'IN FLANDERS' FIELDS' (12 S. v. 317).— The poem In Flanders' Fields,' by the late Lieut.-Col. John McCrae, appeared in The Book Monthly for July, 1919. The poem entitles a volume of verse by Lieut.-Col. McCrae, published by Hodder & Stoughton, 1919. ARCHIBALD SPARKE.

After the battle of Ypres, Lieut.-Col. John McCrae contributed this poem to Punch. It is also quoted in an obituary notice of this officer which appeared in The Times of Feb. 4, 1918. H. G. HARRISON.

S.

V.

GAVELACRE : PLACE-NAME (12 295, 332).—In "The Muses Threnodie; or, Mournful Mournings on the Death of Mr. Gall....by Mr. H. Adamson " "; Edinburgh, 1638, this line, relating to the town of Perth, occurs :

From whence our Castle-gavil as yet is named. A footnote in a "new Edition," published at Perth in 1774 (vol. i., 89) says: "The street....is erroneously called the Castlegavel, instead of the Castle-street." Nuttall's Standard Dictionary gives "a provincial word for ground," as one meaning of the word gavel "

W. B. H.

ROMELAND, ST. ALBANS (12 S. v. 294).— See 10 S. vi. 432; vii. 58. Quite recently I received from the Rev. G. H. Johnson a copy of his pamphlet The Church of Waltham Holy Cross,' in which Prof. Skeat's derivation of Romeland, from A.S. rum, empty, vacant, applied here to land where wagons coming to the town or abbey could have their horses unharnessed,' is noted on p. 29.

"There seem to have been several of these open spaces in different parts of the City in early days, as, for instance in Tower Ward, in Billingsgate Ward, in Dowgate Ward, in Queenhithe Ward. establishments, as at St. Albans, Bury St. Edmunds Wheatley says that in part of the larger monastic, &c. there were large open spaces railed off, used at any rate at Waltham as a market place, and he suggests that they may have been generally so used in early times..

It is interesting to note that in a decree of Chancery 37 H. viii., confirming to the citizens the possession of the Romeland at Billingsgate. it is expressly stated that markets had been held time out of mind on both the Romelands at Billingsgate and at Queenhithe.

Dr. Sharpe says that it was a name given to an open space near a dock where ships could discharge (Cal. i Bk F. p. 175, note)."'

Probably the name was given first to the land of the abbey, and then extended to ground lying on the bank of the Thames.

N. W. HILL. [MR. O. KING SMITH and MR. JOHN B. WAINEWRIGHT also thanked for replies.]

MEDIEVAL IMMUREMENT (12 S. v. 320).— There is a discussion of this in Grant Allen's Evolution of the Idea of God.'

A. MORLEY DAVIES.

THE LOG HOUSE (12 S. v. 320).-In 1541 Robert Bowes and Sir Ralph Ellerker drew up an officialView of the Castles, Towers, Barmekyns, and Fortresses of the Frontier of the East and Middle Marches' (Cotton MS. Calig. B, vii. fo. 636 (n.p.) printed by Cadwallader Bates in The Border Holds of Northumberland,' p. 28, et seq.). Concerning Tynedale they report :

"And yet suerly the hedesmen of them have very stronge houses whereof for the most parte the utter sydes or walles be made of greatte sware oke tenons of the same so thycke mortressed that yt trees strongly hunde & Joyned together with great

to breake or caste downe any of the said houses the tymber as well of the said walles as rooffes be so greatt & covered most parte with turves & earthee that they wyll not easyly burne or he sett

on fyere."

In the View' it is frequently noted that a house or a tower is of stone, which seems to imply that there were others of wood.

M. H. Dodds. Home House, Kell's Lane, Low Fell, Gateshead.

LONGWORTH CASTLE, HEREFORDSHIRE (12 S. v. 320).-According to Jakeman and Carver's Directory and Gazetteer of Herefordshire,' 1890, Longworth, the property of Wm. Hy. Barneby, Esq., J.P., D.L., is situated about one mile south of Lugwardine parish and four miles east of the City of Hereford. The mansion was for several centuries the seat of the ancient family of the Walwyns, who derived their name from Gwallain or Wallwain Castle in Pembroke shire. Sir Peter Gwallain was engaged in the conquest of Brecknockshire, with the army of William Rufus. The grounds display some fine timber, and the scenery is pleasant.

CHAS. HALL CROUCH.

BOYER FAMILY (12 S. v. 294).-J. H. R. appears to be mistaken in stating that the son of Peter Boyer of St. Giles and father of the Rev. James Boyer (Upper Master of Christ's Hospital in Lamb's time, and my great-grandfather) was named Abraham. That he bore the same name as his fatherPeter is shown by the extracts from the Minute Book of the Cooper's Company, which I give below :

May 3, 1715-Peter Boyer, son of Peter Boyer, a Frenchman, naturalized, of St. Giles-in-theFields in the County of Middlesex, distiller, apprenticed to Rich Parker, a cooper.

