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ARMS OF THE ISLE OF MAN; OR, THE THREE

SEASONS OF THE ANCIENTS.

to meet; and the two stars called Asses are at the Summer Solstice where two ways meet; Bethphage may also mean Eating House, from house, and Day to eat, and may allude to the Crib, or Manger, the eating house of the asses, "qui in dicto præsepi pascere videntur." And why the Mount of Olives? Because the Sun having attained his utmost height was allegorically said to be on a mountain, and after that to be in a state of repose, or peace, of which the olive was the symbol. And why an ass on which no man ever sat? Because it is the Zodiacal Ass on which no man ever sat, or ever will sit. And why is the ass tied to the door WITHOUT in a place where two ways met? I reply, because the Zodiacal Ass is fixed or tied to Cancer on its doors of Heaven, and is at the Summer Solstice, which is the place where two ways met. And why peace in Heaven and glory in the Highest? Because the Sun having attained the highest pitch of glory at the Summer Solstice, then goes into a state of repose acbeau-cording to the opinion of the ancients; and consequently there is peace in heaven. And why do the multitude bring branches of palm trees? Because the Sun having attained the height of his power, and gained the victory, the symbol of the Sun and of victory is presented to him, viz. the palm.

As this subject is interesting I revert to it again: the word Autumn is nowhere to be found in the Bible, and the Jews evidently had only two seasons, Winter and Summer, the reign of the bad and the good principle: one commencing at the Autumnal Equinox ushered in by the Serpent, the other at the Vernal Equinox ushered in by the Lamb," and Summer and Winter, and day and night shall not cease." (Genesis viii. 22.) " And I will smite the Winter house with the Summer house." (Amos iii. 15.) This last expression furnishes a key to the meaning; the Good Principle destroys the works of the Bad, i. e. the Lamb destroys the works of the Serpent, "that old Serpent the Devil." As mankind ad-shell OUTSIDE, (i. e. without) and which was one of the vanced in civilization, three Seasons were instituted, and then four. I shall now shew that there are several circumstances of an extraordinary nature in the Roman Catholic system, in reference to the third Season, which will go far to prove that their priesthood have corrupted the Gospels, and not content with the grand and tiful religion of Jesus, have added to it the ancient mythos of the Sun.

Hyde in his Commentaries on Ulugbeigh, states in the article on Cancer, that "prima stella (in Cancer) Arabibus vocatur Ma' laph, i. e. Præsepe. idem quod Græc. Parvn. Vocatur item Al Nethra." p. 35.

"Al Nethra est una ex mansionibus Lunæ quæ constat duabus stellis." p. 35.

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Stella quarta ac quinta Arabice audiunt Al Himarein i. e. Duo ASINI, qui in dicto præsepi pascere videntur. Græcis, "Ovo vel 'Ovioko Aselli." p. 36.

Here then we have the important fact that in Cancer which is at the Summer Solstice there are two stars called the Asses, and by the Greeks called both Asses, and little Asses, together with two others called the Crib, or Manger. "in which they seem to feed." It follows from the above that the Sun necessarily attains the summit of his glory, or in other words rides in triumph into his domicile on an Ass. It is known also that the Sun having arrived at that point (June 21) was said in ancient religions to have triumphed, or gained the victory, and after that to be in a state of repose before he began his downward career. It is known also there were two doors or gates of heaven, one in Cancer and the other in Capricorn. Let us now examine the circumstances related in the Gospels. They are these: "Two asses are at Bethphage on the Mount of Olives." (Matt. xxi.)

"A Colt whereon never man sat is tied by the door WITHOUT in a place where Two ways met." (Mark xi.)

There" is peace in Heaven and glory in the Highest." (Luke xix.)

"They took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him." (John xii.)

Why has Matthew two asses, and one of them a little ass? I reply, because there are two stars called asses, and by the Greeks called also little asses.

And why at Bethphage? Because Bethphage is a word signifying House of meeting, from 2 house, and

It follows from the above that the triumphal entry is an allegory upon the Sun at the Summer Solstice, and belongs equally to the Heathen and Christian religions. It is evident the time has arrived when a separation must be made between what constitutes the simple and beautiful religion of Jesus, and the mythos added to it in a subsequent age by the Catholic Priesthood.

