Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 10.djvu/349

 9* s. x. NOV. i, 1902.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

341

LONDON, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 1902.

CONTENTS. -No. 253.

NOTES: The Order of Merit Holy Trinity: Christ Church : St. Saviour's, 341 Shakespeare in the Sonuets, 343 Bishop 8. Wilberforce, 344 Lord's Prayer in the Fifteenth Century " Pert, fert, fert," 345" Cinque pace and measures " Chicago : its Etymology Carteret Street, Westminster, 346

QUBRIBS: Circumflex Accent Claw, 346 Piddinghoe Church French Pi>em Pulpit in Chapter-House Latin Legend Le Brun 'The Watch 'Tennyson and Henry James Clergy in Seventeenth Century Author of Book, 347 Anglo-Saxon Names for Birds Corderius Charles V.'s Portrait ''By gar" Pocock "Peace, Retrenchment, and Reform " Chinese Junk, 348.

RBPLIBS : P. J. Bailey, 349 Analogous Titles of Books Bungay Black Malibran, 350 References Wanted Dream-lore Watson of Barrashridge, 351 Wine a Rare Article Grissard Black Fast Portrait bv Zurbaran, 352 Duchy of Berwick Arms on Fireback Masculine Dress Green Unlucky Stanihurst Arms Sir Nicholas Smith Herefordshire Manor-Houses Schaw of Gospetry, 353 "Yeoman" Children Hanged " Quiz," Junior, 354 "The beatific vision" De la Pole Family Hebrew Incantations ' The Pageant,' 355 "Verify your quota- tions " " Coin is the sinews of war " English in Kurland and Li viand Notes on Skeat's 'Concise Dictionary' Achill Island Signs, 356 - Garrick's Statue of Shake- speare Oakham Castle and Horseshoes Brooch of L'irn, 357 "Odour of sanctity" Home Alley Retarded Ger- mination of Seeds Cleopatra's Needle, 358. .

NOTES ON BOOKS : Mayo's ' Dorset Minute Books ' "The Fascination of London" ' Yorkshire Archaeological Journal ' " Useful Arts."

Notices to Correspondents.

THE ORDER OF MERIT. ALTHOUGH modesty is always a virtue to be encouraged, may not ' N. & Q.' put in a claim to have been the first Englisn journal to suggest, half a century before it was for- mally brought into being, the creation of such an Order of Merit as has been insti- tuted by King Edward VII. within the E resent year? That suggestion is to be >und in 1 st S. iv. 337, and it assuredly deserves to be recalled now.

Fifty-one years ago to-day, under the head- ing ' The Claims of Literature,' appeared on 1 November, 1851, an Editorial appeal for official honour to be done to those " whose 'gentil dedes' in Literature, Science, and Art tend to elevate the minds, and thereby promote the happiness of their fellow-men." That appeal thus concludes :

"The present moment, when Peace has just celebrated her Jubilee in the presence of admiring millions, is surely the fittest moment that could be selected for the establishment of some Order (call it of Victoria, or Civil Merit, or what you will) to honour those followers of the Arts of Peace to whose genius, learning, and skill the great event of the year 1851 owes its brilliant conception, its happy execution, its triumphant success. The reign of the Illustrious Lady who now fills with so much dignity the Throne of these Realms has happily been., pre-eminently distinguished (and long may it

be so !) by an unexampled progress made in all the Arts of Peace. Her Majesty has been pre-eminently a Patron of all such Arts. How graceful then, on the part of Her Majesty, would be the immediate institution of an Order of Civil Merit ! How gratifying to those accomplished and worthy men on whom Her Majesty might be pleased to confer it."

The claim, of course, is not made that ' N. & Q.' was the first ever to think of such an order, for a somewhat similar idea is to be found in the following paragraph, quoted in 1 st S. i. 88, from the Perth Magazine of July, 1772 :

"Order oj Minerva. We are informed that his Majesty is about to institute a new order of knighthood, called The Order of Minerva, for the encouragement of literature, the fine arts, and learned professions. The new order is to consist of twenty-four knights and the Sovereign ; and is to be next in dignity to the military Order of the Bath. The knights are to wear a silver star with nine points, and a straw-coloured riband from the right shoulder to the left. A figure of Minerva is to be embroidered in the centre of the star, with this motto, 'Qmnia posthabita Scientiae.' Many men eminent in literature, in the fine arts, and in physic, and law, are already thought of to fill the Order, which, it is said, will be instituted before the meeting of parliament."

The inclusion in the newly founded Order of Merit of leading representatives of the naval and military services prevents it being precisely either the Order of Minerva suggested in the Perth, Magazine of 1772 or the Order of Civil Merit proposed by ' N. & Q.' in 1851 ; but it is something to have learning as such officially recognized at last. ALFRED F. BOBBINS.

HOLY TRINITY : CHRIST CHURCH : - ST. SAVIOUR'S.

REVISITING lately grand old Christ Church, near Bournemouth (which greatly grown, handsome, and pleasant place by the sea was doubtless, not long since, known as Bourne- mouth, near Christ Church, the ancient parish), I had to listen to the legend touch- ing its building and dedication, which forms part of the guide's constant recital : how at the building of the church worked an unknown, mysterious craftsman, who, although his labour contributed much to the advance of the work, was never seen during the intervals of rest or when wages were paid ; how on a certain occasion a great timber destined for the roof had been found by the dismayed builders to have been cut short by a foot, but how, on their return to work next morning, they to their joy dis- covered the beam extended to the requisite length, and resting in the place prepared for