Notes and Queries, No. 179. Saturday, April 2, 1853. | Page 9

to know what is the history or
legend of the goose-footed queen, whose figure Mr. Laing, in his
Norway, p. 70. 8vo. edition, says is on the portals of four French
cathedrals.
THOS. LAWRENCE.
Ashby-de-la-Zouch.

Lying by the Walls.--What is the origin of the phrase "Lying by the
walls," an euphemism for dead? It was very commonly used in this
county some years ago. Instead of saying "Poor M. or N. is dead," they
always said "Poor M. or N. lies by the walls."
R. P.
St. Ives, Hunts.
Constables of France (Vol. vi., pp. 128. 254.).--Has no person been
appointed to fill that high office since the death of the Duc de Luynes,
in 1621?
A. S. A.
Wuzzeerabad.
St. John's Church, Shoreditch.--The church of St. John, within the
priory of Holywell, Shoreditch, and the chapel adjoining it, built by Sir
Thomas Lovel, treasurer of the household to King Henry VII., knight of
the most noble Order of the Garter, &c.
Is there any better or other account of this priory, church, and chapel
than that given in the Monasticon? Judging by the statement copied by
Mr. Lysons from the original entry in the books of the College of Arms,
the chapel must have been a splendid building. Sir Thomas Lovel was
buried there on the 8th June, 1525, "in a tombe of whyte marbell which
both hit and the chappell were founded by hym, and it stondeth on the
southe syde of the quyre of the saide churche." At his funeral there
were present the Bishop of London, Lord St. John, Sir Richard
Wyngfield, and many others, nobles and gentlemen. The Abbot of
Waltham, the Prior of St. Mary Spital, four orders of friars, the Mayor
and all the aldermen of London, the gentlemen of the Inns of Court, the
Lord Steward, and all the clerks of London, &c., also attended. What a
contrast to the present condition of the place, now a scavenger's yard,
once the apparently last resting-place of the councillor of a mighty
sovereign! "They that did feed delicately, that were brought up in
scarlet, embrace dunghills. The holy house where our fathers

worshipped is laid waste."
WARDEN S. HENDRY.
P. S.--Part of the chapel is now to be found under the floor of the "Old
King John," Holywell Lane. The stone doorway into the porter's lodge
of the priory still exists; but, from the accumulation of earth, the crown
of the arch is six feet below the ground. I took a sketch of it, and some
other remains of the priory, also under ground, about ten years ago.
W. S. H.
* * * * *
MINOR QUERIES WITH ANSWERS.
Sir John Thompson.--What are the crest, arms, motto, and supporters of
Sir John Thompson, Bart., created Baron Haversham, of Haversham
and Newport Pagnel, about the eighth year of William III.?
R. P. D.
[Or, on a fesse indented az. three etoiles ar.; on a canton of the second,
a sun in his glory, ppr.--Crest, an arm, erect, vested gu. cuff ar. holding
in the hand ppr. five ears of wheat or. Motto, "In lumine
luce."--Robson's British Herald, vol. ii. s. v.; and for the plate, vol. iii.
pl. 50.]
Ring, the Marriage.--When and how did the use of the ring, in the
marriage ceremony, originate? Is it of Christian origin; or is it derived
from the Jews, or from the Greeks or Romans?
JONATHAN PIM.
[Brand quotes Vallancey and Leo Modena for the use of the marriage
ring among the Jews (Popular Antiq., vol. ii. p. 103. edit. 1849).
Wheatly, however, has given the most detailed account of its
origin:--"The reason," he says, "why a ring was pitched upon for the
pledge rather than anything else was, because anciently the ring was a

seal, by which all orders were signed, and things of value secured (Gen.
xxxviii. 18., Esther iii. 10. 12., 1 Maccab. vi. 15.); and therefore the
delivery of it was a sign that the person to whom {333} it was given
was admitted into the highest friendship and trust (Gen. xli. 42.). For
which reason it was adopted as a ceremony in marriage to denote that
the wife, in consideration of her being espoused to the man, was
admitted as a sharer in her husband's counsels, and a joint-partner in his
honour and estate: and therefore we find that not only the ring, but the
keys also were in former times delivered to her at the marriage. That the
ring was in use among the old Romans, we have several undoubted
testimonies (Juvenal, Sat. vi. ver. 26, 27.; Plin. Hist. Nat., lib. iii. c. i.;
Tertull. Apol., c. vi. p. 7. A.). Pliny, indeed, tells us, that in his time the
Romans used an iron ring without any jewel; but Tertullian hints, that
in