June 5, 1722.-Peter Bover, upon Testimony of Rich Parker, admitted a Freeman by servitude.Lawrence Pountney Lane.

April 23, 1782.-James Boyer, upon a view of his Father's copy is admitted a Freeman by Patrimony.-Christ's Hospital Clerk.

At the same time he paid £8 68. 8d., being quarterage at 3s. 4d. per annum for 50 years from the time his father Peter Boyer was admitted to his freedom to the time of his

These extracts were sent to me by Mr.. Herbert Boyer-Brown of Ongar, Essex, who tells me that they are copied from a letter written by Mr. James Boyer (the clerk to Rev. James Boyer) to his brother Francis the Cooper's Company and son of the in March, 1842. Mr. Boyer-Brown adds that although, in view of the fact that both migrated from France to London, it seems not unlikely that the Abel Boyer (1667– 1729) born at Castres was related to Peter Boyer of St. Giles-in-the-Field, he has been unable to trace a relationship, and that Boyer is, of course, a very common French name. E. G. DISTIN (née BOYER). Holtwhite House, Enfield.

to

Its

As

ELEPHANT AND CASTLE (12 S. vi. 11).Whilst not disposed to criticize the Adam and Eve theory as to the origin of this sign, which your correspondent truly says leaves him "more in the dark than ever "for what mysteries are there which do not emanate from that supreme legend, or are more or less associated with it ?--I venture suggest a more get-at-able explanation. origin is traced in the history of chess. most of your readers must know, the elephant and the castle are pieces in this most ancient of games. The elephant appears in Oriental chess, from whence the game came into Europe; but there was no castle on its back. Its meaning can only be vaguely guessed in the light of Hindu religion and philosophy, which regard this animal as sacred. Instead of the present castle, there was originally a ship. This ship wag associated with the mystery of the Sacred Fire. It was, I venture to say, not unknown to British chess, even at the period of the Caxton press publications, as an old copy of Cesolis, translated under the auspices of this Guild, indicates in one of its plates, which shows a piece with a pole and flag attached to it. It is impossible to make out for certain what the base of this piece is, but it certainly is not a castle; nor do any of the other pieces visible (27 in all) show the shape of a castle. For if one is right as to the piece with mast and flag being a ship, there is no place for a castle. The Hindu name for the ship was roka. called it rukh, i.e., in their tongue, a The Persianschampion. The Arabians, also deceived by a mere sound, called it roc, i.e., in their tongue,, a gigantic bird. The Italians, following suit, called it rocco, i.e., a castle. The French called it roquer. The English called it rook. It has been represented in sets of European chessmen for an uncertain period

Cf. Ancient Mythology,' by Jacob Bryans, Plate VI., vol. i., p. 410.

Now at some early period in European history the game of chess underwent great changes. The move (oblique) of the ship, whose home square on the board was originally in the corner, was transferred to the piece whose home square is next to the king and queen. This piece bore the new name of bishop, among many others, and supplanted the elephant. By a similar process the move of the elephant was transferred to the piece whose home is in the corner. This piece bore the new name of rook, i.e., castle, from the Italian, and supplanted the ship. Does not all this suggest a kind of mystic marriage? May not this be a faint clue to the Adam and Eve legend? Every Londoner knows, I suppose, that the Elephant and Castle is the name of a well-known tavern in Newington Causeway. How many of them know that this sign appears in an old psalter described as belonging to Queen Mary? Cf. a book called Queen Mary's Psalter,' printed for the trustees of the B.M., 1912, Plate 167 (a). The castle on the elephant's back is the round, castellated summit of an ordinary present-day rook. Four or five men are looking over its battlements. Early English chess, in common with other games were, it goes without saying, played by tho who frequented taverns. Is it not ve: likely that one tavern at least would per tuate by name the memory of this revolution in the best of all games? JOHN W. BROWN.

.

THE EARL OF BEACONSFIELD'S BIRTH PLACE (12 S. v. 204, 328).-I strong y support the impression of your recent correspondent with regard to the birthplace of the late Earl of Beaconsfield.

No. 9 Trinity Row has been rebuilt. The present structure originally formed two shops, which, after undergoing structural alteration, became merged in Mr. Rackstraw's drapery establishment, and now form part of Messrs. T. R. Roberts' premises, being numbered 215 Upper Street. The interest attached to the property was not questioned until after the Earl of Beaconsfield's death. I can remember being shown a tree in a garden at the rear which was known as Disraeli's tree.

I was born in 1861. I was often taken to Dr. Jackson's surgery at the corner of Wilson's Yard, where I used to see a Dr. Jeaffreson, who used to be called " young Jeaffreson." This is curious, having regard

Disraeli's birth. I believe the doctor I saw was the son. I am, however, quite clear in saying that it was either a Dr. Jackson, or a Dr. Jeaffreson, who introduced me to the world.

