Notes and Queries, Number 06, December 8, 1849 | Page 6

loff and a maunchet at our Panatry barre, a Galon of Ale at our Buttrye barre, and half a Galon of Wyne at our Seller barre; Item every mornyng at our Wood yarde foure tall shyds and twoo ffagottes; Item at our Chaundrye barre in winter every night oon pryket and foure syses of Waxe with eight candelles white lights and oon torche; Item at our Picherhouse wekely LIX white cuppes; Item at every tyme of our remoeving oon hoole carre for the carriage of her stuff. And these our lettres shal be your sufficient Warrant and discharge in this behalf at all tymes herafter. Yeven under our Signet at our Manour of Esthampstede the xvjth. day of July the xiiijth year of our Reigne. {86}
"To the Lord Steward of our Household, the Treasurer, Comptroller, Cofferer, Clerke of our Grene Clothe, Clerke of our kechyn, and to all other our hed Officers of our seid Houshold and to every of theym."
As to Sir Christopher Hatton, I would refer ANTIQUARIUS, and all other whom it may concern, to Sir Harris Nicolas's ably written _Memoirs of the "Dancing Chancellor"_, published in 1846. Hatton had amble means for the building of Holdenby, as he was appointed one of the Gentlemen Pensioners in 1564, and between that time and his appointment as Vice-Chamberlain in 1577 (five years prior to the period referred to by ANTIQUARIUS), he received numerous other gifts and offices.
JOSEPH BURTT.
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ADVERSARIA
Printers' Couplets.
It may not perhaps be generally known that the early printers were accustomed to place devices or verses along with their names at the end of the books which they gave to the public. Vigneul-Marville, in his _Mélanges d'Histoire et de Littérature_, relates that he found the two following lines at the end of the "Decrees of Basle and Bourges," published under the title of "Pragmatic Sanction," with a Commentary by C?me Guymier,--Andre Brocard's Paris edition, 1507:--
"Stet liber hic, donec fluctus formica marinos Ebibat et totum testudo perambulet orbem."
The printers, it would appear, not only introduced their own names into these verses, but also the names of the correctors of the press, as may be seen in the work entitled, _Commentariis Andre? de Ysernia super constitutionibus Sicili?_, printed by Sixtus Riffingerus at Naples in 1472:--
"Sixtus hoc impressit: sed bis tamen ante revisit Egregius doctor Petrus Oliverius. At tu quisque emis, lector studiose, libellum L?tus emas; mendis nam caret istud opus."
G.J.K.
Charles Martel
Mr. Editor,--Perhaps the subjoined note, extracted from M. Collin de Plancy's _Bibliothèque des Légendes_, may not be without its value, as tending to correct an error into which, according to his account, modern historians have fallen respecting the origin of the surname "Martel," borne by the celebrated Charles Martel, son of Peppin of Herstal, Duke of Austrasia, by his Duchess Alphéide[2]:--
"It is surprising," he says, "that almost all our modern historians, whose profound researches have been so highly vaunted, have repeated the little tale of the _Chronicle of St. Denis_, which affirms that the surname of Martel was conferred on Charles for having hammered (_martelé_) the Saracens. Certain writers of the present day style him, in this sense, _Karle-le-Marteau_. The word martel, in the ancient Frank language, never bore such a signification, but was, on the contrary, merely an abbreviation of Martellus, Martin."[3]
From a legend on this subject given by M. de Plancy, it would appear that Charles received the second name, Martel, in honour of his patron saint St. Martin.
Not having at present an opportunity of consulting the works of our own modern writers on early French history, I am ignorant if they also have adopted the version given in the _Chronicle of St. Denis_. Mr. Ince, in his little work, _Outlines of French History_, states, that "he received the surname of _Martel_, or the Hammerer, from the force with which he hammered down the Saracens--_martel being the name of a weapon which the ancient Franks used, much resembling a hammer_,--and from his strokes falling numberless and effectual on the heads of his enemies." Query.--Which of the two is the more probable version? Perhaps some one of your numerous correspondents may be enabled to throw addition light on this disputed point.
G.J.K.
[Footnote 2: This same Alphéide, or Alpa?de, as she was frequently called, though but scurvily treated by posterior historians, is honoured by contemporary chroniclers as the second wife of Peppin, uxor altera. See Frédégaire.]
[Footnote 3: _Légendes de l'Histoire de France_, par J. Collin de Plancy, p. 149. (notes.) Paris. Mellier Frères.]
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BODENHAM AND LING.
Referring to BOOKWORM's note at p. 29, I beg to observe that the dedication negativing Bodenham's authorship of Politeuphuia is not peculiar to the edition of 1597. I have the edition of 1650, "printed by Ja. Flesher, and are to be sold by Richard Royston, at the Angell in Ivye