380 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



[No. 107. 



of tlie water at a distance of fifteen miles ; but at 

 one-third of that distance it might be so. There- 

 fore it would be necessary to talce league as syno- 

 nymous with mile in this instance, even if it were 

 not corroborated by the necessity for a similar 

 ,under>tanding in otlier places. 



But wherever Shaksjieare uses the word league, 

 its equivalence with mile is not only consistent 

 with the sense, but, in some cases, absolutely 

 necessary .to it. 



Thus, in the openiuc; scene of the Midsummei- 

 NigliCs Dream, Lysander appoints to meet Ilerniia 

 "in the wood, a league without the town," but, in 

 the next scene, Quince appoints the same place 

 for the rehearsal, calling it " the palace wood, a 

 mile withouX the town." 



Again, in the Two Gentlemen of Verona, when 

 Silvia escapes with ICglamour, the latter reassures 

 her by reminding her that they will be safe if they 

 can " gain the forest, not three leagues off," which 

 would be but poor comfort if by three leagues the 

 lady was to understand nine miles. 



iiy the way, this forest is described in all the 

 " stage directions," upon what authoi'ity I cannot 

 guess, as "a forest near Mantua;" whereas all the 

 circumstances concur to place it in the immediate 

 vicinity of Milan. There is nothing to warrant 

 the supposition tiiat any of the characters had 

 journeyed far fi-om JMilan when tliey were seized 

 upon by the outlaws ; and it is to the Duke of 

 Milan that the outlaws apply for pardon lor mis- 

 deeds done in his territories. A. E. B. 



Leeds. 



DONIZETTI. 



The following very curious account of the 

 ancestry of this very talente<l individual is copied 

 from the Berwick Advertiser — a paper confined 

 to tlie provinces, and not likely to reach the 

 metropolis. It appeared somewhere about four 

 years ago: but in cutting the scrap from the paper 

 I incautiously omitted inserting the date. 



" New Facts coNCEiiNiNG Donizetti the Cojiposer. 

 ^— We have learned from autliority not to be questioned, 

 that the late Donizetti, whose great talents as a com- 

 poser are now beginning to be appreciated, was of 

 Scotch origin. His grandfatber was a native of Perth- 

 shire, of the name of Izett (or rather, I should think, 

 Izatt). He was a farmer under the Earl of Breadal- 

 bane, and his son Donald was born at the farm. When 

 very young the spriglitly Donald left bis pat.'rnal 

 home, having been enticed by the fascinating address of 

 a recruiting Serjeant to enlist in the united services of 

 JVlars and bis JJajesty, to the great grief of his mother, 

 who did not survive bis departnre many niontlis. 

 Young Donald soon got discontented with his military 

 duties ; and having been taken prisoner by General 

 La Hoche during his invasion of Ireland, was quite 

 delighted with the easy mode wldcb presented itself of 

 liberation from the unpleasant thraldom which he had 



been suffering, and quickly embraced an offer made to 

 him to enter the General's service. With him be re- 

 mained as private secretary till his untimely death. 

 Subsequently be married an Italian lady of some for- 

 tune, and bis name of Donald Izett was easily meta- 

 morphosed into Donizetti. Tlie composer was the 

 oflspring of this marriage ; and it is remarkable that 

 evidence of his Scottish origin may be traced in many of 

 bis beautiful melodies. Thus, for Instance, in ' Don 

 Pasquale,' the exquisite air of ' O Summer Niglit' 

 reminds us of some Highland strains sung to the bag- 

 pipe; and the entire score of ' Lucia di Lammermoor' 

 is replete with snatches and fragments of the minstrelsy 

 of Scotland/' 



There is then added a few lines relative to 

 Rossini, whose family is also alleged to be Scotch. 



How far this legend is true I know not ; but 

 perhaps some of your correspondents might throw 

 light on the subject. But assuredly there did exist 

 a Scotch family calleil Izett; and a lady of that 

 name is at present living in, or near, the romantic 

 town of Stirling. What is remarkable is this: 

 that in the list of subscribers to the Edinburgh Cir- 

 cus, afterwards better known as Corri's Rooms, and 

 now the Adelphi Theatre, occurs the name oi Izatt 

 or Izett, who followed the calling of a hatter. This 

 was in 1790. On making inquiry, it has been 

 ascertained that he came from Perthshire ; that 

 his father was a farmer there ; and what is still 

 more striking, tluit, having realised an ample for- 

 tune, he retired from business and purchased an 

 estate in that county. It was also said, that he 

 corresponded with some relative on the Continent. 

 All this is very inconclusive, but still it is worth 

 noticing. J. G. S. 



FOLK LORE. 



Ash Sap — The Ash (Vol. iv., p. 273.}. — The 

 reason for giving ash sap to new-born children in 

 the Highlands of Scotland is, first, because it acts 

 as a powerful astringent, and, secondly, bccaiise 

 the ash, in common with the rowan, is supposed 

 to possess the property of resisting the attacks 

 of wlt(!hes, liiiries, an<I other imps of darkness. 

 Without some precaution of this kind, they would 

 change the child, or possibly steal it away alto- 

 gether. The herd boys in the district of Buchan, 

 in Aberdeenshire, always prefer a herding stick of 

 asli to any other wood, as in throwing it at their 

 cattle, it is sure not to strike on a vital part, and 

 so kill or injure the animal, which they say a stick 

 of any other wood might do. 



" Rowan, asli, and red thread. 

 Keep the devils frae their speed." 



It is a common practice with the housewives in 

 the same district, to tie a piece of red worsted 

 thread round their cows' tails, previous to turning 

 them out to grass for the first time in the spring. 



