Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 2.djvu/359

 9 th S. II. OCT. 29, '98.]

NOTES AND QUERIES.

351

inserted hi ' N. & Q.' unless the statements contained in them have been most carefully verified. The writer in the London Argus, who is quoted at the second reference, says in a superior way that Mr. Alfred Beavor, in his ' Memorials of Old Chelsea,'

"would have us believe that this (i. e., the Domes- day Chelched) is none other than the Cealchythe where Anglican synods were held in the period of the Mercian supremacy";

and he arrives at the conclusion that

"the most favourable verdict that can be given in the circumstances is one of not proven."

The opinion of modern scholars is that the identity of the two places is proved so far as any ancient geographical fact can be proved. I gave the names of some authorities in my former note. To these must be added Mr. J. R. Green in his 'Conquest of England,' and, if I am not mistaken, Haddan and Stubbs in their 'Councils.' Being away from my books, I cannot at this moment refer to that work, but perhaps the REV. E. MARSHALL, or some other scholarly correspondent of ' N. & Q.,' may be able to say if my impression is correct or not. W. F. PRIDEAUX.

45, Pall Mall, S.W.

" MODESTEST " (9 th S. i. 448 ; ii. 91, 238). MR. YARDLEY, at the last reference, has not touched my contention that, except in dis- syllables ending in y and e, adjectives of more than one syllable are "usually" com- pared by prefixing to the positive more and most. I did not say that to this rule there were no exceptions, but I now do say that such exceptions were always comparatively rare, and that, except with writers who affect singularity, they are now very uncom- mon. MR. YARDLEY has appealed to Milton, and therefore to Milton I go ; not, however, to his poetry, where the necessity of the verse may have imposed unusual forms, but to his prose writings, where he was untram- melled in his choice. I take as an example his ' Eikonoklastes,' which, whatever may be thought of its theme, is acknowledged on all hands to be a masterpiece in English compo- sition. In 'Eikonoklastes' ('Milton's Prose Works,' Bohn, vol. i. pp. 307-496), omitting dissyllables ending in y or e, of adjectives of more than one syllable I find sixty-nine compared by prefixing to the positive more and most, while there are only five with the other form. These five are " f aithf ullest " (p. 340), "seldomest"(p. 345), " artificialest " (p. 347), "dissolutest" (p. 379), and "cun- ningest" (p. 471). Of the five, one, "faith- fullest," seems to have been chosen for alliterative effect " fittest and faithfullest."

Elsewhere we find " worthiest and most faithful" (p. 343), and "more faithful" (p. 448). In four instances where two adjectives in the comparative or superlative occur together Milton is careful to give to each its regular form. These instances are "holiest and most religious" (p. 314), "boldest and most impetuous " (p. 332), " much nearer and much more natural " (p. 395), and " strangest and most impious " (p. 492). To this careful habit there is only one exception, "shrewdest and cunningest" (p. 471).

As to " modestest," not even the authority of Goldsmith will convince me that it is other than a very ugly word. It sounds like "modest" pronounced by a man with a stutter. R. M. SPENCE, D.D.

The s before t is particularly melodious ; and I think that we do not get too much of the sound in modestest. There is a well- known passage of Horace :

Lusistl satis, edisti satis, atque bibisti :

Tempus abire tibi est.

The first line has only one liquid in it. But it is exceedingly euphonious, chiefly in con- sequence of the st sound, which occurs three times in the line. It must be allowed that there are intervals between the repetition of this sound, and that the doubling of the b, and perhaps also the sound of the s and t, when not in conjunction, contribute to the harmony. I take the opportunity of noticing a parallel passage to this of Horace in Babrius. I do not know that it has been observed before : /3ff3ptoKa KGU TreTTW/ca KCU Tracnjs Tpv(f>rjs 7T7rA^o-fiaf Kcupos, tori p.oi 6vr)(TKeiv.

Fable 60.

The poetry of Horace is filled with reminis- cences of JSsop. E. YARDLEY.

SEDAN CHAIRS IN SCOTLAND (9 th S. ii. 165, 195). Does not the reviewer in the Athenaeum, and MR. THOMAS BAYNE also, mean bath chairs 1 Surely sedan chairs had no wheels. FRANK PENNY, Senior Chaplain.

Fort St. George.

ROBERT BURTON'S ACQUAINTANCE WITH ENGLISH WRITERS (9 th S. ii. 1, 131, 295). In my reply at the last reference the surname in His Work | Venus and Adonis by Wm. Shake-spear," should have been printed Shake-Spear (i.e., Spear with a capital S), the hyphen occurring in 'N. & Q.' being in the original MS. In the ' Lucrece ' entry there is no hyphen in the original.

The last paragraph of the reply is a con- tinuation of Mr. Parker's note, and not my own words. C. S. HARRIS.