I should be glad to know who wrote the following:

1. How thick with acorns the ground is strewn
rent from their cups and brown!
How the golden leaves of the windless elms
come singly fluttering down!

The briony hangs in the thinning hedge, as
russet as harvest corn;

The straggling blackberries glisten jet, the haws are red on the thorn;

The clematis smells no more, but lifts its gossamer weight on high

If you only gazed on the year, you would think how beautiful 'tis to die.

2. In the golden glade the chestnuts are fallen all: From the sered boughs of the oak the acorns fall,

3

The beech scatters her ruddy fire;
The lime hath stripped to the cold,

And standeth naked above her yellow attire;
The larch thinneth her spire

To lay the ways of the wood with cloth of gold.

D. W.
Who is the author of the following lines :-
I shall remember while the light lasts,
And in the darkness I shall not forget
(MRS.) F. S. BENJAMIN,
[Swinburne Poems and Ballads.' The lines
occur in Erotion' and run

I shall remember while the light lives yet,
And in the night-time I shall not forget.]

Replies.

THE SWORD OF BANNOCKBURN." (12 S. viii. 151.)

after Wallace's death. But if the sword-
blade at Douglas be genuine, as it well may
be, the verses bitten into it by acid are
certainly of later date, being in Roman
characters. Moreover, the mention of many
good men of one surname does not fit the
chronology, seeing that family surnames
were still in a state of flux in the early part
of the fourteenth century, and very few
persons as yet had borne the territorial one
"de Douglas." Many years ago I tran-
scribed the legend on the sword-blade.
runs as follows:-

So mony gvid as of the Dovglas Beine
Of ane surname was never in Scotland seine

I wil ye charge efter that I depart
To holy grayfe and thair bvry my hart

Let it remain for ever both tyme and hovr
To the last day I sie my Saviovre
So I protest in tyme of al my ringe [reign]
Ye lyk subjectis had never ony Keing.
HERBERT MAXWELL.

Monreith.

It

66

:

The residue and remainder of the said moor, common, and waste lands unto, for and amongst PROBABLY the sword referred to under this the several proprietors and persons claiming and title is the blade preserved at Douglas being allowed rights of common thereon in respect Castle in possession of the thirteenth Earl of their tenements commonly called old Auster of Horne, who represents in the female or ancient tenements situate within the Parish of Weston-super-Mare in the proportions and line the ancient Lords of Douglas. It is manner hereinafter mentioned that is to say, said to have been given to the Good Sir unto James, &c." James of Douglas by Robert I., King of Scots. There is nothing in the blade itself inconsistent with its traditional origin, for it is not a double-handed sword like that ascribed to Wallace, long preserved in Dunbarton Castle and now, if I mistake not, in the Wallace Monument on Abbey Craig near Stirling. Double-handed swords were unknown until nearly one hundred years

I received several replies, and to my mind, the correct solution from MR. G. FISHER, who wrote:

I would refer your correspondent E. E. B. te 'N. & Q.,' 1 S. i. 217, 307 where it is said that

this word is a corruption of the word astrum
Lord of a Manor."
meaning a messuage held in villenage of the

Weston-super-Mare.

ERNEST E. BAKER.

This is probably derived from "Auster-The same volume records the duty payable land" or "Astreland " meaning "hearth to the "Pakker of London" in 1474, and in or "home."-land. Elton's Origins of Eng-1482 records lish History,' p. 191, has the following note with reference to the inheritance and division of land or property :—

"The word Astre is often used in old documents for the hearth, and for the dwelling house. A provincial use of the word in the latter sense in Shropshire is noticed by Lambarde, Peramb. Kent,' 563. Other instances are found in the local idioms of Montgomeryshire, and in many parts of the West of England, where Austerland' is that which had a house upon it in ancient times."

"If a man die seised of landes in Gavelkinde, of any estate of inheritance all his sonnes shal have equall portion....there ought to be graunted to the eldest the first choice after the division so to the part of the youngest there ought to be allotted in the division that piece of the mesuage which our treatise calleth astre,' that is to say, the stocke, harth, or chimney, for fire; which woord (as I thinke) was derived of the Latine astrum, a starre, bicause the fire shineth in the house as the starre therof; and which, though it be not now commonly understood in Kent, yet do they of Shropshyre and other parts receive it in the same signification till this day."

The offices of packing all manner of merchandize and of gauging wine-vessels (to see if they contained lawful measure) were granted (inter alia) to the Mayor and Commonalty in

"that Robert Fitzherbert, the Common Packer,thenceforth take for his labour for the package of every hundred calf-fells (he finding the cords for such packing) the sum of 8 pence.

