178 
NOTES AND QUERIES. 
[24 S. No 9., Mar. 1. °56. 
horsemen. Onward they came at a long, swinging trot, 
arguing unwearied speed in their long-breathed calling. 
Such running footmen are often alluded to in old plays (1 
would particularly instance Middleton’s Mad World, my 
Masters), and perhaps may be still remembered by some 
old persons in Scotland, as part of the retinue of the 
ancient nobility when travelling in full ceremony.” 
In a note, Scott, in his character of Jedediah 
Cleishbotham, says he remembers “to have seen 
one of this tribe clothed in white, and bearing a 
staff, who ran daily before the state-coach of John 
Earl of Hopeton.” Like Domine Cleishbotham, 
I too have seen some of “this tribe” at their 
duties. I was in Dresden during the life-time of 
the late king, when his travelling-coach and four 
passed me on the road to the palace at Pillnitz, on 
a hot day in July, 1845. I recollect vividly how 
startled I was at the running footmen, three in 
number, who preceded it, dressed and accoutred 
as I had never seen mortal man, nor ever heard 
described even in the most romantic of romances. 
The costume and appearance of these strange 
officials, whom I afterwards saw and examined 
when at rest, at the palace, I shall describe as 
well as I can recollect. First, in the centre of the 
dusty chaussée, about thirty yards a-head of the 
foremost horses’ heads, came a tall, thin, white- 
haired old man; he looked six feet high, about 
seventy years of age, but as lithe as a deer; his 
legs and body were clothed in drawers or tights of 
white linen, his jacket was like a jockey’s, the 
colours blue and yellow, with lace and fringes on 
the facings; on his head a sort of barret-cap, 
slashed and ornamented with lace and embroidery, 
and decorated in front with two curling heron’s 
plumes ; round his waist a deep belt of leather 
with silk and lace fringes, tassels, and quaint em- 
broidery, which seemed to serve as a sort of pouch 
to the wearer. In his right hand he held, grasped 
by the middle, a staff about two feet long, carved 
and pointed with a silver head, and something 
like bells or metal drops hung round it, that gin- 
eled as he ran. Behind him, one on each side of 
the road, dressed and accoutred in the same style, 
came his two sons, two handsome, tall young fel- 
lows of from twenty to twenty-five years of age ; 
and so the king passed on. 
From the gallery of the dining-hall at the pa- 
lace at Pillnitz I saw his majesty the king at 
dinner (a strange but very ancient custom), and 
the grey-haired old footman waited behind the 
king’s chair in full running costume, all except 
the staff. 
A custom once common in this country, of 
bearing torches by the servants of the nobility, 
I found at this time alive still in Dresden, although 
the city is lighted with gas. The footmen stand- 
ing behind the king’s carriage bore lighted torches 
in their hands (holding them high above their 
heads) when his majesty returned from the Opera 
at night, and trimmed the torches by striking 
them on an iron plate, and finally, on the arrival 
at the palace, extinguished them in iron cups fixed 
to the footboard for the purpose, like those still to 
be seen at the doors of old houses in London. 
C. D. Lamont. 
“RIGHT” AND “LEFT” HAND. 
(1* S. xii. 317. 404. ; 29S. i. 187.) 
This question is of great antiquity. Marcus 
Antoninus, in his 12th book, sect. vi., says (in the 
translation of Gataker) : 
“Tilis etiam assuesce, que fieri posse desperat, nam et 
sinistra manus, cum ad alia opera per desuetudinem in- 
epta, frenum quam dextra yalidius tenet ; quia huic operi 
assuevit.” 
In the very learned notes of the above editor 
are collected many passages from the classical 
authors, which have reference to this subject. 
Aristotle strongly contends that, in this, as in all 
other instances, the organs of the right side are 
more powerful than those on the left. (See De 
Partibus Animal., lib. iii. ¢. 4. and lib. iv. ¢. 8.; 
De Animal. incessu, c. 4.; Ethic. Nicom., lib. v. 
e. 7.; and Eudem., lib. iv. c.5.; and in Prob., 
lib. 21. 9. 12. 13. and 19. and 31.). Plato (De Leg., 
| lib.-vii.) ridicules this idea, and attributes the 
weakness of the left side to the bad habits esta- 
blished by nurses and mothers. He rejects, also, 
the supposed instances of natural inability ; saying 
that the great difference arises from want of use. 
But he seems to admit some contradiction, when 
he asserts : 
“ Tdeo usus obtinuit ut ad freenum sinistra adhibeatur, 
quo dextra, vel virge qua equus regitur, vel armis, que 
gestanda ac utenda fuerint, puta ensi hasteve exerendis, 
exercendisque, immunis reliquatur.” 
Solinus (Polyhist., c.1.), says: “ Parti dextre 
habilior ascribitur motus, leve firmitas major.” 
A notion which Salmasius rejects. 
Without pretending to compete in physiological 
or anatomical knowledge with Sir B. Brodie, or 
your other distinguished correspondents, I may be 
permitted to say, that, to me, this partial use of 
the left hand has, for all past years, appeared a 
very providential instinct to save and protect the 
great and important central organ of the circula- 
tion, which is chiefly situated on the left side of 
the body. Ihave been disposed to fancy that very 
great derangements must ensue in this system, 
were those functions exercised by the left hand, 
which are now daily and hourly referred to the 
right hand. It may indeed be asked, whether the 
sledge hammer, wielded by the hands of the smith 
or mason, or any other exercise of force or rapid 
motion, might not ultimately and materially affect 
those internal parts on which the health and safety 
of the whole body depends; while, at the same 
time, such operations on the right side might rather 
