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NOTES AND QUERIES. [12 s. vii. SEI*. 25, 1020.
l^heumatism :
A string of corks tied lightly round the leg below the knee. (Wimpstone). Shingles : -
The "oil" exuding from wheat heated on a hot shovel. This cure was used by the old Smith named Bailey at Wimpstone, ome 60 years since. Whitemouth :
A young yellow frog held by the hind legs for the baby to suck, an old and infallible Wimpstone cure. Whooping Cough :
Something recommended by the rider of a skewbald horse, usually buttered ale. (Ilmington).
Three round slices of turnip laid one on the other with coarse brown sugar between. The syrup draining from the pile is given to the patient. (Brailes).
Take bulbs of the "Crow onion" and grate them, place in a sock of flannel, and let the child wear it in its boots.
J. HARVEY BLOOM.
ETYMOLOGY OF " NOISE," "MAKE A
NOISE " To "make an oyez " was a recog-
nized legal expression. It is, of course, well
known that "Oyez " ("Listen"), corrupted
into "Oh Yes," is still in use by town-criers
or bellmen as an introduction to any pro-
clamation that they may have to make.
The following are examples of the legal use of the phrase. "The Stewarde shall make the baylyfe to make an oez " ("Curia Baron'," 1510 ed., Manorial Society's re- print, p. 23). In the directions for keeping the Warden's Court (reign of Elizabeth) on the Western Marches of Scotland (Nichol- son's 'Border Laws,' 1705, p. 174) we find: "'First, the Warden's servant must maike an oyes," after which instructions follow (pp. 176, 178, 179) to "maike an oyes" at various stages of the proceedings. In the English version of ' Kitchin on Courts ' (1663 ed., p. 12), in the instructions for keeping a Leet, we read :
" The Steward shall cause the BaylifH to make '* O Yes " three times, if it be a Leet, for this is
the King's Court In the Court Baron shall
foe but one proclamation ; and in Court Leet {for that it is the King's Court) shall be three proclamations, scilicet, " O Yes " three times shall be made."
In the instructions for keeping a Court Baron (ibid. p. 107) the Steward is told :
" You" shall make one " O Yes," and then call the suitors, and after that another " O Yes " shall be made."
In Middle English the "n " of "an " is
often found adhering to the next word if it
begins with a vowel. Examples are given
in the ' New English Dictionary ' under the
letter "N." In addition to those examples,
I have seen (1543) "a nayreloume " for
"an heirloom." In the same way "an
Oyez " became "a noyez," as is proved by
the following extract from the ' Liverpool
Town Books ' (vol. 1, 1918, pref. p. vii., and
pp. 64-6) under the date Jan. llth, 1555/6 :
" Whiche sayd Sayterdaye . . . .came Nicholas Rygbye, servante to Syr Rychard Molineux .... with many others, to the High Crosse in Lyverpole, and thear made toe [two] noyes, ready to have gyven somons and warnyng for a courte to be holdyn, &c. At whiche noyes hearyng, Mayster Walker, in absence of Mayster Mayre, Raiiffe Sekerston (Alderman), Rauffe Barlowe and Thomas Bolton (Balyffes), beyng present in the marcket, came to the sayd no wyes [sic], demaund- yng and askyng what they had theare to doe to presume to make an ye suche noyes, and they not beyng privie theareof, and soe stopped theyme for cny further procedyng in that behatfe."
It is easy to understand that, by a very natural transition, the expression ' ' make an oyez " or "make a noyez " (corrupted into "make a noise ") would come to be used sarcastically or jestingly of any one who was making a great to-do about anything. At least as early as 1225 the expression was in use in this sense, for the " Ancren Riwle " (Camden Soc. 1853, p. 66) observes that a poor pedlar "maketh more noise " than a rich merchant ; from which passage it would also appear that the transfer of the "n." spoken of above, had taken place already at that date.
The ' New English Dictionary ' recognize? that in two cases newt (properly, an ewt), and nickname (properly, an eke-name), the trick of transferring the* "n " has established itself permanently in the language. Appa- rently noise (properly, an oyez) is a third instance.
The original idea of loud proclamation still survives in the expression "noised abroad." ROBERT GLADSTONE.
"THE CLINK." In the last of the five half -hour lectures on and in the Southwark Cathedral, reported in The Morning Post of the 4th inst., the Lecturer stated that heretics, after their trial in the Lady Chapel, were taken to the "Clink." From whence they were led to Smithfield. As "Clink " is the soldier's word for prison or, perhaps for the barrack-cells, this possible, and probable, origin of their expression may be of interest. G. D. McGnEGOB.