A similar office is mentioned in P. L. Simmond's Dictionary of Trade Products,. Commercial Manufacturing, and Technical Terms,' 1858 :

"Packing Officer: an excise officer who superintends or watches the packing of paper,. and other exciseable articles. ARCHIBALD SPARKE.

Henry Chamberlain in his 'History and Survey of London' (1769), at p. 229, writing: of King Charles I., in 1640, says :

66

con

The citizens....advanced the king a siderable sum of money in consideration of his granting them another charter: by which, after first reciting their former privileges of package, survey, or scavage of all goods, and of baillage, his majesty, in consideration of four thousand two hundred pounds, confirmed the said offices, and created ordained and constituted an office merchandize whatsoever, and an office or carriage or officer of package of all sorts of goods and and portage of all wools, &c., and merchandize whatsoever; and did ratify and confirm the fees set down in the tables hereunto annexed, due to the said office. And his majesty did also give and grant the said offices of scavage, or surveying, baillage, package, carriage and postage, citizens of London to be exercised and occupied and their lawful fees, to the Lord-mayor and by sufficient ministers or deputies... 23 Waich charter is dated the fifth day of September, in the sixteenth year of his reign."

Chamberlain, then, pp. 229-35, proceeds to set forth in detail: (1) the Scavage Table of rates inwards; (2) the Balliage [sic] Duties outwards; (3) the Package Table of Rates; and (4) Fees taken by the packers and water-side porters for landing and shipping out the goods of strangers. Probably the Packership of London had ceased to be granted by patent to a private individual. for scme considerable time before 1640.

JOHN B. WAINEWRIGHT.

WAT TYLER (12 S. viii. 110)-Stow in his 'Survey of London' (ed. 1842), at p. 151, says:

"I find that in the 4th of Richard II. these stew-houses belonging to William Walworth, then mayor of London, were farmed by Froes of Flanders, and spoiled by Walter Tyler, and other rebels of Kent,' and his note is :

Li. St. Mary Eborum. English people disdayned to be baudes. Froes of Flaunders were

PARLIAMENT HILL.-Why was Parliament Hill, London, N.W., so named? I have heard it said, Because the conspirators in the Gunpowder Plot stood there to watch the House of Parliament be blown up.

ALFRED S. E. ACKERMANN.

AUTHORS WANTED.

I should be glad to know who wrote the following:

1. How thick with acorns the ground is strewn
rent from their cups and brown!
How the golden leaves of the windless elms
come singly fluttering down!

The briony hangs in the thinning hedge, as
russet as harvest corn;

The straggling blackberries glisten jet, the haws are red on the thorn;

The clematis smells no more, but lifts its gossamer weight on high

If you only gazed on the year, you would think how beautiful 'tis to die.

2. In the golden glade the chestnuts are fallen all: From the sered boughs of the oak the acorns fall,

3

The beech scatters her ruddy fire;
The lime hath stripped to the cold,

And standeth naked above her yellow attire;
The larch thinneth her spire
To lay the ways of the wood with cloth of gold.

D. W.

:

Who is the author of the following lines :I shall remember while the light lasts, And in the darkness I shall not forget (MRS.) F. S. BENJAMIN, [Swinburne Poems and Ballads.' The lines occur in Erotion' and run

THE SWORD OF BANNOCKBURN." (12 S. viii. 151.)

after Wallace's death. But if the sword-
blade at Douglas be genuine, as it well may
be, the verses bitten into it by acid are
certainly of later date, being in Roman
characters. Moreover, the mention of many
good men of one surname does not fit the
chronology, seeing that family surnames
of the fourteenth century, and very few
were still in a state of flux in the early part
persons as yet had borne the territorial one
"de Douglas." Many years ago I tran-
scribed the legend on the sword-blade. It
runs as follows:-

So mony gvid as of the Dovglas Beine
Of ane surname was never in Scotland seine

JOHN BEAR, MASTER OF THE FREE SCHOOL AT RIPON (12 S. viii. 150).-In 1730 the master of Ripon School was a Mr. Barker who might be the John Barker of Christ Church, 1717, B.A., 1721; M.A., 1724. He was succeeded in or before 1732 by Mr. Steevens or Stephens. J. B. WHITMORE. 41 Thurloe Square, S. Kensington, S.W.7. "AUSTER "LAND TENURE (12 S. viii. 109). -Yesterday, or was it on July 15, 1882, I made a somewhat similar inquiry in the columns of N. & Q.' thus :—

In the Enclosure award of the parish of Weston-super-Mare dated in the year 1810the Commissioner appointed for the purpose, after making various awards, sets out, allots, and awards :

Weston-super-Mare in the proportions and manner hereinafter mentioned that is to say, unto James, &c."

