DUCHESSE D'ABRANTES. (3rd S. viii. 28, 78.) Marie-Louise-Léonie, duchesse d'Abrantès exLady of Honour to H.I.H. the Princess MarieClotilde, is the widow of Adolphe-Alfred-Michel, duke d'Abrantès, youngest son of Marshal Andoche Junot, first duke, and of Laura de Permon, the authoress of the piquant and amusing, but often untruthful Memoirs of herself, who died in great distress during the year 1838, leaving two daughters named Joséphine and Constance; the first of which, who now and then styles herself Duchesse d'Abrantès without any right, as I am officially informed from Paris, was married to M. James Amet; and the second, known in the literary world under the name of Constance Aubert, to M. N. Aubert; and two sons, Napoléon, and Adolphe, the husband of the present duchess, who died both a few years ago childless, consequently the title is now extinct. Démétrius Comnenus, or rather Démétrius Stephanopoulos, a captain in the French army, a Greek by birth, and maternal uncle to Laura, first Duchess of Abrantès pretended, on the authority of some insignificant and valueless birth and marriage certificates, written in very bad modern Greek, and pompously called authentic documents, to be descended from Nicephorus, one of the sons of the last Greek Emperor of Trebisond, David Comnenus, whose life, according to him, was spared by Mohammed, and who took refuge in Maina of Peloponnesus; whence his descendants, called no more Comneni but Stephanopouli, with three thousand followers, came to Genoa during the 1676, and thence to Corsica, where they remained until the present century. One of these emigrants, named Kalómeros, is said to be the founder of the Buonaparte family. year The parentage and name, to the surprise of every one acquainted with Byzantine history, and in a position to examine critically the assertions of the pretender, were recognised in 1782 by letters patent of Louis XVI. King of France, who however did not allow him the right to use the title of Prince. Fallmerayer, in his standard work Geschichte des Kaiserthums von Trapezunt, says that the claims of Démétrius Stephanopoulos will hardly stand a critical examination, notwithstanding many socalled authentic documents, which he published in a rather curious and very rare work, entitled "Précis historique de la maison Impériale des Comnènes, ou l'on trouve l'origine, les mœurs, et les usages des Maniotes; précedé d'une filiation directe et reconnue par Lettres Patentes du Roi, du mois d'Avril 1782, depuis David, dernier Empereur de Trebisonde jusqu'à Démétrius Commène, actuellement Capitaine de Cavalerie en France; à Amsterdam, 1784, in 8o." If your learned correspondent, HISTORICUS, will read this pamphlet, he will come to the same con clusion as Fallmerayer, who considers the pretensions of Laura d'Abrantès and of her uncle Captain Démétrius to be descended from the ancient House of Comnène imaginary, and without the least foundation. It is true their ancestors came from Greece, as the name of Stephanopoulos (son of Stephen) shows; but it does not follow that they were of imperial blood. blesse de France, a book of authority, edited yearly It may be noted that the Annuaire de la Noby the well-known archivist and palæograph, M. Borel d'Hauterive, and similar to Burke's English Peerage, in the historical and genealogical notice of the ducal house of Abrantès, says "Il (Andoche Junot) avait épousé Laure de Permon, connue sous le nom de Madame d'Abrantès, rejeton d'une famille de Languedoc," without making any mention whatever of the imperial house of Commène. Adolphe-Alfred-Michel Junot, third and last Duke d'Abrantès, when married in 1853 (Jan. 10) to Marie-Louise-Léonie, the present duchess, was the widower of Marie-Céline-Elise, daughter of Baron Lepic, whom he married in 1845 (April 2), and who died in 1847 (June 6). RHODOCANAKIS. Higher Broughton. NURSERY RHYME. (3rd S. vii. 462.) From the quotation you have given of this piece of rhyming, your readers will probably preHaving lately met with what I suppose to be the sume that the two verses comprise the whole of it. real original of the song, I enclose a copy of it, as perhaps not even the authority you quote (MR. HALLIWELL) may be aware of it. There is no prefix to the lines. The reference to a former volume of "N. & Q." furnishes only the first verse: "The queen of hearts, He stole those tarts, Call'd for those tarts, Brought back those tarts, "The king of spades He kiss'd the maids, Which vex'd the queen full sore; She beat those maids, The queen so gent She did relent, And