Page:Notes and Queries - Series 10 - Volume 12.djvu/362

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298


NOTES AND QUERIES. . [io s. xn. OCT. 9, im.


breezes " of the island were a myth (see the diary of his voyage under date 21 Sept., 1823, and Mrs. Heber's ' Journal of a Tour in Ceylon,' under date 31 Aug., 1825), and that people out there said " Ceylon," and not " Ceylon." Hence, no doubt, he resolved to alter the name ; and as Java is an island, has " spicy breezes " (more or less), and has a dissyllabic name with the accent on the first syllable, " Java's " was substituted for " Ceylon's."

As regards the next two lines of the verse, while, as a native of Ceylon, I am ready to admit that " every prospect pleases," I am not prepared to acknowledge the vileness of the inhabitants. DONALD FERGUSON.

FAIR ROSAMOND (10 S. xii. 209). I cannot supply the precise information that MR. RATCLIFFE asks for, but I have an eight- page chapbook (6^ in. by 3f in.) with the title " The Life and Death of Fair Rosamond, Concubine to Henry II. Falkirk, printed for the Booksellers." The only illustration is a crown surmounted by the orb on the front page. The first quatrain in it differs from that given by MR. RATCLIFFE in that 1. 2 ends with a Semicolon instead of a comma, and 1. 3 reads " Besides " instead of Beside. There is no date on my copy. There are 188 lines in the little book, the verses commencing on p. 2. J. WATKINSON.

The Quinta, Herne Bay, Kent.

There was an issue of this history as a 24mo chapbook in 1762, when it was given as " The Unfortunate Concubine ; or, The History of Fair Rosamond, Mistress to Henry II., and Jane Shore, Concubine to Edward IV., Kings of England, shewing how they came to be so, with their Lives, Remarkable Actions, and Unhappy Ends. The whole illustrated with cuts suitable to each subject."

A copy of an almost identical volume is before me, but, as it lacks its title-page, I cannot give a definite date. It has a catalogue of books sold by Bettesun at " The Red Lion " on London Bridge, which would indicate publication before 1725, and perhaps as early at 1680.

ALECK ABRAHAMS.

THE SLOVAKS (10 S. xii. 242). The usual version of the saying quoted by your corre- spondent is : " Millet [the Slovak's favourite dish] is no food, the Slovak is no man." Such " jeering " sayings are to be found everywhere. I have only to remind your correspondent about Taffy the Welshman, and the saying that . the Scot keeps the


Sabbath and everything else he can lay his hands on. By the words " Magyars and other Slavs " your correspondent of course does not mean to imply that the Magyars are Slavs.

As regards Jan Kollar, all his autobio- graphical information has to be handled with great caution. Cf. the foot-notes on pp. 293 et seq. of Dr. Matthias Murko's ' Deutsche Einfliisse auf die Anfange der Bohmischen Romantik ' (Graz, 1897). Murko is a brother Slav. L. L. K.

"THE DOG AND POT" (10 S. xii. 244). A further reference to this ancient sign occurs in the ' Hertfordshire County Records,' recently calendared by Mr. W. J. Hardy, F.S.A., and quoted in The Home Counties Magazine for September (xi. 96). Under date 1593-4 is a " Presentment That the highway between Stapleforde Bridge and Doggesheade in the Pott, in the parish of Anstye, is decayed."

In an illustrated article on the Blackfriars Road specimen which appeared in The Daily Graphic of 13 Sept., 1905, it is also stated that it is referred to in one of Wynkyn de Worde's books entitled ' Cocke Lorrell'3 Bote,' published in 1533 or thereabouts. Cocke Lorrell was the captain of a band of thieves, and by trade a tinker. In the catalogue of the crew of his " bote " (boat) occurs " Annys Angry," who was peculiarly deformed, and " dwelled at ye syne of ye dogge's hede in ye pot," she being by trade a maker of breeches. The writer adds that there are, besides, in existence quaint woodcuts of the sixteenth century, wherein some customs of slovenly housewives are depicted, one of them being a disorderly kitchen,, where a woman is wiping a plate with the tail of a dog, while the dog is himself busy licking out a pot. ALAN STEWART.

"BOSTING" (10 S. xi. 508; xii. 75, 113, 193). Parker, in his * Glossary,' is perfectly correct in asserting that this word is used in connexion with both wood and stone. A wood-carver invariably bosts-in (or boasts-in) in his design (i.e., roughs it out) before beginning to finish his task. I have used the word in that sense, and have heard it so used generally for more than half a century.

HARRY HEMS. New York City.

BURIAL-PLACES OF NOTABLE ENGLISH- WOMEN (10 S. xii. 207, 253). Lady Mary Wortley Montagu was buried in the vaults of Grosvenor Chapel, South Audlev Street, W. R. A. POTTS.