"The residue and remainder of the said moor, common, and waste lands unto, for and amongst PROBABLY the sword referred to under this the several proprietors and persons claiming and title is the blade preserved at Douglas being allowed rights of common thereon in respect Castle in possession of the thirteenth Earl of their tenements commonly called old Auster of Horne, who represents in the female or ancient tenements situate within the Parish of line the ancient Lords of Douglas. It is said to have been given to the Good Sir James of Douglas by Robert I., King of Scots. There is nothing in the blade itself inconsistent with its traditional origin, for it is not a double-handed sword like that ascribed to Wallace, long preserved in Dunbarton Castle and now, if I mistake not, in the Wallace Monument on Abbey Craig near Stirling. Double-handed swords were unknown until nearly one hundred years

I received several replies, and to my mind, the correct solution from MR. G. FISHER, who wrote:

"I would refer your correspondent E. E. B. te N. & Q.,' 1 S. i. 217, 307 where it is said that this word is a corruption of the word astrum Lord of a Manor." meaning a messuage held in villenage of the

Weston-super-Mare.

ERNEST E. BAKER.

PARLIAMENT HILL.-Why was Parliament Hill, London, N.W., so named? I have heard it said, Because the conspirators in the Gunpowder Plot stood there to watch the House of Parliament be blown up.

ALFRED S. E. ACKERMANN.

AUTHORS WANTED.

I should be glad to know who wrote the following:

1. How thick with acorns the ground is strewn
rent from their cups and brown!
How the golden leaves of the windless elms
come singly fluttering down!

The briony hangs in the thinning hedge, as
russet as harvest corn;

The straggling blackberries glisten jet, the haws are red on the thorn;

The clematis smells no more, but lifts its gossamer weight on high

If you only gazed on the year, you would think how beautiful 'tis to die.

2. In the golden glade the chestnuts are fallen all; From the sered boughs of the oak the acorns fall,

3

The beech scatters her ruddy fire;
The lime hath stripped to the cold,

And standeth naked above her yellow attire;
The larch thinneth her spire

To lay the ways of the wood with cloth of gold.

D. W.
Who is the author of the following lines :-
I shall remember while the light lasts,
And in the darkness I shall not forget
(MRS.) F. S. BENJAMIN,
[Swinburne Poems and Ballads.' The lines
occur in Erotion' and run

I shall remember while the light lives yet,
And in the night-time I shall not forget.]

Replies.

"THE SWORD OF BANNOCKBURN." (12 S. viii. 151.)

after Wallace's death. But if the swordblade at Douglas be genuine, as it well may be, the verses bitten into it by acid are certainly of later date, being in Roman characters. Moreover, the mention of many good men of one surname does not fit the chronology, seeing that family surnames were still in a state of flux in the early part of the fourteenth century, and very few persons as yet had borne the territorial one "de Douglas." Many years ago I transcribed the legend on the sword-blade. It runs as follows:

So mony gvid as of the Dovglas Beine

Of ane surname was never in Scotland seine

JOHN BEAR, MASTER OF THE FREE SCHOOL AT RIPON (12 S. viii. 150).-In 1730 the master of Ripon School was a Mr. Barker who might be the John Barker of Christ Church, 1717, B.A., 1721; M.A., 1724. He was succeeded in or before 1732 by Mr. Steevens or Stephens. J. B. WHITMORE. 41 Thurloe Square, S. Kensington, S.W.7.

"AUSTER "LAND TENURE (12 S. viii. 109). -Yesterday, or was it on July 15, 1882, I made a somewhat similar inquiry in the columns of N. & Q.' thus :

In the Enclosure award of the parish of Weston-super-Mare dated in the year 1810the Commissioner appointed for the purpose, after making various awards, sets out, allots, and awards :

"The residue and remainder of the said moor, common, and waste lands unto, for and amongst PROBABLY the sword referred to under this the several proprietors and persons claiming and title is the blade preserved at Douglas being allowed rights of common thereon in respect Castle in possession of the thirteenth Earl of their tenements commonly called old Auster of Horne, who represents in the female or ancient tenements situate within the Parish of Weston-super-Mare in the proportions and line the ancient Lords of Douglas. It is manner hereinafter mentioned that is to say, said to have been given to the Good Sir unto James, &c." James of Douglas by Robert I., King of Scots. There is nothing in the blade itself inconsistent with its traditional origin, for it is not a double-handed sword like that ascribed to Wallace, long preserved in Dunbarton Castle and now, if I mistake not, in the Wallace Monument on Abbey Craig near Stirling. Double-handed swords were unknown until nearly one hundred years

I received several replies, and to my mind, the correct solution from MR. G. FISHER, who wrote:

"I would refer your correspondent E. E. B. te N. & Q.,' 1 S. i. 217, 307 where it is said that this word is a corruption of the word astrum Lord of a Manor." meaning a messuage held in villenage of the

Weston-super-Mare.

ERNEST E. BAKER.