this difficult word. All my statements are founded on evidence, and I give the references. However, I only write for those who will condescend to look up the references given.

I do not comment on the singular unfairness of suppressing all the evidence that tells in the direction I indicate. I give the Irish, Gaelic, and Welsh forms; but these are left out. Í also quote the Swedish parallel to the German word; but this is carefully kept out of sight. I do not think that many can be found who approve of this style of argument.

I simply confine myself to the one complaint that "neither dictionary nor friend helps me to krausbeere." Now let us see.

similar compounds. I find in the latter," Krusbär, fructus, ribis grossulariæ, gooseberry." Also, "Krusbärs buske, ribes grossularia, gooseberry bush."

I can easily add new illustrations. Thus, the Mod. Dutch word is kruisbes, or kruisbezie, as if from kruis, a cross. But it is really from Du. kroes, frizzled, as the old spelling shows. Hexham's 'Du. Dict.' has " Kroesbesien, gooseberries," and "Kroesen, to curle, or to crispe."

know this.

I now find the word also in E. Friesic. Koolman has, " Krüsebeje, krusbeje (rauhe) Stachelbeere, Grosselbeere, uva crispa grossularia." He says there is a Danish krusbär, but the usual Dan. word is stikkelsbär.

E. Müller's Etymological English Dictionary' refers us, under "Gooseberry," to "nhd. krausbeere, schw. krusbär, ndl. kruisbes, kruisbezie, eine art rauher (krauser) stachelbeeren, it. uva crespa." As E. Müller was a German he ought In my 'Concise Dictionary' (for I must not to have known that "neither dictionary nor refer to the larger one), I say, at p. xi, that "G"friend" can help us to krausbeere. But he did not means "German words as given in Flügel, ed. 1861." One would have thought that this dictionary would have been consulted, as I expressly refer to it. But no; it was easier to attack me; and a reference to it would have spoilt the game. It is the peculiarity of my 'Dictionary' that I always verify all the foreign words, and always give the exact reference to the authority which I consulted. The labour of doing this was enormous; and now that it is done I am accused of not knowing an n from a u. Well, I consult "Flügel, ed. 1861," once more, and I find as follows: "Kraus, adj., crisp, &c.; krausbeere, cranberry, rough gooseberry." There can be no error here of n for u, because krausbeere is given under "Kraus," adjective, and certainly the adjective is not krans (with n). I also find: "Kranbeere, craneberry, red bilberry." But I do not find either kransbeere or kronsbeere, which ST. SWITHIN has "heard of." Will he, in his turn, say where he heard of them? My belief is that he has no authority for either

form.

I now add that Flügel has somewhat altered his definition in a later edition; but I could not tell this at the time, as I had not a later edition by me. However, I have received a nice new copy of the edition of 1883 from Herr Flügel himself, as a token of esteem, and I highly value it. These kind indications of approval more than counterbalance this charge of inaccuracy.

This edition has: "Krausbeere, (1) red bilberry, whortleberry; (2) rough gooseberry." Also kranbeere has disappeared, and is replaced by "Kranichbeere, cranberry." I suppose it makes no great difference. I quote G. kranbeere in my 'Concise Dictionary,' s. v. Cranberry"; but ST. SWITHIN never troubled to refer to this. It was easier to write to N. & Q.'

66

I also quote Swed. krusbär in my 'Concise Dictionary,' but this fact is suppressed. I give the reference, at p. xi, to Tauchnitz and Widegren. I now refer again to these. I find in the former, "Krusbär, a gooseberry," amongst ten

Your readers will see that the charge of inaccuracy thus brought against me entirely fails, being purely reckless. Will ST. SWITHIN NOW withdraw it, sans phrase? Let me hope so.

WALTER W. SKEAT.

On Tyneside and, I believe, in Northumberland and Durham generally, groser, or grozer, is the common word for a gooseberry. R. B.

ANIMATED HORSEHAIRS (7th S. ii. 24, 110, 230, 293; iii. 249, 370; iv. 33).

