Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 6.djvu/615

 »=»s.v1.n»c.2o.1wo.1 NOTES AND QUERIES. 511 brick walls; the smith suggested iron sheet- ing; the carpenter maintained that wooden pi es and stockades were unassailable ; and- 'reductzo ad absurclum-finally the currier asserted his conviction that there was “ no- thing like leather ”! The moral, of course, 18 theovermastering influence of self-interest even In matters of civic patriotism. GNOMON. Temple. The verses alluded to under this heading are a production of the last century. I forget the words. They describe a debate at a meeting convene to consider what would be the best material to use for repairing a foot- path. The representative of each trade was intent on promoting the interest of his craft. The mason strongly urged the employment of stone; the carpenter expatiated on the advantages of oa ; the shoemaker, who was sai to have more sense than all the others, maintained that there was nothing like leather for bad roads-i.e. good boots. B.  MZOSELEY. Burslem. The date of this proverb it would be difficult to trace, as also its origin. I can, however, remember that affixed to an ancient spelling- book--whether by Fenning, Vyse, or Butter, I cannot say-were some dozen fables, and one of them narrated this stor, with a rude woodcut depicting the consultation of the carpenter, lacksmith, and tanner at the besieged town for its defence. JOIIN Prcxroan, M.A. A sarcasm on stupid selfishness. The fable of the town in danger is given from Fenning’s ‘Universal Spellin Book ’ in ‘N. & Q.,’ 6“‘ S. vi. 515. In the fails each man insists that the town can be fortified in no other way than one that is profitable to his trade. The moral added is :- “’Tis too common for men to consult their own ends, though a whole nation suffers b it. Their own profit and selfish views are all they aim at, notwithstanding they often undo themselves by M. N. G. Exrnorrs IN SWIMMING (9"‘ S. vi. 21, 42, 137, 193, 284, 404).-Even a good swimmer magebe sometimes overpowered, especially if he subject to epilepsy. There is a valu- able note in the Clarendon Press edition of ‘Julius Caesar’ (pp. 94-5) which gives the story MP.. PICK!-‘ORD read in the days of his youth. The repetition of it, in English, may please him now :- “Suetonius relates (‘Jul. Caes.,’ 64): ‘At Alex- andria being busie about the assault and winning betraying and undoing others.” of a bridge where by a sodaine sallie of the enemies he was driven, to take a boat, and many besides made hast to get into the same, he lept xnto_the sea, and bf; swimming almost a quarter of a_m1le recouered c eare the next ship: bearing up his left hand all the while, for feare the writings wh1ch_ he held therein should take wet, and drawing his rich coate armour after him by the teeth, because the enemie should not have it as a spoyle. Plutarch’s account makes the feat still more difficult. ‘ The third danger was in the battel by sea, that was fought by the tower of Phar: where meaningto helpe his men that sought by sea, he leapt from the peere into a boate. Then the _#Egyptians made towards him with their oares on euery side: but he leaping into the sea, with great hazard saued himselfe y swim- ming. It is said, that then holding diuers books In his hand, he did neuer let them go, but kept them alwayes vpon his head aboue water, and swam with the other hand, notwithstanding that they shot maruellonsly at him, and was driuen somtime to ducke into the water : howbeit y° _boate was drowned presently!-North’s trans ation, p. 734 (ed. Skeat, p. 86).” Sr. SWITIIIN. M R. PICKFORD has apparently forgotten the rat of Hamelin who, stout as Julius Caesar, Swann across' and lived to carry _ (As he, the manuscript he cherished) To Rat-land home his commentary. See Browning’s ‘ Pied Piper.’ C. C. B. On reading MR. PICKFORD’S quotation from Eutro ius anent Julius Csesar’s natatory feats,II was instantly reminded of what is on record respecting Luis de Camoens, who, being shipwrecked, managed to keep afloat_by clinging to a raft with one hand, whi e holding aloft his MS. of the ‘ Lusiad ’ with the other. I cannot for the moment recall the source of my information, albeit I have a strong fancy that I read it many years ago in Sismondis ‘Literature of Europe’ Perhaps some one will tell us how much of this pretty story is compatible with strict truth. M. L. R. BRESLAR. Plutarch mentions the story of Julius Caesar swimming with one hand and holding books above his head with the other. This took place at Pharos, near Alexandria, and nothing is said of the nature of the books, but the context almost allows us to suppose that they were part of the Alexand rian collection. See Plutarch’s ‘ Lives,’ under Julius Capixrarc B “ HALF MooN ” TAVERN: “Tm-I Marrow” (9**‘ S. vi. 168, 257, 356).-To com(plete, so far as possible, the list of London tra e signs of the “Half Moon,” that in Holy well Street, Strand, lately added to the County Council Museum,
 * The Weser.