master in the seventeenth century"? The first and that pallone in Italian is a skin full of wind, use of the word in English has reference to the we need hardly guess much about the origin. In game called "balloon-ball," to which there are Noël and Carpentier's Dict. Etymol. it is properly various references in our early dramatic literature. said to be, in the sense quoted, slang of the opera, Thus in Eastward Ho, made by Geo. Chapman," il y a du ballon dans sa danse"; and in Lorraine Ben. Ionson, Ioh. Marston, 1605, Sir Petronel Littré says that it is a term for the rounded sumsays to Gertrude (I. i.): "Faith I was so enter- mits of a mountain. The figure is obvious in both tained in the progress with one Count Epernoum, instances. C. A. WARD. a Welsh knight; we had a match at balloon, too, 159, Haverstock Hill. with my Lord Whachum for four crowns." this Gertrude answers: "At baboon? Jesu! 66 To you and I will play at baboon in the country, knight." Sir Petronel: "O, sweet lady! 'tis a strong play with the arm." T. Heywood alludes to the game in his The Foure Prentises of London, 1615: Of course the derivation of this word from "Ballon, a famous dancing master in the seventeenth century," is an idle fabrication, which the Times should not have repeated. It is false on the face of it, because it is no solution of the problem; for it does not tell us how the dancing master came by the name himself. It is well known that the words which are really due to names of men are comparatively few; whilst, on the other hand, the guessing etymologist usually resorts to the suggestion of such a derivation when he knows not what else to say. It is the last poor shift of a man who pretends to explain what he cannot otherwise solve. Of course the word balloon is far older than the seventeenth century. In Florio's Ital. Dict., ed. 1598, we already find the entry, "Ballone, a great ball, a ballone (to play at with braces), a footeball." Cotgrave has, "Ballon, a fardel or small pack," and in fact it was at first used in French as a diminutive of bale, which is after all a mere doublet of ball. Godefroy gives a quotation for ballon, dated 1485, in this sense of "small bale." Littré has a quotation for it in the sense of "balloon" in the sixteenth century; The sense of "great ball was probably borrowed from Italian, for it is a singular fact that the Ital. suffix -one is augmentative, whilst the F. properly diminutive. I would suggest that an ordinary irresponsible newspaper is a very poor guide in questions of etymology, wherein at least some small degree of accuracy is required. " -on is WALTER W. SKEAT. Where the Times got such nonsense from as its "famous dancing master in the seventeenth century" I do not know; but, seeing that the word occurs in Ronsard's poems of the previous century, ECLIPSES OF THE SUN (6th S. ix. 390, 439, 496). In accordance with DR. NICHOLSON's request, I have referred to L'Art de Vérifier les Dates for and 1595. A partial eclipse of the sun was visible eclipses of the sun between the years A.D. 1591 in Europe on July 20, 1591. This was observed by Tycho Brahe. A total eclipse of the sun occurred on May 30, 1593. This was total in northern Africa and south-western Asia, but was only visible as a partial eclipse in Europe. Kepler states that at Zerbst (Dessau) two digits (amounting to about one-sixth part of the sun's diameter) were observed to be eclipsed. The only other eclipse of the sun visible in Europe within the dates mentioned by DR. BR. NICHOLSON occurred on October 3, 1595; but I presume this is excluded from his consideration, as taking place in the autumn, not in the summer. W. T. LYNN. Colombiere (Science Heroique, p. 134) gives “Chontzin en Allemagne, de gueules au chevron renversé d'argent." He engraves it on p. 135. but at Sibmacher (Wappenbuch, vol. i. p. 38) gives this coat with this name, Chontzin; vol. iii. p. 21, repeats it with an identical quartering second and third, and gives the name Concin. Spener (Insignium Theoria, Pars Specialis, Pp. 101, 102) refers to the Wappenbuch, and gives Austrian families are one. the name Concini. He says that the Italian and He says, p. 102: "Ex scalli Ancræi nomine in Galliâ claruit, et Dux et eâdem gente fuit Concinus Concini, qui sub MarePar Francia creatus, tragico tamen exitu periit." This was the famous Maréchal d'Ancre, killed, sur le pont-levis du Louvre, le 24 Avril de l'an 1617." Fr. Silv. Petra Sancta, in his Tessera Gentilitiæ, p. 153, has this, speaking of chevrons: "Est aliquando etiam inversus, et in imam