Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 7.djvu/365

 9* s. vn. MAY 4, 1901.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

357

Christopher! faciem die quocunque tueris, Illo nerape die mala morte non morieris ;

and in Winkles's 'French Cathedrals,' 1837 p. 12, we find

Christopherum videas postea tutus eris.

In De Katholick, October and November 1865, there is much interesting informatio about the Christopher legend, where severa verses not unlike the above are given. A Willington, in Bedfordshire, there is an invo cation of St. Christopher on one of the church bells (North, ' Church Bells of Bed fordshire,' p. 205). For further incidenta information see

The Antiquary, viii. 198.

Thiers, * Traite des Sup.' ii. 383 ; iy. 219.

Jotimal of Archaeological Association, xxxiv. 127 192 ; xxxvii. 184.

Louisa Stuart Costello, ' A Pilgrimage t( Auvergne ' (1842), i. 233.

Rock, ' Church of our Fathers,' ii. 425.

Lea, ' Hist, of Inquisition,' i. 49.

Didron, k Annales Arch^ologiques,' xxi. 121.

Webb, ' Continental Ecclesioh

Riley, 'Athos,' 206.

ogy ' (1848), 283. EDWARD PEACOCK.

The belief was that any one who looked al a representation of St. Christopher was safe for that day from an evil death :

Christophori Sancti speciem quicunque tuetur Ist nempe die non morte mala morietur.

He was always portrayed of colossal size, and is so painted at the entrance of most Spanish cathedrals, that all may see him. None of the many carved figures of this saint approach in size one which was removed from Notre Dame at Paris in 1785.

It was said that St. Christopher's original occupation was to carry people across a stream, and the legend is that once a child presented himself to be conveyed over. At first his weight was what might be expected from his infant years, but presently it began to increase, and so went on till the ferryman was like to sink under his burden. The child then said, "Wonder not, my friend ; I am Jesus, and you have the weight of the sins of the whole world on your back ! " Hence St. Christopher is represented carrying the infant Saviour across a river, with the globe in His hand.

St. Christopher has an interesting place in the history of typography, in consequence of a wood engraving of his figure, supposed to be of date about 1423, being the earliest known example of that art. Under it appears the following inscription :

Cristophori faciem die quamcumque tueris.

Ilia nempe die morte mala non morieris.

This same inscription was under an ancient

statue of St. Christopher at Saint- Wand rille about which M. Langlois says :

" Au reste on ne peut etre surpris du role exces- sivement important et presque unique que ce saint geant remplissait dans le culte des images, quand on songe qu'on tait alors persuade qu'il suffisait d'envisager la sienne, avec quelque devotion, pour e"tre garanti, au moins pendant la journee, des plus graves accidens physiques."

In Barnaby Googe's English translation of Kirchmeyer's poem ' Popish Kingdoms ' are the following lines :

Great Christopher, that painted is with body big

and tall, Doth even the same,* who doth preserve and keepe

his servants all From fearfull terrours of the night, and makes them

well to rest, By whom they also all their life with divers joys are

blest.

CONSTANCE RUSSELL. Swallowfield, Reading.

QUEENS MEMBERS OF THE ORDER OP THE GARTER (9 th S. yii. 166). In correcting an error Truth has itself fallen into a mistake. It is not the case that Queen Alexandra is the first queen consort who has worn a blue ribbon. In the early days of the Order it was the invariable rule for queens consort to be decorated with the Garter. This was the case with Anne of Luxemburg, queen of Richard II. ; Joan of Navarre, queen of Henry IV. ; Katherine of France, queen of Henry V. ; Margaret of Anjou, queen of Benry VI. ; Elizabeth Widvile, queen of Edward IV. ; and the Lady Elizabeth, eldest daughter of that sovereign, and afterwards queen consort of Henry VII. With this queen the practice seems to have ceased, though an attempt was made in the time f Charles I. to revive it, when Sir James aimer, acting as deputy for Sir Thomas Chancellor, moved the sovereign

' that the ladies of the Knights-companions might lave the privilege to wear a Garter of the Order ,bout their arms ; and an upper robe, at festival imes, according to ancient usage."

^he queen apparently approved of this motion, ind after some discussion a chapter was ap- )ointed to be held for the purpose of deciding how it were fittest to be done for the honour if the Order " ; but owing, as it is supposed, o the civil war, nothing was done therein. t t does not seem to have been the usage to dmit the wives of all the knights-companions o this privilege, but a considerable number ad rooes and garters provided for them. teltz, in his 'Memorials of the Order,' p. ccxxi,

f Ashmole's ' History of the Order,' p. 218, quoted by Beltz, p. cxi,
 * I.e., keeps mariners from dangers,