vow'd she'd ne'er strike more. "The king of clubs He often drubs His loving queen and wife, And all is noise and strife: The knave of clubs And swears he'll take her part; Will do such things, I fain would sing, Must needs step in between. European Magazine, 1782, vol. i. p. 252. WYATT PAPWORTH. CHASSEURS. (3rd S. viii. 86.) The Chasseurs Britanniques were raised originally from amongst the French emigrés, and subsequently recruited from prisoners, deserters, &c., without much inquiry about their country or political leanings. The regiment did good service in the early part of the Peninsular War, especially at Fuentes d'Onoro. They were riflemen, and, I believe, dressed and equipped like the Rifle Brigade, with black facings. The York Chasseurs were dressed and equipped like the 60th Rifles, with red facings, and were raised for service in the West Indies. There were many foreigners, principally Germans, in the ranks, deserters, prisoners, &c., who had no wish to be recaptured, and were glad to serve out of Europe. The native element was originally not of a high standard, but as it was eliminated or improved, the regiment was renamed "Royal York Rangers," and became a very efficient and well-conducted corps. An old general, long since dead, told me that when a captain in 1794, he raised men for a majority, and then offered for general service to get his lieutenant-colonelcy. "And they took me at my word, and gave me the 'Royal Africans'! A precious time I had with them for the next two or three years on the coast of Africa! They were the sweepings of every parade in England, for when a man was sentenced to be flogged he was offered the alternative of volunteering for the Royal Africans, and he generally came to me. They were not a bad set of fellows when there was anything to be done, but with nothing to do they were devils incarnate." The York Chasseurs were originally raised in a similar manner, but after recruiting of this description was stopped, the regiment was started afresh as "Royal York Rangers," and became, as I have already remarked, a well-conducted and efficient corps. SIGNET. Chasseurs Brittaniques, or "Independent Foreigners," were employed on the coast of America in the war of 1813-14, on board the fleet under Admiral Sir T. Hardy (Ramillies, 74, flag-ship), which blockaded the northerly ports of the republic. They were chiefly deserters and refugees from the French and other continental armies. They made several descents on the coasts, on which desultory operations from the fleet were of frequent occurrence: such as storming of batteries, cutting out, capture of merchandise, &c. Complaints were made to the British government of their behaving with rather unwonted severity to the inhabitants on the American seaboard, and to the females. I believe they were not employed again on that service, but sent away elsewhere in consequence, from the coast. At a place called Craney Island, where our seamen were repulsed by the precision of the batteries on shore, they appear to have come rather to grief, not being able to land from their boats by reason of the shallowness of the water and the deep mud. There were more corps than one of York Chasseurs and Rangers. RED FACINGS. (3rd S. viii. 69.) BREVIS. George Colman's witticism on the facings of a volunteer corps is well known, where he speaks of "Lieutenant Grains the brewer, in a smart scarlet jacket, tastily turned up with a rhubarb coloured lapel." (Poor Gentleman). Some persons have absurdly conjectured that the regiments bearing scarlet facings have for some misconduct before the enemy or otherwise, been deprived of their original facings as a disgrace. "Facings," says James, in his Military Dictionary, "signify the lappels, cuffs, and collar of a military uniform, and are generally different from the colour of the coat or jacket." These facings originated with the regiments clothed in red having a lining of serge of different colours, which being turned over at the collar, lapels, and cuffs, formed the facings. The 33rd, 53rd, 60th, and 76th, are, I think, the regiments of regular infantry having scarlet facings. To these may be added the Sussex militia, when commanded by Charles, third Duke of Richmond, but which being since a royal regiment has now blue facings. The 56th foot, styled the Pompadour regiment, raised in 1755, has a facing of a reddish blue; but whether it is named from that colour, or from the Marquise de Pompadour, is not certain. The 97th regiment has also a French grey, or very light sky blue. In the Light