July 5. 1851.] 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



use of the term than the following, from Epigrams 



of all Sorts, by Richard Flecknoe, published 1669? 



" To Mis. Davis on her excellent Dancing. 



Dear Blis., delight of all the nobler sort, 



Pride of the stage and darling of the court." 



Again, was the term, when used with especial 



reference to these ladies, always spelt with one s, 



as Mis f M. S. 



Jacques Mabiotte. — I read, that certain members 

 of the continental masonic lodges interpret the 

 Hiram, whose death the freemasons affect to 

 deplore, as meaning Molai, Grand Master of the 

 Templars; but that others understand the said 

 Hiram to mean Jacques Mabiotte. Now, I should 

 think the person whom secret associations can be 

 even imagined, ever so falsely, to keep in continual 

 remembrance, and who is thus placed in compe- 

 tition with tlie Grand Master of the Temple, should 

 at least enjoy that moderate share of celebrity 

 that will enable some of your correspondents to 

 inform me who he was, and what were the cir- 

 cumstances of his death. 1 have not myself been 

 able to find him. A. N. 



Registry of British Subjects abroad. — There is 

 a notioa tiiat all British subjects born in foreign 

 parts are considered as born within the diocese of 

 London. AVhat is the origin of this notion ? I 

 have heard it said that it is founded on some 

 order made by King George I., on the occasion 

 of his journeys to Hanover. But it must be of 

 older date. 



Can any of your readers throw any light upon 

 this? and greatly oblige, J. B. 



A notice was published in the London Gazette 

 in March, 1816, stating that the Bishop of London's 

 registrar would register all marriages of British 

 subjects solemnised in foreign countries ; and also 

 the births and deaths of British subjects which oc- 

 cun-ed abroad. Has that notice any reference to 

 the notion ? 



Shawls. — When were shawls first introduced 

 into this country from the East ? and whence has 

 the name arisen ? for I see no trace of it in our 

 English dictionaries. Is it from its Persian name, 

 "do-shalhi?" I should also much wish to know 

 when plaids and tartans were first mentioned as 

 part of the national dress of Scotland. A Juror. 



" Racked by pain, by shame confounded." — From 

 whence are the tbllowing lines taken ? 



" Racked by pain, by shame confounded ; 

 Goaded to the desperate deed." 



Y.G.F. 



Oxford, June 17. IS.W. 



Figures of Saints. — During some slight repairs 

 in my parish church, vestiges of mural paintings 

 were discovered above and on each side of the 

 chancel arch. I caused the plaster and whitewash 



to be removed, and discovered two colossal angelic 

 figures, but in a very imperfect state. Each have 

 nimbi of a blue colour, surmounted by crosses, 

 with globular extremities. 



The S. figure holds an enormous spear. The 

 N. one is so much defaced that nothing could be 

 traced but the outline of the figure, and what ap- 

 pears a gigantic serpent, or perhaps a scroll of a 

 blue colour behind it. The clerk reports that 

 traces of an anchor could be seen ten years ago ; 

 but on his statement I cannot place much reliance. 

 I should be obliged for any information respecting 

 the subject. Above the centre of the arch I could 

 only see a profusion of fragments of wings sur- 

 rounded by a glory. E. S. Taylor. 



Martham, Norfolk, June 7. 



Conceyted Letters, who ivrotef — 



" Conceyted Letters, newly laid open : or a most 

 excellent bundle of new wit, wherein is knit up to- 

 gether all the perfection or art of episteling, by which 

 the most ignorant may with much modestie talke and 

 argue with the best learned." London : B. Albop, 

 1618. 



Who is the author of this little work ? Lowndes 

 gives it as- an anonymous production, but it is 

 sometimes ascribed to Nicolas Breton. The 

 initials I. M. aflixed to the preface, would rather 

 denote Jervase Markham as the author. A. 



Acta Sanctorum. — Is any endeavour being 

 made for the completion of that vast work, the 

 Acta Sanctorum, the last volume of which I be-- 

 lieve was published at Brussels in 1845 ? P. S. E.. 



Pope's " honest Factor."' — I shall be obliged If 

 any of your readers can Inform me who was the 

 "honest fiictor" referred to in Pope's "Sir Ba- 

 laam" in the lines : 



" Asleep and naked, as an Indian lay. 

 An honest factor stole a gem away : 

 He pledg'd it to the knight," &c. 

 I have seen It noticed in the biography of an 

 individual who held some official post in India,^ 

 but have forgotten the name. J.. Swans. 



Norwich, May, 1851. 



Meaning of " Nervous." — Will any of your 

 correspondents kindly oblige me, by stating what 

 is the actual meaning of the word nervous ? On 

 reference to Johnson, I find it expressed as fol- 

 lows : — 



"Nervy, sinewy, vigorous j also having diseased or 

 weak nerves." 



Now, by this definition, I am led to believe that 

 the word has two meanings, directly opposed to 

 each other. Is this so? K. Bannel. 



Liverpool. 



Doonisdaij Booh of Scotland. — In vol. xx. of 

 Sir John Sinclair's Statistical Account of Scotland, 

 1798, the following extract of a letter appears 



