12 S.X.FKB.I 1,1922.] NOTES AND QUERIES. 117 VICE-ADMIRAL SIR CHRISTOPHER MINGS j affixes to the paragraphs dealing with each {12 S. ix. 461, 513 ; x. 13, 35). In Meadows' event. The most striking passages in the CJowper's ' Canterbury Marriage Licences ' j course of his argument with the Duke of is the following : I Ormonde, who was pressing him to become Thomas Hamon of Acrise, esq., widr, and Mary ! Prime Minister, are as follows : Mennes of Woodnesborough, about 27, whose | ... that the English Nation would sooner submit mother consents at Woodnesborough. Feb. 16 to the Government of Cromwell, than to any [or 26] 1630. other Subject who should be thought to govern This settles the question of a marriage { the King. That England would not bear a connexion between the families of Mennes Favourite, nor any one Man, who should out of SfaTs! t of Sandwich and Mynge of New Romney. GEORGE S. FRY. PRIME MINISTER (12 S. ix. 446). I have read with much interest the note on the earliest use of the title of Prime Minister which appeared at the above reference there said to have been applied to the Duke Again Whereas, if He gave over that Administration [i.e., the Chancellorship] and had Nothing to rely upon for the Support of himself and Family, but an extraordinary Pension out of the Ex- chequer, under no other Title or Pretense but of being First Minister (a title so newly translated of Buckingham in 1667. I have also read the numerous contributions to ' N & Q.' at ! woul previous dates on this subject. out of French into English, that it was not enough understood to be liked, and every man would detest it for that Burden it was attended with) ; the King himself, who was not by Nature immoderately inclined to give, would It appears to have escaped the notice I quickly weary of so chargeable an Officer, and of previous contributors to the store of | be very willing to be freed from the Reproach knowledge on this question that Lord i of being governed by any (the very Suspicion Clarendon actually uses the term Prime w reof _ He _. doth exceedingly abhor) at the Minister when giving an account of the sequence of events affecting his life in 1660, ' The Continuation of the Life of Edward Earl of Clarendon, Lord High Chancellor of England, &c. -Being a Continuation of His History of the Grand Rebellion, from the Restoration to his Banishment in 1667. Written by Himself ' (see pp. 85-92). For the convenience of readers I abstract Price and Charge of the Man, who had been raised by him to that inconvenient Height above other Men. JOHN BERESFORD. 86, Lansdowne Road, Holland Park, W.ll. INSCRIPTIONS ON AN ICON (12 S. x. 33). 1. The letters on the nimbus are evidently those which are usual on the Divine nimbus, 1 viz., O UN (see Jer. x. 6, Apoc. i. 8, &c.), the most important references. In passing i th ' ,, < ter , . . '.. P aiavoni ' fon it should be observed that these follow on being in its Slavonic (H), and the mark over the 12 the breathing, his extraordinary account of the marriage , Qr th breathi and accent perhaps con . of his daughter with the Duke of York, j vent i O nalized. Commenting on the view taken by his contemporaries, that as a result of this 2 The . Ascription at the bottom has marriage his "greatness and power" had !j ;PParently been misread and is not been firmly established, he observes: Y^? 1S .**"> Almighty ? but what I say, to all Men but to himself, who was not &* ** mistaken for it, especially if the the least Degree exalted with it. He knew well Slavonic lettering is not quite clear " The upon how slippery Ground He stood, and how Lord God Almighty " (Apoc. xix. 6). naturally averse the Nation was from approving 3. The "twisting" of the fingers repre- ja exorbitant Power m any Subject. gents the Eaatem a ? ti tude of episcopal bene- Thereupon follows an account of the various diction, corresponding to, but contrasted honours which he managed to evade " He i with the f ami i iar Western attitude, the third refused a considerable offer of Crown fi bei bent over and the thumb Lands He declined being made Knight , tou chin g it or crossed over it (see Smith and the Garter. Hejejusedjo be madean j Cheefcham) 'Dictionary of Christian Anti- quities,' a.v. ' Benedictions,' i. p. 199). F. E. B. These few notes may be of help to MB. PER Y ARMSTRONG. Without close inspec- tion of his icon it is difficult to answer sented." " He was strongly urged to resign his Office of Chancellor." " And to assume the Character of Prime Minister." " Which would be more beneficial to him." " But this He absolutely refused." These are the various marginal headings Lord Clarendon I off-hand his queries as to ( 1 ) the three letters
