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MINOR QUERIES

Meaning of Venwell or Venville.—Will you allow me to make the following Query as to the custom of "Venwell" or "Venville"? Risdon, in his Survey of Devon, states it to be a right enjoyed by the tenants of land adjoining to Dartmoor of pasturage and cutting turf within the limits of the forest. He calls it "Fenfield, antiently Fengfield," but makes no allusion to the etymology of the word, or to the origin of the custom. Some of your correspondents can most probably afford information on both these points.

R.E.G.

4. Lidlington Place, Harrington Square.

Erasmus and Farel.—In D'Aubigné's History of the Reformation, ii. 149. (White's Translation), it is said that Erasmus "instead of Farellus would often write Fallicus, thus designating one of the frankest men of his day with the epithets of cheat and deceiver."

But Mr. Dyer, in his late Life of Calvin, spells the word Phallicus, and supposes it to allude to some amorous propensities of the reformer.

Which of these authorities are we to believe?

J.C.R.

Early Culture of the Imagination.—I have somewhere read, possibly in an article of the Quarterly Review, the opinion very strikingly expressed, and attributed to Mr. Lockhart, that children's imaginative faculty ought to be more prominently cultivated than their reason; and, on this ground, the reading of Fairy Tales, The Arabian Nights, &c. was recommended for children. Will any one kindly refer me to this passage? And, as it is wanted for an immediate purpose, an early insertion and reply to this query will oblige me.

ALFRED GATTY.

Sir Thomas Bullen's Drinking Horn.—Does any one know whether the drinking horn which belonged to Sir Thomas Bullen still exists? By the will it was directed to be kept as a heir-loom.

P.

Peter Sterry.—In the title-page and address to the reader of Peter Sterry's Appearance of God to Man in the Gospel, &c., and other his posthumous discourses, 4to. 1710, mention is made of certain miscellaneous tracts, letters, &c., taken from original MSS. left by him, whose publication was made to depend on the success of the above work. Sterry was spoken of by Baxter in complimentary terms, notwithstanding his peculiar sentiments and manner of writing; and in a MS. note on the title-page of Sterry's Discourse of the Freedom of the Will, folio, 1675, he is said to have been "chaplain first to Lord Brooke, afterwards to Oliver Cromwell." If any of your readers can say whether the "miscellaneous tracts," &c., were ever published, and, if not, where the MSS. are likely to be found, with any further information concerning him, which is desired by many persons deeply interested in his history and writings, it will confer a favour on me.

Lord Clarendon notices a work of Sir Harry Vane (who was an associate of Sterry's), entitled Love to God, &c.¹ I should also be glad to know where that work may be found.

J.P.

"Words are Men's Daughters," &c.—

 
"Words are men's daughters, but God's sons are things."
 

Where does this verse occur? Who was the author? Can any parallel passages be adduced?

T.J.

Robert Henryson—Gawyn Douglas.—Complete uniform editions of the poems of these celebrated authors, accompanied with biographical notices and illustrative notes, being a desideratum in Scottish literature, permit me to ask, through the medium of your entertaining and useful "NOTES AND QUERIES," if such publications be in contemplation by any of the various literary societies, or individual member thereof, in this kingdom; and if so, are they likely to appear soon?

T.G.S.

Edinburgh, Dec. 31. 1850.

Darby and Joan.—Can any of your readers refer me to a copy of the ballad of Darby and Joan? There is a tradition in the parish of Helaugh, near Tadcaster, that they were inhabitants of that village, and that the ballad is the composition of some poet who was a constant visitor to the Duke of Wharton, when living in the manor house.

H.

William Chilcot.—As I am about to reprint an excellent little work, entitled, Practical Treatise concerning Evil Thoughts, by William Chilcot, can any of your readers give me any account of his life? The work was originally, I believe, printed in Exeter, 1698, or thereabouts, as I find it in a catalogue of "Books printed for and sold by Philip Bishop, at the Golden Bible over against the Guildhall in Exon, 1702." It was reprinted, "London, 1734," for "Edward Score, over against the Guildhall in Exeter." And again (privately), a few years ago. Of the first edition I have never seen a copy, although I am not aware that it is particularly scarce; of the second, copies are not uncommon.

If any of your readers could communicate any information regarding the author, I should feel much obliged.

RICHARD HOOPER.

University Club, Suffolk Street.

Benj. Wheeler's Theological Lectures.—In the year 1819 was published Vol. i. of the Theological Lectures of Benjamin Wheeler, late Regius Professor of Divinity in Oxford. In the preface, it is said—

"The first of the three volumes, in which the Lectures will be comprised, is offered to the public as an experiment of its disposition towards the completion of the work; the favourable entertainment of which will determine the editor's purpose of sending the two remaining volumes after it with all convenient expedition."

Can any of your readers inform me whether the MSS. of the two unpublished volumes are preserved, and where they are to be found?

W.A.

Sir Alexander Cumming.—A Nova Scotia baronet, living in 1730, of Coulter, called by some, "King of the Cherokees." He married Elizabeth, one of the last coheiresses of the ancient family of Dennis, of Pucclechurch, co. Gloucester. Where may be found any account of his connection with the Cherokees; also any thing of his death or descendants?

S.S.

