Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 6.djvu/303

 9". s. vi. SEW. 29, i9oo.] NOTES AND QUERIES. 249 ARBTJTHNOT. — I am anxious to find out any information concerning Mr. Arbuthnot, who was an ardent Jacobite, and retired to St. Germains after Culloden. I rather think he was outlawed. I have seen his name mentioned in some memoirs, but cannot recall where. CECIL LISTER KAYB. MAKING THE SIGN OF THE CROSS.—When was this practice first employed by the early Christians ? While proceeding from Athens to Milan in order to don the purple Julian the Apostate visited the site of Troy, and was taken to see the temple of the Trojan Minerva. He chronicles that the bishop upon showing him the statues — most of which were mutilated—made no sign, such as was common " with the impious," that is, the Christian, by tracing on the forehead the sign of the cross, or whistling through the teeth, as is the custom of such when in presence of the pagan gods. The curious letter in which this statement is made is in the British Museum, is printed by Henning in 'Heresies,' 1875, and is quoted by M. Paul Allard in his ' Julien 1'Apostat,' now in course of publication, i. 347. It would be interesting to know when both these mani- festations were first seen. The date of this visit must have been about A.D. 355. H. T. HAMES.—George and William Hames left Westminster School in 1809 and 1810 respec- tively. The latter appears to have gone to Emmanuel College, Cambridge, and to have graduated B.A. in 1814. Any particulars of their parentage and career are desired. G. F. R. B. HEWIT OR HEWITT.—Joseph Hewit was admitted to Westminster School on 4 April, 1766, and Peter S. Hewitt left the same school in 1806. I should be glad to learn any information concerning them. G. F. R. B. ing quoted his copy of Major's second edition, 1824, has invariably appeared in italics in the many editions of Isaac Walton's famous treatise since 1623, because the lines "Good com- pany in a journey makes the way seem the [sic] shorter" are not in italics in my copy (No. 55 of the 120 printed), chap. i. p. 46, of the really delightful extra-illustrated edition of " The Complete Angler, or the Con- templative Man's Recreation, of Isaac Walton and Charles Cotton, edited by John Major," published in 1885 by John C. Nimmo, London. In connexion with the subject, perhaps it may not be out of place to quote Sir John Hawkins's opinion of the famous work :— " Whether we consider the eloquent simplicity of the style, the ease and unaffected humour of the dialogue, the lovely scenes which it delineates, the enchanting pastoral poetry which it contains, or the fine morality it so sweetly inculcates, it has hardly its fellow in any of the modern languages. HENRY GERALD HOPE. Clapham, S.W. "TWOPENNY-HALFPENNY DIME."—Everybody has heard of the Duke of Wellington not caring a " twopenny damn" (or, as some Anglo-Indians hold, "twopenny dam") for something or other, but what is a "twopenny- halfpenny dime " ? This last phrase is to be found in a letter in the Times of 31 August, signed by "Henry Bell, Vicar of Muncaster and Hon. Canon of Carlisle," who says: " There is not, I dare wager, a single bishop who cares one ' twopenny-halfpenny dimo' for any of that' plenteousness' for himself." A. F. R. 'THE GAY GOSHAWK.' —Is it generally known that a French version of 'The Gay Goshawk'—minus the bird itself and the poetry of the old ballad—is to be found among the love verses given in Pineau's 'Folk-lore du Poitou' (p. 311, edition 1892)? The song is named 'La Belle qui fait la Morte,' and is to the following effect. In Lyon there is a maiden ; she is beautiful as the day ; her father has had her placed in a tower to make her give up her love. Her true love (le beau galant), passing by, has thrown to her two words of writing (deux mots de lettre) : " Pretend to be dead and be buried. Let them bury you at St. Denys !" The fair maiden has not failed; she has feigned death, and feigned it well. Forty Eriests, sixty abbes, take the fair one to be uried. On his way passing by, the lover says, " My fair sirs, what do you carry there ? You bear my beloved to be buried; let me kiss her!" These fair gentlemen having allowed him, he takes his scissors and un- stitches the sheet. On her cheeks he prints a soft kiss. The fair one begins to weep greatly. " My fair sirs, turn back again ! 1 hold my love ; I am satisfied." Forty priests, sixty abbes, Conduct the fair one to be married. P. W. G. M. KING'S COLLEGE CHAPEL, CAMBRIDGE.— Was it ever customary to receive independent members at this college, or to confine it entirely to those educated on the foundation at Eton? Sir Robert Walpole and his sou