Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 1.djvu/324

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NOTES AND QUERIES. [9* s. i. APRIL i 6> m

what precedes. But what actually follows is hardly to be matched: " He is so candid, so sincere, so fearless, so interesting, and his little book is so portable and so pretty."

It would, however, be a mistake to suppose that the elliptical expression is confined to ladies' letters and ladies' newspapers. In one page of Alison's 'History of Europe during the French Revolution, ii. 54, fourth edi- tion, there are two instances : " Their prin- ciples. were those so finely expressed by

Louis XVIII." " The agitation which they so sedulously maintained." KILLIQREW.

"To SUE" (9 th S. i. 206). There is an ancient use of this word in the old title of the heron, the hern-sue (? herring-follower, or pursuer. Compare to sue by legal process). Hern-sue is the popular name of the nern, or heron, still in many parts of the North (in Craven, for example). Where Shakespeare is understood by modern readers to make Hamlet say, " I know a hawk from a hand- saw," Shakespeare doubtless meant (even if it cannot be ascertained that he did originally write) "I know a hawk from a hern-sue" which is a good equivalent for "I know a hare from a harrier." From the phrase as it stands one would imagine Hamlet was mad enough ! Yet he himself is made to tell us, " I am but mad north-north-west ; when the wind is southerly I know a hawk from a " hern-sue. W. H N B Y.

"Jiv. jiv, KOORILKA!" (9 th S. i. 126.) I remember being taught by my great-aunt an old forfeit game known as "Jack's alive, oh!" A paper spill was lighted and blown out. While any sparks were still visible the player holding it repeated to his or her neighbour the formula, " Jack's alive and like to live ; if he dies in your hand it 's a forfeit." The next in rotation was bound to take "Jack" when the last word had been pro- nounced, and forthwith begin the same sentence before passing it on to the next person. The one in possession when the last spark went out of course incurred the forfeit. The extreme rapidity with which the formula was repeated as the sparks gradually dis- appeared was an unfailing source of amuse- ment. E. E. STREET.

Chichester.

WILLIAM WENTWORTH (9 th S. i. 7, 31, 50, 271). The enormous number of William Wentworths in "Long John" Wentworth's book will cause any one who does not know a good deal about this pedigree to waste much time in the search recommended by C. By the way, he mentions the second edition

" Long John's " book. The first edition, which was privately printed, is in many points inaccurate, but in answer to C.'s ques- tion I may say that the second edition of Long John's" book, named by him, is a trust- worthy publication. When " Long John " sent me his book in 1871 I was able to show him that his English pedigrees were not sound. He afterwards employed, I believe, the ser- vices of that distinguished antiquary Col. Chester, and in the three- volume edition named by C. the errors to be found in the b wo- volume edition were corrected. I repeat, nowever, a suggestion previously made in your columns, in answer to the original query, that this particular William Went- worth had better be searched for in Mr. William Loftie Button's 'Three Branches of the Family of Wentworth,' as he is probably one of the Williams named in that book, which makes it unnecessary to go through the large number named in the complete pedigree of Wentworth.

C. W. D.

"MELA BRITANNICUS" (9 th S. i. 267). On the title-page of the copy in the Royal Library of 'A Letter to the Society of the Dilettanti on the Works at Windsor,' under the name of the author is written " Charles Kelsall." Halkett and Laing give the same name in their index, but do not mention this letter. RICHARD R. HOLMES.

Windsor Castle.

At 4 th S. vii. 76 the Editor of 'N. & Q.' stated that " Mela Britannicus " was Charles Kelsall, on the authority of the Brit. Mus. Cat. W. C. B.

WORKS OF GREAT AUTHORS ATTRIBUTED TO OTHER WRITERS (9 th S. i. 84). Aulus Gellius distinctly says that the fable of ' The Lark and her Young Ones ' was told by JEsop, the

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Aristotle attributes this fable to ^Espp. myself have not seen this passage of Aristotle, but no doubt the note is right. It is also said that 'The Wolves and the Sheep' has been quoted by Demosthenes. 'The Old Man and his Sons ' is a classical story, for Plutarch mentions it. But possibly the fable is manufactured from the story. Phsedrus acknowledges that his fables are copied from ^Esop. And certainly we should be inclined to suppose that such fables as 'The Frogs desiring a King,' 'The Dog and the Shadow, and ' The Two Wallets,' which is entitled by Phsedrus'DeVitiis Hominum,' were originated by the prince of fabulists. The fables ot