Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 9.djvu/125

 ix. FEB. s, 1902.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

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children from all parts of the empire. At the same school it was believed the " milky juice" was capable of removing warts. Emmet = ant in Devon ; indeed, some people would not recognize the word "ant."

W. CURZON YEO. Richmond, Surrey.

FIRE ON THE HEARTH KEPT BURNING (9 th S. viii. 204, 412 ; ix. 16). It was the custom as I have heard my mother say to keep the house-place fires in all the year round in farmhouses and cottages in Derbyshire. And in the early fifties fires were regularly " raked " each night when the household retired. To "rake" the fire meant to pull the cinders from the fire-back on to a raking coal, then place on top a shovelful of slack. This ensured a slow fire during the night, and all the first riser had to do was to rake out the ashes at bottom, and break up the lump of partly burnt raking coal, with the result that a good fire and a boiling kettle were ready for those who had to turn out for early farm work. I may add that "it isn't every one that can rake a fire " that is, do it so that it will neither go out nor burn out. There is " an art " in the doing of common every-day things. THOS. RATCLIFFE.

Worksop.

HORN DANCERS (9 th S. viii. 444; ix. 11). MR. ELWORTHY will find a very interesting illustrated paper by Miss C. S. Burne on this subject, entitled ' The Folk-lore of Stafford- shire,' in vol. ii. of the new series of the Journal of the British Archaeological Associa- tion (pp. 24-35). It was contributed to the Stoke-on-Trent Congress on 13 August, 1895. T. CANN HUGHES, M.A., F.S.A.

Lancaster.

"JOHNIAN PIGS " (6 th S. xi. 328, 414; xii. 36). James Johnson's " Book of Epigrams in Latine. Printed at London by John Beale, 1615," is described in the British Museum Catalogue as ' Epigrammatum Libellus, sive, Schediasmata Poetica,' &c., and bears the press-mark 1213, g. 15 (1). Perhaps one of your readers will find out whether the epi- gram in question happens, as suggested at the last reference, to be in English, spite of the Latin title. O. O. H.

BIBLIOGRAPHY OF THE BICYCLE (9 th S. viii. 304, 490, 530; ix. 36). My impression is that whether there be an angel with a wheel or not in a window at Stoke Ppges, there is a representation of some toy with a wheel for a child to ride on, and also one of a toy to be spun round by means of a long string. The window was made up of fragments when

I saw it some years ago, and I hope it has not been destroyed in order to make room for modern glass. When the " hobby-horse " was mentioned I wrote to the vicar to ask if my memory served me rightly, but a day or two after I saw a notice of his cleath in the papers, and I have had no reply. I should be very glad to learn something about it. J. T. F. Durham.

ADULATION EXTRAORDINARY (8 th S. x. 152, 322 ; 9 th S. viii. 473 ; ix. 30). The address of Recorder Widdrington, of Berwick, to Charles I. is well supplemented by the fol- lowing address of Recorder Thorpe, of Hull, to the same monarch on his visit to that town in April or May, 1639 (Symonds, Hullinia,' p. 69) :

"Most Gracious Sovereign ! If the approaches to the thrones of heaven and earth had been by the same way of access, we had done [?]. Since learning by our daily prayers unto the ' King of Kings,' to speak as might become us, unto your sacred Majesty, whom God has now blessed and honoured us with the presence of. But since these are different, and we not so much conversant in the latter as in the former, we most heartily crave your sacred pardon and grace for our rudeness, which is or may be committed, opining, your Majesty, that they 'pro- ceeded from nothing but want of knowledge and skill how to receive and to express ourselves upon the happy reception of so much glory.

"Our full hearts make us almost unable to undergo what we most thankfully undertake, and would stop all passages of speech and make us dumb with the awful majesty that happy we behold and adore.

"This town was always faithful and true, in respect of the zealous and loyal affections of the people of the same, to your Majesty's honour and service. It may be said, as it is of the city of Saville in Spain, 'not only to bewailed, but also to be garrisoned by fire,' not dead nor asleep, nor absconded in senseless flints, but continually vivacious, waking, ardent, apparent, and sensible in their courageous and boiling heat for your Majesty's long life, welfare ana happiness. So that the town is not only yours by name, but also by nature so shall it ever remain to be.

" Your Majesty hath not only here a magazine of all military provisions of your own loyaj collecting, ordering and appointment, but also a richer store, a more noble and safe prize, even a magazine of faithful and true hearts all the town over, which renders it stronger for your Majesty's service, than if it had walls of brass or iron.

" Your Majesty's most noble predecessors built, encouraged, and honoured it. The pious and good King Eaward VI. committed the castle and block- houses of it to the perpetual keeping of the corpora- tion. May your Majesty live for ever and ever, and may all the thorns in your travels grow up into crowns ; may your battles be always crowned with laurels, and may good success always attend your actions and desires ; ruay your years be added unto your days, and length of time, till time shall be no more."

But alas for consistency ! three years after-