-

"Antigonus, Phegon, Trallianus, Appianus Alexandrinus, aliique historici a mulieribus oriri Viperas; ex hominis quoque capillis serpentes nasci tradiderunt, ex eo consensum probari, quod Antigonus, n. 91, ex spina parvos serpentes nasci his qui ante obitum serpentis cadaver odorati fuerint, unde Archelaus hoc epigramma confecit:

Cuncta in se alterni ævivis longa revolvit,
Et vicibus certis omnia Mundus alit,
Et curvæ spinæ serpens, res mira, medullis

Nascitur, hoc monstrum putre cadaver habet,
Traxerat exanimi vivus serpentis odorem," &c.
'Baldi Angeli Abbatii Med. Physici Eugubini
de Admirabili Vipera Natura,' &c. (Liber),
Hage Comitis, 1660, cap. xi.
Abbatius's preface is dated 1589.

St. Austin's, Warrington.

ROBERT PIERPOINT.

CHARLOTTE BRONTË (7th S. iii. 517; iv. 152).— Allow me to say, with regard to the reply of MR. HARDY at the second reference :-1. Charlotte Brontë was born at Thornton, in Bradford dale. 2. The name of Miss Currer was Frances Mary Richardson Currer. 3. The Currers were a family of note in the Craven district of the West Riding. 4. The estate of the Richardsons was at Bierley, near Bradford. Eshton was the estate of the

He adds that the extract from the Australian paper is "all imaginary."

My friend traces the origin of this strange custom to the Moors, which is, I believe, the general and prevalent opinion. I would, however, if you will allow me the space in your valuable paper, suggest a still earlier date for its origin, and offer my idea for as much as it is worth to those of your correspondents who may have time to enter more fully into the subject, and test the correctness of my surmise.

Tarshish of Scripture being generally admitted to be Spain, we find that as early as the days of King Solomon a Hebrew colony was established there of sufficient importance to require a collector of tribute, whose name is handed down to us as a Prince Adoniram (1 Kings iv. 6), and, to take a long step in time, in 1480 a gravestone was found at Saguntum, near Valencia, with the following inscription in Hebrew characters: "This is the tomb of Adoniram, Legate of King Solomon, who came to collect tribute and died here" (Vilalpandus, His Commentary on Ezekiel,' vol. ii. ch. lviii. p. 544). Taking the above for granted, I feel no difficulty in believing that the dance performed by these boys as a part of a most solemn function is a tradition handed down through the dim ages from the days of King Solomon, until the establishment of Christianity in Spain. Then the Church, which has the reputation (rightly or wrongly) of adapting herself to all men, and all things to her own use, finding this ceremonial remnant of the ancient faith, a memorial of David's solemn dance before the ark of God (2 Samuel vi. 14), at once incorporated it with the most solemn portion of the then modern liturgy, and continued in Christian times a similar performance before the ark of the new covenant as the royal father of Solomon had offered before the ark of the old.

In support of my idea I have no further proof; but the action, time, and circumstances induce me to consider the suggestion I make as a probable or possible explanation. I am not overlooking the disasters which befel the Hebrew colonists and drove them westward, nor the Moorish invasion which so revolutionized the south of Spain, and which to this day shows its effects on the mental and physical condition of the people as plainly as its artistic influence may be read in the gorgeous remains of its architecture left to us in the famous Palace of Grenada. I believe that stretching across the stream of time, perverted by paganism and many casualties, the dance of los Seises may be traced to the ancient Hebrew colony of Tarshish, many of whose members might have been present when David the king performed his act of adoration. My only excuse for asking you to insert this is that it may perhaps elicit further information from some more learned of_your_correspondents. RITA FOX.

NATIONAL ANTHEM: EXTRA VERSE (7th S. iv. 147).-I can remember my father singing this parody one summer evening in 1850, as we were gliding down the Rhine, but his version differed slightly from the Hanover one. It ran :

Send us roast beef in store,
When that's done, send us more,
With key of cellar door-

God save the Queen!"

