150 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



[No. 278. 



Or was it probably far behind that of the gene- 

 rality of Greeks ? 



Either hypothesis in fact, considered with re- 

 ference to the other (and Niebuhr's per se), 

 appears self-contradictory. F. J. L., B.A. 



SANCTE BELL AT CLAPTON. 



(Vol. X., pp. 332. 434.) 



The Rev. Dk. Rock has kindly sent me the 

 following remarks, and allowed me to use them : 



"The interpretation of Mr. Ward is very in- 

 genious, but I do not fall in with it ; before offering 

 you my ideas of it, I must call to your attention a 

 curious passage from TAe Rites of Durham, lately 

 republished by the Surtees Society : 



" ' Every Sonnday in the yere there was a sprmon 

 preched in the Galleley at afternonne, from one of the 

 clocke till iij ; and at xii of the clock the great bell of 

 the Galleley was toulled, every Sonnedaie iij quarters of 

 an houre, and ronng the forth quarter till one of the 

 clock, that all the people of the towne myght have 

 warnvng to come and here the worde of God preched.' 

 — P. 33. 



" Again, you may perhaps know, that the high 

 mass or parochial mass for Sunday was celebrated 

 immediately after undern or tierce, which canonical 

 hour began at our 9 a.m., and as it took not more 

 than ten minutes or so, the parochial mass may 

 be said to have begun at nine o'clock, and would 

 be over a little after ten o'clock. From church 

 people went home to their meals; and as mid-day 

 was then a somewhat late hour for dining, we may 

 be sure that almost every one had by that time 

 done his dinner, and his servants had cleared the 

 things away. 



" What used to be the practice at Durham I 

 think used to be followed in most parish churches, 

 and some kind or other of instruction was every 

 Sunday given in the afternoon. To warn the parish 

 of the sermon time a bell was rung, perhaps in the 

 country at twelve o'clock, perhaps in the towns 

 at one o'clock. The first ringing was on the signa, 

 or large bells ; the last quarter of the hour's ring- 

 ing was on the smaller bell, the sancte bell ; and 

 as the instruction was calculated to be for the 

 poor, for servants, for those particularly set at 

 liberty from their household duties after their 

 masters' meal of the day was over, very properly 

 was the Instruction cdXleA ghostly food, with which 

 these poor, these servants, were to be fed. Hence, 

 to my thinking, of what is called the ting-tang 

 was it said ' servis clamo cibandis.' " 



H. T. Ellacombe. 



Rectory, Clyst St. George. 



ARCHBISHOP LEIGHTON AND PROVOST AIKENHEAD. 



(Vol. xi., p. 106.) 



In reply to your correspondent C. W. Bing- 

 ham's request, I send you copies of the " humo- 

 rous poem" wanted. In that very curious col- 

 lection of Scottish Pasquils and Lampoons [edited 

 by James Maidment], three vols. 12mo., 1827- 

 28, and which consisted of only " sixty copies," 

 printed chiefly for " private circulation " by the 

 late John Stevenson, bookseller, in Edinburgh, I 

 find as follows : 



" Epigram on Provost Aikenhead. 



That which is said, is falsely said, 

 To wit, his head of aiken timber made ; 

 For had his head been but composed so, 

 His fj'rie nose had burnt it long ago." * 



Again, upon looking into that highly interesting 

 but rather neglected work, entitled — 



" Analecta Scotica ; collections illustrative of the Civil, 

 Ecclesiastical, and Literary History of Scotland, chiefly 

 from original MSS. [Edited by James Maidment], 2 vols. 

 8vo., 1834-37." 



I discover there another version of the " Epi- 

 gram," together with " His Apologie," said to be 

 printed for the first time from a MS. formerly 

 belonging to Wodrow, the historian of the Church 

 of Scotland. It is entitled : 



" Verses by Bishop Leighton upnn David Aikenhead, Lord- 

 Provost of Edinburgh. 



That quhilk his name pretends (is falsly said) 

 To wit that of ane aike his head is made, 

 For if that it had been composed soe 

 His fyrie nose had flaim'd it long agoe. 



His Apologie. 



Come muses al, help me to overcome 



This thing which som ill mj-nded muse hes done, 



For sure the furies, and no sacred muse 



Hes caught madde braines such patrones to abuse j 



Bot since the fault comitted is so great, 



It is the greater honour to remitt. 



For if great Jove should punisli everie cryme, 



His quiver emptie wold become in tyme ; 



Therfore, some tymes he fearful thunder sends, 



Som tymes sharpe arrowes on offenders spends, 



Som tymes aganis he swan-lyke doth appeare, 



Or in a showre of crystall waters cleare. 



Fooles scorne Apollo for his glistering beams, 



Lykwayes the Muses for their sacred streames, 



Bot as they doe, so ma}' you eike despyse 



These scorners ; for quhy ? egales catch no flyes ; 



Fooles attribute to you a fierie nose ; 



Bot fyre consumeth paper, I suppose ; 



Therfoir your lordship wold seeme voyd of fyre 



If that a paper doe dispell your ayre ; 



And if that this remeid doe stand insteid, 



Then shall a lawrell croune your Aikenheid. 



* To this jeu d'esprit is prefixed this notice : " Robert 

 Leighton, after Bishop of Dunblane, was extruded the 

 College of Edinburgh for this epigram on Provost Aiken- 

 h*ad." 



