92 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



[No. 66. 



woman executed, I think in Paris, and, if my 

 recollection serves, for a systematic series of in- 

 fanticides. 



She was put to death by being suspended over 

 a fire in an iron cage, in which a number of wild 

 cats were sliut u]) with her. 



I read the slory many years ago, and for some 

 time have been vainly endeavouring to recover it. 



J. S. 



Torn hy Horses (Vol. ii., p. 522.). — This cruel 

 mode of execution was practised both in antiquity 

 and the middle ages. Livy, speaking of Tullus 

 Hostilius, says : — 



" Exinde, dualuis aJmotis quadrigis, in cuirus earum 

 distentum illigat Mcttum; deinde in diversum iter equi 

 concitati, lacerum in utroque curru corpus, qua inliaese- 

 rant vincidis membra, portantes. Averlere oiunes a 

 tanta fcedidate spectaculi oculos." — L. i. , c. 28. 



Livy adds, that this was the first and last 

 example of so savage a punishment among the 

 Romans. The punishment, however, must have 

 been well-known in antiquity, as it is alluded to 

 by Seneca among the tortures which accompanied 

 death. 



" Cogita hoc loco carcerem, et cruces, et equleos, et 

 uuciira ; et adactum per medium homincm, qui per os 

 emeri^at, stipitem ; et distracta hi diversum actis curribus 

 membra." — E])i.st. xiv. 4. 



Grimm (Deutsche Rechtsalierthuincr, p. 692.) 

 quotes the following instance of this jiunishment 

 from Gregory of Tours, Hist. France, iii. 7. : 



" Piiellas crudelinece interfecerunt ita ut ligatis 

 brachiis super equorum cervicihus, ipsi(|ue acerrimo 

 moti stimulo per diversa petentes diversas in partes 

 feminas diviserunt " 



He adds that it occurs frequently in the legends 

 of the Carolingian period. Thus Turpiu, c. 26., 

 describes as follows the punishment of the traitor 

 Gannalon : — 



" Jusslt ilium Carohis quatuor equls fcrocissimis 

 totius exercitus alligari, et super eos quatuor sessores 

 agitantes contra quatuor plagas coeli, et sic digna morte 

 discerptus interiit. " 



Almost all cruel punishments have been used in 

 the East, and it is not improbable that execution 

 by means of horses may be mentioned in some 

 oriental narrative. L. 



The Conquest (Vol. ii..p. 440.). — In Cambria 

 Triiimphans, by Percy Enderbie, at p. 283. will be 

 found a copy of a deed, the conclusion of which 

 runs thus : — 



" Sigilla nostra apposuimus in Castro nostro de 

 Burgavenny vicessinio secuiido die .Tiilii, anno rtgni 

 RegisHenriei sexti, \>of,iConqiieslum vicessinio septimo." 



The word is here used for the accession of the 

 King. S. K. 



Mayors — their correct Prefix (Vol. i., p. 380.). — 

 Since propounding my Query in Vol. i., p. 380., 



relative to this subject, I have to inform your 

 readers, that I have been favoured with the opinion 

 of gentlemen very high in official authority on all 

 points connected with heraldry and the rules of 

 precedence ; which is, that the proper style of the 

 mayor of a borough is " the worshipful ;" and 

 they are further of opinion, that there can be no 

 ground for styling the mayor of a city " the right 

 worshipful." J. 



True Blue (Vol. iii., p. 27.). — On the origin of 

 this expression, I must claim the right to dissent 

 from your correspondent G. F. G., who appears 

 to have fallen into the error of confining a form of 

 very wide application to one particular case, in which 

 he discovers a trifling coincidence of fact. The 

 connexion of the colour blue with truth is of 

 very ancient date, of which the following may for 

 the present suflice as an example : — 



" And by hire beddes bed she made a mew 

 And covered it witli velouettes blew, 

 In signe of trouth, tliat is in woman sene." 



Cbancer, Squiere's Tale. 

 Blue, in the early practice of the tinctorial art, 

 appears to have been the most humble of the co- 

 lours in use, and the least affected by any external 

 influence ; and, down to the present day, if certain 

 tints of recent invention be excepted, the same 

 character may be claimed for it. What then moi-e 

 natural, than that it should be taken as the type 

 of immutability, or that every party, political or 

 religious, .^hduld in turn assume it as the badge of 

 honesty of purpose, and of firm adherence to their 

 principles ? F. S. Q. 



Alodimi Promissionis (Vol. ii., pp. 279. 347. 

 468.). — This phrase is perhaps connected with the 

 promissivus modus, i. e. tenipus promissivum or 

 futunmi of Diomedes and other mediaeval gram- 

 marians. T. J. 



Fronte capillata, §-c. (Vol. iii , pp. 8. 43.). — The 

 representation of " Occasio," or " Opportunity," 

 with hair in front, an<l bald behind, is far more an- 

 cient than the drama referred to by your corre- 

 spondent G. A. S. 



In t he .<4»(</!oZf)g-2a(Brunck's edition, vol. ii. p. 49.) 

 the following beautiful epigram is the 13th by 

 Posidippus : — 



" Vh "AyaXna tov Kaipov. 

 Tis, v66ev o irAdarris ; '2,ii<voii'ioi. Odvona St) tIs; 



Avanriro^. '2,v 5e, ris; Kaipi)S u TravZafxdrwp. 

 T/iTTe 5' ^tt' &Kpa Sffi-qKas ; 'Af'i rpnxaw. Ti Se rapaohs 



nocirij/ e'xeis Supveh; "lirrafx vtrrjvifiios. 

 X(ip\ Se 5e|iTfp^ Tt cpepds ^vpou ; 'AvSpaai SeTjfia 



' ils aK/xys 7ra(T7)s i^vrtpos TiKiSo). 

 'H hi KO/xri, ri Kar' oij/if; 'tiravjidaoini KafiioBai, 



N?; Ai'a. Td|j7ri9ei' TrpJ)s ti (paXaKpa ireAei ; 

 Thv 'yap dira^ irnqfoTat ■wapadpf^avrd fie iruaalv 



Ou TIS eV IjXiipwv Spd^erai (^(iTnBfv. 

 Tovvex' <• ''■fX'"''^''^ "^^ StfTrAaaev; E'lveKCV vixfoiv, 



"Etlvf, KOl (V TTpoBvpots BrJKe 5tKa.<jKa\ir}v." 



