Oct. 13. 1855.] 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



293 



Hangman's Wages (Vol. xi., pp. 13. 95. 252.). — 

 Thanks for your editorial reply to my Query. Had 

 I consulted my own library, I need not have asked 

 it, as Hone's Works have long been upon my 

 shelves ; but it is not easy to call to mind their 

 multifarious contents. This, however, is not a 

 solitary instance of a man seeking for information 

 which, had he better recollected their contents, 

 his own books would have supplied. In a small 

 Collection of Anecdotes, published anonymously, 

 and printed by Milner & Sowerby of Halifax, I 

 lately found the following : 



" Wages of Jack Ketch. — During the sheriffalty of 

 Sir Richard Phillips, no execution took place in London ; 

 but, on some culprits being ordered to be whipped, Jack 

 Ketch came to the sheriff, and plainly told him he might 

 do it himself. 'What do j^ou mean by such conduct?' 

 exclaimed the sheriff 'Why, to tell your honour the 

 truth,' said Jack, ' you have made my place worth nothing 

 at all. I used to get a few suits of clothes after a sessions ; 

 but for many months I have had no job but whipping, and 

 that puts nothing in a man's pocket.' ' Well, but Mr. 

 Ketch, you are paid your salary of a guinea a week by 

 the under-sheriffs, and this seems sufHcient, as your office 

 is now become almost a sinecure.' ' Why, as to the matter 

 of that,' said Ketch, ' do you see, Sir, I've half a guinea a 

 week to pay my man, and therefore only half a guinea for 

 myself; and if it was'nt for a hanging job now and then 

 in the country, where there's few in my line, I should 

 lately have been quite ruined. I used to get clothes ; and 

 very often some gentleman would tip me a few guineas 

 for civility, before he was turned off. Howsoever, I'll go 

 on so no longer ; so, if your honour won't raise my salary, 

 I mean no offence, but you must perform this whipping 

 yourself.' There was reason in the man's argument ; and, 

 as there seemed no alternative, the sheriff dem.inded his 

 expectation. ' A guinea and a half, your honour ; that is, 

 a guinea for me, and half a guinea for my assistant there ; 

 and without the customary perquisites, I can't fill the 

 office for less ; and no mau knows his duty better. I've 

 tied up many a good fellow in my time, and never had 

 the least complaint.' 'Well, well, Mr. Ketch,' said the 

 sheriff, ' as I hope to be able to continue to deprive you of 

 your favourite perquisites, you shall have the guinea and 

 a half.' ' Then God bless your honour ! ' exclaimed the 

 fellow ; and he and his man began to prepare their whips, 

 in high spirits." 



N"o authority is given for this anecdote, but it 



seems to confirm the statement made by E. F. 



H. Mabtin. 

 Halifax. 



Rosemary (Vol. xii., p. 206.). — Butler's al- 

 lusion undoubtedly is to the twigs of this plant, 

 which Shenstone describes as growing in the 

 schoolmistress's garden. This is quite evident by 

 the whole of that part of the lady's speech to 

 Hudtbras, part ii. canto i. v. 343., to the con- 

 clusion, wherein she cites the examples of Florio 

 and Lord Monson. E. D. 



" Perttirbabantur" Sfc. (Vol. xii., p. 252.). — 

 Your learned correspondent, who produces three 

 original lines,_ for which he calls for a carmen 

 triumphale, might have completed his quatrine 

 gloriously, by simply writing his signature at full 



No. 311.] 



length, as thus : " Chethamensis (Jones,) Biblio- 

 thecarius!" P. E. 



Poetry by an Artist (Vol. xii., p. 235.), — This 

 is the work of John Beugo, an Edindurgh en- 

 graver, better known professionally for the superior 

 style in which he engraved Nasmyth's portrait of 

 Robert Burns, for the earlier editions of the poet's 

 works. J. O. 



Cold Harbour (Vol. xii., p. 254.). — I am of 

 opinion that the right etymology of Cold-harbour 

 is Cul-arbhar, pronounced Col-arvar, i. e. a place 

 of safety for grain. It is probable that the ancient 

 Britons had appointed places all over the country 

 for stowing grain, and it w^ould throw considerable 

 light upon the habits of our ancestors, if some in- 

 dustrious antiquary would carefully search some of 

 the spots of ground which are known as Cold-har- 

 bours. Some time ago, I happened to mention this 

 derivation of Cold-harbour to a gentleman from 

 Arundel, and he said, that on digging on the piece of 

 ground on his estate, which was known as " the 

 Cold-harbour," his men came upon a massive foun- 

 dation composed of blocks of white chalk, and that 

 a well-formed trench had at one time surrounded 

 the Cul-arbhar, which was in the form of a square 

 of considerable dimensions. As we have but few 

 remains of the Britons, I think that this matter is 

 well worth an investigation, and I hope that some 

 of your antiquarian friends will take up the hint 

 here given. Eras. Crossley. 



Tusser's Will (Vol. xii., pp. 119. 193.). — Mr. 

 Ventbis observes that the variations in the copy 

 I transmitted to you are unimportant. I beg to 

 say that it agrees in every word with that of Mr. 

 Clark. It is true that Tusser's signature is af- 

 fixed to the latter, no less than ten times, in 

 different places. 



I could scarcely believe that you would deem it 

 requisite to reprint all these signatures in one and 

 the same document. That was the only reason 

 that I refrained from transcribing them. It is to 

 be wished that Mr. Clark bad stated the authority 

 from which it was derived at the time he published 

 it. In that case, Mb. Vbntbis would have ob- 

 tained full credit for its discovery. In the absence 

 of any information on the subject, it has usually 

 been attributed to Mr. Clark. G. Blencowe. 



Popular Airs (Vol. xii., p. 183.). — The matter 

 of popular music of the day is a very interesting 

 one, as it marks the tone and taste of the period ; 

 unhappily, it would seem by those in vogue now, 

 at a low ebb, with the one exception of " Partant 

 pour la Syrie." Your correspondent omits from 

 his list those favourites once hackneyed enough, 

 " Green Hills of Tyrol," from Rossini's Guillaume 

 Tell; "The Sea," by Proctor and Neukomm ; 

 " Jenny Jones ; " " The Swiss Boy," by Moschelea ; 