scuti regionem cuspidatus. Cujusmodi capreolum cyaneum, in aureâ parmulâ, Cahortii gerunt in Galliâ." Ginanni, L'Arte del Blasone......in Venezia, 1756, at p. 279 says: "Laderchi in Faenza, porta in fondo rosso un Capriolo gemellato e riversato d'argento." Nisbet, System of Heraldry, vol. i., "Of the cheveron," says: "A cheveron reversed is said when its point is towards the base. Azure, a cheveron reversed, argent, by the name of Rumor." I know only two English examples. One is Newport, in Monmouthshire, if Newport will submit to be misnamed English. This town carries a chevron reversed—that is, with the peak to the base. The other came before me when I was looking over the evidences of a friend of ancient family in Yorkshire. It was on a seal to a deed, but the seal made on the usual label of parchment had been detached from the deed to which it had belonged. I can, therefore, give no date. The seal shows a chevron reversed, and in precise middle chief a fleur-de-lys. Outside the shield, on each side of it, is a bird with a long neck. This is the only example besides Newport known to me. Stuart's Lodge, Malvern Wells. D. P. the advice that he should, with a ceremony which "THE OLD ENGLISH DRAMA " (6th S. ix. 489).—I C. A. WARD. "Sir PETER JACKSON: PHILIP JACKSON (6th S. vii. 429; viii. 57, 98, 292, 433; ix. 116, 195). — Musgrave's obituary (Add. MS. 5733) says, Philip Jackson, Knt., Director of the Bank, died Nov. 21, 1724"; and again, "Sir Philip Jackson, Knt., of Herefordshire, died April 6, 1734." The last-named appears to have been baptized at St. Dionis Backchurch June 3, 1684, son of Mr. Edward Jackson, and, if so, would be nephew to the first-named Sir Philip. It therefore seems The book-plate of "Robert 'Espinasse of the to be an open question as to whom the portraits Inner Temple" exhibits this uncommon charge."extant at Coombs Place represent, viz., Sir The arms on it are, Vert, on a fess gules (sic) three Philip the first or Sir Philip the second, and conbezants, between in chief an inverted chevron or sequently which of the Ladies Jackson their reenclosing a bezant, and in base a fleur-de-lis be- spective wives. Great confusion appears to have tween two circular batons couped and erected of prevailed in the announcements concerning the the third, an annulet for difference. several Ladies Jackson. No record of Sir Peter's death occurs in the obituary; but on Feb. 25, 1732, "Lady Jane" Jackson is said to have died. This, in fact, I believe really refers to Mary, his widow, because Charles and Elizabeth Fleetwood do not seem to have had a daughter "Jane" to marry the second Sir Philip; and, having already erroneously described the widow of the first Sir Philip, the magazines follow up that error by misdescribing the widow of Sir Peter. Any further response in reference to Jacksons bearing "three cinquefoils on a chevron between as many eagles' heads erased," would oblige your present contributor. JAMES SYKES. EDMUND M. BOYLE. A chevron inverted (chevron renversé) is occasionally met with in foreign heraldry; and, though more rarely, it is also found issuing from one of the flanks of the escutcheon. The former is borne alone, or with other charges, by Von Chontzin, Rumlingen, Bulgarini, Trauner, Prevost, &c.; the latter by Marschalck, Duchtel, &c. Contrechevronné, with chevrons inverted, I have seen several times. J. WOODWARD. Montrose. AN OAK TREE AND ITS CONTENTS (6th S ix. 468). You do not appear as yet to have had any comment upon the statement that an old oak tree, blown down in a gentleman's park in Derbyshire, was sawn up last year, and in a hole, bored to the centre of the tree and plugged up, were found human hair and some parings of finger-nails. I think I can throw some light on them. A few summers ago I was taking temporary duty in a small country district a few miles from Winchester. I made acquaintance with the village schoolmaster, who had long been afflicted with ague. Being popular with his children and their parents, he received from many of the latter remedies declared to be infallible for his obstinate complaint. Some of these, as specimens of local superstition, he mentioned to me. One of the most grotesque was RESURGAM (6th S. ix. 485).