stigmatises them as undeniably