And here it may mean the stuff of which his garment was made, and not the garment itself. It is true that Bliaud, Bliaut, Bliaus signified some sort of upper garment in low Latin, and in old French. Numerous examples of this sense may be found in Ducange; and the term is still in use, both in France and Flanders, among the people, for the surtout or smock-frock worn by them, which is sometimes called Blaude, and Blouse (and which by the way is generally blue); but the connection of Blihand with this word remains to be shewn. I therefore incline to the opinion of Ihre that it is the name of a rich stuff of which garments were made, and the following extracts will, I think, sufficiently establish the interpretation. In a German Vocabulary of 1482, Blyand" is explained "Byssus Jacinthus, Edel seyden gewandt." In Davies's Welch Dictionary we have "Bliant, Sindon." And in the Old Suevo-Gothic Rhyming Chronicle, cited by Ihre, it is classed with Baldakin, or Cloth of Bawdekin : Och war thera brollops Klædhi Af baldakin ock blyant. i. e. “and their wedding garments were of baldakin and blyant.” " In a MS. of St. Brandon, quoted by Scherz, "der mantel was von bliant darauf ein zobel wel bewandt." Possibly two words, as frequently happens, have been confounded, and Blihault, &c. may have no relation to Blehand; or the name of a stuff may, in process of time, have been used to designate the garment as being usually made of it; but I think it cannot be doubted that the stuff, and not the garment, is meant in Tristrem. Ihre suggests that Blihand may be derived from blya, Goth. splendere, and he is probably right. The word is sometimes written pliat, and pliant, in the Old Teutonic romances. Benecke, in his edition of Wigalois, explains it "Ein Kostbarer Seidenstoff." And Oberlin, in his specimens of Conrad of Würtzburg, interprets it " Byssus;" in both the passages cited, it is applied to the stuff of which the garment was made. "LITHE." Your Correspondent says, "The derivation of this word is from the Saxon leod; Germ. leute; populus, which at a later period took the secondary sense of possessions, whether of land or houses. This is proved most satisfactorily, I think, in Madden's Reply to Singer, p. 19. The phrase londe and lede, or londe or lith (for lede and lithe are one word), is very common in our old poets." I believe Mr. Singer had the merit of first setting the Editor of Havelok in the right track respecting this word; for in the Glossary to that poem, Jamieson's derivation of it from hleoth hlithe, clivus was adopted, and it is said, "its real signification seems unknown, but may be conjectured from the following passages." Mr. S. pointed out this error, and told the Editor of Havelok that the Saxon leod, people, was the true Etymon of lede and lith. The Editor of Havelok did Mr. S. the honour to agree with him in this derivation, and his inference that lede and lith are the same word disguised by a different orthography. Mr. Singer has, however, since discovered the derivation suggested by him, adopted by the Editor of Havelok, and approved by your Correspondent, to be erroneous. The words in this instance, as in many others, have been confounded. The A. S. hlyt, hlete, hlot, and not leod, is the immediate etymon of lyth, lithe, lede, and signifies lot, portion, inheritance, in short, worldly goods. Thus in the A.S. Psalter, xxx. 16, on handum thinum hlyt min, my heritage is in thy hands. Notker's translation is remarkably similar, "Min loz ist in dinen handen." In the Islandic, lod, lood, latr, hlyt, signifies revenue, wealth; and in the Armoric lod or laud has the same meaning. In the MœsoGothic Gospels, we find that unleds* is poor (Luke xvi. 20, Matth. xi. 15), evidently shewing that wealth was designated by a similar word in that language. Wherever lond and lith, or londe and lede are coupled together, e may now therefore safely interpret land or goods, or possessions; and this may lead to the true explanation of the disputed term allodium, or old Fr. alleu, as it plainly Ray in his Gloss. North. has "Unlead, nomen opprobii." His derivation is however false. GENT. MAG. VOL. I. Y shows the etymology of the word livelihood, formerly written livelode and liflode. In all the examples cited in the Glossaries, which may be multiplied without end, this explanation will be found to be the true one. I will add one from Bishop Nicholson's Preface to Wilkins's Anglo-Saxon Laws; it is part of the oath of fealty of the Scotish Barons-" I become zour man, my liege King, in land, lith, life, and lim, warldly honour, homage and fealty and lawty, against all that live and die," &c. The importance of settling definitely the meaning and etymon of this frequently recurring word may excuse this detail. I have noted two or three other erroneous explanations in Scott's Glossary to Sir Tristrem, which probably may have escaped the critical eye of your Correspondent. "FEDDE, oftener spelled FODE, a frequent epithet in romance; fairly fedde seems equivalent to well-educated or nurtured."