Diagram illustrating the three Seasons, and the contest between the two principles of Light and Darkness.

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Triumphal entry.

Summer Solstice.

Place where the two ways met.

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Holbeach, Dec. 10, 1852.

Spring. Redemption of evil by

the Lamb.

F. SNAITH, M.D.

The controversy respecting the" Arms of the Isle of Man" having already occupied considerable space, the publisher respectfully intimates that he cannot admit any more articles on the subject.

ARMS OF THE ISLE OF MAN. YOUR Correspondent Dr. Snaith says, "there is neither difficulty nor mystery" in this subject, yet I hope I I may be allowed to say that his dissertation has, in my opinion, only made it darker; and I beg to submit to your readers my own more lucid and veracious account of the matter. It is well known that the Isle of Man was formerly rather a dependency than an integral part of the British Empire, and being governed by its own laws, and enjoying peculiar privileges, was long, and perhaps is now, resorted to as an asylum by fugitive debtors, who were vulgarly said to have given their creditors leg bail. Now this, I think, will explain the arms in question, for the three legs represent the refugees who fled to the island from the three neighbouring kingdoms, and the spurs upon the heels are emblematical of the speed with which they fled from their creditors. I am aware, Sir, that this explanation will not satisfy all your readers, but I cannot believe that any who approve the Doctor's inferential and take-for granted style will object to it. CALEB GREENSPECS,

December 11th, 1852.

To F. SNAITH, M.D. SIR,-A tripod was, primarily, a sacred symbol of the Trinunity; secondly, "it expressed some priesthood or sacerdotal dignity." Spanheim. "A seat or stool whereon the priests and sybils were placed to render oracles." Lond. Encyc. which expresses exactly the Chinese ting, a tripod. See two of the very ancient figures in Hager's Chin. symbols and hieroglyphs, p. xxxvi. In the last the real nature and use of the seat is beautifully described, viz. the mouth or speech between two props or serpents: these serpents can only mean the good and the bad spirit. The tripod never did and never could refer to three seasons of the year.

In describing the number of seasons, you have omitted the one season and the five seasons, and have fixed upon the three seasons merely to make the tripod represent Spring, Summer, and Winter! But here again the Chinese, Sanscrit, Egyptian, and other languages are against you. Spring is thus described; "the beginning of Summer, presenting the sun." See Oriental Zodiac. Autumn is thus described: "the departing of Summer, gathering in the fruits of the earth," &c. With regard to your diagram, I have merely to say that you would have done better to have taken for your model the Oriental Zodiac, of which Sir William Jones says in the Asiatic Researches, vol. ii. p. 289, that it was probably invented by the first progenitors of the Hindu race before the dispersion," and "three of the figures I firmly believe, from internal and external evidence, to be more than three thousand years old," p. 305. To which I beg to add that more than three must have been as old as the time when astronomy was first studied. Sat est.

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I had almost forgotten the advertisement, "wanted a person of erudition, &c." Tollite cachinnum. There are two deities of the name of Serapis; the first is the symbol of Spring, and the second of "Autumn, and may

