Feb. 22. 1851.] 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



145 



which waa a low scull-cap amongst the commonalty, 

 but a stiff and elevated covering for the lungs and 

 personages of distinction (Xen. Aiiab. ii. 5, 23.). 

 This imposing tiara is frequently represented on 

 ancient monuments, where it varies in some details, 

 though always preserving the characteristic pe- 

 culiarity of a tall upright head-dress. It is some- 

 times truncated at its upper extremit}^ at others 

 a genuine round-topped bonnet, like the Phrygian 

 cap when pulled out to its full length, and stiffened 

 so as to stand erect — each a variety of form pe- 

 culiar to certain classes or degrees of rank, which 

 at this period we are not able to decide and dis- 

 tinguish with certainty. But on a bas-relief from 

 Persepolis, supposed to have belonged to the 

 palace of Cyrus, and engraved by Ferrario (Cos- 

 tume delV Asia, vol. iii. tav. 47.), may be seen a 

 bonnet shaped very much like a beehive, the exact 

 type of the papal tiara, with three bands (the 

 triregno) round its sides, and only wanting the 

 cross at the summit, and the strawberry-leaved 

 decoration, to distinguish it from the one worn by 

 Pio Nono : and on a medal of Augustus, engraved 

 on a larger scale in Rich's Companion to the Latin 

 Dictiowinj, art. Tutulus, we find this identical 

 form, with an unknown ornament on the top, for 

 •which tlie popes substituteil a cross, reappearing 

 on the skull of a pagan priest. I may add that 

 the upright tiaras represented on works of ancient 

 art, which can be proved, or are known to be 

 ■worn by royal personages, are truncated at the 

 summit ; whence it d(;es not seem an improper 

 inference to conclude that the round and conical 

 ones belonged to persons inferior to the kings 

 alone in rank and influence, the Magi ; which is 

 the more probable, since it is clear that they were 

 adopted by the highest priests of two other re- 

 ligions, those of Pagan and of Christian Rome. 



If space admits, I would also add that the 

 official insignia and costume of a cardinal are 

 likewise derived from the pagan usages of Greece. 

 Amongst his co-religionists he is supposed to 

 symbolize one of the Apostles of Christ, who went 

 forth ill clothed and coarsely shod to preach the 

 Gospel ; wliereas, in truth, his comfortable hat, 

 warm cloak, and showy stockings, are but borrowed 

 plumage from the ordinary ti'avelling costume of 

 a Greek messenger {ixiroarlKos). The sentiment of 

 travelling is always conveyed in the ancient bas- 

 reliefs and vase paintings by certain conventional 

 signs or accessories bestowed upon the figure 

 represented, viz., a broad-brimmed and low- 

 crowned hat (ireTCKTos, Lat. petasus), with long 

 ties (j-edimicula) hanging from its siiles, which 

 served to fasten it under the chin, or sling it be- 

 hind at the nape of the neck when not worn upon 

 the head; a wrapping cloak {in6.Tioi>, lyxt. puUium) 

 made of coarse material instea<l of fine lamb's 

 wool ; and a pair of stout travelling boots laced 

 round the legs with leathern thongs (tcSpo/ii'Ses), 



more serviceable for bad roads and rough weather 

 than their representatives, red silk stockings. All 

 these peculiarities may be seen in the following 

 engravings (Winhelm. Mon. Ined. Tratl., Prelim., 

 p. XXXV. ; Id., tav. 8.3. ; JRich's Companion, art. 

 " Ceryx " and " Pallium"). 



I regret that the nature of your publication 

 does not admit the introduction of woodcuts, 

 which woidd have enabled me to present your 

 readers with the best of all demonstrations for 

 what I advance. In default of that I have endea- 

 voured to point out the most compendious and 

 accessible sources where the figures I refer to may 

 be seen in engravings. But if any rea<ler of 

 " Notes and Queries " should not have an op- 

 portunity of consulting the books cited, and is 

 desirous of pursuing the investigation to satisfy 

 himself, I would willingly transmit to him a draw- 

 ing of the objects mentioned through IMr. Bell, or 

 any other channel deemeil more convenient. 



A. Rich, junb. 



The Episcopal Mitre (Vol. iii., p. 62.). — 

 Godwyn, in his Moses and Aaron, London, 1631, 

 b. i., c. 0., says that — 



" A miter of fine linnon sixteenL- cubits long, wrap- 

 ped about his head, and a plate of purple gold, or 

 holy crowne, two fingers bioad, whereon was graven 

 Holinesse to the Lord, which was tied with a blew lace 

 upon the forefront of the miter," 



was that "which shadowed and signified the kingly 

 office of our Saviour Christ," in the apparel of the 

 Jewish high priest, and ordered (Lev. xvi. 4.) : 

 and again, in his Itomance Historice Anthologia, 

 Oxford, 1631, lib. iii. sec. 1. cap. 8., he says that the 

 '■ Mitradi'uX signifie a certaine attire for women's heads, 

 as a coife or such like." 



For further illustration see Virgil's JEneid, lib. iv. 

 1. 216.: 



" Majoniu mentum mitra crinemque madenteni." 

 Again, lib. ix. 1. 616. : 



" £t tuniccE manicas ct habent redimicula mitree." 



During the ennobling of the clergy by the 

 Roman emperors, in the seventh and eighth cen- 

 turies, a crown was found necessary; and anciently 

 cardinals wore mitres; but, at the council of 

 Lyons, in 1245, they were appointed to wear hats. 



Blowen. 



The Episcopal Mitre (Vol. iii., p. 62.). — An 

 Inquirer will find much curious matter resjiect- 

 ing the milre, collected both from chissical writers 

 and antiquaries, in Explications de plnsienrs Textes 

 dijficiles de V Ecritire pur le R. P. Dom. [ii/iar- 

 tiji\, 4to., a Paris, 1730. To any one ambitious of 

 learnedly occupying some si.\ or seven columns of 

 "Notes and (^uerius" the ample foot references 

 are very tempting; I content myself with trans- 

 cribing two or three of the entries in the index : 



" Mitre des anciens, leur nature, et lew forme ; vtitit la 



