438 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



[2°4 S. VI. 152., Nov. 27. '58. 



At p. 98., too, Neckam tells us: — 

 ■ " In dispensa, sive in dispensatoiio, a pertica propter 

 insidias murium vestes apte dependeant." 



The staff, then, which Johan sought was a rod 

 or pertica, on which dresses, napkins, towels, &c. 

 were hung to keep them from mice. E. G. R. 



MY LADT MOON. 



(■2"'» S. vi. 90.) 



In the absence of any English account of My 

 Lady Moon, I offer an Italian one : — 

 " Tre di suonaro a festa le campane : 

 Ed altretanti si bandi il lavoi'o : 

 E il suocero, che nieglio era del pane, 

 Un' uom discrete, ed una coppa d' oro, 

 ^ace^'a con gli Sposi a Scaldamone, 

 Talora a Mona Luna, e guancie d' oro." 

 Lippi, // MalmantUe Racquistato, c. ii. St. 45. 



On this Minucci has the following note : — 

 " Mona Luna : S' accordano molti fanciulli, e tirano le 

 sorti a chi di loro abbia a doraandar consiglio a Mona 

 Luna ; e quello, a cui tocca, vicn segregato dalla conver- 

 sazioni, e serrato in una stanza ; acciocchfe uon possa in- 

 tendere chi sia quello di loro, che resti eletto in Mona 

 Luna; d^la qual Mona Luna si fa 1' elezione fra li altri 

 che restano, doppochfe colui fe serrato. Eletta che e Mona 

 Luna, si mettono tutti a sedere in fila, e chiaraouo colui, 

 che k serrato, acciochfe venga a domandare il consiglio a 

 Mona Luna. Questo tale se ne viene, e domanda il con- 

 siglio a uno di quel ragazzi, quale egli crede, che sia stato 

 in Mona Luna ; e si s' abbatte a trovarlo ha vinto ; se no ; 

 quel tale a qui ha domandato il consiglio, gli responde : ' lo 

 non sono Mona Luna, ma sta piu giii, o piusu,' secondochi; 

 veramente fe poslo quel tale, chfe e Mona Luna; e il do- 

 mandante perde il premio proposto ; ed h di nuovo riser- 

 rato nella stanza per tanto, che da' fanciulli si creata 

 un' altra Mona Luna, alia quale egli torna a domandar 

 consiglio; e cosi seguita fino a che una volta s' apponga, 

 ed allora vince ; e quello, chfe e Mona Luna, perde il 

 premio, e vien riserrato nella stanza, diventando colui che 

 dee domandare ; e quello che s' appose, s' intruppa fra gli 

 altri ragazzi. 11 domandante richiede iino a quattro volte 

 il consiglio, e puo perdere quattro premii ; e poi si mes- 

 cola fra gli altri ragazzi ; esente per6 da dover piii essere 

 domandante, se non nel caso che fatto Mona Luna, egli 

 perdesse ; e sempre si torna a creare nuova Mona Luna, 

 e si deputo nuovo domandante, quando il primo s' apponga 

 abbia domandato quattro volte il consiglio ; la qual fun- 

 zione, come e detto, non puo essere forzato a fare, se non 

 quattro volte ; ed i premii si adunano e si distribuiscono 

 poi fra di loro ripartitamente ; e dal rendergli poi a di 

 che somo, cavano un alto passatempo, como diremo. Da 

 questo giuoco viene il proverbio Piu su sta Mona Luna, 

 che signiflca : Nella tal cosa fe misterio piii importante, di 

 quel che altri si pensa." — Ed. Firenze, 1731, i. 177. 



" The Christmas Holidays " is not in Poems on 

 various Subjects, by Miss Jane Cave, now Mrs. 

 W., pp. 128., Bristol, 1786, nor in the 2nd edit. 

 pp. 190., Shrewsbury, 1789. Perhaps R. M. G. 

 will state whether "now Mrs. W." follows the 

 name of Miss Cave. If not, we may conclude 

 that there were two poetesses of that name, as 

 Miss Jane must have been Mrs. W. at least three 

 years in 1789. H. B. C. 



U. U. Club. 



THE GENEALOGICAL SUGGESTION. 



(2"^ S. vi. 307. 378.) 



I am glad to find my suggestion meets the ap- 

 proval of M.D., and of Messrs. Garstin, Pea- 

 cock, and Langmeade, and regret that our 

 worthy Editor entertains " misgivings " as to the 

 practicability of the plan proposed. 



Mr. Garstin asks for a transcript of Harl. 

 MS. No. 1437, fol. 94., which folio, owin^ to the 

 new numeration of the MSS., it appears is blank, 

 and this is the only suggestion of an objection ; 

 but why should this be an objection ? If Mr. 

 Garstin were to state, as he would in future do, 

 the subject of the paper or the point required, or 

 the name of the MS., a searcher would at the 

 most have to scrutinise three or four pages back- 

 ward and forward from folio 94., which amount of 

 trouble is but slight, and which of course Mr. 

 Garstin would be happy to undertake for the 

 same person requiring extracts from Dublin MS. 

 or libraries, &c. in return. But it is not so much 

 public libraries and record offices in great towns I 

 allude to, as parish-registers, cathedral libraries, 

 registry or will- offices, where are wills, act 

 books containing grants of marriage licences, ab- 

 stracts of parish-registers, &c., and church title- 

 deeds, &c. ; and Mr. Editor's objection is cancelled 

 by his suggestion, where he says, "We would 

 suggest for the consideration of our numerous 

 correspondents upon this subject, whether a list of 

 the names and residences of persons having the 

 entree to libraries, public or otherwise, record and 

 other offices, who are willing to furnish extracts 

 for a consideration, would not be a more acceptable 

 offering to the bulk of our readers." No, Mr. 

 Editor, not a more acceptable offering ; for there 

 are not in every parish, in every cathedral town, 

 or even in every public library, persons who make 

 this a business, and who would furnish e.xtracts 

 for a consideration, — hence the chief benefit of 

 my suggestion would be lost ; but there are to be 

 found in all places throughout Britain gentlemen 

 who would gladly furnish extracts or assist in any 

 way, either from love of the gentle science, or in 

 the hope of obtaining from other places informa- 

 tion they may require. Such would scout the 

 idea of payment. 



Such a list as that proposed by you, Mr. Edi- ' 

 tor, would be a most acceptable addition, but not a 

 substitute ; but, as in the multitude of counsel- 

 lors is much wisdom, let us see if we cannot, as 

 from your suggestion, select from the number of j 

 your correspondents and their suggestions a little ( 

 moi'e wisdom — something worthy consideration. 



Mr. Garstin's imaginary form is excellent, 

 and I am inclined to think with him, that the pri- 

 vate intercommunication sheet should only be 

 open to subscribers ; but the question is, how is 

 the publisher to know who is a subscriber and 