-We know from Fuller's Church History, bk. x., that Bishop John King, who died in 1621, desired in his will that "nothing should be written on his plain gravestone save only 'Resurgam,'" and this, from Dugdale's History of St. Paul's Cathedral, appears to have been done. But beside this there was a long mural inscription to his memory, the most prominent phrase of which was Marmor loquax Spirat Resurgam." Granger, in his Biographical History, under the article "King," after mentioning the old anecdote about Wren, adds: "I conjecture this was part of the stone under which Bishop King was buried; and my conjecture is the more probable as this word occurs in no other epitaph in Dugdale." H. Thomas, in Ancient Remains of London, i. 398, says, in reference to this legend: "It is remarkable that this word resurgam was cut on the monument of Bishop King, who preached before James I. to solicit the repairs of the ancient cathedral; it might have been his tombstone." It is hardly probable now that any more precise information can be obtained. If the story is true, it is quite possible that the stone in question was one of the two inscribed to Bishop King; but as the word was common on tombstones, it may have been a fragment of some other monumental stone. Sutton, Surrey. EDWARD SOLLY. Miscellaneous. NOTES ON BOOKS, &c. Bibliography of the Bacon-Shakespeare Controversy, with Notes and Extracts. By W. H. Wyman. (Cincinnati, Thomson.) In his life of Edmond Malone, Sir James Prior, describing the unceasing flow of Shakspearian criticism, says, "Several suppose that he (Shakespeare) wrote more plays than he acknowledged; others, that he fathered more than he had written; while the last opinions are still more original and extraordinary-that his name is akin to a myth, and that he wrote no plays at all." We have, however, got to a point beyond that, for since the publication by the late Miss Delia Bacon of her article on "William Shakespeare and his Plays" in Putnam's Monthly for January, 1856, which first suggested the theory of Bacon's authorship of Shakspeare's plays, numbers of pamphlets and articles have been written on the subject. To such a pitch, indeed, has this Bacon mania been carried, that it has been gravely asserted by one writer that the famous Lord Chancellor also wrote Fletcher's plays, and by another that he was the author of Montaigne's essays! To such theories we can see no end so long as the human mind retains its fertile power of imagination, and is not encumbered with any inconvenient regard for the dull and prosy logic of established facts. With regard to Mr. Wyman's Bibliography, we think it a pity that the compiler should have been in such a hurry to rush into print. If it was worth doing at all, it should have been done more carefully and more exhaustively. We are told by Mr. Wyman in the preface that in July, 1882, he "issued a small privately printed Bibliography of the BaconShakespeare Literature, including all the titles then ascertained, sixty-three in number." In April, 1884, "believing that the discussion has reached a point that entitles it to as complete a bibliography as can be made," he issued the present volume. In this volume we find 172 titles, which were all in existence prior to July, 1882, so that from the compiler's own showing his first attempt was very lame. We can assure him, however, that bis second compilation is still far from complete. Why, for instance, should the article on the "Contemporary Notices of Shakespeare," which appeared in the British Quarterly Review for July, 1857, be omitted? Again, if the opinions of Lord Palmerston and of Punch are worth recording, why should that of M. Rémusat-an authority, we venture to think, of some weight on the subject of Bacon-be left unrecorded? So, too, we are at a loss to understand why notices of Colonel Hart's Ancient Lethe and Mr. Caldwell's Is Sir Walter Raleigh the Author of Shakespeare's Plays and Sonnets? are inserted in this Bibliography. The compiler tells us himself that the author of the first book never suggested that Bacon wrote Shakspeare's plays. The title of the second alone would, we should have thought, sufficiently have indicated that it had nothing to do with the Bacon-Shakspeare controversy. Finally, we must remind Mr. Wyman that in a bibliography it is not sufficient to give a description of the reprint of a work when the original is easily accessible. Mr. Gladstone has said somewhere, in one of his essays upon Homer, that "no exertion spent upon any of the great classics of the world, and attended with any amount of real result, is thrown away." In Mr. Wyman's case we are afraid that any real result which might possibly have been attained has been sacrificed to want of adequate exertion. John Wiclif, Patriot and Reformer. (Unwin.) THIS tasty little volume is designed as a memorial of the quincentenary of