Notes and Queries, Number 42, August 17, 1850 | Page 7

pursuite of
his commendations, yet his disgrace beinge so publicke, and the worlde
so opinionate of his misdoings, as I shold not be able so farre to justifie
him as they to condemne him. Yet that they may see what may be saide,
and to shew how farre they haue mispraysed his vertues, this following
Treatise shall make manyfest. Your honour may peruse and censure yt
at your best leisure, and though yt be not trickt up wth elegance of
phrase, yet may it satisfye a right curious judgmente, yf the reasons be
considered as they ought. But, howsoever, yf you please to accepte it, I
shall thinke my labors well bestowed; who, both in this and what ells

may, devote myself to your honour, and rest,
"Your honours most affectionat servant,
"HEN. W."
The praise of Nothing is very well versified from the Latin of Passerat,
whose verses Dr. Johnson thought worthy of a place in his Life of Lord
Rochester. Besides Rochester's seventeen stanzas "Upon Nothing,"
there appears to have been another copy of verses on this fertile subject;
for Flecknoe, in his _Epigrams of All Sorts_, 1671, has "Somewhat to
Mr. J.A. on his excellent poem of Nothing." Is anything known of this
_Nothing_?
S.W. SINGER.
Mickleham, July 29. 1850.
* * * * *
MINOR QUERIES.
_Papers of Perjury._--In Leicester's Commonwealth occurs the
following passage:--
"The gentlemen were all taken and cast into prison, and afterwards
were sent down to Ludlow, there to wear papers of perjury."
Can any of your readers refer me to a graphic account of the custom of
perjurers wearing papers denoting their crime, to which I suppose this
passage alludes?
S.R.
_Church Rates._--CH. would be obliged to any of your readers who
could refer him to the volume of either the _Gentleman's_ or the British
Magazine which contains some remarks on the article on Church Rates
in Knight's _Political Dictionary_, and on Cyric-sceat.

_St. Thomas of Lancaster's Accomplices._--In No. 15. I find an extract
from Rymer, by MR. MONCKTON MILNES, relative to some
accomplices of St. Thomas of Lancaster, supposed to have worked
miracles.--Query, Was "The Parson of Wigan" one of these
accomplices, and what was his name? Was he ever brought to trial for
aiding the Earl, preaching sedition in the parish church of Wigan, and
offering absolution to all who would join the standard of the barons?
and what was the result of that trial--death or pardon?
CLERICUS CRAVENSIS.
_Prelates of France._--P.C.S.S. is desirous to know where he can meet
with an accurate list of the Archbishops and Bishops of France (or
more properly of their Sees) under the old _régime_.
_Lord Chancellor's Oath._--The gazette of the 16th July notified that
the Right Hon. Sir Thomas Wilde, in council, took the oath of Lord
Chancellor of Great Britain and Ireland on the 15th inst.; and the same
gazette announced the direction of the Queen that letters patent be
passed granting the dignity of baron to the Right Hon. Sir Thomas
Wilde, Knt., Lord Chancellor of that part of the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland called Great Britain.
Why, when he is only Chancellor of Great Britain, should he take the
oath of Chancellor of Great Britain _and Ireland_?
J.
_Mediæval Nomenclature._--In what work is to be obtained the best
information explanatory of the nomenclature of the useful arts in
mediæval times?
[Greek: delta]. {183}
_Sir Christopher Sibthorp._--Can any of your readers furnish me with
information as to the ancestry of Sir Christopher Sibthorp, whose name
appears in the title-page of the following tract: _A friendly
Advertisement to the pretended Catholics of Ireland, by Christopher

Sibthorp, Knt., one of H.M. Justices of his Court of Chief Place in
Ireland_, 1622, Dublin and also as to the crest, arms, and motto borne
by him.
DE BALDOC.
Alarm (Vol. ii., p. 151.).--The derivation of _alarm_, and the French
_alarme_, from _à l'arme_, which your correspondent M. has
reproduced, has always struck me as unsatisfactory, and as of the class
of etymologies suspiciously ingenious. I do not venture to pronounce
that the derivation is wrong: I merely wish to ventilate a doubt through
"NOTES AND QUERIES," and invite some of your more learned
readers to lily to decide the question.
Of the identity of the words alarm and alarum there is no doubt. The
verb alarm is spelt alarum in old writers, and I have seen it so spelt in
manuscripts of Charles II.'s reign, but unfortunately have not taken a
"Note." Dr. Johnson says alarum is a corruption of alarm. Corruption,
however, usually shortens words. I cannot help having a notion that
alarum is the original word; and, though I may probably be showing
great ignorance in doing so, I venture to propound the following
Queries:--
1. How far back can the word