Notes and Queries, Number 30, May 25, 1850 | Page 9

country and Elizabetha in an other for the same person. I have something like a dozen other instances from Moreri, in which he says that Elizabeth and Isabella or Isabeau are the same. Elizabeth or Izabeau de France, dau. of Lewis VIII. and Blanche of Castella; Elizabeth or Isabelle d'Aragon, Queen of France, wife of Philippe III., surnamed le Hardie; Elizabeth or Isabeau de Bavière, Queen of France, wife of Charles VI.; Elizabeth or Isabeau d'Angoulême, wife of King John of England; Elizabeth or Isabeau de France, Queen of England, dau. of Philippe IV.; Elizabeth or Isabelle of France, Queen of Richard II.; Elizabeth or Isabelle de France, Queen of Navarre; Elizabeth or Isabelle de Valois, dau. of Charles of France; Elizabeth or Isabelle de France, dau. of Philippe le Long, King of France; Elizabeth or Isabelle de France, Duchess of Milan; Elizabeth or Isabelle, Queen of Philippe V. of Spain."
WM. DURRANT COOPER.
81. Guildford Street, May 4. 1850.

_Elizabeth--Isabel._--The Greek word [Greek: Elisabet] (Luke, i. 5. &c.) from which Elizabeth, or _Elisabeth_, must have been adopted as a Christian name, is used by the LXX. (Exodus, vi. 23.) to express the Hebrew [Hebrew: Elisheba], the name of Aaron's wife. This at once directs us to the verb [Hebrew: shaba], or rather to its Niphal, [Hebrew: nishba], for the Kal form does not occur, _to swear_; for the combination of letters in [Hebrew: el isshaba], _God will swear_, or _God sweareth_, is the same as that in the proper name. Now let us transpose the verb and its nominative case, and we have [Hebrew: ishaba el], which a Greek translator might soften into [Greek: Isabel].
The use of [Greek: Elisabet] both by the LXX. and the Evangelist, makes it probable that the mother of John the Baptist, who was of the daughters of Aaron (Luke, i. 5.), was known amongst her own people by the recognized and family name of _Elisheba_, as Anna no doubt would be Hannah ([Hebrew: hanah]), and _Mary, Miriam_ ([Greek: Mariam], Luke, i. 27.). And this is confirmed by the Syriac version, the vernacular, or nearly so, of Our Blessed Lord and His disciples, which has [Syriac: elisheba].
Genesius, in his _Lexicon_, explains Elisheba to mean "cui Deus est sacramentum," "qu? jurat per Deum, i.e. Dei cultrix: cf. Is. xix. 18." I should rather take it to be a name expressive of trust in God's promises or oath, such as _Elijah_, "the LORD is my God;" _Isaiah_, "the LORD is my salvation;" _Ezekiel_, "God strengtheneth." Schleusner (_Lex. N.T._) says that others derived it from [Hebrew: saba], _saturavit_; "sic in Alberti _Gloss. N.T._, p. 87. explicatur, [Greek: Theou mou plaesmonae]." Wolfius, in his note on Luke, i. 5., refers to Witsii _Miscellanea_, tom. ii. p. 478., to which I must refer your correspondent "A.C.," as I have not the book by me.
Camden must, of course, have derived the name {489} from [Hebrew: shabath], _to rest_; but I think we must rather defer to the authority of the LXX. And though [Hebrew: el ishaboth] may give us _Elisabeth_, we shall not be able to deduce Isabel from [Hebrew: ishboth el] quite so easily.
B.
L ---- Rectory, S ----, May 4. 1850.
Trunck Breeches (No. 24. p. 384.), more commonly called "trunk-hose," were short wide breeches reaching a little above, or sometimes below the knees, stuffed with hair, and striped. (See _The Oxford Manual for Brasses_, p. cvi.; and Planche's _British Costume_, pp. 334-339. new ed.) Two years ago, I saw in the Strand an old man with a _queue_; a sight which I made a note of as soon as I got home, influenced by the same motive that, no doubt, led Smith in 1640 to append to the death of "old Mr. Grice" the remark, "who wore truncke breeches," namely, the antique singularity of the habiliment.
ARUN.
Mercenary Preacher (No. 24. p. 384.).--I think mercenary here is used in its primary signification, and in the sense in which we still apply it to troops in the pay of a state foreign to their own; to designate one who, having no settled cure, was at liberty to be "hired" by those who had occasion for his services.
ARUN.
Abdication of James the Second (No. 3. p. 40.).--"J.E." would probably hear of the MSS. mentioned by Sir Harris Nicholas, on application to the Rev. Sir Thomas Miller, Bart., Froyle, near Alton, Hants.
E.W. Clifton.
Toom Shawn Cattie (No. 24. p. 383.).--An entertaining volume, containing the life and adventures of Twm Sion Catti, was published at Biulth some years ago, by Mr. Jeffery Llewelyn Prichard, who recently told me it was out of print, and that inquiries had been made for the book which might probably lead to a new and improved edition.
ELIJAH WARING. Dowry Parade, Clifton.
_Wotton's Poem to Lord Bacon_ (No. 19. p. 302.).--The poem communicated by Dr. Rimbault, with the