20 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



[No. 89. 



price of old books, as by the sale of Mr. Bailys 

 own library in 1844, whicli threw a few copies 

 into the market ; but the work was still saleable 

 at more than the original price. In the course of 

 last year, copies, as it was pretendeil, of the ori- 

 ginal edition were offered at the assurance offices, 

 and to individuals known to be interested in the 

 subject, at twenty-five shillings. Some were 

 talcen in, others saw the trick at once. There 

 has been, in fixct, a reprint, without any statement 

 of the circumstance, and without a printer's name; 

 but with a strong, and, on the whole, successful 

 attempt at imitation of the peculiar typography of 

 the work. If the execution had been as good as 

 the imitation, the success would have been greater. 

 But this is wretchedly bad, and will amuse those 

 wlio know how very particular Mr. Baily always 

 was in his superinteiulence of the press, and how 

 phiiidy his genuine works bear the marks of it. 



The spurious edition may bo known at once by 

 the title-page, in which the words "an appendix" 

 are printed in open letter, which is not the case in 

 the original. Also by " Leienitz," instead of 

 " Leibnitz," in page xi. of the preface. Also by 

 the Greek letter g throughout, which is, in the 

 spurious edition, never anything but an inverted 

 S^ which looks as if it were trying to kick back- 

 wards. 



In all probability, the agents in this shabby trick 

 are beneath reproof; but it is desirable that the 

 reputation of the author whoni they have chosen 

 for its object should not suffer from the effects of 

 their misprint. And as the work they have ap- 

 propriated is only used by a small public, and a 

 reading one, the mode of exposure which I here 

 adopt will probably be sufficient. 



The spurious edition is now on the stalls at a 

 few shillings; and, as a curiosity, will be worth 

 its price. A, De Morgan, 



Miliar iJotrS. 



Les Anguilles da Meliin. — " Les anguillcs de 

 Melun crieut avant qu'on les ecorche" is a well- 

 known proverb in that town; and as some of your 

 readers may be curious to learn the circumstances 

 in which it originated, I send them to you for 

 " Notes and Queries." 



According to the traditions of the Church, Saint 

 Bartholomew was flayed alive, and his skin rolled 

 up and tied to his back. When the religion ; 

 dramas, called Mysteries, came into vogue, this 

 martyrdom was represented on the stage at IMelun, 

 and tlie character of the saint was personated by 

 one Languille. In the course of the performance, 

 the executioner, armed with a knife, made his 

 appearance ; and as he proceeded to counterfeit 

 the operation of Haying, Languille became terrified 

 and uttered the most piteous cries, to the great 



amusement of the spectators. The audience 

 thereupon exclaimed, " Languille crio avant qu'on 

 I'ecorche ; " and hence the "jeu de mots," and 

 the proverb. Henry II. Beben. 



St. Lucia, June, 1851. 



Derivation of Meivs. — 



" ^Muette. C'est le nom qu'on donne a un Edifice 

 elcve au bout d'un pare de maison royale ou seig- 

 neuriale, pour servir de logcment aux ofliciers de la 

 veiierie, et dans lequel il y a aussi des Chenils, des 

 cours, ecuries, &c. Ce terme Miiette, vient, dit-on, de 

 Miie, jiarceque c'est dans ces malsons que les Gardes, 

 et autres officiers de chasse, apportent les Mues ou bois 

 que les Cerfs quittent et laissent dans les Forets." — 

 Lacombe, Dictionnalre portatif des Beaux Arts, 8fc. 

 Nouvelle Edition: Paris, 1759. 



Is this a better explanation of the English word 

 mews than has generally been given by writers ? 



W. P. 



Curious Monumental Inscriptions. — In the south 

 aisle of Martham Church, Norfdk, are two slabs, 

 of which one, nearly defaced, bears the following 

 inscription : 



Here Lvetli 

 The Body of Clulst» 

 Burrau'ay, who depar- 

 ted this Life y« 18 day 

 of October, Anno Domini 

 17.'iO. 

 Aged 59 years. 



And there Lyes l^" 



Alice who by hir Life 



Was my Sister, my mistres 



IMy niotlier and my wife. 



Dyed Feb. y« 12. 'l 729. 



Aged 76 years. 



The following explanation is given of this enig- 

 matical statement. Christopher Burraway was the 

 fruit of an incestuous connexion between a father 

 and daughter, and was early placed in the Found- 

 ling Hospital, from whence, when he came of age, 

 he was apprenticed to a fiirmer. Coming in after 

 years by cliance to Martham, he was hired un- 

 wittingly b)' his own mother as fiirm steward, her 

 father (or rather the father of both) being dead; 

 His conduct proving satisfactory to his mistress 

 she married him, who thus became, successively, 

 mother, sister, mistress, and wife, to this modern 

 (Edipus. The episode remains to be told. Being 

 discovered by his wile to be her son, by a peculiar 

 mark on his shoulder, she was so horror-stricken 

 that she soon after died, he surviving her scarcely 

 four months. Of the other slab enough remains 

 to show that it covered her remains ; but the 

 registers from 17"29 to 1740 are unfortunately 

 missing, so that I cannot trace the family further. 



E. S. T. 



