Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 3.djvu/72

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NOTES AND QUERIES. [9* s. m. JAK. s,.

still a favourite with carmen in Belfast, a out-of-the-way car stands, and is usual] played by them on a track of "petrifiec kidneys," which increases the difficulty.

One has a long memory for injuries, anc from getting the worst of the bargain in m earliest attempt at a mercantile transactio with the toy-shop man, I am able to reca the prices. " Stoneys " and " crockeries," th marbles used for "stakes," were sold at score for a penny. "Clayeys," being muc cheaper, were despised and never recognizec " Marble marbles " and " china alleys " wer the " taws," the latter four for a penny ; anc the former, three for a " blindfold grab " ou of a large box in the shop, or a halfpenny each with choice the red streaked being th more valued. I do not recollect the wort! of the " glass marbles "; they were the newes inventions, and not so much used. Probably there was not much difference in the price from the other " taws."

At "hole and taw" a good well-roundec "crockery" was the favourite taw, on accoun of its larger size, where weight told in hitting At " ring and taw " there was no restriction moral or otherwise, as to the size of taw ; but a small one, by being less of a mark for an opponent, was more patronized.

The only other game of marbles practisec (seldom) was "lab" (? a corruption of lob) in which the marbles were "pitched," not "bulked," and large "crockeries," quite the size of a boy's fist, generally used. These large marbles, I fancy, had some particular name, but it has escaped me. I believe this last game, or rather mode of playing, came more into vogue after my time.

Taws, of course, were more valuable than stakes, and when a boy had lost all his stakes (" skinned " was the term) and he had no means of procuring more, he would "stake his taw." By bargain, it was valued at so many stakes, and one of his opponents staked each time for the owner, after losing, who was allowed in the meantime to retain his taw for play. When he was unfortunate, and all the stakes agreed for had been made, the "banker" took possession of the taw, and the loser became absolutely beggared.

I may add, in connexion with the first game, that I remember the use of two rather peculiar terms, but do not know whether they were local only. The player's taw was said to be "fat"( = dead) when it failed to clear itself out of the ring after knocking out a stake. A good and accurate shooter was called a "drop," evidently because his aim, by reason of the gravelly nature of the ground, was by a curve in the air to

drop or light cleanly upon the objective, which method necessitated an increased dex- terity, and added greatly to the skill of the game. A few boys, out of the three hundred in the school, were almost unerring " drops," even at a considerable distance ; and a "drop" was respected, envied, and feared by all inferior players. J. S. M. T.

LETTEKS FROM ENGLISH MINISTERS OF THE CROWN TO THEIR SOVEREIGN. The form of these documents is singular, and it would be interesting to know when and why it was adopted.

In Lord Ashbourne's 'Pitt,' p. 351, is a letter to George III. written by the minister in December, 1804, beginning :

" Mr. Pitt took the liberty of stating to your Majesty, when he had last the honour of attending your Majesty at Windsor, his anxious wish," &c.

Presumably that form has been in use ever since. It is, at any rate, in use now ; the present leader of the House of Commons begins his nightly report of the House's pro- ceedings to the Queen thus :

"Mr. Balfour presents his humble duty to yoiir Vlajesty and begs leave to say that he," &c.

It is as if the letters were written, not by the ministers, but by third persons who con- veyed to the sovereign what the ministers wished to say. THORNFIELD.

"To RILE."-

" As well might we argue that water is not water, Because the mountain torrent sends down mire, and riles the crystal stream."' History of the Mor- mons,' London, 1852, p. 91, published at the Ittua- rated News office.

f not already noted in ' N. <fe Q.,' it may be iseful to record this use of the word rile, to lenote the flooding of a clear stream with mire and dirt. It occurs in an encyclical f the Mormon prophet Joseph Smith to he church of Latter -Day Saints. The pistle is composed in the prophet's ponder- us, elaborate style, and conveys no sugges- ion of slang. Richardson does not register be word in the 1837 edition.

T. B. WILMSHURST. Tunbridge Wells.

[This meaning is familiar. See Stormonth's 'Dic- tionary,' Annandale's ' Ogilvie,' the ' Century,' Funk Wagnalls's, &c.]

THE SO-CALLED WILLOW LEAVES ON THE UN. When a startling idea is put forth nder the authority of a name eminent in cience, it not unfrequently gets copied into )ooks of a line other than the scientific, and emains there long after the idea has ceased o possess any verisimilitude. Thus it was