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NOTES AND QUERIES. [9< h s. in. APRIL i, m

to Madrid (A.D. 1623), the fruitless nature of which led him to select a French princess for his wife. Now, can this story be corroborated ? Mr. Benson casually says Laud never was out of England, but he may have gone secretly. His devotion to Charles is well known. Is anything known of his attainments in French? The description of Laud's robe a flowing black gown, ornamented with white bands is peculiar, seeing that he was then, and had been for two years, Bishop of St. Davids. Perhaps, however, he assumed it as a dis- guise, if the main tale be true. D. C.

" LICENSE " OR " LICENCE." There appears to be much diversity of opinion amongst editors as to the correct way of spelling this, both as substantive and verb. Most diction- aries make it optional, with an apparent preference for the s. Roget gives two c's to the noun and an s to the verb. I take those to be the most accepted methods. As I have often had my MSS. altered in this connexion, it would be a satisfaction to know who is right, once for all. Will some reader of ' N. & Q.' kindly oblige ?

CECIL CLARKE.

Authors' Club, S.W.

HARPER FAMILY. Can any reader tell me where I can find an account of the ancestry of Henry John Chitty Harper, D.D., Bishop of Christchurch 1856-89, and Primate of New Zealand 1868-89 1 B. W. J.

A VICE. What is the right pronunciation of this name 1 Charlotte M. Yonge classes it as English, and the inquirer has heard it pro- nounced A-vis, accented on the first syllable and rhyming with " this." But is it wrong to pronounce it Av-ice, accented on the second syllable and rhyming with " Greece"? ARTHUR MAYALL.

IRELAND. I have a fragment of a poem in six-line stanzas printed in quarto, 'A Dis- course upon the Defeate of the Rebels in Ireland,' treating of the taking of Kinsale in 1601. Can any one tell me its author and title? C. S.

" FRINGLE." Is this part of a grate or an old-fashioned fireplace, or rather kitchen range? I copy the following from 'Paul Carah, Cornishman,' by Charles Lee, chap. iii. :

"A burning candle stood on the table by the window, but the warm light that flooded the room came from thcfringle. Does the fringle exist out of Cornwall? In the old farmhouses up country the great open hearths are still found ; houses of recent date are furnished with ' slabs,' or commonplace kitchen ranges ; but many cottages dating from about a century hack possess fireplaces in the nature of a

compromise between the two, and such was the case here. The fireplace was divided down the middle by a partition wall; on one side was a diminutive slab, with an oven ; on the other was a big door like a cupboard door of tarred wood flush with the wall. When swung back, it disclosed an open hearth, raised some eighteen inches above the level of the ground. The concrete floor had a small grating in the centre, over which stood a ' brandis,' or triangular frame of iron. A small oblong tunnel running under the grating provided the necessary draught. The fringle door was open, and bending over it," &c.

I am not quite clear from this description whether the " fringle " is the whole range or the small grating in the centre over which stood a "brandis," or triangular frame of iron. Perhaps some of your correspondents can explain. W. B.

HENRY MOMPESSON was elected from West- minster School to Trinity College, Cambridge, in 1598. Can any correspondent of ' N. & Q.' give me further information about him ?

G. F. R. B.

ASPIDISTRA. What is the etymology of

this botanical name, as regards its second element? F. H.

Marlesford.

KEY AND KAY. These families may have had a common starting - point, but pro- nunciation was indifferent. That the word key may have been spoken as kay I am led to think from the lines in George Herbert's 'Easter Hymn ':

His stretched sinews taught all strings what key Is best to celebrate this most high day.

What was the pronunciation of key in the sixteenth century ? T. H. M.

Ardrossan, Pa.

TENNYSON'S 'THE ANCIENT SAGE.' In this noble poem there is a passage which, if there is not a misprint of " world " for ivord in the one-volume edition of the complete works (1898), puzzles me. Perhaps in not under- standing it as it appears in the print I am only showing my own obtuseness ; if so, I shall be glad to have it enlightened. The passage (p. 549) is : The days and hours are ever glancing by, And seem to flicker past thro' sun and shade, Or short, or long, as Pleasure leads, or Pain ; But with the Nameless is nor Day nor Hour; Though we, thin minds, who creep from thought to

thought,

Break into "Thens" and "Whens" the Eternal Now: This double seeming of the single world [sic].

I can understand how men break the single ivord " Now " into " Thens and Whens "into Past and Future ; but how can a single world be so divided ? R. M. SPENCE, D.D.

Manse of Arhuthnott, N.B.