Sept. 30. 1854.] 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



271 



to the detriment of religion." — Letter to the Catholic 

 Clergy of England, by Sir John Throckmorton, Eart., 

 2nd ed. p. 128. 



Afterwards, when speaking of Thomas Fitzher- 

 bert, the same writer says : 



" He was a man of considerable learning, but inferior in 

 abilities to Parsons, who used him as an instrument to 

 carry on his sinister views and crooked politics." — Ibid. 

 p. 174. 



W. Denton. 



(Vol. vili., pp. 364. 605. ; Vol. ix., pp. 45. 402.) 



The explanations of the term "corporal oath," 

 offered by several of your correspondents, differ 

 from each other, and none of them are very con- 

 clusive. Its ancient meaning is, I think, very 

 clearly expressed in the following quotation from 

 a " Translation of a French metrical History of 

 the Deposition of King Richard the Second." 



" . . . . Thus the King spake unto them ; and they all 

 agreed thereto, saying, ' Sire, let the Earl of Northum- 

 berland be sent for, and let him forthwith be made to 

 take the oath, as be hath declared he will, if we will con- 

 sent to all that he hath said.' Then was the Earl with- 

 out farther parley called : and the King said to him, 

 'Northumberland, the Duke hath sent you hither to re- 

 concile us two ; if you will swear upon the body of our 

 Lord, which we will cause to be consecrated, that the 

 whole of the matter related by you is true, that you have 

 no hidden design therein of any kind whatsoever; but 

 that like a notable lord you will surely keep the agree- 

 ment, — we will perform it.' .... Then replied the Earl, 

 'Sire, let the body of our Lord be consecrated; I will 

 swear that there is no deceit in this affair, and that the 

 Duke will observe the whole as you have heard me relate 

 it here.' Each of them devoutly heard mass ; then the 

 Earl, without farther hesitation, made oath on the body 

 of our Lord. Alas ! his blood must have turned, for he 

 well knew the contrary," &c. &c. — Archteologia, vol. xx. 

 p. 140. 



The MS. of this " History," which is of un- 

 doubted authority and great antiquarian value, is 

 in the Lambeth library. It contains illuminations 

 of the most remarkable events ; among these is 

 one (engraved in the Archaologiu) representing 

 the Earl of Northumberland kneeling before an 

 altar, on which is placed a chalice covered with 

 the corporal cloth ; in front of the chalice and upon 

 the corporal cloth, but uncovered, rests a large 

 wafer, the " consecrated body of our Lord," which 

 the Earl touches with his right hand, while he ap- 

 pears to be speaking the words of the oath. 



The series of illuminations, with an account of 

 the "History," may also be found in Strutt's Regal 

 and Ecclesiastical Antiquities. 



Gilbert J. French. 



Bolton. 



Some important points connected with the form 

 of judicial oaths having been under consideration 



in your pages, perhaps the following report of a 

 recent occurrence in a metropolitan court may 

 prove an interesting memorandum. 



" In the Insolvent Debtors' Court, the other day, a wit- 

 ness, on being called, took the Testament in his left band. 

 Mr. Sargood told the witness to take the book in his right 

 hand. Mr. Commissioner Phillips : I never could under- 

 stand why the book was to be taken in the right, and not 

 in the left hand. Mr. Sargood : Because the other is the 

 wrong one — (a laugh). Mr. Commissioner Phillips: 

 Suppose a man is left-handed. I never could understand 

 such ridiculous trifles. Mr. Sargood said it was an es- 

 tablished custom. Mr. Commissioner Phillips : I think 

 it is a ridiculous one. Whj' a glove should be taken off I 

 don't know : I have seen a person ten minutes taking off 

 a glove." — Oxford Chronicle, July 9, 1854. 



The worthy commissioner may be of opinion that 

 the kiss is more essential than the touch. I agree 

 with him that in foro conscientice tliere can be no 

 difference between the right or left, the glove or 

 naked hand. But it may be well to ask, going 

 back to principles and precedents, what is the 

 true theory of the case ? Can the touch of the 

 book with a glove form a corporal oath ? Or can 

 the touch of the naked lips be deemed equivalent 

 to that of the hand uncovered ? 



I cannot resist the impression that the kiss itself 

 is superfluous and absurd. It clearly opens the 

 way to evasion and perjury. All our judges and 

 magistrates can testify to the superstitious rascality 

 which is so constantly shuffling out of the strin- 

 gency of an oath by the ingenious device of kissing 

 the thumb, or the cuff of the coat, in place of the 

 book itself. G. T. D. 



PHOTOGRAPHIC CORRESPONDENCB. 



English Photographs at the Paris Exhibition of 1855 



The Committee of the Photographic Society have issued 

 a notice requesting that all members of the Society, or 

 other persons wishing to send photographs to the Paris 

 Exhibition, will give early notice of the quantity of wall 

 space they will need. 



For this purpose forms of application will be issued, to 

 be filled up by intending exhibitors with a statement of 

 the number of pictures they wish to send, and of the area 

 in square feet that the pictures when framed will cover. 



Due notice will be given of the latest date, and of the 

 place appointed for the reception of pictures. 



No pictures will be received, of which the carriage to 

 the place appointed for their reception in London is not 

 paid. 



It is recommended, — That on the back of each frame 

 should be written the name and address of the sender. 

 That the subject of each picture should be written under- 

 neath it, with the name in full of the photographer. That 

 all pictures be framed in a simple deal bead (either var- 

 nished or gilt), one inch wide and one inch deep, and 

 with margins of uniform sizes, graduated according to the 

 size of the photograph. 



For example : pictures 8 inches by 6 should be mounted 

 with a margin of 2^ inches between the picture and its 

 frame ; pictures of the sizes 9 by 7, up to 15 by 11 inches, 

 by a margin of 3 inches ; and pictures of a larger size 

 with a margin of slightly increased measturement. 



