220 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



[No. 44. 



absurdity of the kind of death imputed to the 

 imaginary lady did not reflect back a corresponding 

 incredulity as to the length of her life. C. 



Yorkshire Dales (Yol. ii., p. 134.). — N"o guide or 

 description has been published that would serve 

 as a handbook to the dales in the West Hiding of 

 Yorkshire, between Lancashire and Westmoreland. 

 Should A Pedestrian wish to explore the beau- 

 ties of Teesdale, he will find a useful handbook in 

 a little work, published anonymously in 1813, called 

 A Tour in Teesdale, inchidiug Itokehy and its En- 

 virons. The author was Richard Garland, of Hull, 

 who died several years ago. A. 



The Yorkshire Dales (Vol. ii., p. 154.). — In 

 answer to a recent inipiiry, 1 beg to state that a 

 guide to the above dales is in preparation. It will 

 be edited by your humble servant, illustrated by 

 .a well-known gentleman, and published by Air. 

 EHingham AVilson. J. Ii. Dixon. 



ToUington Villa, Honisey. 



[We are glad to hear that such a Guide is preparing 

 by Mr. Dixon, whose knowledge of the locality pecu- 

 liarly Hts liim for the work he has undertaken.] 



Sir Thomas Herberfs Memoirs (Vol. ii., p. 140.). 

 — The information Mr. Gattt wishes for, he will 

 find in Dr. Bliss's edition of the Athence, vol. iv. 

 p. 18. He will perform an acceptable service to 

 historical inquirers, if he will collate the printed 

 memoir with the MS. in the possession of his 

 friend, and give to the world such passages, if any, 

 as have not been hitherto published. A. 



Alarum (Vol.ii., pp. 151. 183.). — There can be 

 no doubt that the word alarm (origintdly French) 

 comes from the warning war-cry a Varme. So all 

 the French philologists agree ; and the modern 

 variance of aux armes does not invalidate so plain 

 an etymology. When ClI. a<lmits that there can 

 be no doubt that alarm and alarum are identical, 

 it seems to me that caditrjuesiio, — that all his doubts 

 and queries are answered. I will add, however, 

 that it a|)i)ears that in the words' original sense of 

 an awakening cry, Sliaksjaeare generally, if not 

 always, spelled it alarum. Thus — 



" King the alarum bell I" — Macbeth. 



" Murder 



" Alarum'dhy his sentinel the wolf." 



Macbeth. 

 " When she speaks, is it not an alarum to love ? " 



Othello. 

 " But when he saw my hest-ularimCd spirits roused 

 to the encounter." — Lear. 



In all these cases alarum means incitement, not 

 alarm in the secondary or metaphorical sense of 

 the word, which has now become the ordinary one. 

 In truth, the meanings, though of identical origin, 

 have become almost contradictious : for instance, 



in the passage from Othello, an " alarum to love " 

 — incitement to love — is nearly the reverse of 

 what an " alarm to love " would be taken to mean. 



G. 



Pr-actice of Scalping among the Scythians, ^c. 

 (Vol. ii., p. 141.). — Your correspondent T. J. will 

 find in Livy, x. 26., that the practice of scalping 

 existed among the Kelts. 



" Nee ante ad consules .... famam ejus cladis per- 

 latara, quam in conspectu fuere Gallorum equites pec- 

 toribiis e(|uovum suspensa gestantes capita, et lancets 

 intixa ovantesque moris sui carmine." 



W. B. D. 



Gospel Tree (Vol. ii., p. 56.). — In reply to 

 W. H. H., I may mention that there is a " Gospel 

 Tree" near l^eamington. I do not know of one 

 so called in Gloucestershire. Griffin. 



Martinet (Vol. ii., p. 118.). — There is no doubt 

 the term mai-tinct is derived from the general ofli- 

 cer M. de Martinet indicated by Mr. C. Forbes, 

 and who was, as Voltaire stntes, celebrated for 

 having restored and improved the discipline and 

 tactics of the French army ; whence very strict 

 officers came to be called martinets : but is it also 

 from this restorer of discipline that the name of 

 what we call cal-o' -nine tails is in French martinet? 

 This is rather an interesting Query, considering 

 how severely our neighbours censure our use of 

 that auxiliary to discipline. C. 



" Yote " or " Yeot " (Vol. ii., p. 89.). — You may 

 inform B. that Yote or Yeot is only a provincial 

 pronunciation of Yate or Gate, a way or road. 

 The channel made to conduct melted metal into 

 the receptacle intended for it, is called a gate. 



Griffin. 



Map of London (Vol. ii., p. 56.). — The map of 

 London, temp. Edw. VI., in the Sutherland col- 

 lection, has been recently engraved. It is of sin- 

 gular curiosity. I do not know the name of the 

 publisher. K. 



Wood-carving, Snow Hill (Vol. ii., p. 134.). 

 — The carving alluded to by A.C. is, I believe, of 

 artificial stone, and represents iEsop attended by 

 a child, to whom he a[ipears to be narrating his 

 fables. It is, or rather was, a work of some merit, 

 and is, as A. G. observes, " worth preserving ;" but, 

 alas ! of this there is but little chance. The house 

 in question (No. 41. Skinner Street), and also the 

 one adjoining, have been tenantless lor many years ; 

 they belong to two old ladies, who also own the 

 two deserted houses at the corner of Stamford 

 Street, Blackfriars Road. It is scarcely necessary 

 to speak of the now somewhat picturesque con- 

 dition of the houses alluded to in either locality, 

 ibr the pitiably dilapidated condition of them all 

 must have been matter of remark for many years 

 past to any one at all acquainted with London. 



