Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 10.djvu/353

. X. Nov. 1, 1902.]

NOTES AND QUERIES.

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while practising in Alverstpke and Gosport a few years ago, and which are entirely authentic, being told me in the one instance by an old gentleman, a friend of the subject of the first story, and in the second by one of the ladies to whom the incident occurred. As both stories are entirely to the bishop's credit, and show what an excellent clergy- man and kind man he was, I think they ought to be placed on permanent record in your pages. That they are recollected only shows the deep impression he left behind him after but five years' pastorate. In fact, his ministry was a revelation to that day and locality.

1. A Gosport tradesman (an auctioneer, I fancy) had cast off his only daughter, who had married against his wishes. He refused to forgive her, to see her, or to relax to her in any way. In her distress she went to Archdeacon Wilberforce, the rector of Alver- stoke, for help and advice. He heard her story, reproved her for marrying without her father's consent, but promised to do what he could to soften him. Accordingly in a few days the father got a note from the archdeacon, requesting him to call at the rectory to see him. After a little chat the archdeacon asked him abruptly if he ever said the Lord's Prayer. The man, astonished, replied, O yes ; he frequently said it both at church and at home. ' Then," said Wilberforce, sternly, " I forbid you to say it in future on the peril of your soul. You are daily asking God to forgive you your sins as you have forgiven your daughter's, and, as your clergyman, I forbid you to call down such daily vengeance on your head. You must never say that prayer again until you have forgiven your daughter." In a little while, with such straight talking as this, he had brought to his knees the man, who finally promised to forgive his erring daughter entirely. When this was accomplished Wilberforce rang the bell, gave an order to the servant, and in a moment the unhappy woman, who was awaiting in an adjoining room the result of the interview, was shown in, and the archdeacon had the pleasure of seeing the two entirely united in mutual forgiveness.

2. Three maiden ladies in Alverstoke, among the excellent of the earth in all ways, though not rich, had followed Archdeacon Wilberforce's teaching during his short stay as their rector with the greatest pleasure and profit. They had besides acted as district visitors under his supervision and that of his clergy. Ten or more years after he had left the rectory they happened to be in Oxford

on a little tour, and they heard by chance that their dear old rector, now Bishop of Oxford, was preaching next day I think at St. Mary's. Of course they must go and hear him ; but, unfortunately, they 'arrived only just before the commencement of the service, when the church was quite full and they could obtain no seats. As they were turning disappointedly away the bishop drove up and got out of his carriage to enter the church. In a moment he saw them, recog- nized them, and, turning to the apparitor, said, " Find these ladies, who are my friends, good seats as near the pulpit as possible " ; and in a few minutes, to their inexpressible gratification and pleasure, they were ushered into the stalls of some dignitaries or otjier, and had the pleasure of once more hearing Dr. Wilberforce preach.

On a later occasion two of them were in London, and they saw "the dear bishop" on the other side of a very crowded street either Oxford Street or Regent Street, I think. At the same moment he recognized them, and came hurrying across the busy thoroughfare to have a few words with them about " happy old Alverstoke days." Needless to say they felt their previous loyal affection to Bishop Wilberforce strengthened a thousandfold at such genuine Christian courtesy on the part of so important an ecclesiastic and statesman as he then was.

I guarantee both the above anecdotes to be absolutely genuine and authentic.

WILLIAM SYKES, M.D., F.S A.

LORD'S PRAYER IN THE FIFTEENTH CENTURY. The following fifteenth -century English version of the Lord's Prayer seems to be of sufficient-interest to be recorded in ' N. & Q.':

" Pater Noster that art in hevenys halwyd be thi name Come to us thi kyngdom Bedo thi wyll as in heven so in erthe Oure every day bred gyve us to-day And Fadyr Fadyr [sic] forgyve us oure dettys as we forgeve our dettours And Fadyr lede us in to no temptacyon but delyver us of evyl."

A. R. MALDEN.

Salisbury.

" FERT, FERT, FERT." Travellers and tourists in Italy are often sorely puzzled by the words, or more properly by the capital letters, F. E. R. T.-F. E. R. T.-F. E. R. T., always thus repeated three times, which are found on the rims or edges of certain Italian coins, as well as on the collar of the Order of the Annunziata, and sometimes elsewhere.

The mysterious monosyllable is said to be composed of the initial letters of the words which form the following sentence : " Forti- tude ejus Rhodum tenuit " (His valour pre- served Rhodes), which was said of Amedeus V.