June 15. 1850.] 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



43 



to the constitution of a legitimate and lasting pro- 

 verb ; or rather two conjointly, metre and euphony. 

 These may be traced in the proverb as completely 

 as in the ballad ; and precisely the same contri- 

 vances are employed to effect them in both cases 

 where any ruggedness in the natural collocation 

 of the words may present itself. For instance, 

 change in the accent, the elision or the addition of 

 a letter or syllable, the lengthening of a vowel, 

 transposition, and a hundred other little artifices. 

 The euphony itself, though sometimes a little im- 

 pei'fect, is also studied with the same kind of care 

 in the older and purer proverbs of all languages. 



Attention to metre and euphony will generally 

 enable us to assign, amongst the forms in which 

 we pick up and note any particular proverb, the 

 original and legitimate one ; especially when com- 

 bined with brevity and " pith." As a case in 

 point, our friend Ludlum will serve our purpose 

 for comparison. Who does not see at a glance, 

 taking account of the principles which govern the 

 construction of a proverb, that the Sheffield ver- 

 sion, as I gave it, must be more genuine than 

 Southey's version, quoted by J. M. B. ? Besides 

 this, I may add, that a friend, whose early days 

 were spent in Sheffield, has told me (since the 

 Query was proposed) that he has heard his mother 

 tell some legend of " the fat Miss Ludlum." After 

 all, therefore, the proverb may be founded on a 

 fat old maid and her fat poodle. I can hardly, 

 then, deem my inquiry answered. 



J. M. B. quotes two others from the Doctor; 

 one for the purpose, as would appear by his mark- 

 ing the words, to illustrate the alliterative prin- 

 ciple. The following are variations which I have 

 heard: — "As proud as the cobbler's dog, that 

 took [or as took — the most general vernacular 

 form, for the sake of euphony] the wall of a dung- 

 cart, and got crushed for his pains. " " As queer 

 as Dick's hatband as went nine times round and 

 wouldn't tie." 



On these I will only remark, that few persons 

 would pronounce dung-cart as J. M. B. implies, 

 even for alliteration ; and indeed, when so even 

 marked to the eye, it is not without an effort that 

 we can read accordingly. As to Dick's hatband, 

 it is expressed in a peculiarly clumsy and round- 

 about manner by Southey. 



One word more. J. M. B. quotes as aproverh — 

 one of tiiose without meaning — "As busy as 

 Batty ;'" and says, " no one knows who Batty was." 

 Surely, the inference that Batty was not a real 

 personage in some distant age — that he was a 

 mere myth — must be a non secjuitur froui the pre- 

 mises before us. Perhaps Mr. Batty was a person 

 of notable industry — perha|)s remarkable for al- 

 ways being in a " fluster" — perliaps the rural Paul 

 Pry of his day and district. He has left, too, a 

 large progeny ; whether as regards the name alone, 

 or wiiichever of the cliaracters he bore. 



This jingle upon words partakes largely of the 

 character of the pun. It, however, reminds me of 

 a mode of speech which universally prevailed in 

 the north of Lincolnshire thirty jears ago, and 

 which probably does so yet. A specimen will ex- 

 plain the whole: — "I'm as throng as throng." 

 " He looks as black as black." " It's as wet as 

 wet." I have heard this mode used so as to pro- 

 duce considerable emphasis ; and it is more than 

 possible, that some of the jingles have thus origi- 

 nated, and settled into proverbs, now without any 

 obvious meaning, but originally very forcible 

 ones. D. V. S. 



Shooter's Hill, May 18. 



McjjIie^ to iHinar caucrtc^. 



Lord John Toivnshend's Poetical Works (Vol. ii., 

 p. 9.) — were never, I believe, collected, nor indeed 

 distinctly known, though they well deserve to be. 

 He told me himself that he wrote " Jekyl," in what 

 is called The Rolliad; and he mentioned some 

 other of his contributions ; but I did not make a 

 note., and regret that I can say no more. Mr. 

 Rogers or Lord Lansdowne might. C 



When Easter ends. — Mr. H. Edwards, in this 

 day's number (No. 31., p. 9.), asks when Easter ends. 

 I fancy this question is in some degree answered 

 by remarking, that it, together with other festivals 

 of the Church, viz. The Nativity, &c., are cele- 

 brated for eight days, which is the octave. The 

 reason, says Wheatley, of its 



•' Being fixed to eight days, is taken from the prac- 

 tice of the Jews, who, by God's appointment, observed 

 the greater festivals, some of them for seven days, and 

 one, the Feast of Tabernacles, for eight days. And 

 therefore the Primitive Christians lengthened out their 

 higher feast to eight days." 



If this be true, Easter will end on the conclusion 

 of the Sunday after Easter day; but whether our 

 present Parliament is sufficiently Catholic to admit 

 this, in the interpretation of the Act, is ques- 

 tionable. 



In the Spanish Church Easter continues till the 

 feast of Whitsuntide is past ; and during this 

 period all fasts are forbidden. 



Tiie Romish Church has ten high festivals having 

 octaves. 



I trust this slight sketch may in some way help 

 Mr. Edwards to a conclusion. R. J. S. 



When does Easter end? (Vol. ii., p. 9.). — In the 

 case stated, at 12 o'clock on the night of Easter 

 Sunday. C. 



Iloldsworth and Fuller. — In A. B. R.'s commu- 

 nication (Vol. i., p. 484.) some symptoms of inac- 

 curacy must be noted before a satisfactory reply 

 can be given to his Query. 



