Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 8.djvu/346

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NOTES -AND QUERIES. [9 th s. vm. OCT. 26, 1901.

of Edward III. the modern spelling seems generally to prevail, but I think there is no doubt that the earliest orthography was Materfelowi or Matrefeloun.

We have evidence that the Mathefelons were an old French family. In a former note (8 th S. xii. 466) I pointed out that Du Maurier, in his 'Peter Ibbetson,' p. 315, had mentioned them on the authority of the 'Armorial General du Maine et de FAnjou.' But their chief interest rests on the fact that the old chateau of Les Rochers, which lies on the borders of Brittany and Maine, and from which Madame de Sevigne dated so many of her letters, was formerly a strong- hold of the Mathefelons. It came into the Sevigne family through the marriage of Anne de Mathefelon, Dame des Rochers, in 1410, with Guillaume de Sevigne, chamberlain of Jean V., Due de Bretagne. It was a favourite residence of Madame de Sevigne, arid on the death of her granddaughter and last de- scendant was sold to the family which still occupies it.

Other members of this family went into commerce. Dr. Reginald R. Sharpe, the learned and courteous Records Clerk of the City of London, has been good enough to inform me that, anno 49 Edward III., one Mathew Matfelon, who is described as " mer chant de Lukes," executed a power of attorney enabling certain other " merchantz de Lukes " to act for him. The power of attorney was written in French, and was dated "a Loundres." A few years later, anno 4 Richard II., a further power, written in Latin, was executed by the same person, before the Mayor and aldermen in the Chamber of the Guildhall. The references are Pleas and Memoranda Rolls A. 22, membr. 1, and A. 24, inembr. 7 dors. These documents, which are preserved among the municipal archives at the Guildhall, show that a person of the name of Matfelon was residing in London in the reign of King Edward III. Dr. Sharpe thinks that " Lukes " represents the town of Lucca in Italy ; but allowing this to be the case, it is not un- reasonable to suppose that London was the headquarters of this merchant as a business man. Some of the greatest civic families were of foreign origin, such as those of Gisors, Bukerel, and Bucquoirit (Bucca Uncta), of which a member was Justiciar of London in 1137 (Round's 'Commune of London' p. f !08).

The name of Matfelon was not, however, confined to London, for in a lengthy document relating to property in Yorkshire I have found that one Adam Materfeloun was a

party concerned (Rot. Claus., 1322, m. 2; ' Calendar, 1318-23,' p. 566).

The existence of this family in France and England being therefore well established, a word may be added with regard to the deri- vation of the name.

It has been several times pointed out in the late ME. MACKENZIE WALCOTT that matfelon was an old English name for the black knapweed orcentaury, which by Gerard and other old herbalists is spelt materfelon and matrefillon. A correspondent, B. C. H., suggested (3 rd S. v. 223) that as matfelon was believed to be useful for softening and hasten- ing the removal of boils, the name might be compounded of the old verb mater, to mace- rate, and feloun, a boil. This seems a plaus- ible explanation, if we admit that the proper name was derived from the herb, which is within the range of possibility. But as felon meant originally a traitor, and mater is also an old French word signifying to daunt or to cow, the name is susceptible of another deri- vation. Littre also points out that there is another mater, meaning to kill, which is equi- valent to the Spanish matar, and is derived from the Latin mactare. The original Mater- feloun may either have slain a traitor, and thereby earned his name, or his place of residence may have been situated in the midst of a field of knapweed. Utrumlibet W. F. PKIDEAUX.
 * N. & Q.' originally, as I noted above, by

PHILIP WOODWARD.

AMONG my books is a copy of one of those printed abroad by the adherents of the Church of Rome. The title reads :

" The Dialog ves of S. Gregorie svrnamed the Greate : Pope of Rome : and the first of that name : divided into fower Bookes. Wherein he intreateth of the Hues, and miracles of the saintes in Italic : and of the eternitie of mens soules. With a short treatise of sundry miracles wrought at the shrines of martirs : taken out of S. Augustin. Together with a notable miracle wrought by S. Bernarde, in confirmation of diuers articles of religion. Trans- lated into our English tongue By P. W. Ecclesiastic, cap. i. v. 1 & 2. A wise man will searche out the wisdom of all the auncient : and keepe the sayinges of famous men. Printed at Paris, 1608 "

The name of the translator is written in a contemporary hand. Of Philip Woodward there is a brief notice in Dodd's ' Church History.' Perhaps to make amends for its scantiness, it appears in two places (vol. ii. p. 91, col. 2, and p. 383, col. 2). He was an exile, and a professor at Douai College. He died at Lyons in 1610. Dodd says that he was the author of some anonymous contro- versial pieces. The British Museum has a