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ARMS OF THE ISLE OF MAN. YOUR learned Correspondent, the Rev. T. R. Brown, has called the attention of your readers to the Arms of the Isle of Man, and has pointed out the curious fact of the existence of figures nearly resembling those arms, one on an ancient Sicilian coin, and another in an engraving in 'Gesenii Monumenta Phoenicia." The trifling difference between the figures is that whereas the Mona device has simply three legs joined together, with spurs at the heels, and the motto, or legend," Quocunque jeceris stabit" (as may be seen in the coins of the island, one of which I have before me, of the year 1786), the figure in Gesenius has a human face in the centre, and that on the Sicilian coin has, in the same place, a blank shield, and something like a spike of Egyptian wheat, or of maize, between the legs. It would be historically interesting, and would gratify a rational curiosity, if this resemblance should lead to the discovery that commercial, or any other kind of intercourse had in ancient times existed between the shores of the Mediterranean and this little British island, of which at present there appears no other trace. In the mean time, it is impossible not to pity the weakness and blindness of another of your correspondents, F. Snaith, M.D. of Holbeach, who has found in this subject occasion, by the help of scraps of second-hand learning, raked together out of the rubbish of French sophistry, to insinuate opinions antagonistic to the sacred truths of Christianity, and, by mixing them up with heathen fables, to endeavour to make them appear equally worthless. By his "IPSE DIXIT," he has converted the three spurs at the heels of the device, and the face in the figure in Gesenius, into four suns, which seem, by their excess of light, to have blinded the doctor, or so dazzled his eyes, that he can see nothing clearly. In that phetic and most sublime description of the last judgment, given by our Saviour in the 25th chapter of St. Matthew, he can see only a fabulous allegory; and he is of opinion that if a history of Serapis, the Egyptian Pluto, or god of darkness, whom he identifies with Autumn, or the season which declines into dark winter," were written by a person of erudition, it would be found so interwoven with the doctrines of Christianity, as would fill the public mind with astonishment;" that is to say, Christianity would be found to be a compound of darkness and fable, as absurd as the idolatrous superstitions of ancient Egypt. Truly, "light has come into the world," but there are men who "love darkness rather than light." Bleak House, Dec. 10, 1852.

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JARNDYCE.

FOR DECEMBER, 1852.

SIR WILLIAM SEGAR, GARTER.

IN answer to "Heraldicus," in your November number, I send the following, which is from Mark Noble's History of the College of Arms :—

"His Majesty conferred the title of Knighthood upon him (Sir W. S.), Nov. 5, 1616. In the following month, incurring the royal displeasure, he was imprisoned. He had imprudently given a man the royal arms of Arragon with a canton of Brabant, or at least confirmed them, for the small sum of twenty-two shillings. This man was sent by Brook, or Brooksworth, York Herald, the most vicious and abandoned character that ever disgraced any society. The man who sued and obtained the grant or confirmation was Brandon, the public executioner. York, finding his diabolical scheme succeed so far, shewed the grant to the King, who was highly exasperated. But at length the iniquitous business being unravelled, Garter was restored to freedom and favour."

his errand, and that there may be no time for consideration,
pretends that the vessel that was ready to carry it, was just
ready to sail. He, not in the least suspecting any design,
without more ado receives his fee, and puts the seal of the
office, with his own name, to the paper. Presently Brooks
carries it to Thomas Earl of Arundel (then one of the Com-
missioners for the office of Earl Marshal), and assured him
that these were the arms of the kingdom of Arragon, with
a canton of Brabant; and that Brandon, to whom he had
The Earl
granted them, was a mean inconsiderable man.
acquainted the King with the whole matter, and his Majesty
resolved that the person who had set to the seal should be
turned out of his place, and upon a hearing in the Star
Chamber, be severely fined for his affront to the Crown of
Spain; but at the intercession of the Earl of Pembroke, his
Majesty grew more calm, and was prevailed with to refer it
to the Commissioners. When they came to a hearing, the
gentleman who had been thus imposed on, submitted him-
self entirely to the mercy of the Court; but withal desired
their Lordships to consider, that it was a mere oversight, and

CAMDEN, Clarenceux, a contemporary, thus speaks of that it was the importunity of the messenger that led him, this scandalous business :

"Dec. 17, 1616. William Segar, King at Arms, was accused of giving the arms of Arragon, with a canton of the arms of Brabant, to George Brandon, the hangman of Londen. This gave great displeasure to the King, but the matter was detected, that it was done by the infamous malice of Ralp Brookesworth. The Herald, who was an hired emissary, drew the arms not dissimilar to those of Arragon, with a canton of those of Brabant, and abused the easy credulity of Garter, who, for twenty-two shillings, obtained a confirmation of them, and which he took care to shew to the King. Dec. 30th, Garter, York, and other Heralds were called before the delegates for the Earl Marshal; but the King, as an example of justice to York for his malicious subornation, and to Garter for his easy belief and ignorance, and for displaying the arms for so small a sum of money, was desirous to punish them; they were therefore both delivered into the custody of the Marshalsea. Jan. 1, 1617, a petition was presented to the King in the name of Garter, His with the testimony of the Heralds in his favour. honesty, integrity and good carriage were so strongly urged to his Majesty by the members of the College, that he was set at liberty, and in the most honorable manner restored to all the privileges of his situation."

