Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 11.djvu/448

 440

NOTES AND QUERIES. [9* s. XL MAY so, MOB.

timber in the church, or that wolde and wother are variants of old and other. This form of spelling is now perhaps obsolete, even among the most ignorant of those who have acquired in any degree the mystery of penmanship, but in the Eastern shires " oats " is still frequently pronounced ivhots or wots.

We have read many church accounts and similar documents and transcribed several, but dp not remember any one of them which gives a brighter picture of the social life of the past, so far as it can be reconstructed from a mere business record. When religious strife began, it is assumed on good evidence that theft from churches increased greatly, and it has been suggested that much of this pillage was carried on by adherents of the old state of things who desired to preserve from desecration objects which they and their fathers had venerated. This cannot have been the excuse for the thief who in 1534 entered Morebath Church and carried off a chalice. The writer of these accounts gives a picturesque narrative of what occurred, worthy of the attention of the modern policeman. The thief by means of a ladder mounted on the roof of the church, pulling it up after him. By its help he then got through one of the windows of the tower. He thus made his way into the body of the church ; but thieves are incapacitated as much as honest men from -working in darkness. This fellow was evidently a thoughtful scoundrel, for he had provided himself with what the narrator calls a "fyre box." With the help of this he pro- cured a light and proceeded on his sacrilegious errand. This was evident, for the scamp was so intent on his unholy work that he left behind him the iron with which he had struck sparks from the flint. He broke open two of the church coffers, but only succeeded in finding one chalice, which he carried off; it belonged to the altar of St. Sydwyll. Then he fled through the choir door, and, so far as the record gives evidence, was never captured. The loss was not very great, for the young men and maidens of the parish at once made a collection to purchase another, which cost 28s. Sd. How many altars there were in the church we are not sure. The stores, as they were called that is, the lockers or chests in which the utensils were kept were numerous. They probably represented parochial gilds. Among them were those of Our Lady, 8t. Sydwyll, St. Sunday, St. Martin, and we think, but are not quite certain, of Our Lady of Pity ; also the church house is mentioned several times. The one here was a thatched building, and must have stood in or near the churchyard. There the ale-feasts and other public meetings were no doubt held. On one occasion a part was let to " Will'm y marchant for y e stonding in y e church howsse." The man was no doubt a pedlar who found it a convenient place for exhibiting his wares. The charge for the standing he occupied was but one halfpenny.

WE have received from the De La More Press Nights at the Opera, by Wakeling Dry, which consists of three neat paper booklets concerning Wagner's 'Meistersinger' and 'The Nibelungen Ring.' The story in each case is sufficiently indicated, and the music of the various themes, which are a feature of Wagner, is also printed in a simple form. The author shows ample knowledge of his subject, and, apart from a tendency to gush natural in a disciple, his introductions are excellent.

THE leading papers in Folk- Lore are the retiring President's address and Mr. Hartland's communica- tion on the Coronation Stone and its various ana- logues in custom and legend. Following on these two articles come the collectanea and correspon- dence, which consist of a medley of popular beliefs and practices from places as far apart as Central Africa and Lerwick, Fiji and Venice, and add important items of knowledge to the mass of old- time superstitions already brought together by the Folk-Lore Society.

THE Intermediaire continues, according to its design, to garner useful and curious information for students of the evolution of man, his ideas and his works. Among the persons and things lately treated of in its pages are Agnes Sorel, Henry Murger, the Order of the Golden Fleece, the mask of Cromwell, and plants dedicated to saints. One correspondent mentions an ancient mourning cus- tom which does not appear to be generally known. "In Perche," he says, "formerly, if the daughter of a farmer had yielded to seduction, her family wore mourning for her honour during two years. Has this noble and touching custom disappeared, or does it still exist ; and, if so, in what cantons ?"

MR. OSWALD WEIGEL, auctioneer in Leipzig, will sell from 10 to 13 June an important collection of linguistic works from the library of Dr. Julius Platzmann. The catalogue, which is before us, includes a notable collection of scarce works con- cerning American linguistics, especially South America. The languages of the East, however, are also represented, including valuable dictionaries and grammars of Chinese.

to

We must call special attention to the following notices :

ON all communications must be written the name and address of the sender, not necessarily for pub- lication, but as a guarantee of good faith.

WE cannot undertake to answer queries privately.

To secure insertion of communications corre- spondents must observe the following rules. Let each note, query, or reply be written on a separate slip of paper, with the signature of the writer and such address as he wishes to appear. When answer- ing queries, or making notes with regard to previous entries in the paper, contributors are requested to put in parentheses, immediately after the exact heading, the series, volume, and page or pages to which they refer. Correspondents who repeat queries are requested to head the second com- munication " Duplicate."

J. H. McM. ("Value of two volumes"). Separate from the rest, very little.

NOTICE.

Editorial communications should be addressed to "The Editor of 'Notes and Queries 3 " Adver- tisements and Business Letters to " The Pub- lisher" at the Office, Bream's Buildings, Chancery Lane, KG.

We beg leave to state that we decline to return communications which, for any reason, we do not print ; and to this rule we can make no exception.