Notes and Queries, Number 40, August 3, 1850 | Page 9

the crowd fell back with a
shudder!" Now it strikes me, an original MS. of the work for which he
was condemned still exists; and I, thinking that others may feel the
interest I have tried to sketch in its existence, will now state the facts of
the case, and lay my authorities before your readers.
"We condemn you, said the council, Michael Servetus, to be bound and
led to Champel, where you are to be fastened to a stake, and burnt alive
together with your book, as well the printed as the MS."
"About midday he was led to the stake. An iron chain encompassed his
body; on his head was placed a crown of plaited straw and leaves
strewed with sulphur, to assist in suffocating him. At his girdle were
suspended his printed books; and the MS. he had sent to Calvin."
This MS. had been completed in 1546, and sent to Geneva for his
opinion. Calvin, in a letter to Farel says:
"Servetus wrote to me lately, and accompanied his letter with a long
volume of his insanities."

This long volume was the MS. of the "Restitutio Christianismi," now
ready for the press. We {153} have seen that it was sent to Calvin. It
was never returned, but produced in evidence, and burnt with him at the
stake. Nevertheless, he either possessed another copy or took the pains
of writing it afresh, and thus the work was secretly printed at Vienna, at
the press of Balshazar Arnoullet in 1553. Of this edition, those at
Frankfort were burnt at the instance of Calvin; at Geneva, Robert
Stephens sacrificed all the copies which had come into his hands; so
that of an edition of one thousand, it is said only six copies were
preserved. These facts I owe to the excellent Life of Calvin by Mr. T.H.
Dyer, recently published by Mr. Murray. Now does the following MS.
bear relation to that described as recopied by Servetus, from which
Arnoullet printed? or is it the first rough sketch? Can any of your
readers say into what collection it passed?
The extract is from the Catalogue of the Library of Cisternay Dufay, by
Gabriel Martin, Paris, 8vo. 1725, being lot 764., p. 98., and was sold
for 176 livres.
"Librorum Serveti de Trinitate Codex MS. autographus. In fronte libri
apparet note quæ sequitur, manu ipsius defuncti D. du Fay exarata.
"Forsan ipsius auctoris autographus Codex hic MS. qui fuit percelebris
Bibliopolæ Basiliensis Coelii Horatii Curionis. Videtur prima conceptio
(vulgò l'Esquisse, en termes de Peinture) Libri valdè famigerati Mich.
Serveti, a Joanne Calvino cum ipso Serveto combusti, cui Titulus,
_Christianismi Restitutio, hoc est totius Ecclesiæ Apostolicæ ad sua
limina Vocatio_, &c. &c., typis mandati anno 1554, Viennæ
Allobrogum, 8vo. pagg. 734," concluding with an anecdote of the rarity
of the volume.
There may be some to whom these "Notes" may be of use, others to
whom a reply to the "Queries" may have interest, and so I send them to
you. Such MSS. are of great historical importance.
S.H.
Athenæum, July 26.

* * * * *
ETYMOLOGICAL QUERIES.
Any remarks on the meaning and derivation of the following words,
will be thankfully received.
Rykelot.--A magpie?
Berebarde.--"In the fever or the Berebarde."
_Wrusum_, or Wursum.--"My wounds that were healed gather new
_wrusum_, and begin to corrupt."
Deale.--Placed always between two sentences without any apparent
connection with either of them. Is it an abbreviation of "Dieu le sait?"
Sabraz.--"He drinks bitter sabraz to recover his health."
Heteneste.--"Inclosed hetenest in a stone coffin or tomb."
Schunche.--"Schunche away."
_I-menbred_.--"A girdle _i-menbred_."
Blodbendes of silk.
Hesmel.--"Let their hesmel be high _istiled_, al without broach."
Irspille.--"Wear no iron, nor haircloth, nor irspilles felles."
J. Mn.
* * * * *
MINOR QUERIES
Countess of Desmond.--I should be much obliged if any of your readers
would inform me of the manner of the death of Catherine Fitzgerald,

Countess of Desmond, commonly called the "old Countess of
Desmond," who died in 1626, aged above 140 years,--some say, 162
years. I think I remember reading, some years since, that she died from
a fall from a cherry-tree, at the age of 144 years. If so, where can the
account be found?
K.
Cheetham Hill.
Noli me tangere.--Can any of your readers refer me to pictures upon the
subject of Noli me tangere. I want to know what artists have treated the
subject, and where their pictures exist.
B.R.
_Line in Milton's "Penseroso."_--In those somewhat hacknied lines,
"And may my due feet never fail," &c.,
I am somewhat puzzled to understand the expression,
"With antique pillars massy proof."
Now what is "proof,"--a substantive or adjective? If the latter, no
edition is rightly stopped; for, of course, there should be a comma after
"massy;" and then I somewhat doubt the propriety of "proof" for