In Dallaway's Heraldry, under the head of "Ralph Brooke, or Brookesworth," I find a note containing the following information, from which it appears that before Camden's admission, Brooke's spleen was principally directed against Sir William Segar; of which Bishop Gibson relates the following circumstances :—

How

"After he (Camden) became a member of the College, he discharged his office with great integrity, and maintained an amicable correspondence with all his brethren. far his adversary had a claim to this character, let the following instance witness. Upon a private pique against one of the College, he contrived such a malicious piece of revenge as is not commonly heard of. He employed a person to carry a coat of arms to him ready drawn, who was to pretend that it belonged to one Gregory Brandon (a gentleman who had formerly lived in London, but was then in Spain), and to desire he would set his hand to it. The man does

contrary to his usual method, to pass it without deliberation. Brooke, on the other hand, declared openly in court, that it was from beginning to end a contrivance of his own to gain an opportunity of convincing their Lordships of the sordidness of the other, who for the sake of a fee would be guilty of so gross a knavery. They were amazed at the confidence of the man; and when his Majesty heard the circumstances of the case, he ordered both to be committed to prison; one for treachery, and the other for negligence." BROCTUNA.

Bury, Lancashire, November, 1852.

THE TUCKERS OF LAMERTON IN THE Co. OF DEVON.

SIR,-Can any of your readers oblige me with any information relative to this family, and more particularly of Stephen Tucker of Lamerton, to whom Henry VIII. gave permission by deed to sit covered in the "or elsewhere at his libertie," and Royal presence, where the original document is? They were, I believe, connected with the Tuckers, or Tookers of Exeter, of which family Robt. Tooker was mayor of the city in 1538, and whose grandson, Wm. Tooker, was the celebrated Dean of Lichfield. The last representative of this branch in Exeter was, I believe, Mr. Wm. Tucker, a banker, who has been some time dead.

FRIAR TUCK.

SIR,-Can you furnish me with any particulars of
Richard Smith, a noted bibliomaniac of the seventeenth
century, and of whom there is a very rare and fine en-
graving by W. Sherwin. The auction catalogue of his
library contains some curious articles-volumes printed
by Caxton, and rare books, "the very insertion of which,"
says Dibdin," in a bookseller's catalogue, would pro-
bably now make a hundred bibliomaniacs start from
their homes by starlight, in order to come in for the
Yours, &c.
first pickings."
RUSTICUS.

Leyburn, near Bedale, Yorkshire.
November 27, 1852.

SUPERSTITIONS OF COCKNEY-LAND. JUST now when there is such a lamentable calm in the archæological world, when all the brasses have been rubbed, all the walls scraped, and all our counties ransacked for choice bits of folk-lore to supply the columns of your own and contemporary periodicals; I have thought that it would not be unacceptable if I were to send you a few old-world fragments, from a new source, culled not among the quiet nooks of some remote province but gleaned among the range of highways and byeways which intersect the heart of noisy, bustling, go-a-head Cockaigne! No sneers, Mr. Reader, -that pains-taking wight - Pegge, did not consider it beneath his dignity to collect the lingual vagaries of the Londoner, and why should I think it beneath mine to chronicle his mental ones? Traces of the genuine Cockney race- -quiet slow-going folk who smoke very long pipes, and tell very long stories of the riots in the glorious days

"When George the great was king," though now, alas! well nigh extinct, are still to be met with in divers places within the reach of Bow bells, -the old wards between Barbican and Aldgate to wit, and the quaint old portions of Rotherhithe, still known among the aborigines by its ancient Saxon name of Redriff. Many curious old customs and superstitions long since fled from politer neighbourhoods still linger among these people. In these localities the horse-shoe still asserts its anti-magical properties, and here it is that the cunning woman finds her victims. Your true cockney always belongs to the genus gullible,-in Pepys' time he patronized Palmistry and paid a carolus to have his nativity cast; now a-days he sends twelve postage stamps to the Original Mesmeric Phenomenon, and swallows Elixir Life Pills by the gross. Here are a few of the more curious Metropolitan prejuges which are not to be found in Brand or the other collectors:

A pigeon settling upon a house is believed to be a sign of death to some of the inmates.- By a curious passage in the Vasanta-Rajasha-Koona it appears that this is also an article of Hindoo belief.

