Jan. 25. 1851.] 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



75 



terest of antiquaries, that only a short time ago, 

 the sexton discovered a very curious fresco of tlie 

 Virgin on one of the pillars in the north aisle. 

 There is an inscription beneath the figure, but so 

 very indistinct, as not to admit of being deciphered. 



E. W. E. 

 Hull. 



Wlsby (Vol. ii., p. 444.). — 



" Wisby was fortified about 1200 against its country 

 neiglibours; and King Magnus, 1288, quieted anotlier 

 civil war, and allowed the citizens to restore their fallen 

 walls." — Olaus Magnus, ii. 24. 



" It was destroyed in 1361 (Koch) by Walderna, 

 King of Denmark, who, taking advantage of the dis- 

 cords in Sweden, and having flattered the King INIag- 

 nus till he made him a mere tool of his own, conquered 

 or destroyed some valuable parts of the Swedish do- 

 minions, and among the rest Gothland." — Johannes 

 Magnus, Rex Suev., xsi. 6. 



and in 7. : 



" . . . ob direptum insigne emporium Vis becense." 



" As, therefore, it was not an individual event, pro- 

 bably it had not any individual cause, and that the pane 

 of glass story is not true." — Olaus Magnus, x. 16. 



The same Olaus (ii. 24.) says, that pride and 

 discord were its ruin ; that its inhabitants scat- 

 tered into the continental cities ; and that in 

 his time, 154-5, there were splendid ruins, iron 

 doors, brass or copper windows, once gilt or 

 silvered. C. B. 



Singing of Swans (Vol. ii., p. 475.). — If your 

 correspondent T. J. will turn to Ermau's Ti'avch 

 in Siberia translated by Cooley, vol. ii. p. 43., he 

 will find that the singing of swans is by no means 

 so groundless a notion as Bp. Percy supposed. 

 Erman says the notes of the Cygnus Olor are 

 most beautifully clear and loud — " and that this 

 bird, when wounded, pours forth its last breath in 

 such notes, is now known for certain." There is 

 more also to the same purpose. A. C. M. 



Dacre Monument at Herstmonceux (Vol. ii., 

 p. 478.). — In answer to part of the third Query of 

 your correspondent E. V., I beg to inform him 

 that sable, a cross potent or, is the coat of Alleyn. 

 Sable, a cross patonce or, belongs to Lascelles. 

 Argent a fesse gules belongs to the Solers family. 

 And burry of si.x argent and gules, icith a canton 

 ermine, is the coat of Apseley of Sussex. II. C K. 



Herstmonceux Castle (Vol. ii., p. 477.). — The 

 elucidation of your correspondent's second Query 

 suggests several further questions; for instance — 

 Was Juliana wife of William, the oicner of the 

 estate ? If so, did she die in the lifetime oi' her 

 husband ? If so, did she leave issue ? semble not, 

 and assuming her to have no direct heirs, the 

 estate would escheat. Was the King lord of the 

 fee? Were AVilliam de Warburton and Inirelram 



de Monceaux relatives of the half blood of 

 Juliana ? If so, a re-grant to them, if claimants, 

 would not, I imagine, have been unusual upon 

 payment of a fine to the crown. It would almost 

 seem as if a doubt existed as to the heirship, from 

 the expression " ivhose next of kin they say they 

 are.'' This note is conjectural only, and is there- 

 fore offered with much diffidence. I. B. C. 



Suem. — Ferling. — Grasson (Vol. iil , p. 7.).- — It 

 is obvious that your correspondent's extract from 

 the Rotherfield court-roll is not accurately tran- 

 scribed. The original most probably contains no 

 such word as suem. 



Ferling is a well-known word in old legal 

 phraseology. As a term of superficial measure it 

 denotes a quarter of an acre ; of lineal measure, 

 an eighth of a mile, or furlong. 



Grassum, is the term commonly used in the 

 northern parts of the kingdom to signify the fine, 

 or foregift in money, paid by a lessee ibr the re- 

 newal of his lease from a lay or ecclesiastical cor- 

 poration. It is derived fron\ the A.-S. Gcersum 

 or Garsame, a treasure ; the root of which is still 

 retained in the northern word Gear, goods or 

 stuff. A. 



Jan. 10. 1851. 



Portrait of Archbishop Williams (Vol. iii., p. 8.). 

 — Your correspondent Y. Y. desires to be informed 

 of the "locus" of the portraits of several bishops, 

 among them of John JVilliams, Archbishop of 

 York. There is a full-length in the hall of this 

 college, which I shall have great pleasure in show- 

 ing to him should he ever find it convenient to pay 

 Cambridge a visit. P. J. F. Gantillon. 



St. John's College. 



Swans hatched during Thunder (Vol. ii., p. 

 510.). — Some years ago I purchased a pair of 

 swans, and, during the first breeding season after 

 I procured them, they made a nest in which they 

 deposited seven eggs. After they had been sitting 

 about six weeks, I observed to my servant, who 

 had charge of them and the other water-fowl, that 

 it was about the time for the swans to hatch. He 

 immediately said, that it was no use expecting it 

 till there hail been a rattling peal of thunder to 

 crack the egg-shells, as they were so hard and 

 thick that it was impossible for the cygnets to 

 break them without some such assistance. Per- 

 haps this is the reason why swans are said to be 

 iKitched during a thunder-storm. I need only 

 say, that this is a po])ular fallacy, as swans regu- 

 larly hatch after sitting s-ix weeks, whether there 

 happens to be a thunder-storm or not. IIeney E. 



Etymology of Apricot (Vol. ii., p. 420.). — I can- 

 not agree in the opinion ex])ressed by your cor- 

 respondent E. C. H., that this word is derived 

 from the Latin pra;cox, signifying " early-ripen- 

 ing," — that the words TrpoKdicicia ami npeicSicKia are 