-SCOTT. Fode is equivalent to bairn, child, offspring, and is related to the Su.-Goth. Foed-a, and the Teutonic Fod-an, gignere. Thurch brinies brast the blode, Mani a frely föde.-Trist. I. 18. So in the King of Tars, v. 176. The Soudan ost, in that stounde, But the word is generally applied to children, or young females, as in Amis and Amiloun, v. 57, and 557; Syr Amadas, v. 580; Emare, v. 507. "FOR LAIN. Lain by."-ScOTT. I doubt whether it has that meaning in the passage cited from p. 97, of the original edition of Tristrem. It certainly has not in p. 94. Tristrem this thef is he That may he not for lain. i.e. hide, conceal, deny. "TEMED, perhaps from SAX. Temed or Getemed, Mansuefactus, domitus, Tamed."-SCOTT. Certainly not. It is from the SAX. Teman, to appeal, to call upon, Advocare, citare ad warrantum, appellare. Thus in the laws of Hlothair and Eadric, "Tame he to wic to cynges sele, Provocet ille in urbe ad regis tribunal." "YCORN, prepared, literally carried out.”—Scott. Rather selected, chosen. Sax. cu-ran, ge-curan, seligere, eligere. Dr. Whitaker has strangely interpreted this line in P. Ploughman, p. 120. Knows't thou a core seynt quath ich that men clepeth Treuthe? by "Knowest thou a heart saint," &c. where we should read a chosen saint. Thus in the Saxon Chronicle, MLXI. "And Nicolaus papa forthferde, and Alexander was to papan gecoren," i. e. chosen, elected. And in a fragment of the old metrical romance of Apolyn, King of Tyre, formerly in my possession: Tho he saw hem alle by fore, His douzhtr and hys sone in lawe, The sense of which appears from Matthew, iii. 17. Her is min gecorena sunu, Hic est meus dilectus filius. There are numerous other mistakes in the Glossary to Tristrem. The words bede, toke, than, minne, thinare, and many others, are erroneously explained; but I must take another opportunity of offering my suggestions upon them. A. B. ON ANCIENT SURNAMES. Mr. URBAN,-So much has already been written upon the origin and mport of Surnames that it may seem unnecessary to revert to the subject. It has, however, occurred to me that little has been done to illustrate the descent of these appellations; or to show how many of our present disguised surnames are the representatives of those which in their more ancient form were possessed of meaning. A classification of those objects from which proper names are derived, and of the manner in which they were bestowed, may not seem devoid of interest, and upon these subjects I add a few observations. I would remark, that the sources from which I have deduced my notices, are principally manuscripts of considerable antiquity, or such publications as present correct examples of surnames at an early date. The first list to which I would direct your notice consists of those surnames which have been bestowed from certain personal qualifications. Ralph le Gras, or the fat; MS. Addit. 7965, fol. 69 b; in the index to the Rot. Scotia it is, Gros. Nicholas Malemeyns; id. fol. 129 b. Alan Brodheud, or broadhead; MS. Addit. 7966, fol. 55. Fairhair, id. Yalowhaire, id. Le Long, id. Thomas Sturdy; MS. Cott. Claud. B. III. fol. 170 b. Galfridus Wychals, or bad neck; from the Saxon, id. 168 b; this name is, probably, the same as Wyggel, fol. 170. Mental qualifications or attributes may next be illustrated. John Jolif of Sandwich; MS. Addit. 7965, fol. 91; now Jolly. Grim; Raine's North Durham, 125. Richard Godhusband; MS. Cott. Claud. B. 111. fol. 169 b. Cecilia Gauk; (1345) Chart. Harl. 112 G. 45, and Matildi Goki, MS. Cott. Claud. A. vi. fol. 3, are both to be traced to the French gauchée, crooked. Nicholas Ramage; MS. Addit. 7965, fol. 107; from the French ramage, explained by Cotgrave "ramage, hagard, wild, homely, rude." Roger le Proud; MS. Addit. 7966, fol. 96 b. Prudhome, Rot. Scotia. Lelhome; Chart. Harl. 53 A. 5, true, or loyal man. Names of animals seem also to have furnished instances; for example, Bullock; Rot. Scot., Claud. B. 111.fol. 169 b. Kelyng, which signifies, (a codling). id. Laverock, (a lark). id. Wlf (the Scandinavian name for a wolf). id., MS. Cott. Claud. A. iv. fol. 7. 1. Sperhafocus, (a sparrow-hawk) MS. Cott. Claud. B. vi. fol. 114 b (1050). Colours, as might be expected, supply specimens. William Brun, MS. Addit. 