Nov. 12. 1853.] 



NOTES AND QUEEIES. 



469 



Homa, or sacred tree, and the sacred tree of the 

 Hindus ; and the same may yet be found in the 

 British oak. Is there a botanical affinity between 

 these trees ? Are they all oaks ? Was the tree 

 of life, as described in the Bible, an oak ? G. W. 

 Stansted, Montfichet. 



Father Mattheiv's Chickens. — Can any of your 

 correspondents explain wliy grouse in Scot- 

 land are sometimes called " Father Matthew's 

 chickens?" M. R. G. 



Pronunciation of jBihle and Prayer Book proper 

 Wamcs. — I feel sure that many of your clerical 

 correspondents woidd feel much obliged by any 

 assistance that might be forwarded them through 

 the medium of your columns respecting the cor- 

 rect pronunciation of those proper names which 

 occur during divine service : such as Sabaoth, 

 Moriah, Aceldama, Sabacthani, Abednego, and 

 several others of the same class. — The opinions 

 already given in publications are so contradictory, 

 that I have been induced to ask you to insert this 

 Query. W. Sloane Sloan e-E vans. 



Cornworthy Vicarage, Totnes. 



MSS. of Anthony Bave. — I possess a volume 

 of MS. Sermons, Treatises, and Memorandums 

 in the autograph of one Anthony Bave, who 

 appears, from the doctrines broached therein, to 

 have been a moderate Puritan. What is known 

 concerning him ? It is a book I value much from 

 the beauty of the wi'iting and the vigorous style 

 of the discourses. R. C. Wabde. 



Kidderminster. 



Return of Gentry, temp. Hen. VI. — In what 

 collection, or where, can the Return of Gentry of 

 England r2th Ileury VI. be seen or met with ? 



Glaius. 



Taylors '■'■ Holy Living." — In Pickering's edi- 

 tion of this work (London, 1848), some of the 

 quotations are placed in square brackets (e.g. 

 on p. xii.) ; and some of the paragraphs have an 

 asterisk prefixed to them (as on p. 8.). Why ? 



A. A. D. 



Captain Jan Dimmeson. — Can any one give me 

 some information about him ? I find his name on 

 a pane of glass, with the date of 1667, in the 

 vicinity of Windsor. I had not an opportunfty 

 to obtain a copy of some words that were painted 

 on the glass, beneath a fine flowing sea with a 

 ship in full sail upon its bosom. F. M. 



Greek and Roman Fortification. — Where can I 

 obtain an account of Greek and Roman fortifica- 

 tion ? I am surprised to find that Smith's Clas- 

 Mcal Dictionary has no article upon that subject. 



J. II. J. 



The Queen at Chess. — In the old titles of the 

 men at chess, the queen, who does all tlie hard 

 work, was called tlie prime minister, or grand 

 vizier. When did the cliange take place, and who 

 thought of giving all the power to a woman ? 

 Truly in the game " woman is the head of the 

 man," reversing the just order. C. S. W. 



Vida on Chess. — I have had in ray possessioa 

 for more than five years a translation of Vida on 

 Chess. It is in the handwriting of a celebrated 

 poet of the last century ; but whether a mere 

 transcript or a version of his own, is more than 

 I can affirm. Now, I shall feel obliged by any 

 information on the subject, whether positive or 

 negative, and transcribe the exordium with that 

 view. It is not the version which was made by 

 George Jeffreys, and revised by Alexander Pope*: 

 *' Vida's Scaccliis, or Chess." 



" Armies of box that sportively engage. 

 And mimick real battels in their rage, 

 Pleas'd I recount ; how smit with glory's charms, 

 Two mighty monarchs met in adverse arms, 

 Sable and white : assist me to explore. 

 Ye Serian nymphs, what ne'er was sung before." 



Bolton Cornet. 



Thornton Abbey. — Can any of your readers give 

 me some information respecting an old and ruinous 

 building called " Thornton Abbey," situate about 

 ten miles from Grimsby, Lincolnshire, and also 

 about two miles from the river Humber ? 



Victor. 



Grimsby. 



[Tanner states, the house was called Thorneton 

 Curteis, and Torrington. It was founded by William 

 le Gros, Earl of Albemarle, and Lord of Holderness, 

 about the year 1139, for Austin Canons, and was de- 

 dicated to the Virgin Mary. Dugdale says, that when 

 first founded it was a priory, and the monks were in- 

 troduced from the monastery of Kirkham ; but was 

 changed into an abbey by Pope Eugenius III., 

 A.n. 1148. Though Henry VIII. suppressed the 

 Abbey, he reserved the greater part of the lands to 

 endow a colleg?, which he erected in its room, for a 

 dean and prebendaries, to the honour of the Holy 

 and Undivided Trinity. From the remains it must 

 have been a magnificent building. Originally it con- 

 sisted of an extensive quadrangle, surrounded by a 

 deep ditch, with high ramparts, and built in a style 

 adapted for occasional defence. To the east of the 

 gateway are the remains of the abbey church. The 

 chapter-house, part of which is standing, was of an oc- 

 tangular shape, and highly decorated. On the south 

 of the ruins of the church is a building, now occupied 

 as a farm-house, which formerly was the residence of 

 the abbots. It was afterwards the yeat of Edward 



* The only one which I have seen. 



