Notes and Queries, Number 46, September 14, 1850 | Page 5

domain and hall, the latter of which still
remains, a magnificent specimen of Elizabethan architecture. Either in
one of the compartments of a painted window of the church, or upon a
monumental marble to one of the Holts, is the Ulster badge, as showing
the rank of the deceased, and painted red. From the colour of the badge,
a legend of the bloody hand has been created as marvellous as that of
the Bloody Baker, so fully detailed by F.L.
ST. JOHNS.

[Will our correspondent favour us by communicating the Aston Legend
of the Holt Family to which he refers?]
_Langley, Kent, Prophetic Spring at._--The following "note" upon a
passage in _Warkworth's Chronicle_ (pp. 23, 24.) may perhaps possess
sufficient interest to warrant its insertion in your valuable little
publication. The passage is curious, not only as showing the
superstitious dread with which a simple natural phenomenon was
regarded by educated and intelligent men four centuries ago, but also as
affording evidence of the accurate observation of a writer, whose
labours have shed considerable light upon "one of the darkest periods
in our annals." The chronicler is recording the occurrence, in the
thirteenth year of Edward the Fourth, of a "gret hote somere," which
caused much mortality, and "unyversalle fevers, axes, and the blody
flyx in dyverse places of Englonde," and also occasioned great dearth
and famine "in the southe partyes of the worlde."
He then remarks that "dyverse tokenes have be schewede in Englonde
this year for amendynge of mannys lyvynge," and proceeds to
enumerate several springs or waters in various places, which only ran at
intervals, and by their running always portended "derthe, pestylence, or
grete batayle." After mentioning several of these, he adds--
"Also ther is a pytte in Kent in Langley Parke: ayens any batayle he
wille be drye, and it rayne neveyre so myche; and if ther be no batayle
toward, he wille be fulle of watere, be it neveyre so drye a wethyre; and
this yere he is drye."
Langley Park, situated in a parish of the same {245} name, about four
miles to the south-east of Maidstone, and once the residence of the
Leybournes and other families, well-known in Kentish history, has long
existed only in name, having been disparked prior to 1570; but the
"pytte," or stream, whose wondrous qualities are so quaintly described
by Warkworth, still flows at intervals. It is scarcely necessary to add,
that it belongs to the class known as _intermitting springs_, the
phenomena displayed by which are easily explained by the syphon-like
construction of the natural reservoirs whence they are supplied.

I have never heard that any remnant of this curious superstition can
now be traced in the neighbourhood, but persons long acquainted with
the spot have told me that the state of the stream was formerly looked
upon as a good index of the probable future price of corn. The same
causes, which regulated the supply or deficiency of water, would
doubtless also affect the fertility of the soil.
EDWARD R.J. HOWE.
Chancery Lane, Aug. 1850.
* * * * *
MINOR NOTES.
Poem by Malherbe (Vol. ii., p. 104.).--Possibly your correspondent MR.
SINGER may not be aware of the fact that the beauty of the fourth
stanza of Malherbe's Ode on the Death of Rosette Duperrier is owing to
a typographical error. The poet had written in his MS.--
"Et Rosette a vécu ce que vivent les roses," &c.,
omitting to cross his _t_'s, which the compositor took for _l_'s, and set
up Roselle. On receiving the proof-sheet, at the passage in question a
sudden light burst upon Malherbe; of Roselle he made two words, and
put in two beautiful lines--
"Et Rose, elle a vécu ce que vivent les roses, L'espace d'un matin."
(See _Français peints par eux-mémes_, vol. ii. p. 270.)
P.S. KING.
Kennington.
_Travels of Two English Pilgrims._--
"A True and Strange Discourse of the Travailes of Two English
Pilgrimes: what admirable Accidents befell them in their Journey to

Jerusalem, Gaza, Grand Cayro, Alexandria, and other places. Also,
what rare Antiquities, Monuments, and notable Memories (concording
with the Ancient Remembrances in the Holy Scriptures), they sawe in
the Terra Sancta; with a perfect Description of the Old and New
Jerusalem, and Situation of the Countries about them. A Discourse of
no lesse Admiration, then well worth the regarding: written by one of
them on the behalfe of himselfe and his fellowe Pilgrime. Imprinted at
London for Thomas Archer, and are to be solde at his Shoppe, by the
Royall Exchange. 1603."
A copy of this 4to. tract, formerly in the hands of Francis Meres, the
author of _Wit's Commonwealth_, has the following MS. note:--
"Timberley, dwellinge on Tower Hill, a maister of a ship, made this
booke, as Mr. Anthony Mundye tould me. Thomas, at