2** S. IX. May 26. '60.] 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



405 



work on the difficulties of the Dutch language by 

 Huydecoper, published about the end of the last 

 century. F. 



[We find no record of any original work by Huyde- | 

 coper answering this description. He published, how- 

 ever, at Leyden, in 3 volumes 4to. 1772, an edition of 

 Melis Stokes' Bijmlirovijk, which is probably the work for j 

 which our correspondent makes inquiry. This edition not j 

 only offers a full explanation of the old "Krouijk," but 

 affords a valuable introduction to the Dutch language: J 

 "die griindlichste Aiileitung zum tiefern Eindringen in 

 den Geist der hollandischen Spraclie." — AUg. Eneytt.] 



JUDGES' BLACK CAP. 

 (2 nd S. ix. 132.) 



This cap is called " The Judgment Cap," and is 

 assumed on very solemn occasions, of which the 

 passing of sentence of death is one. 



When, on the 9th of November, the Lord 

 Mayor is presented in the Court of Exchequer 

 by the Recorder, as soon as the Lord Mayor 

 comes into the court, all the four learned barons 

 put on their black caps, and keep them on all the 

 time the Lord Mayor stays. The Lord Mayor, 

 when he has advanced to the bar of the court, 

 puts on his triangular, feathered, edged hat, and 

 the Recorder presents him in a highly compli- 

 mentary speech, which, having been replied to by 

 the Lord Chief Baron in an address equally com- 

 plimentary, the civic procession departs. 



Before the abolition of fines and recoveries, re- 

 coveries were sometimes suffered (as it was called) 

 at the bar of the Common Pleas. I was ojjee pre- 

 sent when this occurred, about thirty-five years 

 ago. In the middle of the day the business was 

 suddenly stopped, and the door at the back of 

 the seats occupied by the learned Serjeants was 

 ed, and the middle of the seats turned up to 

 allow a passage to the bar of the court. The 

 jddges all put on their black caps, and all the 

 ants rose. Mr. Boodle, the eminent convey- 

 ancer, and his son Mr. Boodle the barrister, ad- 

 vanced to the bar with three bows ; the latter 

 not being robed as barristers did not then plead 

 in that court. Tin: following dialogue then oc- 

 curred : — 



"Mr. Strjcuut Vaugkatu John Thomas, Esq., complains 

 .ard boodle the elder, Esq., and Edward Boodle the 

 younger, E.-q., for that they nave disseised him of 100 

 uages, 100 gardens, 10,000 acres of land (enumer- 

 ating an immense property situated in a great number of 

 places), which they have after Hugh Hunt (an ima- 

 ginary person), and he prays Judgment, 



"Mr. Serjeant Pell. Edward Boodle the elder, Esq., 

 and Edward Boodle tin; younger, !'>q., come in their 

 own proper p i '-us, ;i :'i defend the force and injury, and 

 vouch to warranty George Earl of Winchelsea, and pray 

 that the demandant may count against him. 



"Mr. Serjeant Vamjhan. The like, changing what 

 ought to be changed. 



"Mr. Serjeant Taddy. George Earl of Winchelsea 

 comes and defends the force and injury, and vouches to 

 warranty the common vouchee (an oilicer of the court), 

 and prays that the demandant may count against him. 



"Lord Chief Justice Best. Brother Taddy, you should 

 not call him common vouchee, but call him by his proper 

 name. 



"Mr. Serjeant Taddy. George Humphry?, my lord. 



" Mr. Serjeant Vaughan. The like, changing what ought 

 to be changed. 



"Mr. Serjeant D'Oyly. George Humphrys craves leave 

 to imparl. 



"Lord Chief Justice Best. Let it be so." 



The Messrs. Boodle than retired from the bar 

 with three bows, which were acknowledged by the 

 judges, who took oil" their black caps, and the 

 ordinary business of the court was resumed. 



The object of this ceremonial probably was to 

 resettle some estates on the marriage of some 

 member of the nobleman's family who is here 

 mentioned. 



I strongly incline to think that the use of the 

 judgment cap was not restricted to the judges, as 

 at the last of Her Majesty's levees in 1859 I saw 

 Mr. Serjeant Payne carrying a cap of this kind in 

 his hand; and the "learned and judicious" Hooker, 

 who was a clergyman, is represented on his monu- 

 ment as wearing one of these caps. \ 



P. A, Carrington. 



Ogboume St. George. 



CARNIVAL AT MILAN. 



(2 nd S. ix. 197. 312.) 



The answers of your correspondents require, I 

 think, a little rectification. Mr. Buckton omits 

 to notice the manner in which the Milanese, 

 down to St. Ambrose's time, supplied the full 

 number of thirty-six fasting days, in consequence 

 of the Saturdays during Quadragesima being ex- 

 empt from the fast. It is to be remarked that 

 considerable difference prevailed in the various 

 portions of Christendom as to the number of 

 fasting days during Quadragesima proper. This, 

 beginning with the first Sunday of Lent, con- 

 tained of course forty-two days, which, as St. 

 Ambrose observes, corresponded with the forty- 

 two stations of the Israelites between Egypt and 

 the promised land. This, however, indicated the 

 season only, not the number of fasting days. The 

 Sundays were universally excepted from the fast, 

 though not from abstinence from flesh meat ; and 

 thus the number of fasting days wa8 reduced to 

 thirtytsix, which, as St. Groovy remarks, was 

 the tithe of (lie year. The Oriental church de- 

 ducted the Saturdays also; and to this custom the 

 primitive church of Milan adhered, differing in 

 this respect from the quadragesimal observance at 

 Borne. In order, however, to pay the full tithe — 

 a fast of thirty-six days — the Greeks consecrated 

 seven, instead of six weeks, to the penitential ob- 



