2nd s. NO 69.. APRIL 25. '57.] NOTES AND QUERIES. 



339 



MUBDEB OP THOMAS THTNNE. 



One of the causes assigned at the time for the 

 murder of Thomas Thynne, Esq., on the 12th of 

 February, 168^, was his having betrayed under a 

 promise of marriage a young lady of good con- 

 nexions, and unblemished character, whose virtue 

 the Duke of Monmouth had previously attempted 

 to overcome, but in vain. Bishop Patrick, whose 

 friend Tenison received the dying man's last 

 confidences, gives the initial letter of her name as 

 Mrs. T. Can the lady's name be supplied from 

 any of the contemporary notices ? L'Estrange, 

 in the Observator, refers to the Protestant Mercury, 

 No. 115. published by Langley Curtis, as giving 

 special details and surmises respecting the crime. 

 Where can a copy of that periodical be seen? 

 The British Museum does not contain one. 



A. Taylob, M.A. 



Minax (huttiti. 



M. de Broglie's Blue Eii&ow. — Montesquieu 

 visited England in October, 1729. He came in 

 company with Lord Chesterfield, who brought 

 him from the Hague in his yacht. Some _" notes 

 upon England," made in consequence of his visit, 

 are printed in the later editions of his works. 

 (See vol. vii. p. 337., edit. 1822.) The last of 

 these notes is as follows : — 



•* Lorsqu'on saisit le coxdon bleu de M. de Broglie, un 

 horame dit: ' Voyez cette nation ; ils ont chasse le Pere, 

 renie le fils, et. confisque le Saint-Esprit.' " 



The reference in the first part of this saying is 

 to the expulsion of James II. (who had died in 

 1701), and to the denial of the rights of the Pre- 

 tender, his son. Qu. What is the meaning of the 

 allusion to the seizure and confiscation of the blue 

 ribbon of the Order of the St. Esprit belonging 

 to M. de Broglie ? L. 



Sir Thomas Coolie. — In looking over a MS. 

 collection of notes of occurrences which had been 

 made some years ago, by a person who was in- 

 clined to record what was remarkable or extra- 

 ordinary, I found the following curious account, 

 which was said to have occurred at Tardebig, 

 on the London road to Bromsgrove, and distant 

 three miles from the latter town. Sir Thomas 

 Cooke, who was founder of Worcester College, 

 Oxford, was buried at Tardebig in 1702, and by 

 his own desire with a gold chain and locket round 

 his neck, and two diamond rings on his fingers — 

 all of which were taken away by his heir-at-law 

 in 1750. The old tower of the church having 

 fallen down in 1774 and destroyed the church, 

 the tomb of Sir Thomas Cooke being opened, the 

 body was found despoiled of the ornaments men- 

 tioned. Can any reader of " N. & Q." state if 

 this were a fact ? and would not such violation of 



a tomb render the perpetrator liable to punish- 

 ment, unless it may have takers place with eccle- 

 siastical sanction ? R. 



True Blue. — I know not how it was at the 

 late general election, but I remember the time 

 when to be " true blue " was the chief recom- 

 mendation of many a candidate for parliament. 

 How came the colour and cardinal virtue to be 

 thus associated? I can discover no reason in 

 nature. Blue skies and blue seas are proverbially 

 deceitful. "Blue devils" and "blue ruin" are 

 both fallacious. The rhyme may have helped to 

 preserve the saying, but did not, I believe, ori- 

 ginate it. The fancy Is an old one, older than the 

 " Covenant true blue." In the " Squiere's Tale " 

 of Chaucer, we read, — 



" And by hire bedde's bed she made a mew, 

 And covered it with velouettes blew, 

 In signe of trouthe that is in woman sene." 



So in his " Court of Love," line 246. : 



« Lo yondir folke (quod she) that knele in blew. 

 They were the colour ay and ever shal, 

 In signe they were and ever wil be true, 

 Withoutin change." 



In a note to the former passage Mr. Tyrwhitt 

 says: 



"As blew was the colour of truth, so green belonged to 

 inconstancy." 



He ofiers no explanation of either notion. F. 



Derivation of ^^ Swinbrook" SfC. — What is the 

 derivation of Swinbrook, Swindale, Swinderhy, 

 Swindon, Swine, Swineshead, Swinfleet, Swinford, 

 Swinhope, Swinstead, and Swinton ? The name of 

 Swinn is common in Lincolnshire. P. R. 



A Child's Caul. — Face to Dapper : — 

 " Yo' were born with a Cawl o' your head." 



The Alchemist, Act I. So. 2. 



It has not only been considered, as Ben Jonson 

 has remarked of Dapper, a most fortunate cir- 

 cumstance to come into the world with a caul on 

 the head, but that great virtues attend upon the 

 possession of such membrane — such as immunity 

 from shipwreck, and other calamities ; and I have 

 frequently seen advertisements in the papers for 

 their sale. Can any reader of " N. & Q." give me 

 the history of this superstition, which must be of 

 very ancient date ? Sigma. 



Rust ofNecton, co. Norfolk.— In Necton Church, 

 CO. Norfolk, is a monumental brass with the fol- 

 lowing inscription : 



« Here lieth Mary Eust, widow, dau. of Robert Good- 

 wyn, Gent., sometime the wife of John Bacon, Gent., and 

 after of Robert Eust ; which Robert Eust died 1550, the 

 said Mary in 1596." 



What is known of the said Robert Rust, his 

 arms or family ? J. Cypbian Rust. 



Norwich. 



