2»<> S. VI. 144., Oct. 2. '58.] 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



269 



dencG. We find traces of this connexion in Med.-Latin. 

 Thus rnmagium was a pilgrimage to Kome (Ital. romeag- 

 gio). The pilgrim himself was called romius, i-oumius, 

 romeiis (Ital. romeo). In Spanish and Portuguese we 

 come still nearer to"roamer." In Sp. a pilgrimage is 

 rnnicria, "so called because pilgrimages are principiilly 

 made to Rome" ("Dixose assi, porque las principales se 

 hacen k Koma ") ; and in the same language we find 

 romero ni., romera f., a pilgrim. The corresponding words 

 in Port, are romaria, romeiro m., romeira f. Romaria, 

 says Blu-teau, is " so called from Rome. For we say not 

 Jeiusalemaria, nor Santiagueria, but Romaria par excel- 

 lence, because of the jubilees which the popes have 

 conceded at Rome." And again, on romeiro. the same ad- 

 mirable lexicographer says, " derived from Roma, because 

 the most usual pilgrimage was to the sacred relies of S. 

 Peter and .S. Paulat Rome." It may be added that the 

 words which we have now enumerated (romeria, romero, 

 Sec.) came in due time to signify ani/ pilgrimage or pil- 

 grim, whether to Rome or elsewhere. " Nee tantum qui 

 Roraam peregrinationes instituunt, sed quivis peregrini ita 

 appellati." So also in old French, roumieux, "quod de 

 quibiisdam peregrinis intelligunt." It should also be borne 

 in mind that some of these roumiexv, romeros, or romeos 

 made a succession of pilgrimages, wandering tirst to one 

 "holy place," then to another; a rambling life, which 

 brings us so much the nearer to roatning. These frequent 

 pilgrimages, in fact, led occasionally to habits of actual 

 vagrancy, not at all tending to edification. Hence the 

 couplet — 



" Qui varia invisit peregrinus limina tcmpli 

 Innocuus vita, cum vagus est? Mininiel" 



Hence also the Sp. proverb, " Quien muchas romerias 

 anda, tarde 6 nunca se santifica." (" He that on pil- 

 grimages goetli ever becometh holy late or never: a 

 proverb which teaches ns not to go rambling from place 

 to place.") "Refran que aconseja que no se ande vagando 

 de una parte a otra." Thus the ronuro became a mere 

 roamcr. Taking .all these circumstances into consider- 

 ation, may we not fairly trace to " Roma," through 



romaria, romero, &c. our English roamer and roam? 



Saunter has been derived, not only from Sainte Terre, but 

 from saws terre. Both derivations are plausible ; but at 

 pre.sent we have nothing in support of either one or the 

 other, beyond the similarity of sound. " Sauuterer " ap- 

 pears to bear the same relation to the Sp. santero, as 

 "roamer" to romero. Santero is, 1. a hermit; 2. one who 

 is agent to a hermit, i.e. the person who lives with him, 

 and "goes about questing for his chapel " (Pineda) ; 3. any 

 one who goes about begging for the Church. May we 

 not, then, connect " saunterer" with santero, as well as 

 " roamer" with romero ?] 



Coiv and Snuffers. — About seven years ago I 



£ asset! an inn close by Llandafl' with this sign. 

 lesifles the above-mentioned words there was a 

 fiirure of a cow and also of a pair of snuffers (I 

 think in a candlestick). Can any of your readers 

 explain its origin and import. D. R. T. 