Cross between a Wolf and Hound.—May I call the attention of such of your correspondents as are versed in natural history, to an account that I have lately received from a gentleman of intelligence, education, and undoubted veracity. I am informed by him that he has lately seen, in the south of France, a she-wolf that had been caught at a very early age, and brought up on very friendly terms with a kennel of hounds. The animal had come to its maturity when my friend observed it and its good understanding with its canine neighbours had never been interrupted. So far from it, indeed, that the she-wolf has had and reared a litter of pups by one of the dogs, and does duty in hunting as well as any dog of the pack. Buffon states that he had found that an experiment continued for a considerable time, to bring about the like result between the like animals, never showed the least appearance of success. The circumstances which he mentions as to the capture and habits of the she-wolf are nearly the same as I have above described, and from the failure of the experiments, Buffon doubted the possibility of any sexual conjunction between these kinds of animals. Some of your correspondents may be able to say how far subsequent observation confirms Buffon's conclusion.

T–N.

Athenæum.

Landwade Church, and Moated Grange.—About five miles from the town of Newmarket, the metropolis of the racing world, and from Eening, a village in the county of Suffolk, there is a secluded hamlet called "Landwade," which contains a "moated grange," and a church to all appearances very ancient.

The church contains several antique tombs, together with curious monumental brasses, nearly all, I believe I may say all, to the memory of the Cotton family; amongst whom, judging from the inscriptions, were crusaders and knights of mighty emprize, and other worthies. There is only one grave and gravestone in the churchyard, and that is to an old domestic servant of the said Cotton family.

Can any of your readers or antiquaries give any information touching the church, the ancient tombs and effigies, the Cotton family, the grange, &c.

When a boy I used to look upon the old house and the quaint little church with a deal of awe.

It is very distressing, but I cannot find any published account of this ancient and remarkable place and its antiquities.

JONATHAN OLDBUCK, JUN.

Dr. Bolton, Archbishop of Cashel.—Any information respecting the family, the arms, or descent of Doctor Theophilus Bolton, Archbishop of Cashel, in the early part of the last century, will oblige.

X.X.

Dec. 31. 1850.

Genealogy of the Talbots.—In some of the printed genealogies of the Talbots, to whose ancestry you have lately made several references, descent is claimed for that noble family from the emperors of the East, through Anne, wife of Henry I., King of France, and daughter of Iaroslaf, or Georges, King of Russia, whose father, the great Vladimir, married Anne, sister of Basilius, Emperor of Byzantium.

Now that excellent authority, L'Art de Vérifier les Dates, gives the date of 988 for the conquest of the Chersonese by Vladimir and his marriage with the emperor's sister, and that of 978 for the birth of Iaroslaf, who must, therefore, be a son of one of the many concubines mentioned in that work as preceding his wife Anne.

Can the rare honour of descent from the Eastern emperors be substantiated by the correspondents who appear to take interest in the pedigree of this house?

I may add, that L'Art de Vérifier les Dates, though seldom incorrect, seems to err when it asserts Enguerherde, wife of the above-named Iaroslaf, to be the daughter of Olaus, or Olaf, "King of Norway, and not of Sweden," as the Heims Kringla of Snorro Sturleson gives a long account of the betrothal of Ingigerd or Enguerherde, daughter of Olaf Ericson, King of Sweden, to St. Olaf, King of Norway, and of her subsequent marriage to Iaroslaf, or Jarislief, King of Russia.

Can you say where the best pedigree of the early kings of Sweden is to be found?

E.H.Y.

Robertson of Muirtown (Vol. ii., p. 253.).—In thanking A.R.X. for his reference to a pedigree of Robertson of Muirtown, I should be glad if he can explain to me the connection with that branch of George Robertson, of St. Anne's, Soho, who lived in the middle of the last century, and married Elizabeth Love, of Ormsby, co. Norfolk. He was uncle, I believe, to Mr. Robertson Barclay (who assumed the last name), of Keavil, co. Fife, and nearly related, though I cannot say in what degree, to William Robertson, of Richmond, whose daughter Isabella married David Dundas, created a baronet by George III., and one of whose granddaughters was married to Sir James Moncreiff, and another to Dr. Sumner, the present Archbishop of Canterbury. This William Robertson, I believe sold the Muirtown property. Is he one of those mentioned in the work to which A.R.X. has referred me? and was he the first cousin to Robertson the historian? Perhaps A.R.X. can also say whether the arms properly borne by the Muirtown branch are those given to them in Burke's Armory, viz. Gu. three crescents interlaced or, between as many wolves' heads erased arg. armed and langued az., all within a bordure of the third, charged with eight mullets of the first. The late Rev. Love Robertson, Prebendary of Hereford (son of the above George Robertson), was accustomed to use: Gu. three wolves' heads erased arg., armed and langued az., which are the arms of the original stock of Strowan. As I am entitled to quarter his coat, I should be glad to know the correct blazonry.

C.R.M.

Booty's Case.—Where can an authentic report be found of "Booty's case," and before what judge was it tried? The writer would also be obliged with an account of the result of the case, and a note of the summing up, as far as it is to be ascertained. The case is said to be well known in the navy.

DEMONOLOGIST.

[We have seen it stated that this case was tried in the Court of King's Bench about the year 1687 or 1688.]

Did St. Paul's Clock ever strike Thirteen.—There is a very popular tradition that a soldier, who was taxed with having fallen asleep at midnight, whilst on guard, managed to escape the severe punishment annexed to so flagrant a dereliction of duty, by positively averring, as evidence of his having been "wide awake," that he had heard the clock of St. Paul's Cathedral strike thirteen at the very time at which he was charged with having indulged in forbidden slumbers. The tradition of course adds, indeed this is its point, that, upon inquiry, it was found that the famous horary monitor of London city had, "for that night only," actually treated those whose ears were open, with the, till then, unheard of phenomenon of "thirteen to the dozen." Can any of your readers state how this story originated, or whether it really has any foundation in fact?

HENRY CAMPKIN.

Jan. 9. 1851.