Whence he obtained it I am quite unable to say.
HERMENTRUDE.

MARGINAL NOTES TO BIBLES (7th S. iv. 110). -These have been a gradual growth, and began soon after the first Bible, printed by Guttenberg about 1455 (wrongly and foolishly called by some the "Mazarine Bible"). There are marginal references in Bernard Richel's 1474 Bible. Koburger's first edition, 1475, has none, but be introduced them in subsequent Bibles. Nicholas Lyra's Bible (1478?), I believe to be the first Bible in any language with notes and comments. As I have no copy of this in my collection, I speak from memory.

The first English Bible, Coverdale's, had a few marginal references; the next, Matthew's, 1537, had more, and is the first English Bible with notes, which in this Bible are a very remarkable feature. Some of them are very long, and many of them very bitter. It and Edmund Beck's, 1549, which is a reprint of it, are the most interesting of the old Bibles; and I look upon my copies of them as some of the gems of ay library. No doubt these notes were the chief cause of Tyndale's martyrdom. After this the putters forth of Bibles appear to have been more cautious for some time. There are numerous marginal references, but not many notes, in the various editions of the Great Bible (1539-66). All the editions of the Bishops' Bible (folio, 1568-1602) have marginal_references and a few short notes. The Genevan Bible, 1560 and onwards, has a lot of marginal references, various readings, and annotations-some editions more and others less-but I think it would be safe to say that the notes, &c., first began to be really important in the Genevan version.

There is a great deal of curious and useful information to be found in many of the headings to chapters, introductions, and notes of the old Bibles. Many of the most lauded of the new readings of the lately revised Bible are simply a going back to the very earliest versions. This is a most interesting study or amusement-the collection of old Bibles.

As a curious illustration of the fluctuation of value, or change in fashion, I have this day received from a London second-hand bookseller a copy of Scott's Commentary,' best edition, 6 vols. 4to., whole bound in purple morocco, as good as new, for sixteen shillings. A few years ago it

would have cost ten guineas, or more. The very
proper but prosy old gentleman's work will be just
the thing for the library of a village in which I am
interested.
R. R.

Boston, Lincolnshire.

seen painted on the signboard of an inn, "The
Case is Altered." Ought not a distinction to be
made between inns having a sign depicting a
subject and those merely having the name of the
subject painted? Gunning, in his 'Reminiscences
of Cambridge,' tells the following amusing anecdote,
on the authority of Bishop Watson of Llandaff,
who always resided in Westmoreland :-

been known as the "Cock,' but the landlord, by way of
"The principal inn at the head of Windermere had
compliment to his distinguished neighbour, substituted
the Bishop' as the new sign. An innkeeper close by,
who had frequently envied mine host of the Cock' for
his good fortune in securing a considerable preponder-
attracted many travellers to his house by putting up the
sign of the Cock.' The landlord with the new sign
was much discomfited by seeing many of his old
customers deposited at his rival's establishment; so, by
way of remedy, he put up in large red letters under the
edition, vol. i. p. 213).
portrait of the bishop, This Is The Old Cock'" (second
JOHN PICKFORD, M.A.
Newbourne Rectory, Woodbridge.

"I'M A DUTCHMAN" (7th S. iv. 25, 158).-Your correspondents are all more or less astray. Whatever may have been the origin of this phrase, it has not as now used any necessary connexion with refusals to grant requests. A reference to the 'Mill on the Floss' will best illustrate its real meaning. "Eh, miss," said Luke (I quote from memory), when Maggie showed him her picture of a Dutchman, "I don't mek no account o' Dutch-ance of visitors, took advantage of the change, and men"; and when the child asks him why, he tells her that his old master, if at any time urged to do anything contrary to his own judgment, would say, "If I do I'm a Dutchman"; "which," adds Luke, was as much as to say as a Dutchman was a fool." George Eliot may be trusted in a matter of this sort, and this is precisely the sense in which I have always heard the phrase used. Why Dutchmen should be accounted fools, I cannot say. Perhaps nothing more is meant than that they are outlanders, and, therefore, to the insular mind, contemptible; but I have read that a "Muff" is properly a Dutchman, and that this is the meaning of the term in Marlowe's line

