Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 4.djvu/476

 508 NOTES AND QUERIES. p» s. iv. dec. ie, -99. A. Surviving Word (9th S. iv. 435).—The ' Dictionary of Archaic and Provincial Words' gives " Sele, a yoke for cattle." If the verb were spelt in the same way, then my phonetic rendering would have been better if spelt sele than seel. Arthur Mayall. "Whits-night" (9th S. iv.439). —The fol- lowing quotation from Walter Pater (' Marius the Epicurean,' vol. i. p. 15) is something to the purpose: " The red rose came first, says a quaint German mystic, speaking of the mystery of so-called white things as being ever an afterthought, the doubles or seconds of real things, and themselves but half real, half material—the white queen, the white witch, the white mass." So white nights I suppose, after something like the same analogy, should be nights not of quite blank forgetfulness, but passed in continuous dream- ing, only half veiled by sleep. W. R. Barker. 38, Devonshire Place, W. A Relic of Old London : Godfrey's Court (9th S. iv. 344, 442).—Mr. Crouch should have, in addition to the information contained at the latter reference, directed attention to the City Press of 30 Sept., wherein a corre- spondent furnishes particulars of the Godfrey family from whom ne believes the court was named. Everard Home Coleman. 71, Brecknock Road. " In petto" (9th S. iv. 416).—See also Pro- logue to the 'Children of the Ghetto,'thus referred to in Literature, 25 Nov. :—■ " And really Mr. Zangwill ought to know that in petto does not mean 'in miniature.' It is hard to find rhymes for 'ghetto,' no doubt, but his line In brief we picture you ' a world in petto' has absolutely no meaning." In a letter to Literature of 2 Dec. Mr. Zang- will explains his use of these words. " If," he writes, "a 'Cardinal in petto' is a Cardinal created by the Pope, but not yet proclaimed, why may not a ' world in petto' be the Ghetto-world created by a unique past and not yet revealed across the foot- lights?" If, however, prologueand play are produced, as is usual, on the same night, it is difficult to see how the play can l>e spoken of as still ■in petto. Mr. Zangwill's use of the phrase is likely to foster error on the part of those less informed than himself. Killiorew. Coal Folk-lore (9th S. iv. 320. 443).—At the last reference we are told that " the root of our word coal is found in the obsolete German kol, fire." This is impossible, for at least three reasons. First, no old English words are derived from High German,obsoleteorotherwise. Secondly, the Old High German word cognate with A.-S. col is chol, kol being only the M.H.G. form. Thirdly, the O.H.G. chol simply means "coal," like the A.-S. col. It is a detail that the German chol had a by-form cholo, which is not obsolete in the least, but still in use. It is now spelt kohle, and means " coal," just the same as it always did. Walter W. Skeat. In the first sentence of Mr. MacMichael's reply there are at least three errors, in cor- rection of which I beg to state (1) that the root of our word " coal " is not found in the obsolete German kol, but in the A.-S. col; (2) that the obsolete German kol does not mean fire, but coal ; (3) that the well-known custom of " cherishing " a piece of coal on the person is very far from being peculiar to the burglar. J. R. Boyle. Hull. As an illustration of this as the punishment of witchcraft let me quote a passage from the ' Bride of Lammermoor,' the probable date of which may be 1710. The scene is the church- yard of Ravenswood when Lucy Ash ton is going to be married :— "'Ye waited on her [i.e., Lucy Ashton] for a quarter,' said the paralytic woman, 'and got twa red pieces, or I am far beguiled.' Ay, ay,' answered Ailsie [Gourlay] with a bitter grin ; ' and Sir William Ashton promised me a bonny red gown to the boot of that—a stake, and a chain, and a tar-barrel, lass!—what think ye o' that for a propine?—for being up early and down late for fourscore nights and mair wi' his dwining daughter?'"—Chap, xxxiii. The threat of Sir William Ashton seems to have been fulfilled, for, anticipating matters, the author observes a little earlier :— " I find it mentioned in the articles of dittay against Ailsie Gourlay (for it is some comfort to know that the old hag was tried, condemned, and burned on the top of North Berwick Law, by sentence of a commission from the Privy Council), I find, 1 say, it was charged against her, among other offences, that she had, by the aid and delusions of Satan, shown to a young person of quality, in a mirror glass, a gentleman then abroad, to whom the said young person was betrothed, and who appeared in the vision to be in the act of bestowing his hand upon another lady."—Chap. xxx. John Pickford, M.A. Holy Communion (9th S. iii. 427, 498 ; iv. 273, 384, 448).—I hasten to say that I do owe my introduction to Titus Livius Foro-.Iuliensis to Mr. Curry and Mr. David, and that I thank them for the courtesy with which they performed the little ceremony. St. Swithin.