Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 9.djvu/252

 244

NOTES AND QUERIES. [9 th s. ix. MARCH 29, 1902.

backs to the wall, and so the "honorificabilitu- dinitatibusque," which hath no fellow m our verbal firmament, may still remain in some secluded schools familiar as a household word. ,, M1

Information sent to me personally will reach me months sooner than through vouchsafed in both ways.
 * N. & Q.,' but my hope is that it will be

JAMES D. BUTLER.

Madison, Wisconsin, U.S.A.

" GUARDHOUND." This word was used by Coventry Patmore in his lines from 'An Evening Scene/ running

And far, far off, to the slumbrous eve, Bayeth an old guardhound.

The 'H.E.D.' gives "guard-dog" under the compounds of "guard," and indicates that it is obsolete. The queried meaning " a watch- dog " would seem to be confirmed as correct by the quotation here given. " Guardhound " is possibly a nonce-word only.

ARTHUR MAYALL.

A ROYAL YACHT. King Charles II., like many of his ancestors, was devoted to the sea, and an enthusiastic yachtsman. Queen Elizabeth, we are told, had a pleasure yacht, and so we understand had James I. But Charles II. was the earliest of our sovereigns to enjoy yachting as a sport, and we read in Pepys of his racing matches on the Thames with yachts from Holland, and also of the easy victory obtained by the latter. This, however, only seems to have added to his zest, for comment is made later concerning various craft designed and built to his orders, as well as to those of the Duke of York, his brother.

He may therefore in a sense be regarded as the founder of yacht racing in this country, and, pace the shade of Lord Macau- lay, that amongst other good qualities should certainly be placed to his credit. The first yacht club that was started in the United Kingdom was the Royal Cork in 1720, not thirty-five years after King Charles's death, and I consider that amongst the toasts which are annually given at meetings of the present-day wet -bob fraternity that of the Merry Monarch should alsvays find an honoured place.

A paper recently read at the Society of Antiquaries by the President, Viscount Dillon, on some unpublished correspondence of Charles II. and his brother James, touched on a point of some interest in these matters. Mention was made in the royal letters of a certain yacht belonging to the king called " The Fubbs."

One of the fellows of the Society was able to throw a light on this curious word. It appears to have been the favourite nick- name bestowed by Charles on the Duchess of Portsmouth, and, without a doubt, his yacht with the same title was christened thus in her honour. At Greenwich, too, there still exists a well-known hostelry ycleped " Fubbs's Yacht," showing what a tenacious grip the nomenclature of many old inns holds upon the otherwise almost forgotten tradi- tions of the past. PERCY CLARK.

ROYAL WALKS. -In the dim and dingy neighbourhood of Ball's Pond Road there is a winding thoroughfare called King Henry's Walk. Passing through this some little way, one is struck with another named Queen Margaret's Grove. To complete these associa- tions with royalty in bygone days, there is Queen Elizabeth's Walk in the neighbourhood of Clissold Park. It is difficult for us moderns to conceive what charms these spots had to endear them to the royal persons whose names they now bear. If there be any authentic history, perhaps some one will favour us with the interesting particulars.

M. L. R. BRESLAR.

Percy House, South Hackney.

CLIFFORD'S INN. This oldest Inn of Chancery (a view of which was given in 8 th S. i. 267) was the subject of an action in the Court of Appeal on Wednesday, the 19th inst. Along with New Inn it is the only Inn of Chancery remaining out of ten that fulfils its original functions as a kind of preparatory school to the Inns of Court. The question before the Court was whether the Inn belongs to the individual members for their own personal benefit, or whether, as Mr. Justice Cozens-Hardy had decided, it was held sub- ject to a trust for charitable purposes. At present there are only sixteen members, of whom four were plaintiffs in the action and the remainder defendants.

The Daily Telegraph of the 20th contains an interesting report of the action. Mr. Ralph Nevill, K.C., on behalf of the appel- lants, stated that in 1345 the property was let to members of the society, one of the Inns of Chancery, by Isabella de Clifford, at a rent of Wl. a year. From time immemorial the society had been governed by a principal and twelve " rules " or " antients," who fo r med the upper ten or "upper mess." The rest formed the "lower mess" or " Kentish m ess." Originally all the members were engaged in some way in the practice of the law. The property itself upon which the Inn stood was granted by Ed ward II. to Robert de Clifford in