2-4.S. NO 13., MAK. 29. '56.]
NOTES AND QUERIES.
the clergy of his diocese (of Norwich), printed
originally by Malcolm, and which Gilchrist inserts
(from Harl. MS. 750.) in the life prefixed to his
edition of Bishop Corbet's Poems, occurs the fol-
lowing passage :
" I am verily persuaded, were it not for the pulpit and the pews (I do not now mean the altar and the font for the two sacraments, but for the pulpit and the stools as you call them), many churches had .been down that stand. Stately pews are now become tabernacles, with rings and curtains to them. There wants nothing but beds to hear the word of God on ; we have casements, locks and keys, and cushions; I had almost*said bolsters and pillows ; and for these we love the church. T will not guess what is done within them, who sits, stands, or lies asleep, at prayers, communion, &c. ; but this I dare say, they are either to hide some vice, or to proclaim one ; to'hide disorder, or proclaim pride." Poems of Richard Corbet, successively Bishop of Oxford and Norwich, edit. 1807, p. xlvi.
Query, was the Lady Corbet whose creation a viscountess for life is mentioned in " N. & Q." 2 nd S. i. 132. the widow of that Vincent, son of the bishop, to whom were addressed the lines commencing,
" What I shall leave thee none can tell, But all shall say I wish thee well," &c.
T. B. N. J.
Lord Byroiis Verses on Sam. Rogers in Ques- tion and Answer.
" Question.
" Nose and chin would shame a knocker ; 'Wrinkles that would puzzle Cocker; Mouth which marks the envious scorner, With a scorpion in each corner, Turning its quick tail to sting you In the place that most may wring you ; Eyes of lead-like hue, and gummy ; Carcass pick'd out from some mummy ; Bowels (but they were forgotten, Save the liver, and that's rotten) ; Skin all sallow, flesh all sodden Form the devil would frighten God in. Is't a corpse stuck up for show, Galvanised at times to go ? "
These lines form the commencement of a poem on Mr. Rogers, published in Frasers Magazine, No. 37. (January, 1833), and purporting to be from the pen of Lord Byron. The death of Mr. Rogers, the publication of his Table-Talk, and the issue of a new edition of the Works of Lord Byron, afford a favourable opportunity of asking whe- ther the noble author really wrote these bitter verses. The date appended to them is " 1818."
J. M. B.
Tunbridge Wells.
Double Christian Names. Will your readers kindly supply detailed lists of every person who bore more than one Christian name anterior to a given date say 1730 ? Since my attention has been called to it, I am really surprised to find the extreme rarity of the instances prior to that
period. I have looked over many thousands of
names in indexes of wills and other documents,
and the instances are rare beyond my calculations.
1 shall gladly contribute if you approve of the suggestion. Y. S. M.
Dublin.
Longevity. Martin in his Description of the Western Islands of Scotland, p. 373., states that one Tairville lived, in Shetland, to the age of one hundred and eighty. Can this be further au- thenticated ? R. W. HACK.WOOD.
Punning and Pocket-picking. To whom is to be attributed the original use of the saying, that a punster must necessarily be a pickpocket ?
In the Public Advertiser newspaper for January 12, 1779, I find the following :
" Literary Anecdote. The aversion which Dennis bore to a pun is well known. Purcell and Congreve going into a tavern, by chance met Dennis, who went in with them. After a glass or two had passed, Purcell having some private business with Congreve, wanted Dennis out of the room, and knowing no way more effectual than punning, began to pull the bell, and called two or three times; when no one answering, he put his hand under the table, and, looking full at Dennis, said, ' I think this table is like the tavern.' ' How so ? ' replied Dennis. ' Why,' said Purcell, ' because here's never a drawer in it.' The witticism had its intended effect ; for the critic im- mediately started up and left the room, swearing 'that any man who could make such an execrable pun would pick his pocket.' "
Is there any better authority than this for at- tributing the phrase to Dennis ?
ROBERT S. SALMOK. Newcastle-on-Tyne.
Armorial Queries. I would be much obliged to any of your heraldic correspondents who could identify the following coats of arms : Quarterly of 6. 1. Argent, three bulls heads couped, sable
2 and 1. 2. Argent, a cheveron sable inter three ravens, close of the last impaling ermine, three bars nebulee sable. 3. Sable, two bars, dancettees, ermine. 4. Checquy, argent and gules. 5. Sable, a cheveron ermine inter three bulls heads, caloshed argent, impaling argent on a feise engrailed vert, three escalops argent. 6. Gules, a lion rampant or, and a border engrailed of the last. As it is possible that there may be some technical inac- curacies in this description, I may ndd that the arms will be found engraved in Guillim, the 6th edition, large folio, published 1724; where they are stated to be those of Morgan Davies of the Grove, Pembrokeshire, and Coomb and Landebye, Caermarthenshire. FRAKCIS ROBERT DAVIES.
Manner of Designating Foreigners. Is there any civilised country, except our own, in which it is usual to designate foreigners in a different man- ner from natives? A somewhat odd example of the English practice may be found in the last
