Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 5.djvu/496

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NOTES AND QUERIES. &* s. v. JUNE is, 1900.

the days of his prosperity it is only right to observe he did not forget his former creditors ; for, according to his unpretending statement on the subject, "the sums he had discharged to them, of his own mere motion, without any obligation, amounted to upwards of twelve thousand pounds " (vide p. 78 of * Biographical Essays,' by John Forster, John Murray, London, 1860). Sad, indeed, it is to know that Daniel Defoe died alone, in want, and with a broken heart, the unnatural conduct of his second son having much embittered the last days of his long and chequered life. He died in his seventy-first year, in the parish of St. Giles's, Cripplegate, wherein he was born, wherein Cromwell was married, and wherein Milton was buried. I cannot, in conclusion, refrain from remarking that the recent erec- tion of a fine statue 01 the great Lord Pro- tector of England in Westminster, of all places in the world, by a very wealthy nobleman, occasioned bitter resentment among all sorts and conditions of men. But so long as the famous old City of London shall exist so long shall the author of 'Eobinson Crusoe' (a work, by the way, that has been translated into many foreign languages), son of James Foe, butcher, of St. Giles's, Cripplegate, live in the affec- tionate remembrance and admiration of the citizens of the capital of the greatest empire known in history another proof that "the pen is mightier than the sword."

HENRY GERALD HOPE.

Clapham, S.W.

[But modern research has rather lowered Defoe's reputation.]

COLLECTION OF BIBLICAL QUOTATIONS (9 th S. v. 247, 314 ; v. 426). I certainly did not say that I gave the only instance of humour to be found in the Bible. The request was for bons mots founded on Biblical quotations. Here is one of the latest. It is of the School Board order, and as such somewhat exiguous. In reply to a question, "What weapon was used for the slaughter of Goliath 1 " after some time the examiner got the reply, " The axe of the Apostles." This is another single instance. ARTHUR MAYALL.

A notable instance of humour is Gal. v. 12. GEO. WILL. CAMPBELL.

Leamington. " I 'LL HANG MY HARP ON A WILLOW TREE "

(9 th S. v. 375). When Lord Elphinstone was Governor of Madras (1837-42) it was the common rumour in society there that, as a Lord in Waiting in the very early years of the Queen's reign, he fell desperately in love with a royal personage, and that, conscious

ultimately of his presumption, he obtained and hurried away to a remote appointment, first relieving his feelings by composing this song. A lady very high in his confidence at Madras ventured to ask him the truth of the matter, and was assured there was no foundation whatever for the statement.

C.

A correspondent, whose communication was dated from Nagpore, stated it was gener- ally believed in Bombay and India that the late Lord Elphinstone was the author of this song. See ' N. & Q.,' 2 nd S. xii. 210.

EVERARD HOME COLEMAN. 71, Brecknock Road.

" PILLILLEW" (9 th S. v. 372). Cf. the follow- ing from * A Lamentation,' by James Clarence Mangan ( 4 Ballad Poetry of Ireland,' Dublin, James Duffy, 1845, p. 135) :

! raise the woful Pillalu,

And let your tears in streams be shed ; Och, orro, orro, ollalu! The Master's eldest hope is dead !

By strand and road, by field and fen, The sorrowing clans come thronging all ;

From camp and dun, from hill and glen, They crowd around the castle wall. Och, orro, orro, ollalu !

From East and West, from South and North, To join the funeral train they hie ;

And now the mourners issue forth, And far they spread the keening cry, Och, om?, orro, ullaluf

HENRY T. POLLARD. Hertford.

I have occasionally heard this well-known word used by London residents as referring to a "scene" or disturbance of a private nature, in the connexion first named by your correspondent, but without any allusion to fighting, or to a number of persons taking part therein ; and more particularly by one born and bred in Huntingdonshire, who generally speaks of "a regular filly loo," in which manner (or as if written "fill-a-loo" or "philliloo")Ihave always heard it pronounced. Probably the word is of Irish origin. It has, I believe, been in use for at least two hundred years. W. I. R. V.

1 am a Cockney, and, when I was a boy, constantly used the term " filliloo " (so I spelt it) in the sense I should now endeavour to convey by "a jolly row."

F. G. STEPHENS.

On reading MR. RATCLIFFE'S note about this word to my wife, who was brought up near Selby and has a store of Yorkshire dialect words, she instantly mentioned