Live as long as you will there is one thing you will never see, and that is a dog following a Jew.

To meet a clergyman first thing in the morning is deemed very bad luck. From personal observation I am inclined to say the same thing of the tax-man.

It is a most preposterous thing to eat pig's marrow; everybody knows that it drives people mad. There is a curious Welsh proverb in Howell's collection, which alleges the same thing.

Sir Kenelm Digby's doctrine of sympathy finds favour in London. It is currently believed (though not, I opine, in the latitude of Holywell Street) that a dead person's clothes decay as fast as his body decomposes.

Mr. Calcraft's Old Bailey manipulations have a very sensible influence upon the elements. Just before the execution of the Mannings an ancient dame averred to me that we should have no change in the weather till after "them willans was worked off."

Incipient cockneys under twelve months must never

have their nails cut; if they should, ten to one but they turn out most arrant thieves.

The Christmas observances of Cockaigne are now, alas! well nigh forgotten, and with the exception of the Waits and some of the old customs at the guild-meetings of the smaller companies, scarcely anything remains to remind us of them. A few dim shadows, however, still linger. Many of your country readers may not be aware that it is still customary for the London chandlers to present their customers with small coloured yulecandles to be burnt on Christmas Eve. These candles are not unlike the tapers we see burning before street images of the Virgin in continental cities, and probably had a similar origin. The yule-log is also very general. The genuine cockney cannot reconcile the idea of Christmas with a coal fire. Among the old standards it is taken from the fire when only half burnt, and carefully preserved in the cellar or some other safe place, there being a belief that its possession is a sovereign preservative against fire! I once knew a man who considered a log of this character as safe as a Sun fire policy. He used to keep a regular series of them under his sideboard, and when any one was inclined to be heretical he would point to them triumphantly,-"Them's the logs for five year-my house is still standing ;" and an inference so obvious and logical it was of course impossible to withstand.

With many thanks, Mr. Willis, for the able manner in which you cater for our monthly "banquette of pleasant delites," and greeting both yourself and your readers with that hearty old English salutation, merrie Christmasse and a happie Newe Yeare,

Your obedient servant,

J. DRYASDUST, Junior.

TO CORRESPONDENTS.

G. WILLIS begs to express his acknowledgments for the numerous interesting communications which have been forwarded to him, and will feel obliged by the receipt of any original articles on subjects, either of a literary or an antiWoodcuts, illustrative of subjects requirquarian nature. ing them, will be executed at his expense.

All communications intended for insertion in the "Current Notes," must be accompanied by the Writer's real name and address, which are merely required as a guarantee of his good faith, and not for publication, except at his desire.

Literary and Scientific Obituary.

BAYLEY (F. W. N.) Miscellaneous Writer, Birmingham. EMPSON, William. (Professor of Civil Law at the East

India College, Haileybury; Editor of the Edinburgh Review). Haileybury. 10th December. Aged 63. GALLARDO, D. Bartolomeo. Author of Diccionario Critico-Burlesco. Alcoy, Valencia, returning from the Baths. About September.

LEE, Samuel. Late Regius Professor of Hebrew in the University of Cambridge. Barley Rectory, Herts. Dec. 16. MCDIARMID, John. More than 30 years Editor and Proprietor of the Dumfries Courier. Lately.

WILLIS'S

CURRENT NOTES:

A SERIES OF ARTICLES

ON

Antiquities, Biography, Beraldry, Bistory, Languages,

Literature, Natural Bistory, Curious Customs, Kr.

SELECTED FROM

ORIGINAL LETTERS AND DOCUMENTS

ADDRESSED DURING THE YEAR

1853,

TO THE PUBLISHER,

G. WILLIS,

GREAT PIAZZA, COVENT GARDEN, LONDON.

MDCCCLIV.

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