Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 11.djvu/435

 9* S. XL MAY 30, 1903.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

427

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WE must request correspondents desiring infor- mation on family matters of only private interest to affix their names and addresses to their queries in orderthat the answers may be addressed to them direct.

"PACKET-BOAT." We should be grateful for sixteenth or early seventeenth century examples of this. It was taken into French from English early in the seventeenth cen- tury in various corrupt forms, as paquetbot, paquebouc, paquebot, and is exemplified in French as early as 1634 ; as it happens, how- ever, the earliest English quotation at present in our hands is not before 1642, from Evelyn's ' Diary.' The earliest packet-boat service is said to have been that with Ireland, which began in Tudor times. The Dover and Har- wich packet-boats were later, of the seven- teenth century. The State Papers of the sixteenth century and the Reports of the Historical MSS. Commission would probably supply early examples.

I may here repeat what I have already several times stated, that the Philological Society's original collections for most of the Pa- words were accidentally destroyed in Ireland, several years before 1 undertook the editing of the 'Dictionary,' and although work has been assiduously and constantly done at repairing this disaster, there are still numerous lacunse in the materials, of which this is no doubt one. All contributions of Pa- words are thankfully received. Address : " Dr. Murray, Oxford."

J. A. H. MURRAY.

PLAISTOW AND BURKE. Edmund Burke lived at Plaistow, Essex, from 1759 to about 1761. This is clear from Prior's 'Life, 'and the tradition is preserved in the old village, where the house he occupied still stands. Burke must have written letters from Plais- tow, yet I can find none. I have been through the ' Correspondence ' (8 vols., 1852), the Add. MSS. in the British Museum, the volumes of the Historical MSS. Commission, as well as various books and articles on Burke. Can any of your readers help me ? I am going to press with the fourth edition of my pamphlet 'Old Plaistow,' and want information. J. SPENCER CURWEN.

THE JANSENIST CRUCIFIX. In what way does the crucifix of the Jansenists differ from that of Christendom in general 1 Mile. Tinayre refers more than once to it in ' La Maison du PecheV She speaks of "le Christ janseniste aux bras dresses" (p. 31); "le Christ farouche aux bras dresses " (p. 376) ;

"le Christ aux bras etroits" (p. 368). Are not the arms ordinarily dresses ? and are they not often drawn in, as in the well-known pre- sentment by Albert Diirer, so that they form, with the beam of the cross, a symbolic triangle? ST. SWITHIN.

ARMS OF HANOVER. I bought in Germany in April, 1902, a postcard of our royal arms with, I suppose, the arms of Hanover on them (above) and the lion and unicorn. The motto " Nunquam Retrorsum " is round the arms. A second motto, " Suscipere et Finire," is on a band between the lion and unicorn. Are these mottoes used now by the family of the Duke of Cumberland, or were they used by the Electors of Hanover ? R. B. B.

THE LIVING DEAD. There are in fiction tales wherein a man (generally of low intellect) is persuaded to believe that he has changed his identity, or that he is some one else. This experiment might be possible in real life, and in a case of perfect sanity (if there be any such thing). In that very beautiful work of real genius, Beckford's ' Vathek,' two of the characters are induced to believe that they are dead, though it is hinted that one of them, Nouronihar, at least had doubts on the subject. The case of the Mohammedan youths who, being drugged, were transported into an earthly paradise, which, upon waking, they were led to believe was the real thing, is the only other case I remember at present. That a living person, of however low intelli- gence, even an Australian native, could be led sincerely to believe that he was dead, I very much doubt. Nearly all good dreamers have frequently dreamt that they were dead, but even after the dream-death (which I have often experienced) the dream-life continues. In dreams, too, all heavens are visited. The following is a true story, now first printed (as reporters say). In a certain tribe on the west coast of Africa there was great 4i palaver," for the Christian religion and the tribe religion were "in holds." At this juncture a woman of the tribe was taken sick unto death. She was half-way between the two religions, undecided as to which was safer. She swooned, and in a swoon remained for long. The witch-doctors pronounced her dead, but she revived. " I have been dead," she said ; " I have been in my own heaven with all our relatives, and the great Ju-ju has sent me back to say that our religion is the right one, none other genuine." Then she died. This was a great "set-back" to the new creed ; the horn of the witch-doctors was exalted, and many doubters were confirmed