Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 3.djvu/233

 9 S. III. 1

MAR. 25, mi NOTES AND QUERIES.

227

writ lout success. I may premise that Dante's jar ?er consists of three epochs : his early life, x)ii Lmemorated by the superbly beautiful 'Vita !^u >va ' ; a period of political turmoil and, it '&, i aid, of licentious gallantry, which may be
 * lis< ;redited ; and, thirdly, his life of exile,

milting in the 'Divine Comedy 'as a vent
 * or his spleen. It will be remembered that

)ur hero perambulates the infernal regions mcler the escort of Virgil, who abandons him vhon, on entering Purgatory, he is reunited x> his beloved Beatrice, the heroine of the Vita Nuova.' She, however, meets him with epellent language of a very remarkable Dersonal, the last dilated upon in the most uscious terms, involving a reproach for laving abandoned her.
 * haracter, sternly reminding him of her many
 * laims on his regard, alike mental, moral, and

The world knows nothing of this alleged leglect, and Dante's moral character has iuffered in consequence ; but if we can per- vhich produced this tirade, we may acquit lira of moral impropriety, although we nust conclude that he himself really regretted his very natural step, seeing that Beatrice vas already dead, and previously a wife and nother ; still we may admire the unattain- ,ble, and we do hear of bachelors who wed an arly love as a mature widow. So Dante jvas inconstant. It all turns on the word rpargoletta," a double diminutive, which I 'onsider as a sneer at the name Gemma, iiorne by his wife, a Donati. Gemma is the jatin for a young bud, a button, or burgeon ; b Dante's wife was a paltry gaud, a some- hing very insignificant beside Beatrice. )ante had to put a face upon it ; he had to (onceal his sneer at his wife ; and it must e admitted that, taken literally for " pargo- ^tta " as a mere bambino, it is impossible that le mature poet could ever have made love to mere baby. The acceptance of this theory ould clear away a maze of unsatisfactory peculation. A. HALL.
 * uade ourselves that it was only his marriage

13, Paternoster Row, E.G.

WE must request correspondents desiring infor- ation on family matters of only private interest affix their names and addresses to their queries, i order that the answers may be addressed to lem direct.

LADY GARASCAR'S CHAPEL. I have been i communication with the officials of the ritish Museum as to the identity of this lapel, but they cannot trace it, ancl suggest aat I might address you on the subject.

The chapel flourished about the middle of last century, and is known as Lady Garascar's (or Gassacar's). It contains registers which I am anxious to examine for genealogical purposes, and perhaps you may be able to locate them through the medium of your valuable paper. HORATIUS STUART.

134, George Street, Edinburgh

"BEEN TO." Is there authority for the use of such expressions as " I have been to London," " He has been to college," &c. 1 Is this use of " been to " local, and can any in- stance of it be cited from any standard work, ancient or modern'? Obviously it is im- possible to " be to " a place.

W. GURNEY BENHAM.

["Was "for "went" is similar. "I was yester- day to wait upon Sir Herbert Croft" (Howell's 'Letters'). The 'H.E.D.' gives no quotation for modern use except colloquialisms such as " Have you been to the Crystal Palace ?" The only quota- tion we can give you is

Pussy-cat, pussy-cat, where have you been ?

I've been (up) to London to look at the queen. Halliwell's ' Nursery Rhymes,' p. 101 (F. Warne & Co.).]

AUTHOR WANTED. " Lena ; or, the Silent Woman. By the Author of ' Beyminstre.' Chapman & Hall." No date, but published between 1848 and 1853. M. N. G.

GOODHALL, YORKS. Where can I find an account of this manor, which was formerly owned by, and named after, the Goethals family of Flanders ? I have looked through some of the best topographical works on Yorkshire, but can find no mention of it. Probably the manor has ceased to exist, for if it still existed, and had another name, there would be a trace somewhere of its former title and when it changed owner and name. Any information, or clue that is workable, will be very welcome, and may be sent to me direct. JOHN A. RANDOLPH.

2, Halsey Street, Cadogan Square, S.W.

"MOTILED": "MOTLET": " MULLETT." In

a grant of 28 June, 1199, to St. Stephen's Church, Launceston, certain land is free of all service "except 15d, which it ought to render to Ridlacton, according to a certain custom called motiled" In a return to In- quisition into possessions of the Black Prince at Launceston (5 May, 1338), we find that he was entitled to "a certain custom called mot- let, due at the Castle Gate from the Hundred of Kirrier, 32s. ; and of the motlet of Hilton, 10s.," and so on. In the rent roll of Sir John Arundell of 1659 the total of " rentes,