66

THE JUBILEE (7th S. iv. 44).-May I be allowed to protest against the term "personal spite" in this connexion? John of Gaunt was a patron of Geoffrey Chaucer and a favourer of Wycliffe. I also take it that all politicians are at liberty to "make hay while the sun shines," and, when in power, to mark their sense of opposition by proscription. I do not approve; but it is "the way of the world." Chaucer had his own vicissitudes, similarly to William of Wykeham. The latter was Clerk of the Works at Windsor before 1366; the former held the same office in 1389. This is the only point of contact known to me between these eminent persons. The cleric attained the episcopate in 1366, became Chancellor in 1371, and was deprived in 1376, which disability remained in force during the Jubilee of 1377. Possibly John of Gaunt found him a dangerous opponent. It was in 1377 that John de Wycliff was first cited, and it is to be assumed that the socalled queen mother acted under Lancaster's influence when she intervened in his favour. he was condemned in 1381; cited afresh in 1382. Chaucer was deprived in 1386, and dismissed in 1391. John of Gaunt may well have known the facts, if William of Wykebam really intervened against Chaucer and the Lollards. Here we must A. HALL.

The expression "If I do I'm a Dutchman" is familiar in New York. Another form of it is "You do beat the Dutch, and the Dutch beat the devil." Both are supposed to have their origin in a fancied superiority of the English settlers in wit and quickness; and they are, in fact, a good-look for his justification. natured way of making fun of the descendants of Sandwich. the Dutch colonists. BEVERLEY R. BETTS. Jamaica, N.Y.

[See "Dutch," ' N. & Q.,' passim.] INN SIGNS (7th S. iii. 448; iv. 35, 152).—At Coverham, in North Yorkshire, is a village inn having the sign "Lady Bab," depicting rather artistically a racer, probably trained on the adjacent moor at Middleham. At Woodbridge may be

But

SEBASTIAN CABOT (7th S. iv. 68, 155).—I must thank both MR. JONAS and MR. PAYEN-PAYNE for their replies to my query respecting this most extraordinary and eminent man. I have taken in the 'Dictionary of National Biography' from the beginning, so have no need of MR. PAYEN-PAYNE'S kind offer. On referring to the above-mentioned authority I find Mr. C. H. Coote places Cabot's

birth at 1474. This puts it two years later than I had previously, and seven years later than MR. JONAS'S quotation from Lemprière's 'Universal Biography.' MR. JONAS then again mentions 1477 from another authority. All I wanted, and still wish to know, is the true date.

MR. EBSWORTH. It is high time that the voice BYRON (7th S. iii. 527).-Warm thanks to lent vituperation directed against "the genius of of protest was raised in scorn of the trucuByron under the shallow disguise of [pretended] criticism." May I ask, Does the Byron Memorial Committee still exist? I never heard of that body's dissolution. If existing it might be well steps to be taken to commemorate the centenary for the members to come together to consider the of the great poet's birth, January 22, 1888. G. JULIAN HARNEY.

THE CLARKE FAMILY AND THE DUC FELTRE (5th S. xii. 67, 97, 119, 256).-In looking through some back numbers of 'N. & Q'I found the above query had not been fully answered; I therefore send the following information, which may perhaps be worthy of insertion in your columns. The father of Henri Jacques Guillaume Clarke, Duc de Feltre, was Thomas Clarke, a colonel in the French service, who married Louisa, daughter of William Shee (by his wife Landrecies, whom he married in 1738). Thomas Maria Thérèsa, daughter of Peter Preponier, of daughter of Clarke's father,

Clarke, Esq., married the
his wife, who married secondly William Shee of
Hughes, Esq. (he predeceased
Sheepstown).

Shee, colonel of horse, Knight of St. Louis, and
The Duc de Feltre's maternal uncle was Henry