Notes and Queries, Number 58, December 7, 1850 | Page 6

ii., p. 102.).--J. MN.'s remark on "hogs, lambs a year old," reminds me that the origin of this rustical word still lingers in the remote west, among the Irish and the Highland Gaels, whose gnath-bearla, vernacular tongue, furnishes the neglected key of many a dark chamber. The word to which I allude is "og," adj. young; whence "ogan," a young man; "oige," a virgin.
In these islands we still apply the old French term "aver," averium, in Guernsey, to the hog or pig; in Jersey, to a child. In France "aver" denoted the animal produce or stock on a farm; and there were "averia lanata" likewise. Similar apparently whimsical adaptations of words will not shock those who are aware that "pig" in England properly means a little fellow of the swine species, and that "pige" in Norse signifies a little maid, a damsel.
G. M.
Guernsey.
The Baptized Turk.--Your correspondent CH. (Vol. ii., p. 120.), who inquired about Lord Richard Christophilus (al. Isuf Bassa), a converted Turk, may be interested in a curious account of another convert to Christianity, which has lately fallen in my way, if he be not already in possession of the (almost legendary) narrative. I allude to a small 8vo. volume, entitled:
"The Baptized Turk; or, A Narrative of the happy conversion of Signior Rigep Dandulo, the onely son of a silk merchant in the isle of Tsio, from the delusions of that great Impostor Mahomet, unto the Christian Religion; and of his admission unto Baptism, by Mr. Gunning at Excester-house Chappel, the 8th of November, 1657. Drawn up by Tho. Warmstry, D.D., Lond. 1658."
Dr. Warmstry was Dean of Worcester. His conversion of the Turk Dandulo is mentioned in the Lansdowne MSS. (986., p. 67.), and also in the Athen? Oxonienses. The narrative is dedicated to
"The Right Honourable the Countess of Dorset, the Honourable the Lord George, and the Worshipful Philip Warwick, Esq., witnesses at the baptism of Signior Dandulo the convert."
There appears to have been "a picture of the said Dandulo in a Turkish habit put before it;" {462} but this has been abstracted from the only copy I have seen.
This conversion appears to have been effected by the instrumentality of a dream; and the Narrative contains an interesting essay of some length on the subject of visions, and gives an interpretation of the dream in question.
J. SANSOM.
[Footnote 1: On Elizabeth Williams, youngest daughter of Miles (Smith), and wife of John Williams, Esq., died in child-bed at the age of seventeen. The above Miles Smith, was Bishop of Gloster during the latter part of Henry VIII. and part of Elizabeth's reign.]
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Queries.
GRAY.--DRYDEN.--PLAYING CARDS.
Although my question regarding Gray and Dodsley's Collection of Poems has only been half answered, and my two Queries respecting Dryden's Absolom and Achitophel and Essay on Satire not answered at all, I am not discouraged from putting interrogatories on other matters, in the hope that I may be more fortunate hereafter. On each of my former inquiries I have still a word or two to say, and I do not know why I should not say them now.
First, as to Gray and Dodsley:--Is the epithet droning, or drony, in the first edition of the Elegy? and, as my copy of Dodsley's Collection is dated 1748, and is said (on the half title, preceding the whole title) to be "the second edition," was there a first edition in the same year, or in an earlier year, or was there, in fact, no first edition at all? This question is important, because several poetical productions, of undisputed excellence, originally made their appearance in Dodsley's Collection.
Next, as to Dryden's Absolom and Achitophel: Is it known, or anywhere stated, that it was printed early in the eighteenth century as a penny or two-penny chap-book, and why was it so printed? Observe, too, that it was unaccompanied by Tate's Continuation, which, as far as a lesson to the lower orders is concerned, was of more consequence than Dryden's portion. It is a circumstance I did not mention, but it is, nevertheless, worth a Note, that in The Key which follows the Address "to the Reader," in my edition of 1708, the character of Zimri (which was given by Dryden himself to the Duke of Buckingham) is assigned to Lord Gray, who was in truth the Caleb of the performance. Is it to be taken that the publication of this chap-book edition is merely a proof of the extreme popularity of Dryden's half of the poem?
My third unanswered Query referred to the Essay on Satire, commonly attributed to Lord Mulgrave and Dryden, but with which, as it seems to me, for reasons there assigned, Lord Mulgrave could have nothing to do. As a farther proof of Dryden's sole authorship, I may here add, what I have since found, that the