Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 12.djvu/501

 9* s. xii. DEO. 19, iocs.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

493

held them, derives the word " from the Dutch tuychen, which means the paraphernalia re- quisite for anything, equivalent to the Greek Tvx ect -" There can, however, be but little doubt that both he and MR. DODGSON are wrong, and that the right derivation of the "notion" is that given in Mr. R. G. K. Wrench's 'Winchester Word-Book 3 (second edition, Winchester, P. & G. Wells, 1901) p. 60:

" Toys, subs. sing. A small bookcase and desk combined. ^ The expression ' Toy - time ' suggests that the s* has'been added. ' Teye, of a cofyr or forcer; theca, thecarium,' ' Promptorium Parvu- lorum ' [circa 1440]. Old Fr. toie, teie (Mod. Fr. taie), quite regularly from Lat. theca."

JOHN B. WAINEWRIGHT.

In view of the suggestion at the latter reference that the ** accepted derivation " of this word is " French toise, fathom=the space allotted to college men," I should like to point out that Mr. Wrench, in the second edition of his 'Winchester Word-Book,' derives the word from " Old Fr. toie, teie (Mod. Fr. taie), quite regularly from Latin tkeca."

In the ' Glossary ' to Mr. R. B. Mansfield's 'School-life at Winchester College, 1835-40' (third edition, 1893), I find :

" Toys. Bureaux in Chambers and Commoners' Hall. Each boy had one at which he sat during

" Toy Time. The period between dinner time and evening Chapel."

Though Mr. Wrench (loc. cit.} describes " toys " as a substantive singular, the word has long been followed by a verb in the plural, e.g., "my toys are dusty." An opinion from PROF. SKEAT on Mr. Wrench's derivation of the word would be welcome. H. C.

[H. C. also supplied the full extract from Mr. Wrench, printed in MR. WAINEWRIGHT'S reply.]

ST. BEES COLLEGE (9 th S. xii. 408, 453). It may interest MR. T. CANN HUGHES to learn that my grandfather, the late Rev. Thurstan Forshaw, for thirty-five years vicar of New- chapel, Staffs, was a St. Bees student (1831- 1833), and that while spending a holiday in Cumberland I stayed a few days at St. Bees, and naturally visited the college, which, as I said (ante, p 408), is now disrupted. Wishing to have a memoir of his sojourn there, and seeing scores of articles which would have admirably suited my purpose going to wrack and ruin, I thought the old collecting- box the most suitable. I called at the rectory to ask if I might have it. The rector was away ; so I called on the curate, who referred me to his Lordship of Carlisle, to whom I wrote stating how much I should value it. The answer came by return of post that I might have it with pleasure, "as

[his lordship] could well understand how interesting it would be to me." I am not disposed to rectify any so-called error I value the souvenir too highly ; but I can. assure MR. HUGHES, if the trustees of the Museum of Tullie House at Carlisle want some really valuable relics ard records of St. Bees, they need only apply to his lord- ship, who would doubtless present them with some far more historical memento than my money-box, to wit, the life-sized oil painting of the first Principal of the college, Canon Ainger, D.D., to say nothing of other paint- ings.

CHAS. F. FORSHAW, LL.D., F.R.S.A.I. Baltimore House, Bradford.

THOMAS YOUNG, SECRETARY TO LORD MEL- BOURNE (9 th S. xii. 350, 391). On further searching the * Memoirs of Lord Melbourne ' by W. M. Torrens, M.P., I think that the one- occasion on which Thomas Young did nob serve Lord Melbourne "sagaciously and' well" is to be found in vol. ii. pp. 401-4. The passage is too long to transcribe, but it is well worth reading.

F. E. R. POLLARD-URQUHART.

Castle Pollard, Westmeath.

RICHARD NASH (9 th S. xi. 445 ; xii. 15, 116, 135, 272, 335, 392). At p. 392 COL. PRIDEAUK gives as the "original authority" for the settlement of the Statue v. Picture problem an extract from Goldsmith's ' Life of Nash, 7 first edition, 1762. Has he not come across Cunningham's edition of Goldsmith's ' Works ' (John Murray, 4 vols. 1854), in which there is a note upon the epigram, quoting p. 102. of the Gentlemaris Magazine of February, 1741, as containing it, six verses of a poem by Jane Brereton, published in 1744, being also- quoted therein, where Nash's delineation in a picture is distinctly stated in the last verse, which is similar to both versions of the last verse of the epigram in Goldsmith's- first and second editions 1

Query, Did Chesterfield borrow from Jane- Brereton, or Jane Brereton from Chester- field ? Which could most honestly say " Ho& ego versiculos feci tulit alter honores " 1

ANTHONY TUCKER.

Royal Rock Hotel, Rock Ferry.

' RULE BRITANNIA ' (9 th S. xii. 365, 436). I cannot agree with COL. PRIDEAUX'S infer- ence, but his having the editions he refers to testifies to the completeness of his great library. I think the reverse of what he says is the fact. I believe that the majority of writers leave punctuation to the printer, as I have always done myself until lately.

The mistake of putting a comma after rule,