John Wiclif's death. The book is divided into two parts, the first being a short but interesting account, by Dr. Rudolf Buddensieg, of the life and writings of the great English reformer. The second part contains a variety of extracts from Wiclif's unpublished tract" De Veritate Scripturæ Sacræ," from the "Trialogus," the "Wykett," and from Vaughan's "Tracts and Treatises of John Wykliffe." It was on Dec. 31, 1384, that Wiclif died at Lutterworth; and though he has exercised an extraordinary influence on our religious life and on our language, we are afraid that the majority of Englishmen in these days are sadly ignorant of what they owe to him. It is strange, too, that any of his writings should still remain in manu script, but yet such is the fact, though the Wyclif Society is now doing its best to remedy this. varied amount of valuable matter, in which the authentic THE Genealogist for April (Bell & Sons) contains a sources to be drawn from at the Public Record Office not unnaturally form a conspicuous feature. The speci men given of the new Peerage, by G. E. C., is of interest, as showing something of the line adopted by its author. work by a single instalment, there is enough before us to While, of course, it would be impossible to judge such a prove the thought and care which are being bestowed upon it. American readers will not fail to be interested Southwark Harvards. The list of Lambeth administra in Mr. Rendle's paper on Harvard University and the tions connects usefully with the calendar of Lambeth diocesan marriage licences afford some useful links wills published by Dr. G. W. Marshall, and the Worcester where other sources fail. We trust that Mr. Walford Selby will be encouraged to continue the good work so long carried on by Dr. G. W. Marshall in the same spirit of devotion to genealogical truth. THE new series of Miscellanea Genealogica et Heraldica (Mitchell & Hughes) has been furnished with an index to vol. iv., marked by the same characteristic features of fulness that rendered its predecessors useful. Dr. Howard may be congratulated on the amount of work to which his index testifies, and also on the fact that a student of names as well as of genealogy or blazon may consult its contents with interest. Some very remarkable surnames and unusual Christian names are enshrined therein, among which we may specify Barbaria, presumably a variant of Barbara; Anstance, a female Christian name; Theodorius, a surname; Godlyf, a Christian name. For others, too numerous to recite here, we must refer our readers to Dr. Howard's own pages. We may add that the articles in vol. i, of the second series, commenced with this year, continue to present features of considerable interest, and the illustrations of the Chetwode, Seyliard, and Monk arms and pedigrees are admirably photo-lithograph, and will be heartily welcomed by all executed. those interested in Shakspeariana. PART VIII. of Mr. Hamilton's Parodies deals with the poems of Thomas Hood. THE sixth part of the Encyclopaedic Dictionary (Cassell & Co.) finishes the letter A and commences B. The articles on Astronomy and Astrology are specially noteworthy. Under "Asteroid" is given a list of all asteroids discovered up to March, 1879. The list will be completed under the heads “Planet" and "Solar System.' A Key to the Waverley Novels, by Henry Grey (Griffith & Farran), supplies an epitome of these tales, to which is appended an index to the principal characters. THE series of handbooks issued by the International Health Exhibition (Clowes & Sons) is likely to be of genuine value. Those into which we have lookedWater and Water Supplies, The Principles of Cookery, and Fire and Fire Brigades, by Capt. Eyre M. Shaw, C. B. -are excellent. MESSRS. CASSELL have published a full account, with illustrations, of the Shakspeare Memorial, Stratford-onAvon. Summer Days, the holiday number of Cassell's Magazine, contains "An Amateur Landscape Photograph," by the Rev. A. H. Malan, M.A. This is accompanied by an illustration of Broadwindsor likely to interest our readers. THE Cornhill, in addition to "Some Literary Recollections," has an article on " Embalmers."-Mr. Andrew Lang contributes to Longman's a "Ballade of Railway Novels." To the same magazine Mr. Jefferies contributes a characteristic essay, entitled "Sunny Brighton."-In the English Illustrated appear "Martin Lightfoot's Song," a poem by Charles Kingsley, and "The Royal Collection of Miniatures at Windsor Castle," by Mr. R. Holmes.