•J'^d S. VIII., Oct. 1. '59.] 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



277 



second. In a few of the succeeding years there was an 

 increased number of nominations ; but in 1785 the in- 

 terest in the St. Leger appeared to have considerably 

 fallen off, as in that year only five gentlemen subscribed, 

 and four horses went to the starting-post. In 1789, nine 

 animals were entered, six of whom ran, the Duke of 

 Hamilton's colt by Laurel coming in first ; but a charge of 

 jostling having been proved against Mangle (his rider\ 

 the St. Leger was awarded to the second horse (Pewet). 

 The entries at the succeeding anniversaries were 16 and 

 14 respectively ; yet it was not until 1792 (sixteen years 

 after the institution of the race) that the number of sub- 

 scribers exceeded twenty. During the present century, 

 however, and especially within the last twenty years, this 

 important event has gained considerably in interest — for 

 whilst in Don John's year (1838) the goodly number of 

 66 horses were nominated, seven of whom ran, in the 

 following year they were increased to 107, and on that 

 occasion 14 competed, the race ending in a dead heat 

 with Charles the Twelfth and Euclid. Since that time, 

 with the exception of 1850 (when there were 95 subscri- 

 bers, and another dead heat with Voltigeur and Russ- 

 borough), and 1853, there have never been fewer than 

 100 subscribers. For the St. Leger this year there were 

 167 horses nominated, and eleven contested the event. 

 For the sixth year in succession the St. Leger has been 

 carried off by a rank outsider, Gamester starting at 25 to 

 1. In 1854, Knight of St. George started at 25 to 1 ; 

 1855, Saucebox, 40 to 1 ; 1856, Warlock, 12 to 1 ; 1857, 

 Imp^rieuse, 100 to 6 ; and 1858, Sunbeam, at 15 to 1. 

 In most of these j^ears the favourites were backed at 

 either odds on or slight odds against; and never since 

 West Australian's year, in 1853, has a favourite pulled 

 through. John Scott is truly a wonderful man over the 

 Doncaster town mooi% Few persons who saw Gamester 

 beaten bj' Willie Wright, at Newcastle, and subsequently 

 by Voltaire and Napoleon, at York, recognised in Sir 

 Charles Monck's colt the winner of the St. Leger of 1859. 

 Yet such is the fact, and John Scott has safely earned for 

 himself the title of the ' Wizard of the North,' which, 

 considering what wonders he works in animals in short 

 time, he fairly merits." 



Why is Luther represented with a Goose f (2""^ 

 S. viii. 243.) — John Huss is represented with a 

 goose, and Luther with a swan; and the explanation 

 given in Lutheran churches, where the represent- 

 ation occurs, is, that John Huss (whose name in 

 Bohemian signified "goose") used to say, "Though 

 they kill this goose, a swan shall come after me." 



A. P. S. 



Buchanan Pedigree (2"^ S. viii. 148.) — I only 

 know of one family named Dalgleish, or Dalglish, 

 of Glasgow, who trace their descent through a 

 female from Geo. Buchanan. They bear an open 

 book in their arms in token of this descent. 



O. D. Y. 



Hypatia (2"'»^ S. viii. 217.)— I am afraid Mr. 

 Alban Butler either was misled by prepossession 

 in his judicious note, or spoke of Socrates at 

 second-hand. Socrates explicitly says that the 

 murder of Hypatia brought no little disgrace upon 

 Cyril and the Alexandrian church. It may be a 

 matter of opinion whether we are to think of 

 the historian as believing that this disgrace was 

 merited ; but even those who hold that this mention 

 is insufficient to convict, will hardly maintain that 



this " silence " is " sufficient to acquit." As to 

 Orestes, whom any one would suppose from Mr. 

 Butler's note to be another historian, he was the 

 prefect of Alexandria, of whom it is not ex- 

 pressly recorded that he believed Cyril to be 

 guilty; which is a very different thing from the 

 silence of a writer. For that matter, it is not 

 expressly recorded that Cyril denied accession to 

 the murder. There are indications enough that 

 the ages which followed believed Cyril to be 

 chargeable with some sort of complicity. Having 

 had occasion, long ago, to look into all that has 

 come down to us upon this celebrated case, I left 

 off with the impression that Cyril, otherwise 

 known for an impetuous and not over- scrupulous 

 bishop, incited Peter the reader — for it was not 

 merely the act of an " incensed mob," as Mr. 

 Butler says — to set the rabble of Alexandria at 

 the obnoxious lady ; but without intending that 

 they should go quite so far. In short, that Mr. 

 Peter was one of those readers who for inch read 

 ell. I shall be glad if any one can clear Cyril : 

 but it must be done by some better judgment 

 than that which Mr. Butler has shown in this 

 matter. A. De Moegan. 



Abbreviated Names of English Counties and 

 Towns (2"<' S. viii. 219.) —Mr. James Knowles 

 "cannot understand that Me. Nichols has thrown 

 any light upon the abbreviation Sarum:^' after 

 which confession he proceeds to quote an author 

 who suggests that it is not an abbreviation at all, 

 but a name of sacred import, derived from a vici- 

 nity to Druidical remains. I have no wish to 

 combat with Druidical etymologies, which are far 

 above ray range : but I write merely to take note 

 of a third instance in which the contraction y has 

 been misread rum. I find in the Yorkshire Vi- 

 sitation of 1665 these words of frequent occur- 

 rence — in com. Eborum. So that now we have 

 three examples of this abbreviation, as I shall still 

 continue to call it : — 



Eborum for Eboraci, 



Sarum for Sarisburiae, 



Barum for Barnestapuli, 



all of which I still am of opinion originated with 

 the clerks who erroneously elongated the con- 

 tractions Ebor, Sar and Barn, applying to them 

 their familiar acquaintance with the Latin geni- 

 tive plural ; and not from any vernacular or po- 

 pular expression or perversion of the real names, 

 still less from any distinct derivation or etymo- 

 logy. John Gough Nichols. 



Pews (2"^ S. viii. 204.) — The extract from 

 Hasted is an interesting addition to the history 

 of pews, called Le Pewis in 1475. But I would 

 ask whether this expression will not carry the 

 name back to a much earlier date ? — to the time 

 when Norman-French was in general use in all 

 legal forms and names, which continued in use. 