Dragoons there was a regiment raised by General Russell Manners (the 26th) which had facings of blue, the identical colour of the regimental jacket, and which is the only regiment so distinguished. The regiments connected with the county of Kent had facings of grey or sky-blue, such as the New Romney Fencible Light Dragoons ("N. & Q." 2nd S. xii. 305), and the East and West Kent militia regiments, whose facings are styled in the Army List, Kentish grey. Of all the different coloured facings of the regiments of Regular British Infantry, yellow is by far the most predominant, it being borne by about one-third of the whole number. It has a clean cheerful appearance, and is not liable to fade even to the last. When soldiers are viewed either individually or collectively, they have always a neat and even elegant appearance. PRO ORNAMENTO. Red facings were formerly worn by all regiments in British pay (if I may so speak) for no collars were in use on the military coats-that is, the coat coming close up to the neck, and a cravat or neck-tie was worn, and never were a mark of disgrace. In fact no facings at all prevailed in the British forces till a later period, and any one looking at the prints of Marlborough's campaigns, of Dettingen, Culloden, Minden, or Quebec, will remark no facings at all as prevalent, only rather extensive cuffs; e. g. look at Gen. Wolfe's statue (Quebec) in Palace Street. The 41st Regiment, in which the sire of the present correspondent was a field officer for many years, and in which he fell in action in 1813 at Fort Sandusky, in Ohio, America, never had other than red facing till of late years; now they are white. The corps is metamorphosed into the Welsh regiment of foot, with the Prince of Wales's plume. Instead of being disgraced, the corps was for a long time known as the "41st Invalids," and as such appears on most of the old Army Lists. In the era of George II. they distinguished themselves in Germany, and were long known as "Wardour's Regiment.' The Gent. and London Magazines may be consulted thereon. In America in 1812-15 they greatly distinguished themselves at Queenstown and Detroit under Sir Isaac Brock, and subsequently at the Raisin and Miami, and capture of Fort Niagara (by their flank companies). Red breeches and white linen gaiters above the knee prevailed in the army in Germany, Flanders, at Culloden, Quebec, the Seven Years' War, &c. The 34th had light or yellow cuffs and spatterdashes or gaiters, as will be seen by the engraving in their Regimental Record. Gen. Wolfe invented a plan to save the clothing, which was a working dress for the private men composed of a red gilet or jacket with sleeves, over which the red coat (of course without sleeves) was slipped on when on parade or on active service, but not at other times. BREVIS. KEMBLE'S "ODE ON THE AMERICAN WAR (3rd S. viii. 48.)-Perhaps no books are less trustworthy than those composed of Green-room gossip. Take half-a-dozen, and you will find the same story, with large or small variations, told of half-adozen actors. Sometimes, as in the present case, there is an outlying bit of truth. John Kemble did not write, but recited the ode, which is preserved in Poems chiefly by Gentlemen of Devonshire and Cornwall, 2 vols. Bath, 1792. It is entitled "Manchester, an Ode." A note says: "This ode was written to promote the spirit that, in the author's opinion, so gloriously displayed itself in the town on receiving authentic intelligence of General Burgoyne's defeat by the American rebels. A resolution was formed to raise a regiment for the crown at the expense of the town and neighbourhood," &c. "Among other expedients used to excite and diffuse a proper spirit, was the present ode; which was spoken in the playhouse by Mr. Kemble, now manager of Drury Lane Theatre, and then an actor of considerable eminence in the town." (Vol. ii. p. 74.) The ode contains eight stanzas. One will suffice as a sample, and I choose the third, because the author, the Rev. John Whitaker, rector of Ruan Lanihorne, repeats it as the eighth, for which reason I infer that he thought it the best: "But Britain, in this race of fame, Which of thy daughter-towns may claim "Twas Manchester that waked the British soul." I saw John Kemble in Cato. Though very young then, my memory as to how he did it is still fresh, and I left the theatre with the impression that I had seen, not only a great actor, but a good play. So I have no difficulty in believing that, when recited by him, the Ode passed for poetry. FITZHOPKINS. Garrick Club. HOUSEHOLD TALES (3rd S. viii. 82.)