-The Nineteenth Century supplies a ballad "On a Country Road," by Mr. Swinburne; a paper by Sir R. A. Cross, M.P., on "The City of London Livery Companies"; and one on 66 Retrogressive Religion," by Mr. Herbert Spencer.-M. Renan's new volume of studies of Origines du Christianisme is reviewed in Macmillan, in which also appears a clever duologue by H. D. T. on "The Consolations of Pessimism."-In the Antiquarian Magazine and Bibliographer, Mrs. C. G. Boger, a valued contributor to our pages, continues "The Legend of King Arthur in Somerset." Mr. Round also supplies part iii. of "Port' and Port-Reeve,'" and Mr. C. Walford continues his "History of Gilds." A view of the Great Yarmouth Tolhouse is prefixed to the number.-"Some London Clearings Clerkenwell," which appears in All the Year Round, treats with some novelty a familiar subject. Warwickshire is still the subject of "Chronicles of English Counties."-Among the subjects dealt with in the London Quarterly are the late F. D. Maurice and Lord Lyndhurst.-The Contemporary contains an excellent paper by Prof. Mahaffy on "Untrodden Italy," and one by M. Gabriel Monod on " Contemporary Life and Thought in France."-An article of special interest to readers of "N. & Q." appears in the Gentleman's under the head "Italian Folk Songs."-No. 19 of the Modern Review contains essays on Wilhelm Vatke and F. D. Maurice, To the July part of the Miscellanea Genealogica Mr. Stephen Tucker, Somerset Herald, has communicated an interesting account of the assignment of arms to the father of Shakspeare. This account is illustrated by five facsimiles of documents from the Heralds' College records. These have been most carefully executed in Notices to Correspondents. We must call special attention to the following notices: ON all communications must be written the name and address of the sender, not necessarily for publication, but as a guarantee of good faith. WE cannot undertake to answer queries privately. To secure insertion of communications correspondents must observe the following rule. Let each note, query, or reply be written on a separate slip of paper, with the signature of the writer and such address as he wishes to appear. Correspondents who repeat queries are requested to head the second communication "Duplicate." G. ("Little drops of water ").-This is the first line of hymn 410 in the Hymnal Companion to the Book of Common Prayer (Sampson Low & Co.). In the anotated edition it is stated that the first five verses are Dr. E. C. Brewer (our correspondent), and the sixth the editor, the Rev. E. H. Bickersteth. Y E. MARSHALL.-We are much obliged for the words of the song My Mother. As it is too long for our columns we have forwarded it to Mr. Hamilton. JOHN TAYLOR ("Fotheringay Castle ").-Your information concerning this building has been forwarded to Mr. Sims. DIGAMMA ("A Literary Revolution ").-The scheme you advocate simply means the substitution of open spaces for punctuation. H. F. ("Name of Author Wanted ").-In the case of nym, it would clearly be indiscreet for us to give the a living writer choosing to hide himself behind a pseudoreal name, supposing us to know it. MONASTICUS.-The date of the establishment of Kilburn Priory is not known. It was for nuns, was in 1376 under the order of St. Augustine, and remained so until its suppression in 1536. LONDON, SATURDAY, JULY 12, 1884. Book-plates, 24-Biographical Errors-"As You Like It"- onary REPLIES:-Serjeants' Rings, 29-Rastaquoère - Bear-skin Rites-Royal Marriage with a Slave- Mistranslation in the Litany Parodies- Ben Jonson-English Names of Flowers -Houses with Secret Chambers, 37-Jocoseria"-Notes on "Folk-Etymology," 38-Henshaw-Monfras, 39. NOTES ON BOOKS:-Miss Holt's "John de Wycliffe" A contributor to Blackwood's Magazine-alas! numbered 79, 80, 85, 86, in Shakspere's series, refer to the author of The Divine Comedy as a rival poet, although then deceased for over two A presumptive sign of weakness is that the inquiry is limited to the four sonnets specified above; but Shakspere has written much more about the rivalry. Taking, however, the writer's own limitation, we find the question narrowed to two points: 1. Certain confessions of admitted superiority, ex. gr., "worthier pen" (79); "better spirit," "tall building" (80); "able spirit," "well theorist now suggests that these terms cannot describe any contemporaneous author, all Eliza- supernatural agency, as "better spirit," able This is subject to a qualification. cannot apply to any ordinary mortal, even by an Now, the crushing objection is that Shakspere "So it is not with me as with that Muse, |