No doubt there were originally "fit and proper texts of scripture everywhere painted;" but, if this were so, they are now concealed by the whitewash. Such are not uncommon in neighbouring churches. No "poor man's box conveniently seated" remains, but there are indications of its having been fixed to the back of the bench nearest to the south door.
The roof is open to the tiles, being, like the seats, Gothic in design and of seventeenth century execution. The same may be said of the tower, which is battlemented, and finished off with pinnacles surmounted by balls, and has a somewhat heavy appearance. But it is solid and substantial, and it is evident that no expense was spared to make it—so far as the skill of the time could make it—worthy of its purpose and of the donor. There are five bells. No. 1. has the inscription:
Nos. 2. 4. and 5. contain the alphabet in Lombardic capitals; but the inscription and date on each of them,—
show that they are not of the antiquity which generally renders the few specimens we have of alphabet bells so peculiarly interesting, but probably they were copied from the bells in the more ancient tower. No. 3. has in Lombardic capitals the fragment—
and is consequently of ante-Reformation date.
The porches are both of the Early English period, and form therefore a very noticeable feature.
On the external walls are several highly ornamented spouts, upon some of which crosses are figured, and upon one with the date "1632" I discovered three crests; but as I could not accurately distinguish what they were intended to represent, I will not run the risk of describing them wrongly. The wivern, the crest of the Herberts, did not appear; nor, so far as I could learn, does the fabric itself afford any clue to him who was the principal author of its restoration.
The view from the tower is extensive, and, from the number of spires that are visible, very pleasing: fifteen or sixteen village churches are to be seen with the naked eye; and I believe that Ely Cathedral, nearly thirty miles distant, may be discovered with the aid of a telescope.
FOLK LORE
Sacramental Wine.—In a remote hamlet of Surrey I recently heard the following superstition. In a very sickly family, of which the children were troubled with bad fits, and the poor mother herself is almost half-witted, an infant newly born seemed to be in a very weakly and unnatural state. One of the gossips from the neighbouring cottages coming in, with a mysterious look said, "Sure, the babby wanted something,—a drop of the sacrament wine would do it good." On surprise being expressed at such a notion, she added "Oh! they often gives it." I do not find any allusion in Brand's Antiquities to such popular credence. He mentions the superstition in Berkshire, that a ring made from a piece of silver collected at the communion (especially that on Easter Sunday) is a cure for convulsions and fits.
"Snail, Snail, come out of your Hole" (Vol. iii., p. 132.).—Your correspondent S. W. Singer has brought to my recollection a verse, which I heard some children singing near Exeter, in July last, and noted down, but afterwards forgot to send to you:—
"Snail, snail, shut out your horns;
Father and mother are dead:
Brother and sister are in the back yard,
Begging for barley bread."
Perhaps it would not be uninteresting to add to the records of the "Snail-charm" (Vol. iii, p. 132.), that in the south of Ireland, also, the same charm, with a more fanciful and less threatening burden, was used amongst us children to win from its reserve the startled and offended snail. We entreated thus:—
"Shell a muddy, shell a muddy,
Put out your horns,
For the king's daughter is
Comings to town
With a red petticoat and a green gown!"
I fear it is impossible to give a clue as to the meaning of the form of invocation, or who was the royal visitor, so nationally clothed, for whose sake the snail was expected to be so gracious.
Nievie-nick-nack.—A fire-side game, well known in Scotland; described by Jamieson, Chambers, and (last, though not least) John McTaggart. The following version differs from that given by them:—
"Nievie, nievie, nick, neck,
Whilk han will thou tak?
Tak the richt, or tak the wrang,
I'll beguile thee if I can."
It is alluded to by Sir W. Scott, St. Ronan's, iii. 102.; Blackwood's Magazine, August, 1821, p. 37.
Rabelais mentions à la nicnoque as one of the games played by Guargantua. This is rendered by Urquhart Nivinivinack: Transl., p. 94. Jamieson (Supp. to Scot. Dict., sub voce) adds:
"The first part of the word seems to be from Neive, the fist being employed in the game. Shall we view nick as allied to the E. v. signifying 'to touch luckily'?"
Now, there is no such seeming derivation in the first part of the word. The Neive, though employed in the game, is not the object addressed. It is held out to him who is to guess—the conjuror—and it is he who is addressed, and under a conjuring name. In short (to hazard a wide conjecture, it may be), he is invoked in the person of Nic Neville (Neivie Nic), a sorcerer in the days of James VI., who was burnt at St. Andrew's in 1569. If I am right, a curious testimony is furnished to his quondam popularity among the common people:
"From that he past to Sanctandrois, where a notable sorceres callit Nic Neville was condamnit to the death and brynt," &c. &c.—The Historie and Life of King Jame the Sext, p. 40. Edin. 1825. Bannatyne Club Ed.
RECORDS AT MALTA
Let me call your attention, as well as that of your readers (for good may come from both), to an article in the December No. of the Archæological Journal, 1850, entitled "Notice of Documents preserved in the Record Office at Malta;" an article which I feel sure ought to be more publicly known, both for the sake of the reading world at large, and the high character bestowed upon the present keeper of those records, M. Luigi Vella, under whose charge they have been brought to a minute course of investigation. There may be found here many things worthy of elucidation; many secret treasures, whether for the archæologist, bibliopole, or herald, that only require your widely disseminated "brochure" to bring nearer to our own homes and our own firesides. It is with this view that I venture to express a hope, that a précis of that article may not be deemed irregular; which point, of course, I must leave to your good judgment and good taste to decide, being a very Tyro in archæology, and no book-worm (though I really love a book), so I know nothing of their points of etiquette. At the same time I must, in justice to Mr. A. Milward (the writer of the notice, and to whom I have not the honour of being known), entreat his pardon for the plagiarism, if such it can be called, having only the common "reciprocation of ideas" at heart; and remain as ever an humble follower under Captain Cuttle's standard.
Six volumes of Records, parchment, consisting of Charters from Sovereigns and Princes, Grants of Land, and other documents connected with the Order of St. John from its establishment by Pope Pascal II., whose original bull is perfect.
Two volumes of Papers connected with the Island of Malta before it came into the possession of the Knights, from year 1397 to beginning of sixteenth century.
A