[ Unless it relates to some local legend, best known to 

 those who dwell on the spot, the sign of " The Cow .and 

 Snuffers " may perhaps be explained on much the same 

 principle as the signs recentlv noticed in " N. & Q." 2"'' 

 8. vi. 238., viz. "The Cow and Skittles," and "The Salu- 

 tation and Cat;" "The Cow" and "The Salutation" 

 being the signs, properly so speaking, of the respective 

 houftes, while the adjuncts, skittles in the one instance, 

 and cat (or trap and bat) in the other, were games pro- 

 vided for the guests. So "The Red Lion and Rail " (Red 

 Lion Street) ; " The Red Lion " being the sign, ball the 



game provided. To this class belong "The Eagle Inn 

 ajid Bowling Green " (Manchester), "The Horseshoe and 

 Bowling Green" (Manchester), .and "The Bath Hotel and 

 Cricket Cluh-Hoiise" (Newcastle). There are, however, 

 others of these double signs, where the second item 

 conveys an intimation, not of games, but of creature- 

 comforts. Such are "The Cock and Bottle" (Strand, 

 Ilemel Hempstead, &c.), "The Swan and Bottle" {V^- 

 bridge), "The Crown and Can" (St. John Street), "The 

 Magpie and Pewter Flatter" {Wood Street), "The Bear 

 and Rummer" (INIortimer Street), "The Ship and Punch 

 Bowl" (Wapping), "The Rose and Punch Boicl" (Red- 

 man's Row), &c., each of which speaks for itself; good 

 punch, good beer, good fare, good wine, at the respective 

 houses. Now, may we not place by the side of these last 

 the sign of " The Cow and Snuffers," as intimating that 

 at " The Cow " there was good accommodation for the 

 night? The snuffers, according to D. R. T.'s recollections, 

 were in the candlestick. It was, then, a flat candlestick ; 

 not a pillar candlestick, but a chamber candlestick. Such 

 a candlestick, with the candle alight, would be handed, 

 we may suppose, to the traveller when he retired to rest; 

 while the accompanying snuffers symbolise the accom- 

 panving admonition of the chambermaid when she hands 

 the light, " Please to put it out. Sir." What is this, in 

 plain English, but "Good Beds?" "The Swan and 

 Bottle," good liquor at "The Swan;" "The Cow and 

 Snuffers," good beds at " The Cow." Snuffers appear to 

 have been used in this country long before extinguishers 

 were known. The sign of " The Cow and Snuffers," seen 

 by D. R. T. hard by Llandaff, is also commemorated in 

 George Colraan's musical farce, The Review, or the Wags 

 of Windsor, Act II. Sc. 1,, where Looney Mactwolter falls 

 in love with Judy O'Flannikin : — 



" Judy's a darling ; my kisses she suffers ; 



She's an heiress, that's clear. 



For her father sells beer; 

 He keeps the sign of the Cow and the Snuffers." 

 There are other inn-signs, besides those now enumerated, 

 which combine what are appar-ently very incongruous 

 objects, such as " The Goat and Compasses," "The Apple- 

 Tree and Mitre," "The Pig and Whistle;" but these be- 

 long to a different category.] 



Comet, a Game. — What was the game of comet, 

 which Dodington alludes to in his Diary as having 

 been played in his time? In Oct. 1752 he waits 

 upon the Princess of Wales at Kew. "AYe walked 

 in the afternoon till it was dark. As we came in, 

 she said that she had a petition from the Prince, 

 that we would pZa^? at comet, of which he was very 

 fond " (p. 141.). A few days afterwards he visits 

 the Princess at Kew. " As soon as dinner was 

 over, she sent for me, and we sat down to comet. 

 AVe rose from play about nine ; the royal children 

 retired, and the Princess called me, &c." (p. 142.). 



L. 



[This is a French game at cards, and is .also noticed in 

 Southerne's comedy. The Raid's Last Prai/er, 1G93, Act 

 in. Sc. 1. : — 



" Wishwell. To my knowledge you have won above 

 COO/, of her at comet. 



" Lady Malepert. Not so much at comet, but more at 

 .all games." 



The game of cometc or manille was played by any number 

 of persons not exceeding five. It very nearly resembles 

 the modern game of speculation. For the rules and mode 

 of playing, see Diderot and D'Alcmbert'a Encyclopedic, 

 art. Co.MiiTE.] 



