9«. s. vi. OCT. e, 1900.] NOTES AND QUERIES. 261 LONDON, SA TURD A F. OCTOBER 6. 1900. CONTENTS. —No. 145. NOTES:—The Rechabltea, 261 — 'Dictlonsry of National Biography,' 263 —Surnames from Single Letters, 284— Bill: William Bill—Sin-gan-fu-Friday Superstition, 266 —"Lobster" —Proverbs xxx. 15, 16 — "Shimmozzel — Parrot in ' Hudlbras'—" Viva "—Books meant for Soldiers, 266—English Accent r. Etymology. 267. QUERIES :—Davenant's Essays, 267—Reference Sought— Anglo-Dutch Journal—John and Penelope Quest—" Lord- ship "—" Black ivory "=Slaves — Lion as Emblem of St. John — Lancelot Brown — Records of Enlistment - Thos. Wright, M.A., 1685-James II.—Dockwray—Wm. Fairman—Walley Family—" Bissona," 268 — Shakespeare Portrait — Pelling, the Flying Man —'Marsh upon the Gums '—Diary of Second Earl of Clarendon—Victor Hugo —Yeomanry Records—Armorial Grantees—De Bathe and Holsworthy—0. P. Dartlquenave, 269—Guevara —Mytbs of Modern Origin—Otter Hunting : Christening—' Oroo- noko' in French, 270 RRPLIES :-Defoe, 270 —Grave of George Herlot, 272 — Houses without Staircases—Counting Buttons—"Hansel," 273—The Colour Green—Serjeant Hawkins—'The Lost Pleiad '—Installation of a Midwife—Town Gates outside London —Rev. Mr. Aaron, 274 — " Margiowlet "—Treble Christian Names-Virtues and Vices—Sixteenth-Century Terms, 275—Tobacco Tongs —E. Irving's London Resi- dences — References Wanted — I.O.U. — Orientation in Interments, 276—Dr. Hall—A "Paradise," 277—Age of Kntry at Inns of Court—Mellard—" Magerful"—Twyford Tew Tree —Brick dated 1393 —Berners Family, 278 — Truffle-hunting Pigs—Long worth t>. Yelverton, 279. NOTES ON BOOKS :—Allard's ' Julien 1'Apostat' — Sel- wyn's ' Biblical Chronology' — Drummoud's ' Stones Rolled Away.' Notices to Correspondents. gtatn, THE RECHABITES AND THE FORTUNATE ISLANDS. "JONADAB, the son of Rechab, shall not want a man to stand before me for ever," are the emphatic words of Jeremiah. Wolff and Pierotti mention nomadic tribes in the present century who claim to be the descendants of Rechab, but the post-Biblical references* to the sons of Jonadab are so scanty that speculation has been fertile. Where history is silent, or nearly so, legend may be heard. A narrative which links the fate of the Rechabites with the story of the Fortunate Islands is in many respects so curious as to be well worth the attention oi the student of myths. The Syriac text oi this narrative was published last year by Dr. F. Nau, and it is to this J now wish to call attention.*
- In ' The Rechabites and the Rechabim' (London
1897) the present writer has collected various Biblical and non-Biblical references to these Hebrew teetotalers. t ' Les Fib de Jonadab, fils de Rechab, et les lies Fortunees (Histoire de Zozime).' Texte Syriaque de Jacques d'Edesse, public! pour la premiere fois avec une trad net ion francaise d'apres les MSS. de Paris et de Londres, par F. Nau, Docteur es Jacob of Edessa tells us that there was a loly man named Zozimus who lived for forty years in the desert without eating bread or drinking wine or seeing a human being, and who prayed night and day that God would show him the dwelling-place of theRechabites, whom he regarded as having been taken from
- he known world in the time of the prophet
Jeremiah. One day an angel appeared to communicate the longed - for knowledge. Together they journeyed for forty days, when Zozimus, worn out by fatigue, prayed for three days. Then an animal appeared, on which he rode for many days until a mighty sea was reached. On the shore was a great bree, and in the centre of the water a wall of clouds. Zozimus took hold of the branch and was carried by it to where a branch of another tree met it from the wall of cloud, ind thus he reached the land. He now found himself in a beautiful country with many superb trees and delicious fruits. It was a great island, without mountain or hill, but decked with flowers and full of perfumes. He meets a naked man. " Hast thpu come from the world of vanity?" the new arrival asks, and Zozimus answers in the affirmative, but asks the reason of his nudity. " It is thou who art naked, without knowing it," is the reply, "for thy garments are corruptible whilst mine are incorruptible. Look towards heaven." And looking upwards Zozimus sees that the figure of the man is like that of an angel. Zozimus is now taken to the other brethren of this happy island. They think that the end of the world must be near since a human being has penetrated to their abode; but two angels appear and tell them that the end is not yet, ana that Zozimus is to remain with them for seven days and to be instructed in all their history. For this purpose he becomes the guest of a deacon, in whose tent he dwells. The Rechabites fast until the ninth hour, when they dine off the fruit of the trees and drink of sweet streams which cease to flow when the repast is ended. The Rechabites were full of curiosity as to the world of vanity, and Zozimus begged his host to say that he was not there in order that he might have rest from the visitors who flocked to Trim by day and night. The Rechabites are highly indignant at this invitation to falsehood ; but Zozimus makes his peace, and he learns the history of the peopling of this island of the blessed. In the time of Jere- miah the Rechabites adopted their abstinent Sciences Mathernatiques (Paris, Ernest Leroux. 1899, 8vo. pp. 39). There is a lengthy notice of Jacob of Edessa in the ' Bibliotheca Orient&lis' of J. S. Assemanus.
