Notes and Queries, Number 43, August 24, 1850 | Page 8

by the Camden Society?
W. Bell.
_Damasked Linen._--I should feel obliged for any information on the
earliest specimen of tablecloths being "damasked," and the history of
that manufacture. I have lately had shown me as "family curiosities" a
beautiful "damask service" of Flemish or Dutch work. The centre
contained a representation of St. George and the Dragon. The hero is
attired in the costume of the latter part of the seventeenth century (?),
with it cocked hat and plume, open sleeves and breeches, heavy shoes
and spurs: with this motto in German characters over him,
[German: Ben Gott ist Rath und That,] "With God is counsel and

deed."
At each corner of the cloth and napkins is a representation of a female
figure kneeling on a rock, with clasped hands, with a lamb by her side
(Query, St. Agnes?) On the border, at the top and bottom, St. George is
figured in armour stabbing with a spear an alligator; and then with a
sword, in the act of killing a bear.
On the side borders, he is receiving the attack of a lion on his arm,
covered with a mantle; and then, with a raised sword, cutting at the
proboscis of an elephant. I have seen, also, an older specimen, I think,
of the same manufacture; the subject being the "Bear and Ragged
Staff," on alternate rows, with figures of trumpeters. I know not if this
subject is of sufficient interest for your "Notes and Queries," but I trust
you will make what use of it you please.
R.G.P.M.
_Flourish._--We are told that a writer flourished at such and such a
time. Is any definite notion attached to this word? When it is said of a
century there is no difficulty; it means that the writer was born and died
in that century. But when we are told that a writer flourished about the
year 1328 (such limitation of florescence is not uncommon), what is
then meant? What are we to understand he did in or about 1328?
M.
_Drax Abbey and Free School._--Can you, or any of your intelligent
contributors, direct me where I can find any records of Drax Abbey,
near Selby, Yorkshire, or of the Free School in Drax, endowed by
Robert Reed, whom tradition states to heave been a foundling amongst
the reeds on the banks of the Ouse, about half a mile distant. Such
information will place me under great obligation.
T. Dyson.
Gainsboro.

_Ancient Catalogue of Books._--A few days since I made the
acquisition of a curious old catalogue {200} of books, interleaved, and
containing about 200 pages, with the following title:
"Catalogus Variorum, in quavis Facultate et materia Librorum
incompactum Officinæ Joannis Maire, quorum Auctio publicè
habebitur in ædibus Joannis Maire, hora octavâ matutinâ et secundâ
postmeridiana ad diem ----, 1661. Lugduni Batavorum, ex Typographia
Nicolai Herculis, 1661."
On the back is the following notice to "buyers:"
"Monitos volumus Emptores, hosce Libros eâ vendi conditione, ut cum
eorum traditione pretium præsenti pecuniâ persolvatur. Et si quis
Libros à se emptos intra sex septimanarum spatium, à primà Auctionis
die numerandum, à Bibliopola non exegerit, eos cum emptoris prioris
damno aliis vendere integrum erit ac licitum.
"Monentur etiam et rogantur, ut antè meridiem ad horæ octavæ, post
meridiem vero ad secundæ punctum præsentes sese sistere dignentur."
Can any of your readers give me particulars about this John Maire?
W.J.
Havre.
* * * * *
REPLIES.
SHAKSPEARE'S USE OF THE WORD "DELIGHTED."
(Vol. ii., pp. 113. 139.)
Although Mr. Hickson's notion of the meaning of _delight_, in the
three passages of Shakspeare he has cited, is somewhat startling, it was
not to be summarily rejected without due examination; and yet, from a
tolerably extensive acquaintance with old English phraseology, I fear I

cannot flatter him with the expectation of having it confirmed by
instances from other writers.
I believe that lighted is rather an unusual form to express _lightened_,
_disencumbered_, but that it was sometimes used is apparent; for in
Hutton's _Dictionary_, 1583, we have "Allevo, to make light, to
light."--"Allevatus, lifted up, lighted." And in the _Cambridge
Dictionary_, 1594, "Allevatus, lifted up, _lighted_, raised, eased or
recovered." The use of the prefix de in the common instance of depart
for to _part_, _divide_, is noticed by Mr. Hickson; and demerits was
used for merits by many of our old writers as well as Shakspeare. I find
decompound for compound in Heylyn's _Microcosmos_, 1627, p. 249.,
thus:--"The English language is a decompound of Dutch, French, and
Latin."
These instances may serve to show that it is not at all improbable
Shakspeare may have used delighted for _lighted==lightened==freed
from incumbrance_; and it must be confessed that the sense and spirit
of the passage in Measure for Measure would be much improved by
taking this view of it.
On the