-The story which MR. BARING-GOULD relates under the title of "The Rose Tree," is evidently a variety of the fiction called "Orange and Lemon," which is, I believe, very popular in Lincolnshire nurseries. The version which my fickle memory best retains gives a daughter named Orange to the cruel stepmother of little Lemon, and the boy her brother. The dreadful supper having been served up to the father, the boy buries his sister's remains, and the song of the bird is as follows: "My mother killed me, My father picked my bones, As a child this story used to make my flesh creep, and I am therefore surprised that I have only such a misty recollection of it. I know I always thought that the — "Here comes the candle to light you to bed, And here comes the hatchet to chop off your head," with which we supplemented the song "Oranges and lemons, said the bells of St. Clement's," (in the game called Oranges and Lemons), had reference to the shocking tragedy in the nursery tale. ST. SWITHIN. ENIGMA (3rd S. vi. 497.) — The answer to the enigma beginning "Himself he stood beside himself," is "a Neddy and an eddy." There is a solution in rhyme, but I am not in a position to quote it. I wish some one would unriddle the other curiosity set forth (3rd S. vi. 497), "Man cannot live without my first." ST. SWITHIN. SECOND SIGHT (3rd S. viii. 65, 111.) The occurrence related by me under the above heading may not be strictly what is understood by second sight; and I am not anxious that it should be so: but I think it still deserves to be treated with some respect, and not put off as an ordinary incident, such as may have happened to any of us. J. B. misrepresents my statement. When I said that of the facts there could be no doubt, I did not mean to assert that the shepherd really saw Mr. Austin walking in the garden; but that he did relate the vision, did believe firmly that he saw it, and did not invent a story to impose upon others. J. B. passes over the most remarkable fact of the case. Any of us may at some time have mistaken a tree for a man, or a shaken bough for a moving garment; but John's vision was followed immediately by the arrival of a messenger, announcing that the very man, whom he had just declared that he had seen in the garden, was lying on his death-bed, several miles off. This coincidence was very striking; and when coupled with the fact that the dying man had long laboured in vain to bring poor John to a sense of religion, may very rationally be considered as a last admonition to the old shepherd. And when, very shortly after, he was suddenly called out of life without repentance, it was the conclusion, I know, of grave and sensible persons at the time, that it was a supernatural warning: and I must say that I prefer their judgment to the mere animal ideas of an ignorant sensualist such as the old shepherd was. F. C. H. WRITTEN ROCKS (3rd S. viii. 88.)-Mr. G. Tate, F.G.S., of Alnwick, Northumberland, has lately published a book containing all that is known with respect to the above rocks in this neighbourhood. The book is entitled The Sculptured Rocks of Northumberland. WM. LYALL. Newcastle-upon-Tyne. BARKLEY inquires are probably those called HelThe Written Rocks respecting which C. W. beck-Scar, near Brampton in Cumberland, described by Camden, who gives a view of the rocks and a reading of the inscription, and also mentions similar inscriptions on native rocks at Crawdundale, near Kirkby Thor in Westmoreland. These remains are also treated of by Horsley, and the Archeologia (date 1766) as existing at Shawk, in the county histories. Another is described in near to Rose Castle, the seat of the Bishop of Carlisle. A. C. G. Bebington. DODD FAMILY (3rd S. viii. 87.) — The name of this family seems derived from the old English or Celtic word dodd a rush, or flag. (See Camden's Remaines, &c.) BREVIS. CURE AND PREVENTION OF TOOTHACHE (3rd S. vii. 433.)—I had heard of many curious cures for the toothache, but that quoted I had never heard. The following perhaps is as curious, and I have actually known it to have been practised in one instance in Dublin. I may remark the operation was not successful. The person affected was to proceed, at an early hour in the morning, to some graveyard, and procure a sharp pointed piece of wood, a skewer, and with the aching tooth push it into a newly covered grave, and the pain would cease. I could not learn the origin of this piece of foolery. S. REDMOND. Liverpool. BOTELER OF WEMME (3rd S. viii. 47.) — The Lordship of Wemme came into the family of Boteler by the marriage of Ralph Boteler with Maud, the daughter and heir of William Pantulf. William Boteler, described by MR. DORSEY as the first Lord Boteler of Wem, was the issue of this marriage. His ancestors on the father's side are to be found in the line of the baronial house of Boteler of Oversley, those on the mother's side in that of Pantulf. P. S. C. CUBAN USE OF SPANISH WORDS (3rd S. viii. 28, 99.)