Oct. 2. 1852.] 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



311 



THE PASSAME SABES GALTAHD. 



I bave lately found in A True and Exact His- 

 tory of the Island of Ba7-hadoes, by Richard Ligon, 

 Gent. : London, 1673, a passage that may serve 

 as a note on a stage direction in the 2d part of 

 King Henry IV. 



Ligon was passenger on board the good ship 

 Achilles, " a vessel of 350 tunns, the master, 

 Iliomas Crowder of London" which sailed from 

 the Downs on the 16th June, 1647, and touched 

 at St. Jago, " one of the isles of Cape Verd, and 

 now revolted from the King of Spai?i to the Por- 

 tugal" to trade for negroes, horse?, and cattle, 

 which were to be sold at " the Barbadoes." While 

 their vessel was in harbour, Ligon, and some of 

 his fellow-passengers, went on shore and dined 

 with the Padre Vagado, governor of the island. 

 The extract that follows gives an account of the 

 manner in which this "Portugal" entertained his 

 guests during the repast. 



Bernardo Mendes de Sousa, who assisted the 

 Padre in doing the honours of his house, was the 

 supercargo on board the Achilles, who would wil- 

 lingly have made a prize of his charge, if he had 

 been supported by Vagado. I hope this short 

 setting forth of date, place, circumstances, and 

 names may not be considered an unnecessary pre- 

 face : 



" Dinner being near lialf done [the Padre, Bernardo, 

 and the other black attendants, waiting on us], in 

 comes an old fellow whose complexion was raised out 

 of the red Sack, for near that Colour it was ; his head 

 and beard milk-white; his Countenance bold and cheer- 

 ful : a Lute in his hand, and play'd us for a Novelty, 

 ' The Passame saves galiard,' a tune in great esteem in 

 Harry the fourths dayes ; for when Sir John Falstnff 

 makes his Amours to Mistress Doll Tearsheet, Sneahe, 

 and his Company, the admired fiddlers of that age, 

 playes this Tune, which put a thought into my head ; 

 that if Time and Tune be the Composits of Music, 

 what a long time this Tune had in sayling from Eng- 

 land to this place. But we being sufficiently satisfied 

 with this kind of Harmony, desired a song ; which he 

 performed in as Antique a manner ; both savouring 

 much of Antiquity ; no Graces, Double Relishes, 

 Trillos, Gropos, or Piano forte's, but plain as a pack- 

 staff; his L'.ite too, was but oF ten strings, and that 

 was in fashion in King David's dayes ; so that the 

 rarity of this Antique piece pleas'd me beyond mea- 

 sure." — P. 12. 



[Query for the logicians : Was the thought that 

 entered into our author's head a good hypothetical 

 argument ?] 



All that remains for me now to do, is to point 

 out the stage direction to which I have alluded : 



" 1st Draw. Why then, cover, and set them down : 

 And see if thou can'st find out Sneak's noise ; Mistress 

 Tear-sheet would fain hear some musick, &c. 



2nd Draw. I'll see if I can find out Sneak. 



Enter Musick. 



Page. Tlie musick is come, Sir. 



FaL Let them play ; — Play, Sirs. — Sit on my knee, 

 Doll 1" &c. 



King Henry IV., Part IL Act II. Sc. 4. 



and to refer the reader to the Spectator., Ko. XI., 

 if he wishes to renew his acquaintance with an 

 affecting tale, founded on facts recorded in an 

 episode in that curious and interesting book, A 

 True and Exact History of the Islicnd of Barhadoes, 



P. S. — Is the tune of the Galiard known ? 



C. FOKBES. 

 Temple. 



FOLK LOEE IN HULI^ 



Washing in the same Water. — If two persons 

 wash in the same tub together, they will be sure 

 to " fall out " before they go to bed. 



An itching Palm. — That if the palm of your 

 hand itches, you will be sure to get some money 

 either given or paid you, soon. Brutus said his 

 friend had an itching palm, that is, he loved 

 money. 



Odd Numbers. — They are lucky, except the 

 number 13, which is the most unlucky of numbers. 



Tide Time. — A common belief is, that most 

 deaths take place at tide time, or turn of the tide. 



That children who cannot retain their water 

 may be cured by eating three roasted mice. The 

 same dish is also a cure for the hooping-cough. I 

 have known them given several times for both 

 complaints, and by respectable people. 



Ear-burning. — If your right ear burns, some 

 person is speaking well of you ; but if your left ear 

 burns, they are slandering you. 



To discover the Body of a drowned Person 



I have twice seen the following means used to re- 

 cover the body of a drowned person. A penny 

 roll, with a quantity of quicksilver in a hole in the 

 centre, was allowed to float on the water, in the 

 firm belief that it would stand still over the place 

 where the body lay. In neither case did it suc- 

 ceed. 



Cuclioo Penny. — If when you hear this bird 

 you turn a penny over in your pocket, you will 

 never be without one until you hear him again. 



Crickets. — It is unlucky to kill a cricket. 



Beetles. — If you kill a beetle it is sure to rain. 



Spider. — There is a small black spider that 

 often gets on our clothes or hats ; this is called a 

 " money spider," and if you kill it you will be 

 sure to suffer for it by a lack of the needful. 



Marriage. — Be sure when you go to get mar- 

 ried that you don't go in at one door and out at 

 another, or you wiU always be unlucky. 



