Jan. 11. 1851.] 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



29 



Question 5. In the Battle of Agincourt, by Sir 

 H. Nicolas, Sir Roger Fyene's name is given 

 amongst the retinue of Henry V. He was accom- 

 panied by eight men-at-arms and twenty-four 

 archers. Sir Roger " Ffynys," accompanied by 

 ten of his men-at arms and forty archers, also fol- 

 lowed Henry (in the suite of Lord Wilhiugbby 

 d'Eresby) in his second continental expedition. 

 (Gesta Henrici Quinti.) B. W. 



Leicester's Commonwealth (Vol. ii., p. 92 ). — 

 See Gentlemaiis Magazine, December, 1845, for 

 many remarks upon this work. J. R. 



Midivives Licensed (Vol. ii., p. 408.). — I find 

 the following question among the articles of in- 

 quiry issued by Fleetwood, Bp. of St. Asaph, in 

 the year 1710. 



" Do any in your parish practise physic or chyrur- 

 gery, or undertake the office of a midwife without license ? " 



E. H. A. 



Volusenus (Vol ii , p. 311.). — Boswell, writing 

 to Johnson from Edinburgh, Jan. 8. 1778, asks : 



" Did you ever look at a book written by Wilson, a 

 Scotcliman, under tbe Latin name of Volusuiuis, 

 according to the custom of literary men at a certain 

 period? It is entitled De Animi Tranquillitate." 



E. H. A. 



[Mr. Croker, in a note on this passage, tells us that 

 the author, P'lorence Wilson, born at Elgin, died near 

 Lyons, in 1547, and wrote two or three other works of 

 no note. — Ed. J 



Martin Family (Vol. ii., p. 392.). — Clebicus 

 asks for information touching the family of Martin, 

 "in or near Wivenhoe, Essex." There is a large 

 house in the village, said to have been the seat of 

 Matthew Martin, Esq., member for Cohrhester in 

 the second parliaments of George I. and II. He 

 died in 1749. He had been a commander in the 

 service of the East India Com[)any. Only one 

 party of the name now lives in the neighbourliood, 

 but whether he is of the family or not I cannot 

 say. He is described as " Edward Martin, Piaster, 

 Royal Navy." A. A. 



Swords used in Dress (Vol. i. 41 5. ; vol, ii. 1 1 0. 21 3. 

 388.). — Might it not have happened that swords 

 went out of fashion after the middle nf the last cen- 

 tury, and were revived towanls its close ? In old 

 prints from 1700 to 1720, they appear to have been 

 universally worn; later they are not so general. In 

 1776 — 90, they ajipear again. My grandmother 

 (born in 1760) well remembers her brother, of 

 neai-ly her own age, wearing a sword, say about 

 1780. Some of Fielding's lieroes wore "hangers." 



A. A. 



Clerical Costume (Vol.ii., pp. 22. 189.). — The 

 use of scarlet doth is popularly recommended in 

 Berks and in Devon as a cure for tin- rheumatism. 

 It should be wrapped round the "ailing" limb. 



II. G. T. 



Tristan (VAcunha (Vol. ii., p. 358.). — The latest 

 and best description of this isle is to be Ibund in 

 A Narrative of a Nine Months' Residence in New 

 Zealand, together with a Journal of a Residence in 

 Tristan d! Acunha. By A. Earle. Longmans, 1832. 



GOMER. 



Swearing hy Swans (Vol. ii., pp. 392. 451.).— 

 Though I can give no reason why the birds of 

 Juno should have been invoked as witnesses to an 

 oath, the Query about them has suggested to me 

 what may perhaps appear rather an irrelevant 

 little note. 



Cooper, in his Ravens Nest, makes Mr. Aristo- 

 bulus Brag use the provincialism '■' I swanny " "by 

 which," observes the author, " I suppose he meant 

 — I swear!" Of course, this has nothing to do 

 with swearing by swans, more than sounding like 

 it ; argument of sound being very different from 

 sound argument. Mr. Cooper does not seem to 

 have given a thought to the analysis of the phrase, 

 which is no oath, merely an innocent asseveration. 

 "I's-a-warrant-ye" (perhaps when resolved to its 

 ungrammatical elements, " I is a warranty to ye") 

 proceeds through " I's-a-warnd-ye," "I's-warn- 

 ye " (all English provincialisms,) to its remote 

 transatlantic ultimatum of debasement in " / 

 swanny."' G. J. Caylet. 



Mildeiu in Books (Vol. ii., p. 103 ). — In reply 

 to B., who inquires for a prevention for mildew in 

 books, I send the following receipt, which I have 

 copied from a book containing many others: — 

 "Take a feather dipt in spirits of wine, and lightly 

 wash over the backs and covers. To prevent 

 numld, put a little into writing ink." 



Another to take mildew out of linen. — " Mix 

 powdered starch and soft soap with half the 

 quantity of bay salt ; mix it with vinegar, and lay 

 it on both sides with a painter's brush. Then let 

 it lie in the open air till the spots are out." J. R. 



" Swinging Tureen" (Vol. i., pp. 246. 307. 406.). — 

 " Next crowne the bowle full 

 With geiit'e lamb's-wooU ; 

 Adde sugar, nutmeg, and ginger, 

 With store of ale too; 

 And thus must ye doe 

 To make the wassaile a swinger." 

 Herrick, cited in Ellis' Brand, ed. 1849, vol. i. p. 26. 



By the way, is not the "lanycoll" (so called, I 

 presume, from the froth like wool (luna) at the 

 neck {collnm) of the vessel), mentioned in the old 

 ballad of "King Edward and the Sliopherd " 

 (llartsh(n-ne's Met. Tales, p. 54.), the same l)ever 

 age as " lamb's-wool ? " H. G. T. ' 



Totness Church (Vol. ii., jip. 376. 452.). — My 

 thanks are due to your correspondent S S. S. for 

 kiiiilly furnishing infurmatiou as to the sinrjular 

 arched pas.sag(! mentioned in a f()rmer note, which 

 drew my attention as a casual visitor, and which 



