442 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



[No. 132. 



5. In doing so it comes successively under each 

 line of the inscription. 



6. As it does so, that one line becomes perfectly 

 legible. N. B. 



Minor dSiutriti '^nS^trtS. 



Abraham- Men. — Although I cannot find it in 

 your former volumes, nor in your Index, I think 

 there was an inquiry in one of your past Numbers 

 as to the meaning of the phrase " To sham Abra- 

 ham." 



If there has been any reply, will you be good 

 enough to refer me to it ? as it may explain the 

 passage in Burton's Anatomy of Melancholy, that 

 *' every village almost will yield dummerers Abra- 

 ham-men" &c. (Part I. sec. 2., vol. i. p. 360.) 



W. W. E. T. 



Warwick Square, Belgravia. 



[" To sham Abraham " is a cant expression, having 

 reference to the practices of a class of vagahonds and 

 cheats once common in this country. In Decker's 

 English Villanies there are many curious particulars of 

 the habits of this class of impostors. " She's all Abram," 

 that is, quite naked. "What an Abram 1" an excla- 

 mation for a ragged fellow. " An Abraham-man" was 

 an impostor who personated a poor lunatic called Tom 

 of Bedlam : one of this class is described by Shakspeare 

 in his Lear, Act II. Sc. 3. : 



" The basest and most poorest shape, 

 That every penury, in contempt of man. 

 Brought near to beast." 

 Among sailors, " An Abram" is being imwell, or 

 out of sorts. When Abraham Newland was Cashier 

 or the Bank of England, it was sung — 

 " I have heard people say, 

 That sham Abraham you may, 

 But you must not sham Abraham Newland."] 



Author of " Le Blason des Couleurs." — Can you 

 give me the date of, or any account of the author 

 of a small black-letter French work on heraldry 

 entitled, Le Blason des Couleurs en Armes, &c. 

 The author introduces himself as " Je Sicille 

 Herault a tres puissant roy Alpbose Darragon : de 

 Sicilie : de Vallence de Maillaque : de Corseique 

 et Sardeigne : Conte de Barselonne," &c. ; and at 

 the end of the first part it is said to be " compose 

 par Sicille Herault du roy Alphose daragon." 



H. N. E. 



[See Brunet, Manuel du Libraire, vol. i. p. 279., ed. 

 Bruxelles, 1838, 8vo.] 



Banyan-day. — Can any of your correspondents 

 inform me of the meaning and origin of the term 

 " Banyan-day," which is frequently used by 

 sailors ? W. B. M. 



Dee Side. 



[A marine term for those days in which the sailors 

 have no flesh meat ; and is probably derived from the 

 practice of the Banians, a caste of Hindoos, who en- 

 tirely abstained from all animal food.] 



General Urmston. — Can any of your corre- 

 spondents inform me whether a General Edward 

 Urmston, who married in 1752 Leonora daughter 

 of the first Earl Bathurst, had any children ; or 

 whether he was himself an only son or child : also 

 when he was born, or when he died ? His wife 

 died in 1798 (I believe). E.B. 



[Lieutenant- General Edward Urmston, some time 

 in the 1st regiment of Foot Guards, and afterwards, 

 10th November, 1770, Colonel of the 65th Regiment of 

 Foot. He married in 1752 Leonora Bathurst; died 

 21 st December, 1778, aged 59, and there is an altar 

 tomb to his memory in the churchyard of Harrow, co. 

 Middlesex. She died 1798.] 



Works of Alexander Neville. — Can any of your 

 readers inform me where I can find a collection of 

 the works of Alexander Neville, the poetical 

 writer, born anno 1544, second son of Sir Alex. 

 [Richard] Neville of South Leverton, Notts, by 

 Ann, fourth daughter of Sir Edw. [Walter] Man- 

 tle ; he died anno 1614 ? Any particulars or 

 references concerning him would be acceptable. 

 Was he the Alexander Neville who sate for 

 Christchurch, Hants, 1585, and for Saltash 1601. 



J.K. 



[There is no edition of the collected works of Alex- 

 ander Nevile or Nevyle ; the following will be found 

 in the British Museum under the word Nei-yllus : — 

 1. De Furoribus Norfolciensium, Ketto Duce, 4to., 1575. 

 According to Hearne, there are two editions of this date 

 of 1 575 ; the first, without the passage displeasing to the 

 Welshmen, dedicated only to Abp. Parker; the other, 

 with two dedications, viz. that to Abp. Parker, and a 

 new one to Abp. Grindall. The offensive passage is at 

 p. 132. " Sed enim Kettiani rati," &c., to " Nam praeter 

 quam quod,"&c., p. 133. 2. The same work in Eng- 

 lish, Norfolk Furies and their Foyte, under Kett and their 

 accursed Captaine ; with a Description of the famous 

 Citye of Norwich, by Richard Woods, 4to., 1615, 1623. 

 .3. AcademicB Cantabrigiensis Lachrymce, Tumulo Nobi- 

 lissimi Equitis D. Phitippi Sidneij Sacrata, 4 to., 1587. 

 A biographical notice of Alexander Nevile is given in 

 Chalmers' Biog. Did., which does not mention that be 

 ever had a seat in parliament. He died in 1614, and 

 was buried in Canterbury Cathedral.] 



Lindisfarne. — What is the meaning or origin of 

 the word " Lindisfarne ? " K. N. P. 



[Holy Island was called Lindisfarne from the Lin- 

 dis, a rivulet which empties itself into the sea from the 

 opposite shore : fame, the concluding syllable, is a cor- 

 ruption of the Celtic word fahren, a reoess.] 



Index to the Critical Review. — Was there ever 

 a general index published to the whole or any 

 portion of the Critical Review, which commenced 

 in 1756, and I believe ended in 1816? If so, 

 where can it be obtained. W. J. B. 



[There were five series of the Critical Review be- 

 tween the years 1756 and 1817. No general index has 

 been published.] 