-I am able to explain some of the Spanish expressions which COLON Y Luco failed to find in his dictionaries. Aguijones con casquillos de hierro, goads with iron heads; used instead of the common goad armed with a nail, when extraordinary exertion is required of the plough oxen, especially on the periodical renewal of the sugar plantations. Agujas salmeras (is not jalmeras an error ?), large packing-needles used for sewing the bags in which the raw sugar is brought to market, and for tying the petacas or baskets in which the sugar is carried from place to place on the plantation. Alcayatas, nails or pins. Aretes, hoops of a butt or barrel. Arcilla, clay used for the construction of the moulds for the loaves of sugar, and also in the process of refining. When the sugar in the mould is perfectly cool, a layer of finely-powdered clay is spread upon it, and covered with water; the impurities of the sugar are carried away by the gradual percolation of the water. Balometros (=barometros ?), barometers. Barrenas llamadas pasadoras, augurs, called by sailors "fids," used to open the strands of ropes which are to be spliced together. Catres de madera con tijera, field-beds, supported like camp-stools by two pairs of cross-beams. The name con tijera is taken from the motion of the cross-beams, like that of scissors. Fallebas, iron bars or other instrument to fasten doors and windows. Gatos o liones de hierro, jack-screws. Hacha de viento, a flambeau or torch. Escantillones, the verb escantillar means to trace lines on walls; escantillones, therefore, are probably the instrument used for doing this. Hibillones con sus pasadores, buckles covered with a brooch or ornament. Huacal, crate for crockery or fruit. Machiembrados: Machihembrar means to dovetail wood. Jeringas de candelero, syringes. I suspect that many of the words in your correspondent's list are wrongly spelt; others seem to be Indian words, or expressions used perhaps only on one plantation. The whole catalogue looks as if taken from a list of pedidos or necessaries, for which some farmer of the back settlements of Cuba or South America has sent to his agent in Europe. Many have no particular connection with the sugar manufacture. A. DE R. Pastrano. 66 Hieroglyphics in the Pastorean style" would be a translation. Pastrano means belonging to Pastrana in Guadalajara, and a Spaniard would write the word with a small p. It has evident allusion to some well-known story. U. O. N. Westminster Club. PHAER'S "NEID OF VIRGIL" (3rd S. viii. 46.) Your correspondent O. T. D., writing on Phaer's Eneid of Virgil, cannot make out the two words periculum karmerdini, which occur in a memo randum appended to the fifth book. I believe the meaning is simply that, on his way down to Kilgerran, in Pembrokeshire, Phaer had incurred some danger (the nature of which we cannot ascertain) whilst passing through the town of Caermarthen,-may be in crossing the river Towy there. Caermarthen, in Latin, is Maridunum; and in Welsh, Caerfyrddyn. We find the word distorted into all sorts of forms by old English writers. K. B. ORIGIN OF THE NAME THODAY (3rd S. vii. 115.) In 1311, 5 Edw. II., Roger, son of Elias Thodey, granted to the prior and convent of St. Neots the wood called "Thodey Wood," in Wiboldistona hamlet of the parish of Caton Sour, in which the name Thodey still lingers. By another charter (cir. 1230), Christiana, daughter of William Hodierna, granted lands to the same priory. JOSEPH RIX, M.D. St. Neots. "TROIS SAINTS DE GLACE" (3rd S. viii. 88.) — I am not myself aware of any English tradition respecting the "marked depression of temperature" to be expected on the days of SS. Mamertus, Pancratius, and Servatus (11th, 12th, and 13th May), who are termed in French, according to your correspondent MR. PROSSER, "Les trois Saints de Glace." But I know that, in North Germany, they are popularly termed "Die Drei Gestrenge Herren " (the Three Severe Lords-a common German title of respect for judicial and other authorities); and that it is the received doctrine among gardeners, that nothing is safe from frost until those three days are over. JEAN LE TRouveur. |