508 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



[No. 86. 



sage in the Sq^di'es Tale from the French heron- 

 ^enux, wliich would probably, in English usage, 

 become cither herunxeicex, or Iieroiis/iMvs. It is of 

 course a diminutive, like "lioncel," "pennoncel,"&c. 



H. G. T. 



Theory of the Earth's Form (Vol. iii., p. 331.). 

 — Who first taught that the form of the earth was 

 that of a sphere ? In Isaiah xl. 22. appears the 

 following passage : 



" He that sitteth upon the circle of the earth and 

 the inhabitants thereof," &c. 



Does not this extract prove that the Jews, as a 

 people, were acquainted with the s])herical form 

 of the earth in Isaiah's time ; the prophets usually 

 addressing the people in popular language. 



C. N S. 



Mythology of the Stars (Vol. iii., pp. 70. 1 55.). — In 

 the replies to correspondents on the above head, 

 I have not seen noticed Dr. Lamb's translation of 

 the old Greek poet Aratus, a work which, for a 

 few shillings, would satisfy most persons on the 

 subject, and be found entertaining in giving in- 

 struction. T. M. 



Topical Memory (Vol. iii., p. 449.). — On topical 

 memory I can refer your inquirer to Cicero de 

 07-utore, book ii. Ixxxvi., Ixxxvii., § 351 — 35S., and 

 Ad Hei-enn. iii. xvi. — xx., and Quiutil. xi. ii. 2., 

 p. 431. llollin, ed. 1758. E. J. S. 



Eisell (Vol. iii., p. 397.). — The following illus- 

 tration of this word occurs in a MS. (Dd. i. fol. 7.) 

 belonging to the University of Cambridge. The 

 date is about 1350: 



" ]}£ iewis herde )ns word wel alle, 

 And anon eysel Jjei mengid wij> galle." 

 It is here mnm{'est\y = vinegar. C. II. 



Eisell. — I have long been convinced that tlie 

 true interpretation of this word miglit be attained 

 by a reference to the Welsh language ; in which 

 may be found the word Aesell {idem sonnns with 

 Eisell), implying verjuice, or vinegar. The two 

 words are clearly identical (see page 377.). 



GOMER. 



Four Want Way (Vol. iii., pp. 168. 434.). — A 

 cross road, or that point where four roads meet, is 

 frecjuently called by the peasantry in Kent "the 

 four vents;" in other counties, "the four wents," 

 " the four want way," &c. I have always con- 

 sidered the word as being derived from the ancient 

 Venta : thus Venta Icenorum (Caister, near Nor- 

 wich), the highway of the Iceni ; Venta Silurum 

 (Caerwent, in Monmouthsliire), the highway of 

 tlie Silures ; Venta Belganim (Winchester), the 

 higliway of the Belga; ; both of which last-named 

 cities retain in some degree the ancient appellation. 



W. Chaffers, Jun. 



Meaning of Carfoix (Vol. iii., p. 469.). — Will 

 your correspondent K. Th. give, if he can, an ac- 



ccount of the word "carfoix?" Is it not the 

 French carrefoiir, a name applied to more than one 

 place in Guernsey, though not, I believe, neces- 

 sarily to a spot where four ways meet ? The chief 

 carrefour there is at the junction of the Pollet, 

 High Street and Smith Street ; another is in the 

 country, the Carrefour aux Lievres, the precise 

 locality of which I cannot quite recall. Mr. 

 Metivier, whose name I am glad to see in your 

 pages, can tell, I dare say, of others. I suj^pose 

 tlie derivation to be in Quatuor fores, or some 

 French derivative fi'om those words. "Carfoix" 

 reminds me of "Carfax" in Oxford. Are the 

 names akin to each other ? E. J. S. 



A regular Midi (Vol. iii., p. 449.). — The story of 

 King Mul is perhaps rather far-fetched. If it 

 would neither put your correspondent in a stew, 

 nor get myself into a broil, nor you into a mess or 

 a pickle, 1 would settle his hash by suggesting that 

 terms of cookery are frequently used as descrip- 

 tive of disagreeable predicaments ; and that tliough 

 in our time nothing except beer or wine is mulled, 

 yet it may not always have been so. Or may not 

 the word lie a corruption of muddle ? I stand up 

 for neither, but I will back either against King 

 Mul. M. 



William Hone (Vol. iii., p. 477.). — I expect 

 that A. N. is labouring under mistake in inquiring 

 about an account of the " conversion" of "^Villiam 

 Hone, THE COMPILER of the Every- day Booh;" 

 and that he means 



" The Early Life and Cmiverslon of William Hone, a 

 narrative written by hiin.self, edited by his son, William 

 Hone, author of the Evtry-day Booh, &c. London, 

 J. Ward& Co., Paternoster Row, 1841. One Shilling." 



I have no doubt that the work may be procured 

 at the i)ublit^hers' ; but should not that be practi- 

 cable, I shall be happy to lend your correspondent 

 my copy. It may perhaps be neither unjust nor 

 uninteresting to add, X\\Ai I know (from his own 

 conuuunication, shortly after the memorable trials) 

 he was so affected by the celebrated Parodies 

 being charged as " blasphemous," that he imme- 

 diately stopped the safe of them ; that, though 

 money was then of some consequence to him, he 

 refused tempting offers for copies ; and that he 

 did so, because lie declared he would rather suffer 

 any privations than be considered as having sought 

 to revile the religion of his country, or to do aught 

 to injure Christianity, which he deemed to be the 

 hope of all, and the poor man's charter. In making 

 those observations, he emphatically placed his hand 

 on a Bible which lay upon my table. 



A Hermit at Hampstead. 



The Rev. Mr. Gay (Vol. iii., p. 424.) — The 

 name of Gay is not very common in the AVest of 

 England, and Mr. Tagart may possibly obtain seme 

 account of the Rev. Mr. Gay from the descend- 

 ants of Gay of Goldworthy, near Bideford, in the 



