Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 6.djvu/184

 150 NOTES AND QUERIES. [9-s. VL A™. 25,1900. pieces assigned to him by Mr. Spiel man n or Mr. Shepherd. It was, if I remember rightly, illustrated by Thackeray, but this circum- stance, according to Mr. Spielmann, is not sufficient to prove that he was the author of the letterpress so illustrated. I am inclined to doubt this assumption, and think it will be found that Thackeray always illustrated his own articles. The point to which I desire to draw attention is the resemblance this poem bears to a poem by Pannard, a French minor poet, whose works were more likely to have been known to Thackeray than to any other of Punch's contributors at the time the poem appeared. The first and last verses of Punch's poem are as follows (I quote from memory):— I've seen a tyrant doom a maid, With trills and roulades many a score, To instant death ! She, sore afraid, Sings, and the audience cries " Encore !" • » • » I 've seen spectators of a dance: Napoleon, Mahomet, the Cid, Frederick the Great, four kings of France, Jove and the Muses—scene Madrid. In George Daniel's discursive 'Merrie Eng- land in the Olden Time' is a note to the following effect: — " Pannard, a minor French poet, whom Marmontel styles the La Fontaine of the Vaudeville, has written some verses admirably descriptive of an opera behind the scenes:— J'ai vu le soleil et la lune, Qui tenoient des discount en 1'air, J'ai yu le terrible Neptune Sortir tout fris6 de la nier. J'ai vu 1'aimable Cythi$r£e. Au doux regard, au teint neuri, Dans une machine entouree D'amours natifs de Chamberi. After having seen a great number of other things equally curious, he concludes :— J'ai vu des ombres tres palpables Se tremousser aux bords du Styx ; J'ai vu 1'enfer et tous lea diables A quinze pieds du paradis." ' Merrie Eng.,'i. 122. The entire poem—or rather song—may be found in 'Lo Depart de 1'OpeYa Coiuique. Theatre de Pannard ' vol. iii. p. 322. Did George Daniel contribute to Punch ? JOHN HEBB. CKOBS ENYDD : CROSS NEYTZ : CROSS GNEYTH.—I should be glad to know what became of the jewellea cross, enclosing a piece of Christ's cross, which was taken on the body of the last Prince of Wales on his death. It was delivered to King Edward at Aberconway in 1283. On the last day of April, 1286, the king took it in solemn pro- cession to Westminster, the archbishop and bishops, with troops of nobles, accompanying. He placed it on the altar and took it back. In 1301-3 it was taken from Westminster by the subprior, &c., in the great raid some of the monks made on the treasury there. In Oct., 1306, it had been recovered, for it was then taken to Lanercost. with the Black Rood of Scotland, for James Stewart to swear feudal homage on it ('N. <fe Q.,' 1860). 9 Edward III., the king offered to it at Clip- stone ; 10 Edward III., the same at Eltham ; 11 Edward IIL, same in chapel, Windsor; 1370, king adored it at Windsor. I want to aak your readers if anything more is known of it. THOMAS WILLIAMS. Aaton Clinton Rectory, Tring. MITBES.—Is the " Mitra Auriphrygiata " the same as the " Mitra Pretiosa " ? See the sixth rubric, "De Consecratione electi in Epis- copum," in the 'Pontificale Romanum,' and the thirteenth rubric, "In Ritu Benedicendi PopulosetAgros," in the 'Rituale Romanum.' GEO. WILL. CAMPBELL. Leamington. PLANTAGENET CHAIR.—In a catalogue of the sale at the Rectory, Kennardington, Kent, lot 352 is an ancient oak armchair, carved and decorated, known as the Planta- genet chair, discovered in the crypt of York Minster in the last century, where it had been concealed since the reign of Edward VI. It would be interesting to know how it dis- appeared from York Minster. Was it sold ; if so, who sold it ? F. T. CANSICK. ' LEGEND OF ST. CHRISTOPHER.'—Who is the author of 'The Legend of St. Christopher,' beginning " Carry me across !" The Syrian heard, rose up, nnd braced His huge limbs to the accustomed toil. " My child ! see how the waters boil, The night's black heavens look angry-faced, Yet—life is little loss." Where can the poem be found t COCKLE SHELL. [Sec 9'h S. v. 335.] VALLENCE, VALANCE, OR VALENCE.—Why is the short flounce above a curtain or bed called a vallence 1 E. E. COPE. [The name is conjecturally derived from the French city Valence on the Rhone, where there are manufactures of certain kinds of silk goods. An equally probable derivation is from Valencia in Spain.] JOSEPH INCHBALD.—Is it not a pity that this actor and portrait painter, chosen oy the gifted Suffolk girl Elizabeth Simpson to be her husband, and to whom she was married