Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 9.djvu/366

 358

NOTES AND QUERIES.

s. ix. MAY 3, im.

the finger at the seventh pointing going through the motion, but not having the fore- finger extended ! It was bad luck to ** count out " the stars up to one hundred, and ** you might be struck down dead " for it. Gene- rally the counting stopped at ninty-nine, only a few venturing beyond " in fear and trembling." Mothers used to say, "Don't point at moon ! " " Don't count stars ! " Except that in pointing the " man in the moon " was taken into consideration, reasons why the stars should not be counted were never given. THOS. RATCLIFFE.

Worksop.

There exists a kindred superstition among Jews to that of star - pointing. On certain days of the high festivals, such as Passover and Tabernacles, there is a survival of one, the Temple ordinances lingering in the custom of "Duchaning," or "priestly benediction." Gentlemen who claim descent from the sons of Aaron ascend the steps of the Ark and bless the congregants in a chant which is more antique than musical. On these occasions the worshippers are supposed to turn their backs towards the "Cohanim," and by no means to allow their gaze to stray in that direction, lest the result may be disastrous to those misguided persons. The tradition runs that some one was struck blind for committing this supposed offence. I am not ashamed to own that I have repeatedly looked at the Cohanim without taking hurt. M. L. R. BRESLAR.

1 remember being rebuked more than once for pointing at the stars when a child. This would be in South Notts, and probably in Warwickshire too. I do not think any definite reason was given, but I was made to feel that I had been guilty of shocking irreverence. 0. C. B.

"RATLINGS" (9 th S. ix. 288). This word from America is but another instance of the many survivals there of original importations from the old country. Of course, ratlings or rattlings is but New-World pronunciation of old West-Country raddling r s, a term still in common use in Somerset (see ' West Somerset Word-Book,' p. 609). The lumbermen retain the name, though they no longer remember the Old-World use to which the word belongs. To raddle is almost identical with to wreathe ; at least, so it would appear to the educated observer who does not appreciate technical niceties. The latter is to interweave more or less prepared brushwood with some care as to interweaving, whereas to raddle is to per- form the same act with rougher material and

in a rougher manner. A wreath-hurdle is well known, but a hedge made with roughly interwoven untrimmed sticks is raddled^ and the material which would otherwise go for firewood and be bound up into faggots is when so used called raddling. In America they only look on brushwood as kindling, having no longer any use for it as a fencing material, while they still call it by the old name when tied up in bundles.

F. T. ELWORTHY.

" PROSPICIMUS MODO " (9 th S. viii. 445 ; ix. 34, 273). I cannot give the reference to Chambers^ Journal, but the book referred to must surely be ' Artificial Versifying,' by John Peter, almanac maker, &c., three editions of which appeared in 1677, 1678, and 1679 (a copy of the last is in the British Museum). It is an extraordinary little book, professing to teach " a new way to make Latin verses " by means of certain tables, from which a patient reader can spell out, letter by letter, words which scan as Latin hexameters and pentameters. The process is purely mecha- nical, and would seem capable of giving neither pleasure nor profit. It might, however, be worth while for some student of " magic squares " and the like to solve the mystery of its mechanism. The peculiar properties of the figure 9 seem to nave something to do with it. T. S. OMOND.

NOTES ON BOOKS, &c.

English Book Collectors. By William Younger

Fletcher, F. S. A. ( Kegan Paul & Co. ) To " The English Bookman's Library " of Mr. Alfred Pollard Mr. Fletcher, well known for valuable works on bibliographical subjects and for the ser- vices he rendered to students in the Printed Book Department of the British Museum, has added a series of memoirs of English book collectors. Something of the kind had previously been done by the late Mr. Quaritch in his ' Contributions to a Dictionary of Book Collectors.' The present work seems, however, more ambitious in scheme and is up to date. It is, moreover, fully illustrated with portraits of eminent bibliophiles, devices, and book- plates and book-stamps of collectors. A portrait of Lord Spencer, the founder of the great Althorp library, serves as frontispiece, other portraits in- cluding those of Prince Henry of Wales, Archbishop Parker, Dr. Dee, Lord Lumley, Sir Robert Bruce Cotton, Archbishop Usher, Archbishop Williams, John Bagford, the Duke of Roxburghe, William Beckford, and many others, down to Frederick Locker-Lampson. In addition to these we have reproductions of the book-stamps or book-plates of Lord Burghley, the Earl of Leicester, Sir Kenelm Digby, Samuel Pepys, and various other notabilities. In the case of most of these all the particulars to be desired by the reader are supplied. Concerning men of more modern days Mr. Fletcher is more