At the time of the Earl of Beaconsfield's death, one of the shops in question_was occupied by a hatter, named Pratt, who draped the place with tokens of mourning, and displayed a notice informing the crowd who gathered before the window that "This was the birthplace of the late Earl of Beaconsfield."

TheDictionary of National Biography' (vol. xli. page 6) says that John Gough Nichols went to a "school kept by a Miss Roper at Islington, where in 1811, Benjamin Disraeli, his senior by eighteen months, was a schoolfellow." A house in Colebrooke Row, which, I believe, is still standing, facing Camden Street, was pointed out to me by my father as that school.

"A LITTLE GARDEN LITTLE JOWETT MADE (12 S. v. 288; vi. 19). - The references to the above which have appeared in your recent issues have prompted me to look in an old newspaper-cutting book I have, wherein I found the following letter, which you may care to print. The date of its appearance in The Times I am unable to give. I may add that the late Dr. C. W. Stubbs, Bishop of Truro, gave me a version of the rmes identical with those in Lord Forester's letter:

THE LATE MASTER OF BALLIOL. To the Editor of The Times. Sir,-Being in a position to make a correction to the letter of "N. B" in The Times of yesterday, headed "The Late Master of Balliol," I venture to ask the insertion of the following:

For several years I was very intimate with the Rev. Percival Mansel, of Meols Brace. Mr. Mansel's father was Master of Trinity College, He was Cambridge. and also Bishop of Bristol. not a little fond of versifying incidents in Cambridge life. His son told me of more than one of them-amongst them was the rhyme-story on Dr. Jowett.

took a small house in Cambridge. In front of his Dr. Jowett discontinued residing in college, and house was a space sufficiently ample for a bed of flowers. He was, as your correspondent remarks,

Will you permit me to say that while "fiver is familiar slang in America, I never heard the expression "monkey " for a $500 bill, and I doubt very much if the word is in use in our country with this meaning. CHARLES E. STRATTON.

70 State Street, Boston, Mass. [MR. JOHN B. WAINEWRIGHT, who also replies, refers readers to 10 S. vii. 469; viii. 293, 395, 477; ix. 37, 417.]

DEAL AS A PLACE OF CALL (12 S. vi. 12).— The old East Indiamen used to call regularly at Deal, it being their custom to anchor in the Downs both when outward and homeward bound, often staying there for a number of days. The ships were taken down the Thames by the East India Company's own pilots, this Corporation having their own pilot-cutter. Passengers going to the East frequently joined their ship in the Downs, and were often well "fleeced" by the Deal boatmen who put them on board. No doubt some of those returning from the East would be glad to land at Deal and coach or post to London, thereby avoiding the delay involved in the passage round to the Thames. See The Old East Indiamen,' by E. K. Chatterton, pp. 154, 219, &c. (T. Werner Laurie, Ltd., London, n.d.).

T. F. D.

Γ Apart from the probability that the holly

sent by LADY RUSSELL (ante, p. 22), "Ivy hath a lybe,' lybe" is probably a misreading of kybe, a chilblain. The front part of a k is often so small and indistinct in MSS. as to be over-looked. J. T. F. AUTHORS OF QUOTATIONS WANTED (12 S. v. 322).— 2. The whole poem will be found in Ward's English Poets,' vol. iii. pp. 579–580. JOHN B. WAINEWRIGHT.

3. A misquotation. The opening lines of Early Rising,' by J. G. Saxe, runs thus:

God bless the man who first invented sleep. C. S. C. This appears to be an imperfect recollection of the opening lines of Canto IV., Doctor Syntax's Tour in search of the picturesque'

:

Bless'd be the man, said he of yore
Who Quixote's lance and target bore!
Bless'd be the man who first taught sleep
Throughout our wearied frames to creep,
And kindly gave to human woes

The oblivious mantle of repose!
For the original of which see Don Quixote,'
E. G. BAYFord.
part II., chap. lxviii.

38 Eldon Street, Barnsley.

The lines occur in a set of humorous verses entitled Early Rising' written by John Godfrey Saxe, an American born in 1816, who died in 1887. Sancho Pauza's words (in Don Quixote,' II., 68) began:

Bien haya el que inventó el sueño, capa que cubre todos los humanos pensamientos

The saying also took the fancy of Sterne; see Tristram Shandy,' book IV., chap. xv. JOHN B. WAINEWRIGHT.

[DR. HENRY LEFFMANN also thanked for reply.] 4. Your correspondent misquotes Kingsley, who In Arzina caught,

wrote:- Perished with all his crew.

Kingsley misquotes Thomson. The passage occurs in The Seasons,' near the end of Winter.' C. S. C.

Arzina is said to be a harbour near Kegor, where Norwegian Lapland marches with Russian. However, neither place can be found in such maps and gazetteers as I have been able to consult. JOHN B. WAINEWRIGHT. [PROF. G. C. MOORE SMITH also thanked for reply 6. When Milton lost his eyes Poetry lost hers occurs in Guesses at Truth,' by J. C. and A. W.