Jan. 31. 1852.] 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



107 



back than Isidorus the younger, at the end of the 

 sixth century ; who perhaps was the first who gave 

 to era the meaning of a cursus of years : before his 

 * time, as well as afterwards, it is certain that era 

 was a synonyme of annus. 



In recording dates, the Spanish account made 

 no use of annus either expressed or understood — 

 era was an independent word, having numerals 

 in concord with itself: thus It was prima era, 

 secunda era, tertia era, &c. Spelman therefore 

 had sufficient reason to contend that the origin 

 of cj-a might be Gothic and not Roman, and that 

 it is but a variation of our own word i/ear. He 

 says that Isidorns, when dating from the Roman 

 epoch, used the Roman word, but that when dating 

 from the Gothic epoch, he conformed to the idiom 

 of the Goths, "apud quos," he adds, "eram annum 

 significasse ex eo liqueat, quod prisci Saxones 

 (quibus magna Gothis sermonis affinitas) annum 

 'seap' dicebant — Anglihodie 'year' — Belgi 'iaer.'" 



The absence of the diphthong in era is attributed 

 by Facciolatus to the barbarism of the age ; but 

 it is at least equally probable that the diphthong 

 never did really belong to era, but that its claim to 

 it originated in the fanciful derivation from aes, as 

 imagined by Isidorus — or rather from es, as he 

 would spell it, the real corruption being in the 

 latter word : thus, when the diphthong was restored 

 to a;s, it would, as a matter of course, be also ap- 

 plied to its supposed affinitive. 



The Spaniards, who have the best right to the 

 word, have never adopted the diphthong. With 

 them it is still era, and Scaliger asserts that there 

 is not in all Spain a single inscription in which the 

 diphthong is recognised. Alluding to Sopulveda, 

 he says, — 



" Mirum mihi visum hominem doctissimum ac pne- 

 terea Hispanum, cum tot monimenta extent in Hispania 

 in quibus hujus rei memoria sculpta est, ne unum 

 vidisse — In illis, ut diximus, nunquam sera, semper era, 

 scriptum est." 



The practical institution of the Spanish, or era 

 account, was probably, like the Dionysian, long 

 subsequent to its nominal commencement; so that 

 an enquiry Into its earliest known record would 

 possess the additional Interest of determining 

 whether such were the case or not. 



Censorlnus, in his comparative enumeration of 

 the various accounts of years — the Julian — the 

 Augustan — the Olympiad — and the Palilian, 

 makes no mention of the Era, which he would 

 scarcely have omitted, had it been then In exist- 

 ence and of imperial institution. Between his 

 time, therefore, which was towards the middle of 

 the third century, and that of Isidorus, the practice 

 of computation by eras most probably arose. 



As for Its institution by Caesar Augustus, which 

 rests on the authority of Isidorus ; that suggestion, 

 even If free from anachronism, had probably no 

 better foundation than an accidental similitude In 



sound, and a wish to compliment the bishop of 

 C-a:sARAUGUSTA, to whom the epistle containing it 

 was addressed by him of Hispalis. The latter ap- 

 pears to have dealt largely In conjecture in framing 

 his Origines — as, for example, in hora, — 



" Hora enlra finis est temporis sic et orae sunt fines 

 maris, fluminorum, et vestimentorura " — 

 an analogy which reminds one of the cockney 

 — hedge from edge, because it edges the field. 



With respect to the initial-letter method of de- 

 rivation, of which. In the case of era, there are 

 three or four different versions, something has 

 been already said upon that subject, with reference 

 to the alleged derivation of N. E. W. S. in the 

 first volume of " N. & Q." Scaliger called such 

 suggestions puerile and ridiculous, and doubtless 

 they are little better ; his castigatlon of Sepul- 

 veda's version was so complete that it may well 

 serve for Its modern imitations. 



The original meaning of era has been, like our 

 own word day, expanded Into a period of Indefinite 

 duration ; In that sense it is particularly useful as 

 a general denomination for a running account of 

 years. It is an elegant and convenient expression, 

 and Its service to chronological and historical lan- 

 guage could be III dispensed with — it has, more- 

 over, the prescription of long usage In Its favour. 



But a modern and far more Indefensible attempt 

 has been made In the opposite extreme, to deprive 

 era of all duration, and to restrict its meaning to 

 that of a mere Initial point — such a meaning, 

 already well supplied by the word epoch. Is, In the 

 case of era, opposed alike to reason, analogy, use- 

 fulness, and usage. 



Leeds. A. E. B. 



SIKGING OF SWANS. 



(Vol. II., p. 475.) 



Amongst the Egyptians, the swan was an em- 

 blem of music and musicians : Cygnus with the 

 Latins was a common synonym for poeta, and we 

 sometimes use the expression ourselves ; thus, 

 Shakspeare is called " the swan of Avon." 



This bird was sacred to Apollo, as being endued 

 with DIVINATION, " because, foreseeing his happi- 

 ness in death, he dies with singing and pleasure :" 



" Cygoni non sine causa Apolini dicati sint, quod 

 ab eo divinationem habere videantur, qua providentes 

 quid in morte boni sit, cum cantu et voluptate mori- 

 antur." — Tull. Quast. Tusc. 1. c. 30. 

 " The dying swan, when years her temples pierce, 



In music-strains breathes out her life and verse. 



And, chanting her own dirge, tides on her wat'ry 

 hearse." 



Phineas Fletcher's Purple Island, Canto i. 



Giles rietcHer, in his Temptation and Victory of 

 Christ, speaks of — 



" The immortal swan that did her life deplore." 