7965. fol. 89. Elfwig se red, (the red), Appendix to Lye's Saxon Dict. Elias le Brun, MS. Addit. 7965, fol. 107 b. Fag, (Sax. fæg, discolor) MS. Cott. Vesp. B. xxiv. fol. 40 b. Arms, such as Longespee and Simon Hauberk, (1 Edw. III. MS. Cott. Claud. A xiii. fol. 108); and Dress, as Henry Brodbelte (MS. Cott. Claud. B. iii.) may serve as examples. But by far the most copious lists are to be traced to certain peculiarities of local situation or employment; to these, at a future period, it is my intention to invite your notice. J. S. ROMAN STATIONS IN ESSEX. Whether Braintree or Coggeshall was the intermediate Roman Station between Colchester and Dunmow? and whether the site of Canoninum is at Chippinghill in Witham or at Kelvedon ? As to the First Proposition.-It seems to be allowed on all hands that there was a Roman station on the military way between Camulodunum (Colchester, Adjacent Fields, or rather Lexden, which was included in the extensive walls which surrounded Colchester), and Dunmow (the Villa Faustina of some authors); and this station has been generally considered to have been at Coggeshall, but, according to the best information which I can obtain, and a careful inspection of remaining indications, I believe upon insufficient grounds. From a perusal of the remarks of Weever, Lethieullier, and Morant, it appears to me that the grounds upon which the etation is supposed to have been at Coggeshall consist of these particulars: first, The existence of some Bank at or near Coggeshall, indicating that the military way passed through it; secondly, the finding of two Roman sepulchral urns; and lastly, the finding one coin of Antoninus Pius. As to these several grounds, it appears to follow that, if similar indications are to be found at Braintree, there is as much reason for fixing the station there as at Coggeshall; and if those indications exist to a much greater extent at the former place, the reasons for fixing it there will preponderate. These indications, therefore, I shall beg leave to consider in their order. First. There is said to be a Bank in or near Coggeshall which formed part of the Roman military way in question; which, I believe, is correct, and that it is on the entrance of the town from Braintree opposite the vicarage. field, and upon the crown of which the Fleece public-house and the line of houses of which that house forms a part stand; and upon the northern slope of which the present road runs : but then we have a much more extensive Bank at Brainfree on the same line of road; it commences at the Bird-in-hand, on the Coggeshall road, and reaches all the way to the entrance of the town, a distance of a quarter of a mile and more, having a ditch or foss all along the south side of it, which may be seen in various places by the side of the road; and by walking in the fields at the back of the houses much more of it may be seen. It begins near the barn standing in a field belonging to the poor on the Cressing road, and reaches all the way to the front of a row of houses in one of which Mr. Boyton, a carpenter, lately lived; indeed, the ditch is so extensive there that the houses are built in it; and there is, moreover, about midway of the distance I have mentioned, a still deeper ditch on the north side of the road or bank, against the field which adjoins Dead-lane, where a section of the Bank taken nearly opposite the middle of the field would be nearly in this form : Besides which, there was an ancient and extensive artificial Mount, forming a part of an encampment on the south side of, and connected with this Bank; it was ten feet high: the principal part of it has been recently removed, and the remainder now forms part of the ornamental grounds of the "Mount" house, rebuilt by the Rev. Mr. Scalè. The Bank I have here mentioned is so extensive that I am not aware that Coggeshall can show any thing like it; but, after all, these indications only go to show that both Braintree and Coggeshall are situated upon the military way, which seems to be admitted on all hands; and I should not have mentioned them if the one at Coggeshall had not been referred to as leading to the notion that the station was there, whereas I submit it shows no such thing. Secondly. There have been two Roman sepulchral urns found at Coggeshall, and at Braintree there have also been two found, besides six at Stisted, a village adjoining Braintree, and various Roman antiquities mentioned by Gough at Black-Notley, another village adjoining Braintree. The two found at Braintree are in the possession of Mrs. Tabor; they each contained a smaller one, and fragments of bones; and in one of them was a nail, which I understand is very like some brought from Herculaneum, now in the British Museum. As to the six found at Stisted, I obtained my information from Charles Saville-Onley, esq. who found them on rebuilding Stisted Hall. They are, however, in fragments, except a small one, which would contain about a pint, which was also inclosed in a larger one. Lastly. There appears to have been one coin, namely, of Antoninus Pius, found at Coggeshall, but there have been thousands found in and near Braintree. 