B""* S. YIII., Sept. 24. '59.] 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



251 



was told that on the next examination the rack 

 would be applied to him. The following day in 

 the afternoon, when his dinner was brought to 

 him, he committed suicide with a knife. An in- 

 quest was held ; several persons were examined ; 

 and a A-erdict oi felo-de-se was returned. Can 

 anyone tell me where 1 can find the depositions 

 taken on this occasion ? They are not in the 

 State Paper Office. W. O, W. 



The French Massacres. — , 



"An Historical Collection of the most Memorable Ac- 

 cidents and Tiagicall Massacres of France, under the 

 raignes of Henry 2, Francis 2, Charles 9, Henry 3, Henry 

 4, now living. Conteining all the troubles therein hap- 

 pened, during the said King's times, untill this present 

 Yeare 1598. Wherein we may behold the WonderfuU 

 and straunge alterations of our age. Translated out of 

 French into English. Imprinted at London by Thomas 

 Creede, 1698." 



Who was the author, and who the translator of 

 this book ? What is its value as a history ? Is 

 it well-known, or is it rare? Has it been re- 

 printed ? E. S. J. 



John Nicholls. — It appears from the grant in 

 the Trerogative Court that on the 12th Feb. 1682, 

 the administration of the goods of Robt. Mossom, 

 Bishop of Derry, was granted to John Nicholls, 

 Armig.., the principal debtor. I am anxious to 

 ascertain who this John Nicholls was, and should 

 be obliged to any reader who could give rae the 

 information. J. C. M. Meekins.. 



Lincoln's Inn. 



Lord Lauderdale and Charles II. — Can any of 

 your contributors inform me if a letter from 

 Lauderdale to King Charles II., dated Holyrood, 

 November 16, 1669, and offering Scotch forces to 

 aid the king in arbitrary measures, has been pub- 

 lished ? W. C. 



Robert Chester'' s " Love's Martyr ; or Rosalin's 

 Complaint^' (a translation from the Italian), 4t'o.,-'^ 

 London, 1601, contains, besides poems by Shak- 

 speare, Jonson, Marston, and others, " The True 

 Legend of famous King Arthur." Is there a copy 

 (or reprint) of this rare volume to be seen in any 

 public library in London ? A reply will greatly 

 oblige )8. 



Minor ^utvit^ taitb ^nifuer^. • 



An Almery. — In a recent sketch of Words- 

 worth's house at Rydal Mount, in Once a Week 

 (vol. i. p. 107.), the writer speaks of " an old 

 almery carved over with circles," &c. What is an 

 " almery" ? I think that in the south of Scotland, 

 and in the north of Ireland, the word ambry is 

 applied to a store-chest or a cabinet. In Ceylon, 

 and perhaps in some parts of India formerly held 

 by Portugal, the term for a wardrobe or press is 



almirah, and this appears to be identical with the 

 Portuguese word almarinho. Query. Is there any 

 connexion to be traced between the latter word 

 and the " almery " of Westmoreland ? J. E. T. 



[In reply to our correspondent's first inquiry, we think 

 there can be little doubt that the " almery" of Westmore- 

 land corresponds to the almaria or almarium (for arma- 

 rium) of Med.-Latin, in old Fr. aumaire, armaire, auhnaire, 

 a cupboard, wardrobe, or press (but specially, no doubt, in 

 the first instance, a place for keeping arms). Cf. in Med.- 

 Latin, urmariolus, a little armarium, armariolum, a re- 

 ceptacle for the host; and in Romance, armari='ST. 

 armoirie. 



In Portuguese, almario is a cupboard used whether for 

 cold victuals or for crockery, and almarinho a little cup- 

 board. In Spanish the terms almario and armaria are 

 convertible, and signify a kind of cupboard or press, 

 whether for rarities, clothes, victuals, or earthenware. 



" Into the buttrie hastelie he yeede, 

 And stale into the almerie to feede." 



Heywood's Spider and Flie, 1556. 



As the lapse of years, and the suspension of intercourse, 

 have occasioned a considerable discrepance between the 

 language of Portugal and its dialect spoken in the East, 

 we think it by no means improbable that the East Indian 

 almirah is a corruption of the old Portuguese word alma- 

 rio or almarinho.'\ 



Gog and Magog. — At what period were the 

 great figures called Gog and Magog (now, I be- 

 lieve, to be seen at Guildhall), first put up on 

 Temple Bar ? What legend were they intended 

 to commemorate, and what is their connexion with 

 those names occasionally mentioned in the Old 

 Testament ? Information on these points would 

 perhaps interest many of your readers as well as 



Chronos. 



[In a description of the procession of Queen Elizabeth 

 on the 13th of January, 1558, the day before her corona- 

 tion, the writer says : " From thence her Grace came to 

 Temple-Barre, which was dressed fynelye with the two 

 ymages of Gotmagot the Albione, and Corineus the Bri- 

 tain, two gyantes bigge in stature, furnished accordinglj' ; 

 which held in their handes, even above the gate, a table 

 whering was written, in Latin verses, theffet of all the 

 pageantes which the citie before had erected." (Qaeera 

 Elizabeth's Progresses, i. 22.) The point which has baf- 

 fled our antiquaries is, whether these figures formed a 

 portion of the decorations of Temple Bar, or whether, as 

 is more probable, they were brought from Guildhall for 

 this special occasion of the Queen's visit. Mr. Douce 

 says : " I am inclined to think that some figures of this 

 kind had, long before the reign of Elizabeth, decorated 

 not only the City Guildhall, but other such buildings in 

 different parts of the kingdom, in imitation of a very an- 

 cient custom on the Continent." If the Guildhall statues 

 were the actual figures exhibited in the pageant at 

 Temple Bar, they would be made of pasteboard or 

 wickerwork, and would be frequently carried about 

 on public exhibitions. Puttenham (1589) speaks of 

 Midsummer pageants in London, where, to make the 

 people wonder, are set forth great and uglie gyantes, 

 marching as if they were alive," &c. Bishop Hall, too, 

 compares an angry poet to 



" The crab-tree porter of the Guildhall, 

 While he his frightful Beetle elevates." 



Hatton (iV«w View of London, 1708, p, 607.) leads us to 



