July 29. 1854.] 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



8/ 



But where he meant to ruin, pitiful : 

 His promises were, as he then was, mighty ; 

 But his performance, as he is now, nothing. 

 Of his own body he was ill, and gave 

 The clergy ill example. 



Griffith. Noble madam, 



Men's evil manners live in brass ; their virtues 

 We write in water." 



I could have selected passages from other 

 dramas of Shakspeare, Tittis Andronicus, Much 

 Ado about Nothing, and AlVs Well that ends Well, 

 in which he reflects upon the principles of popery ; 

 but I think I have quoted sufficient to convince 

 any unprejudiced mind, that, if ever Shakspeare 

 was a Roman Catholic, he had renounced that 

 religion and become a Protestant. J. M. G. 



Worcester. 



Marrow-hones and Cleavers. — Is anything 

 known of the origin of the custom which obtains 

 occasionally at weddings, viz., the attendance in 

 the evening at the house of the bride of a number 

 of butchers, armed with " marrow-bones and 

 cleavers," on which they " discourse music" (?) 

 until bought off? Hogarth Introduces them in 

 his plate of the " Industrious 'Prentice married to 

 his Master's Daughter." I believe It is considered 

 rather complimentary than otherwise. I have 

 looked through the indices of " N". & Q.," but can 

 find no reference to it in any way. Any inform- 

 ation will much oblige S. John R. 



William de Northie. — Can any of your readers 

 give me any information respecting William de 

 Northie, who is mentioned by WifFen as accom- 

 panying Richard I. in his expedition to the Holy 

 Land. Are his descendants known ? If so, where 

 located, and what arms do they bear ? Mabttn. 



Editor of Holbes' Works. — Can you inform me 

 who was the editor of the folio edition of the 

 Moral and Political Works of Thomas Holbes of 

 Malmesbury, never before collected together, 

 printed at London, 1750? The Latin Life, by 

 Dr. Blackbourne, was translated, and farther il- 

 lustrated by that editor, with historical and cri- 

 tical remarks. The illustrations are valuable. The 

 student of Hobbes must wish to know their author. 

 Your assistance, and that of your correspondents, 

 will oblige. E. T. 



English Bishops' Mitres. — The bishops of the 

 Church of England wore their mitres, unless I am 

 misinformed, at the coronation of George II., but 

 did not at that of George HI. Why was the use 

 of these episcopal insignia discontinued ? Are any 

 of the ancient mitres of our prelates preserved, 

 and where ? And of what materials are they 

 made ? Wm. Fraseb, B.C.L. 



Notaries. — Can any of your Notators furnish 

 me with some notes upon Notaries, more especially 

 quotations from old writers, such as the following : 



" . . . . Besides, I know thou art 

 A pMic notary, and such stand at law 

 For a dozen witnesses : the deed being drawn too 

 By thee, my careful Marrall, and delivered 

 When thou wast present, will make good my title." 

 New Way to Pay Old Debts. 



" So I but 3'our recorder am in this, 

 Or mouth and speaker of the universe, 

 A ministerial notary." — Donne. 



" Go with me to a notary, seal me there your 

 Single bond." — Merchant of Venice. 



" And bad Gyle go gyve gold all aboute, 

 Namelich to notaries than non of 'hem faille." 



Piers Ptouhman's Vision. 



The poll-tax on a notary in the reign of 

 Richard II. was twenty shillings, whilst that on 

 an attorney was only six and eightpence. Query, 

 Was this considered an ad-valorem tax ? 



In Waller's Monumental Brasses are some in- 

 teresting notes, but this is almost the only collec- 

 tion with which I am acquainted. 



When were notarial seals first brought into 

 use ? In the fourteenth century, the English 

 notaries appear to have adopted the plan still 

 followed by their brethren in Spain at this day. 

 In place of the official seal, they drew a very 

 elaborate pen-and-ink device, which was known as 

 the " notary's mark." A Notaet. 



Bloody Thursday. — The Thursday before Easter 

 is called "Bloody Thursday" by some in North- 

 umberland. Is the appellation common ? J. H. B. 



Caynton House, near Shiffnall. — Will any of 

 your readers who may have access to a history of 

 the county of Shropshire, kindly inform me, or 

 put me in the way of learning, when Caynton 

 House, near Shiffiial, in Shropshire, was built, and 

 by whom? Also, into whose possession it has 

 now fallen ? Any other particulars connected 

 with it would also be very acceptable. Is there 

 any good history of the county in which I am 

 likely to find the information I require ? Salop. 



Can a Man speak after he is dead f — 



" I remember to have seen the heart of a man who was 

 embowelled as a traitor, which, being thrown into the 

 fire according to custom, leaped out at first a foot and a 

 half, and then less by degrees for the space, to the best of 

 my remembrance, of seven or eight minutes. Ancient 

 tradition, and worthy of credit it is, of a man who was 

 embowelled in pursuance of that kind of punishment 

 above-mentioned : after his heart was entirely torn out of 

 his body, and in the hand of the executioner, he was heard to 

 say three or four words of prayer." — Vide Lord Bacon's 

 Works, Historia Vita et Mortis, fol. edit., 1740, vol. ii. 

 pp. 178, 179. 



w. w. 



Malta. 



