104 



NOTES AND QUEBIES. 



[2nd g. ifo 84., Aug. 8. '57. 



where the Editor may perhaps think a letter so 

 characteristic of the writer is worthy of a place. 



Bbistouensis. 



DERIVATION OF JEKKHT. 



Derivation of " Jerkin." — Our etymologists de- 

 rive jerkin from the Saxon Cyrtelkin. Kirtle is 

 doubtless from Cyrtel. But, not feeling altogether 

 satisfied with the above derivation of jerkin, I 

 venture to propose another, suggested by analogy. 



The dress of a schoolboy is in Portugal often 

 called josezinho, that is, " Little Joseph," or 

 " Little Joey," — the term being facetiously trans- 

 fei*red from the wearer to his coat. 



In like manner we have in our own language 

 yac/ee^=" Little John," or "Little Jacky." So in 

 French we find jaquefte, which is fem. of the un- 

 used form jaquet (dimin. from jaque^, i. e. " Le 

 petit Jacques," "Little James," or "Little 

 Jemmy." 



May not jerkin, in like manner, be " Little 

 Jerry?" In that case, Porson's well-known cate- 

 nai'y derivation, terminating in cucumber, has 

 more in it than meets the eye. 



The termination -kin is diminutive, as in spil- 

 likins. Tiius : spiel (German), a game ; spielchen, 

 a lirtie game ; spillikins. 



With the English jacket and French jaquefte 

 compare the German jackchen. Perhaps one of 

 your correspondents will be able to give us some 

 account of the military term shako, which appears 

 to come originally from the old Spanish xaco, 

 though adopted into our language with an altered 

 meaning. Xaco is a modification oi jaco (short 

 for Jacobus or James, and, like xaco, signifying a 

 jacket) . 



With regard to the old French word jaq^ie, 

 which is still used in the phrase jaque de mailles, 

 it is notorious that the mediasval S. Jacques (of 

 Compostella) was a true knight ; and he may still 

 be seen in Roman Catholic countries occupying 

 many a niche with sword in hand, and armed da 

 capo d piedi. May we not then suppose that to 

 him is due the French phrase jaque de mailles, as 

 well as our own English expression jack-hoots, 

 which properly stands for boots worn as armour ? 

 And may not jaquette still point, as we have sup- 

 posed, t\\Yovig\\ jaquet to "Little James," as well 

 as our English jacket to " Little John," josezinho 

 to " Little Joseph," &n^ jerkin to " Little Jerry ?" 



Thomas Boys. 



TRAKSIT OF VENUS IN 1769 : MOOR AND THOM. 



Impromptu by Professor Moor on the visit of 

 the beautiful Duchess of Hamilton (afterwards 

 Duchess of Argyll and grandmother to the present 



Duke) to view the transit of Venus in 1769, at 

 the University of Glasgow : 



" They tell me "Venus is in the Sun, 

 But I say that's a story — 

 Venus is not in the Sun, 

 She's in the Observatory." 



This memorable incident of the presence of 

 the Duchess is more particularly noticed by the 

 facetious Rev. William Thorn, A.M. minister of 

 Govan, near Glasgow, when satirising Dr. Trail 

 (then Professor of Divinity), under the name of 

 Dr. Tail ( Vindication, Glasgow, 1770, p. xviii.), 

 in the following remarks : 



" I did not know till lately that the Doctor was an 

 astronomer — but the instance I have in view is too 

 memorable to allow me any longer to doubt of it. A cer- 

 tain learned Society (the University Professors), of which 

 the Doctor is a member, had made suitable preparation 

 for observing the late transit of Venus. One great dif- 

 ficulty which these gentlemen foresaw the}' would meet 

 with in the course of their experiments on this subject 

 was, how tliey might know her when they saw her. To 

 aid them in this, they requested her Grace the D — ch — ss 

 of H — m — 1 — t — n, who had been accustomed to look at 

 Venus from her infancy, to be present at the observations. 

 Her Grace accordingly, with great good nature, conde- 

 scended to assist on the occasion ; and as soon as the 

 planet made its appearance she gave notice to the society, 

 as had been agreed upon. The Doctor — who was the 

 observer next to her Grace — did not indeed at first seem 

 to assent to the observation, and even, it must be confessed, 

 denied it pretty peremptorily; but he was in a little time 

 convinced that her Grace was right, and acknowledged 

 his own mistake with a modesty and candour which will 

 do him infinite honour with all ingenious minds and 

 true lovers of astronomy." 



It is now impossible to ascertain whether the 

 Govan laird was afterwards equally frank In ac- 

 knowledging his mistake to Mr. Thorn, as related 

 in a traditional anecdote of the witty divine, as 

 follows. At a forenoon's Sunday worship in the 

 parish church a proprietor on the Saturday night 

 previous had slipped a pack of cards into the skirt 

 pocket of his coat, and had forgot to take them 

 out. He occupied a front pew in the gallery, and 

 rising up at the commencement of the prayer, and 

 drawing out iis pocket handkerchief, the whole 

 pack flew among the people in the area below. 

 Mr. Thorn delayed for a few moments till com- 

 posure was restored, and looking fixedly at him 

 addressed him thus, " Ah man, but your Bible has 

 been ill bun' (bound)." G. N. 



Minav ^atti. 



Lord Stowell. — Allow me to suggest that It might 

 possibly, if not probably, be worth some lawyer's 

 while to edit a volume which should contain 

 selections or choice extracts from the judgments 

 and decisions of that accomplished civilian. Lord 

 Stowell, better known perhaps as Sir ^Vm. Scott, 

 whose reputation stands so high, not only in his 



