354 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



[No. 261. 



of these clever but almost forgotten pasquinades, 

 than risk the not telling it at all. C. 



The noted Westons. — Dr. Diamond (Vol. x., 

 p. 286.) claims the above worthies, or uuworthies, 

 as belonging to Winchelsea. We in Lichfield have 

 always considered that they belonged to us. It 

 is most probable that they had no fixed abode, 

 but moved about as circumstances required. It 

 is quite certain that Joseph resided here, and kept 

 up a respectable appearance, and managed his 

 highway matters so cleverly as to avoid detection ; 

 but I believe he was executed for the offence of 

 stealing a game cock, which was considered felony 

 by ail old act of parliament. I have a copy of an 

 etching of them done by the father of a gentleman 

 now living in this city : they are in full length, 

 with pistols in their hands. One is called "George ; 

 the other is Joseph, at Lichfield." And at the 

 bottom is — " The noted Westons, as dressed and 

 armed when taken by Mr. Clark, from an original 

 drawing." About the period of their residence 

 here, there was a large gang of highwaymen, and 

 no doubt they formed part of it. T. G. L. 



If Dr. Diamond will refer to the first index- 

 volume of the Gentleman's Magazine, he will find 

 the reference to the trial and execution of the 

 Westons. If he will then refer to the same year 

 in the Annual Register, he will see some additional 

 particulars. In Watt's Bibliotheca Britunnica, 

 subject Weston, he may also find the title of a 

 book giving an account of their lives. I have 

 made these references, but have not the books at 

 hand. E. M. 



Hastings. 



The Herodians (Vol. x., pp. 9. 135.). — Though 

 there has been a diversity of opinion on the sub- 

 ject of the Herodians, it seems generally under- 

 stood by the best authorities that they were a sect 

 devoted to the Roman government, and conse- 

 quently to Herod the Great, who owed his king- 

 dom to the Roman senate and Augustus. They 

 are believed to have so far flattered Herod, as to 

 think he was the Messias, because they saw that 

 in him the sceptre had been taken away from 

 Juda. Herod greedily caught at this flattery, 

 slaughtered the Holy Innocents, and built the 

 Jews a magnificent temple. These are the 

 opinions respecting the Herodians of St. Jerom, 

 Origen, St.Epiphanius, Tertullian, Theophylactus, 

 Euthymlus, and Baronius. F. C. H. 



Myrtle Bee (Vol. x., p. 136.). — I hope Mr. 

 Brown will pardon me if for the present I still 

 retain my former opinion, that it is some insect. 

 I have not said it must be the " humming-bird 

 hawk- moth," but merely suggested that species, 

 because I have personally known it to be not un- 

 frequently mistaken for a bird. Neither do I un- 



dertake to say that Mr. Hutchinson's animal was 

 a humming-bird hawk-moth and nothing else ; 

 but I believe it to have been so, as his description 

 exactly tallies with that insect, and particularly in 

 its mode of escape, which I have several times 

 seen practised, and which its really minute size 

 enables it easily to accomplish. I have been pro- 

 ceeding all along on the supposition that, if a bird, 

 the myrtle bee is one of very small size, and un- 

 described, at least as British. When Mr. Brown 

 has obtained one of these common animals, I hope 

 he will submit it to some naturalist, and kindly 

 favour us with its scientific name. Should it 

 prove to be a new bird, I am sure that I, in 

 common with the rest of the ornithological world, 

 shall be much interested in the fact, and thank 

 him for its discovery. Wm. Hazel. 



Portsmouth. 



Cornish Words (Vol. x., pp. 178. 300. 318.). 

 — The list is very curious, but how can it be said 

 that all the words are only Cornish ? Many a 

 year hence writers from all parts of England may 

 be referred to Cornwall, if some little protest be 

 not respectfully made. Take the very first word, 

 "Abide;" cannot abide a thing is, not able to 

 suffer or put up with it. Is this a phrase peculiar 

 to Polperro in Cornwall, and "not usual else- 

 where." I cannot abide such a supposition. I 

 set down the words, to which I am perfectly well 

 accustomed, as used here in London in the sense 

 given by Video. 



" Abide, ax for ask, banging, beastly, bettermost, bump- 

 kin, chap, dish (to finish or put down), flopp, fuddled, 

 giggle, gigglet (Shakspeare), glib, grab, gut (Gut of Gib- 

 raltar, for instance), hob, hulk, ingan, jam, joggle (a car- 

 penter's word), kit, clip (not klip, usually), lank, lick, 

 lights, loft, lug (verb), mammy, mawl, mazed, mug, mul- 

 ligrubs." 



Some of these words are excessively common. 

 Is there no place except Polperro in Cornwall 

 where it is usual to use the word lick as " to beat, 

 to conquer one in fight with the fist, to beat 

 him well ? " Is not the phrase borrowed from the 

 schoolboys, who always use it when speaking of 

 a victory with the fists ? I have heard very many 

 times, lately, that we have been licking the Rus- 

 sians ; and, though I never was in Cornwall, I 

 never for a moment imagined that our soldiers 

 had been applying their tongues to Nicholas's 

 dirty infantry. I cannot but suppose that Video 

 has made his collection at one time, and has added 

 the heading at another. M. 



Topographical Etymologies (Vol. x., p. 266.). — 

 A large collection of these could easily be made 

 from topographical works, county histories, &c., 

 from Drayton's Polyolbion and Camden's Bri- 

 tannia downwards, and would be very useful. 



B. H. C. 



