464 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



[No. 211. 



Angloise." A postscript, dated "Decembre 20-24," 

 says that the king of England, for certain stated 

 reasons, has persuaded tlie chevalier to remain a 

 day longer ; and, fartlier, " II laisse ici quelques 

 autrcs dettes, qu'il pretend venir recueillir quand 

 il se declarera siJr le sujet de Miile Hamilton, 

 qui est si erabrouillu que les plus clairvoyans n'y 

 voyent gouttc." The third, dated " Mai 19-24, 

 1664," is also to the King of France, and speaks of 

 the Chevalier's wife, "madame sa ferarae." The 

 next letter is addressed to M. de Lionne, and 

 dated "Aout 29, Septembre 8, 1664." It con- 

 tains this important intelligence : " Madam la 

 Comtesse de Grammont accoucha hier au soir d'un 

 fils beau comme la mere, et galant comme le pere." 

 The last letter, dated " Octobre 24, Novembre 3, 

 1664," and addressed to the same M. de Lionne, 

 commences as follows : " Le Comte de Grammont 

 est parti aujourd'hui avec sa femme." 



These several letters, all important to the anno- 

 tator of Grammont, give the precise dates of the 

 chevalier's first visit to the Court of Charles IL, and 

 of his departure, and settle the date of his mar- 

 riage within a fe\7 days. This event must have 

 taken place in December, 1663. Mrs. Jameson 

 and Mr. Cunningham place it in 1668. 



On another occasion I will return to this sub- 

 ject. G. Steinmah Steinman. 



CHANGE OF MEANING IN PHOVEBBIAL EXPRES- 

 SIONS. 



I entirely agree with G. K. (Vol. viii., p. 269.) 

 respecting the original sense of " Patting a spoke 

 in one's wheel." It surely meant to aid him in 

 constructing tlie wheel, say of his fortune. As the 

 true sense of this expression seems to have been 

 retained in America when lost in its birthplace, 

 £0 Ireland has retained that of another whicli has 

 changed its sense here. By " finding a mare's 

 nest" is, I believe, meant, fancying you have 

 made a great discovery when in fact you have 

 found nothing. I certainly remember the late 

 Earl Grey using it iu that sense in his place in 

 parliament. But how does this accord with the 

 following place in Beaumont and Fletcher ? 



" Why dost thou laugh ? 

 "What mare's nest hast thcu found ? " 



Bonduca, Act V, Sc. 2. 

 on which, rather to my surprise, Mr. Dyce has 

 no note. Now in Ireland, when a person is seen 

 laughing immoderately without any apparent 

 cause, it is usual to say, "O, he has found a mare's 

 nest, and he's laughing at the eggs." This per- 

 fectly agrees witli the above passnge from Bonduca, 

 and is doubtless the original sense and original 

 foVm of the adage. 



There is another of these pi'overbial expressions 

 which, I think, has also lost its pristine sense. By 



" Tread on a worm and it will turn " is usually 

 meant that the very meekest and most helpless 

 persons will, when harshly used, turn on their per- 

 secutors. But the poor worm does, and can do,, 

 no such thing. I therefore think that the adage 

 arose at the time when worm was inclusive of the 

 snake and viper, and that what was meant was, 

 that as those that had the power to avenge them- 

 selves when injui-ed would use it, so people should 

 be cautious how they provoked them. I am con- 

 firmed in this view by the following passage in the 

 Wallenste ill's Tod of Schiller, Act 11. Sc. 6. : 



" Doch einen Stachel gab Natur dem Wurm, 

 Dem Willkiir iibermiithig spiekmd tritt." 



Tuos. Keigiitlet. 



EXTBACTS mOM COLCIIESTEB COBPOBATION 

 RECORDS. 



I inclose you some rather curious extracts 

 from the corporation books of Colchester, which I 

 made a few years since, during an investigation of 

 some of the charities of that ancient borough. 



Jas. Whishaw. 



" The informacon of Richard Glascock of Horden-of- 



the-Hill, in the County of Essex, Cordwayiier, aged 



twenty-four yceres or thereabouts, taken upon oath 



the 5"' of June, 1651, before Jno. Furlie, Gent., 



Mayor of the Towne of Colchester. 



" The Informant saieth, that upon the Lord's daie, 



the fower and twentieth daie of May last, that one W"" 



Beard of Ilorden abovesaid, did cut olT the taile of the 



catt of Thomas Eurgis of Fanics Pisl)e, and Margaret, 



the wife of the s"* Tlio' Burgls, after the catt's taile was 



cutt off, came home, and seeing that her catt's taile had 



bin cutt off she enquired who had done it, and being 



told that the s<' W" Beard had done it, she s'' she 



would be even w'^ him before he went out of towne. 



" Richard Glascock." 



" Tiie informacon of 11^ Potter, aged twenty yeeres or 

 thereabouts, of Hordon aboves:iid, Lynnen Weaver,, 

 taken upon oath the day and yecre abovesaid. 

 " This informant saieth, that y" s'^ fower and twentieth 

 daie of May the taile of the catt of the s'' Thomas Bur- 

 gis being cutt off by the s'' W'" Beard, and y° s* Mar- 

 garet th.e wife of llie s* Tho' Burgis liaveing bin told 

 that the s^ W™ Beard had done it, slie p'sentlie told 

 the s'J Beard .she would be even with him before he 

 went out of towne, and flewe in his face, and said she 

 would give liim something before lie went out of her 

 bowse. And this informant saieing, Good woman, I 

 hope you will give him noe poyson, and she replyed, 

 he would not be soe foolish as to take any thinge of 

 her, but she would be even w"' him before he went out 

 of towne, " Henrv Potter." 



" The informacon of R"' Spencer, aged thirtie yeeres or 

 thereabouts, Servant to Capt" Thomas Caldwell, taken 

 upon oath tlie day and yeere aforesaid. 

 " This informant saieth, that the before-named W" 



Beard being very sicke and in a strange distemper, and 



