Notes and Queries, Number 25, April 20, 1850 | Page 6

that every body teld me. One teld me to get him breathed on by a pie-bald horse. I took him ever such a way, to a horse at ----, and put him under the horse's mouth; but he was no better. Then I was teld to drag him backward through a bramble bush. I did so; but this didn't cure him. Last of all, I was teld to give him nine fried mice, fasting, in a morning, in this way:--three the first morning; then wait three mornings, and then give him three more; wait three mornings, and then give him three more. When he had eaten these nine fried mice he became quite well. This would be sure to cure your child, Sir."
W.H.K. Drayton Beauchamp.
_Gootet._--In Eccleshall parish, Staffordshire, Shrove Tuesday is called Gootet. I am not aware if this be the true spelling, for I have never seen it in print. Can any of your readers supply the etymology, or state whether it is so called in any other part of England? I have searched numerous provincial glossaries, but have hitherto been unsuccessful.
B.G.J.
* * * * *
THE DUKE OF MONMOUTH'S POCKET-BOOK.
It is reasonable to conclude, that the article copied from _Chambers' Edinburgh Journal_, in No. 13., furnishes the strongest evidence that can be adduced in support of the opinion, that the book in the possession of Dr. Anster is the one found on the Duke of Monmouth when captured, after his defeat at Sedgemoor; and, if so, it is impossible to admit the hypothesis, because a portion of the contents of the real book has been given to the world and contains matter far too important to have been passed over by Dr. Anster, had it existed in his volume. In the 6th edition of Dr. Welwood's _Memoirs of the most material Transactions in England for the last Hundred Years preceding the Revolution in 1688_, printed for "Tim. Goodwin, at the Queen's Head, against St. Dunstan's Church, in Fleet Street, 1718," the following passage is to be found at p. 147.:--
"But of the most things above mentioned there is an infallible proof extant under Monmouth's own hand, in a little pocket-book which was taken with him and delivered to King James; which by an accident, as needless to mention here, I have leave to copy and did {398} it in part. A great many dark passages there are in it, and some clear enough that shall be eternally buried for me: and perhaps it had been for King James's honour to have committed them to the flames, as Julius C?sar is said to have done on a like occasion. All the use that shall be made of it is, to give in the Appendix some few passages out of it that refer to this subject, and confirm what has been above related."
In the Appendix the following extracts are given from the Duke's book:--
"October 13. L. came to me at eleven at night from 29, told me 29 could never be brought to believe I knew anything of that part of the plot that concern'd _Rye House_; but as things went he must behave himself as if he did believe it, for some reasons that might be for my advantage. L. desired me to write to 29, which I refus'd; but afterwards told me 29 expected it; and I promis'd to write to-morrow if he could call for the letter; at which S.L. shew'd a great concern for me, and I believe him sincere though S is of another mind.
"14. L. came as he promis'd and receiv'd the letter from 3 sealed, refusing to read it himself, tho' I had left it open with S. for that purpose.
"20. L. came to me at S. with a line or two from 29 very kind, assuring me he believed every word in my letter to be true; and advis'd me to keep hid till he had an opportunity to express his belief of it some other way. L. told me that he was to go out of town next day and that 29 would send 80 to me in a day or two, whom he assured me I might trust.
"25. L. came for me to ----, where 29 was with 80. He receiv'd me pretty well, and said 30 and 50 were the causes of my misfortune and would ruin me. After some hot words against them and against S., went away in a good humour.
"26. I went to E---- and was in danger of being discover'd by some of Oglethorpe's men that met me accidentally at the back door of the garden.
"Nov 2. A letter from 29 to be to-morrow at seven at night at S. and nobody to know it but 80.
"3. He came not, there being an extraordinary council. But