Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 12.djvu/476

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NOTES AND QUERIES. [9 th s. XIL DEC. 12, 1903.

branches qui pourroient 1'incommoder, applaint et fraie une route pour faciliter aux femmes le moien de trainer sur la neige, et sur leurs tabagannes, le peu de meubles et de bagages qui composent leurs menages."

JAS. PLATT, Jun.

QUOTATIONS. The following quotations and verse occur on the outside of a MS. written circa 1590. I shall be grateful for information as to their origin or occurrence elsewhere. Laden with grief and oppression of the heart. Asmund and Cornelia.

Multis annis jam transactis Nulla fides est in pactis, Mel in ore, verba lactis, Pel in corde, frans in factis.

FRA. J. BURGOYNE. Tate Library, Brixton.

' RICHARD II. ' : FROISSART. In the pictur- esque and fine performance of ' Richard II.' at His Majesty's Theatre there is an incident which struck me as unnatural. The king's favourite hound, which has been his faithful companion through varying fortunes, is made to desert his master at the time of his deepest adversity. The incident in question is said to be taken from the 'Chronicles ' of Froissart. I shall be grateful to any one who will give the exact quotation.

RICHARD EDGCUMBE. 33, Tedworth Square, Chelsea.

['According to the information which I received, king Richard had a greyhound called Mathe, who was in the constant practice of attending the king, and he would not follow any other person ; for whenever the king did ride, the person who had the charge of keeping the said greyhound would always let him loose, and he would run directly to the u ng ', ? nd leap with his ^refeet upon his majesty's shoulders. And as the king and the earl of Derby were engaged in conversing with each other in the court, the greyhound, which was usually accus- tomed to leap upon the king, left his majesty, and vent to the earl of Derby, duke of Lancaster, and behaved towards him with the same familiarity and attachment as he was usually in the habit of shewing towards the king. The duke, who did not know the greyhound, demanded of the king what ie animal might mean by so doing ? Cousin, quoth the king, that is a sign portending great prosperity to you, and a token of adversity to me. Sir, how do you know that? quoth the duke. I know it for a certainty, replied the king. The greyhound maketh you cheer this day as king of England to

Si ,? igl, y y U i^ 111 ^ e raised ' and l sha ll' be ii' +u re y hound Possesses this knowledge naturally ; therefore take him to you ; he will follow you and forsake me. The duke of Lancaster fully .erstood those words, and cherished the animal, jjhich would never afterwards follow king Richard but followed the duke of Lancaster." This extract is from the translation of Froissart by Lord I Berners 1810, vol. iv. p. o/4. It occurs in the ' Chronicles '

MicheiTA i h rv.fs r sfe^;? he of n ^ i\

the levrier is given as Math. For the rest the translation quoted is sufficiently literal.]

FRAGRANT MINERAL OIL. In * Remarks on Several Parts of Italy, &c., in the Years 1701, 1702, 1703,' by Joseph Addison, Esq. (London, J. & R. Tonson, 1767), p. 146, is the following passage :

" In those parts of the sea, that are not far from the roots of this mountain [Vesuvius], they find sometimes a very fragrant oil, which is sold dear, and makes a rich perfume. The surface of the sea is, for a little space, covered with its bubbles, during the time that it rises, which they skim off into their boats, and afterwards set a separating in pots and jars. They say its sources never run but in calm warm weather. The agitations of the water perhaps hinder them from discovering it at other times.

What is the oil referred to ? J. T. F. Winterton, Doncaster.

GERARD THE HERBALIST. He died in Feb- ruary, 1611/12, but, according to Winstanley's ' Loyall Martyrology,' 1665, p. 67, must have come to life again and been killed at the storming of Basing House on 14 October, 1645 :

" Master Gerard, the Authour of that Elaborate Herbal which bears his Name, to whom succeed- ing Ages must confess themselves indebted ; this gallant Gentleman, Renowned for Arts and Amies, was likewise at the storming of that House [Basing] unfortunately slain ; a great losse to succeeding Ages."

The much - enlarged edition of Gerard's ' Herbal,' by Thos. Johnson in 1636, probably misled Wiristanley ; but who was this slain Gerard 1 ? F. J. FURNIVALL.

EXCOMMUNICATION OF Louis XIV. John Evelyn in his ' Diary,' 7 June, 1689, says : " The Archbishop of Canterbury read to me the Pope's excommunication of the French King." For what was Louis XIV. excom- municated, and for how long ? HADJI.

PIKE FAMILY. According to traditions, more or less circumstantially communicated to me, there resided in Edinburgh, during the early part or middle of the eighteenth century, one Pike, who is described as an educated Scotchman, and as a linen merchant. He is said to have married a Miss Stuart or Stewart (alleged to have been closely related to the house of that name), by which union, according to the same source of information, there was one son. Whether this said son was identical with James McPike (born circa 1751), as the traditions appear to imply, or was the latter's father, as seems more probable, I cannot determine (see New York Geneal. and Biog. Record for January last, xxxiv. 55, and ' N. & Q.,' 9 th S. xi. 205). Can reference be