1 have collected or seen of those so found specimens of those of twenty-four emperors, &c. commencing with Agrippa and ending with Honorius, including an Antoninus Pius; and Mrs. Tabor secured, of a quantity found in 1828, more than two thousand two hundred coins; and I know of two other collections. If they had all been found at one place I should not have placed so much reliance upon them; but they have been found in very many places, and at different times, and are being found almost daily. Besides which, I find, by Wright's History of Essex, now in course of publication, that an urn filled with Roman coins was found some time ago in the grounds belonging to High Garrett in Bocking, which adjoins Braintree; and that of those so found a considerable number, chiefly of the emperor Vespasian, were carefully preserved by Mr. Jonathan Reeve, at that time the proprietor of the estate; and, according to Mr. Wright's History, another coin or medal of Antoninus was found at Braintree in excellent preservation. Upon the whole, if these indications are to decide the matter, it stands thus there are for Coggeshall a portion of the Roman road, two funeral urns, and one coin of Antoninus Pius; and for Braintree an equal or greater portion of road, six more urns, and many other antiquities, two coins of Antoninus Pius, and thousands of others; some of emperors who reigned one hundred years before his time, and others two hundred and fifty years afterwards. As to the Second Proposition.-The first authority to be consulted is Antoninus, whose ninth Iter gives the distances of several towns and stations connected with the question, to this effect: from Camulodunum (Colchester) to Canoninum nine miles; from thence to Cæsaromagum (Writtle) twelve miles; from thence to Durolitum sixteen miles; and from thence to Londinum fifteen miles; total, fifty-two miles, which agrees as nearly as may be with the distance computed by our present miles, we calling Colchester fifty-one miles from London. The next author to be consulted is Camden; but we may soon dismiss him, for he admits that the ancient places of this county are so strangely obscure and puzzling that he must freely own himself in the dark. Then comes Morant, who, quoting Antoninus, ninth Iter, places Canoninum about Kelvedon; and in point of fact Kelvedon is, according to our present computation, ten miles from Colchester, and Chipping-hill is thirteen; and certainly, if Antoninus's apparent respective distances between Colchester and Kelvedon and Chipping Hill are to decide the question, Kelvedon will be the nearer spot. But if it can be made appear that there are no indications or relics of a Roman camp or station at or about Kelvedon, and that there are extensive, and I believe undoubted ones at Chipping-hill, and the apparent discrepancy as to the distances can be reconciled, the consequence must be, a decision in favour of the latter. Let us, then, in the first place, consider the subject with regard to those distances. Camulodunum was the capital of the Roman province of that name; and that it extended for two miles and more beyond the present obelisk at Colchester, whence the present distances are calculated, is proved by the most extensive and perfect remains of Roman ramparts that perhaps are to be found in the kingdom. If, then, the respective distances from Colchester to Kelvedon and Witham are calculated, not from any central point, but from the ancient extremity of Colchester, namely, Lexden, as is the case at present with regard to London, those distances will stand thus: from Camulodunum to Kelvedon eight miles, and to Chipping-hill eleven miles; and then we must look for Canoninum one mile in advance of Kelvedon, and two miles short of Chipping-hill, so that Chipping-hill is within one mile as near the required distance as Kelvedon. But let us go a little further, and instead of calculating the distances from Camulodunum, calculate them from Cæsaromagum (Writtle), and endeavour to |
