568 



KOTES AND QUERIES. 



[No. 215. 



is plain that in the majority of instances the liquor 

 would run away instead of turning sour. Now 

 the line plainly contains a general affirmative pro- 

 position that all liquor whatsoever will be turned 

 sour, unless the vessel be sincerum ; and therefore 

 that version cannot be right which applies only 

 to a few instances. 



" Sincerum cupimus vas incrustare" is well 

 rendered by Gai'gallo (vol. ii. p. 37.) : 



" . . . . Insudiciar bramiamo 

 Anco il vase piu puro ; " 



and by Francis (vol. iii. p. 39.) : 



" And joy th' untainted vessel to begrime." 



The passage is well explained in the note to 

 Baxter's Hor. (p. 310. edit. 1809) : 



" Incrustari vas dicitur cum aliquo vitioso succo 

 illinitur atijue inquinatur." 



And the passage in the 18 th satire pf Lucllius 

 shows that this is an accurate explanation : 

 « . , , . . Regionibus illls 



Incrustatu' calix ruta caulive bibetur." 



A practice, I rather think, prevails in some parts 

 of England of rubbing the inside of a vessel with 

 sweet herbs, in order to flavour cyder or other 

 liquor. 



It appears from the same note : 

 " Fracta vasa et gypsare et pelliculare Veteres consue- 

 vere. Gypsantur et pelHeulantur vasa plena ad aera 

 et sordes excludendas. Sincernm proprie mel sine 

 ceia, vel, quod magis hue pertinct, vas non ceratum : 

 nam a ceratura odorem vel saporem trahit." 



If these passages show the practice of sealing ves- 

 sels with wax, they also show that the Avax was 

 what affected the flavour of the liquor. 



Mk. Jeffcock plainly errs in saying that sim- 

 plex " does not mean without a fold, but once 

 folded." In Latin we have the series simplex, 

 duplex, triplex, &c., corresponding precisely to the 

 English single, double, treble, &e. And as single 

 denotes a thing without a fold, so does simplex. 

 Mr. Jeffcock's derivation would make simplex 

 and duplex mean the same thing. Now duplex 

 does not mean twice folded, but double. 



Nor can I think that singtdus can be " semel 

 and termination." Ainsworth derives it from the 

 Hebrew nSjDj which denotes whatever is pecu- 

 liar or singular. It occurs to me to suggest whe- 

 ther it may not be derived from sine angidis. The 

 term denotes unity — one person, one thing. Now 

 the Roman mark for one is a straight line, and 

 that is " that which lies evenly between its ex- 

 treme points;" it is emphatically a line without 

 bend, angle, or turning — "llnea sine angulus:" 

 angulus, like its Greek original, denoting any bend, 

 whether made by a straight or curved line. 



Though I cannot at this moment refer to any 

 other Latin words compounded of sine, we have 



In Spanish simpar, without equal : siriigual, sin- 

 justicia, sinrazon, sinnumero, sinsabor. 



The delight I take in endeavouring to attain 

 the correct meaning of the classics will, I hope, 

 form some apology for the length of this Note. 



S. G. C. 



Newcastle-upon-Tyne. 



POETICAI, TAVBKN SIGNS. 



(Vol. viii., p. 242.) 



In an old collection of tavern signs of the last 

 century, among many others I find the following. 

 On the sign of the " Arrow," at Knockholt, in 

 Kent, — 



" Charles Collins liveth here, 

 Sells rum, brandy, gin, and beer ; 

 I made this board a little wider, 

 To let you know I sell good cyder." 



On the sign of the " Shoulder of Mutton and 

 Cat," at Hackney, in Middlesex, — 



" Pray Puss don't tear, 

 For the mutton is so dear ; 

 Pray Puss don't claw. 

 For the mutton yet is raw," 



On the sign of the "Gate," at Blean Hill, in 

 Kent, — 



" Stop, brave boys, and squenck your thirst, 

 If you won't drink, the horses must." 



On the sign of the " Ship in Distress," in 

 Middle Street, Brighton, Sussex, — 



" With sorrows I am compass'd round ; 

 Pray lend a hand, my ship's aground." 



On the sign of the " Waggon and Horses," in 

 Black Lion Street, Brighthelmstone, — 



" Long have I travers'd both far and near, 

 On purpose to find out good beer. 

 And at last I found it here." 



EUBY. 



At a small way -side beer-shop in the parish of 

 Werrington in the county of Devon, a few years 

 since there was the following sign : 



«' The Lengdon Inn, kept by M. Vuller. 



Gentlemen walk in and sit at your alse. 



Pay for what you call for, and call for what you plaise; 



As tristing of late has been to my sorrow. 



Pay me to-day and I'lltristee to-morrow." 



J. D. 

 Launceston. 



Not far from Kilpeck, Herefordshire, I have 

 seen a wayside public-house, exhibiting the sign 

 of the " Oak," under which is the following 

 couplet : 



" I am an oak, and not a yew. 

 So drink a cup with good John Pugh." 



