306 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



[No. 126. 



Gessenis, banc ultimam editionem, ita emendavit, illus- 

 travit, dimidiaque parte auctiorem fecit, ut Novum 

 Lexicon jure optimo dicatur. 



" Accesseruntsub iinem Dominici Magri, Melitensis, 

 Theologi, Cathedr. Viterb., &c., appendices et correc- 

 tiones: atque in has M. A. Baudrand nots." 



The work is very useful, but of course no longer 

 new. It is in two thin folios, and was printed at 

 Eisenach in mdclxxvii., by John Peter Schmidt. 



O. T. D. 



Gospel Trees (Vol. ii., p. 407. ; Vol. v., p. 157.). 

 — BuRiENSis, in a recent Number, says that he has 

 somewhere read of a tree called the " Gospel 

 Elm." May, in his Guide to Stratford-upon-Avon, 

 published about twenty years since, gives the fol- 

 lowing description of an elm, which is probably 

 the one referred to by your correspondent. After 

 describing the hamlet of liishopton, he writes : 



" In varying our return to Stratford, pursuing thus 

 the path along the Henley road, we pass at the town's 

 entrance the now decaying ' Gospel Tree,' that still 

 indicates the boundary of the borough in this direction, 

 towards the ' Dove house close.' In a perambulation 

 of the boundaries, made hare on the 7th of April, 1591*, 

 this elm — judging from its now decayed and weather- 

 beaten aspect — is the one there noted as seated on the 

 boundary in this direction, whence the line is therein 

 stated as continuing to ' the two elms in Evesham high- 

 way.' Such a perambulation was anciently made 

 yearly, during Rogation week, by the clergy, magi- 

 strates, and burgesses ; not omitting, for evidence' sake, 

 the boys of the grammar school, who then doubtless 

 received, as still is customary, some sensitive reminis- 

 cences of local limitation." — May's Guide to Stratford- 

 vpon-Avon, p. 92. 



The author gives a very plausible reason for the 

 tree's peculiar name, in the ensuing remark : 



" When the bound mark was a tree, as in the present 

 instance, a passage of Scripture was read beneath its 

 branches, a collect was recited, and a psalm was sung. 

 Hence its sacred designation, long retained, but now 

 well nigh forgotten." — Ibid. p. 93. 



South AMiEN SIS. 



Gospel Oaks (Vol. v., p. 209.). — Near the 

 hamlet of Cressage, co. Salop, is a very old oak 

 tree, under which tradition says the first mis- 

 sionaries of the Gospel to this land preached. The 

 name of the hamlet, Cressage, is, I have been told, 

 a contraction of Christ's Oak. 



There is also, near Dudley, a pl.ace called Round 

 Oak ; and on the road between Walsall and Lich- 

 field, near the latter, may still be seen the old 

 Shire Oak. 



At Stanford's Bridge, co. Worcester, is a place 

 called the Apostles' Oak; and in the parish of 

 'Hartlehury, in the same county, is a tree bearing 

 the name of the Mitre Oak. Both these places, 



JBsq. 



Presentment " in the possession of R. Wheler, 



and also a Rock, have contended for the honour 

 of being the scene of the conference of St. Augus- 

 tine and the British bishops, a.d. 603. (Nasli, 

 vol. ii. p. 399.) J. N. B. 



West Bromwich. 



" He that runs may read" (Vol. v., p. 260.). — In 

 Cowper's Tirocinium, v. 80., are these lines : 



" But truth, on which depends our main concern, 

 That 'tis our shame and misery not to learn. 

 Shines by the side of every path we tread 

 With such a lustre, he thai runs may read." 



Louisa Julia Norman, 



Wild Oats (Vol. v., p. 227.). — I think I can 

 give a clue to the Query of Beau Nash respecting 

 the origin of this phrase. In Kent, if a person has 

 been talking at random, it is not uncommon to 

 hear it said, " you are talking havers," or folli/. 

 Now I find in an old dictionary that the word 

 havers means oats ; and therefore I conclude, that 

 the phrase " to sow your wild oats" means nothing 

 more than " to sow folly." Ruby. 



Portrait of Mrs. Percy (Vol. v., p. 227.).— The 

 picture of Mrs. Percy holding in her hand the 

 scroll, mentioned by W. S. G., is still in the house 

 of Ecton. I have made the inquiry from the 

 present Mr. Isted of Ecton's sister-in-law, who 

 lives within three miles of the place. 



L. M. M. R. 



Traditions of a Remote Period — The Cham- 

 berlaine Family (Vol. v., p. 77.). — As an in- 

 stance of the " few links " required to connect 

 the present time with a remote period, I may 

 mention that a grand-aunt of mine who lived far 

 into the year 1843, remembered perfectly her 

 "uncle Chamberlaine," * who was an officer in 

 King James II.'s army, and who fought at Augh- 

 rim and at Limerick, thus connecting in her own 

 person the days of the " Monster Meetings" with 

 those of the Revolution of 1688. She remem- 

 bered many of the old soldier's anecdotes of the 

 stirring times in which he lived, and I now regret 

 having been so careless as not to have taken any 

 Note of them. He was, I believe, the last of his 

 race. I hold his commission, signed by the cele- 

 brated Tyrconnell, and also many old deeds, some 

 of which are prior to the reign of Richard II., and 

 of which he was said to be very careful, though on 

 examination they have proved to be of no value, 

 except as antiques. 



As a descendant I should be much gratified if 

 some of your correspondents could give me any 

 information as to the family of Chamberlaine, 

 when they came into Ireland, and who is now the 

 chief representative of that name ? T. O'G. 



Dublin. 



* Her grand-uncle. 



