Page:Notes and Queries - Series 12 - Volume 1.djvu/207

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12 s. i. MAR. 11, 1916.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

201

LONDON. SATURDAY, MARCH 11, 1916.

CONTENTS.—No. 11.

NOTES:—Ammianus Marcellinus and the Legend of the Holy Grail, 201—George Cruikshank and George Childs, 203—Inscriptions in St. John's Church, St. John's Wood Road, 204—Some Notes on Herrick, 205—"Remainder"—"The Broad Arrow": the King's Mark—Visscher's 'View of London,' 206—Macaulay's Prince Titi—Count Lützow, a Great Bohemian Man of Letters, 207.

QUERIES:—Thinking in French—Status of the Tenant Farmer—Channelhouse: Ion: Ormondy: Twisaday, 207—Jenkinson Family, Baronets of Hawkesbury and Earls of Liverpool—Author of Motto Wanted—The King's Cock-Crower—Smoker's Superstition—"Marksman"—Southey on Popery: Doubtful Reading—Child's Story-Book—Rochard, Artist in Wax Portraits—Illustrations to Hotten's Edition of 'German Popular Stories,' 208—John Cleave—Wolrige Family—"The dogs of war are straining at the leash"—Canon Law and Ecclesiastical Devolution of Property—Capt. Kane Horneck—Standish Family—Authors Wanted—M. Grillion, Artist—R. Ormond at Chelsea—Fires at Alresford, 209.

REPLIES:—Death Warrants, 210—Warren Hastings, 211—'The Tommiad'—Othello: Gabriel Chapuys—Sir Donald Stewart's Afghan Adventure, 212—'The Vicar of Bray'—Richard Wilson, 213—Johnnie Foster: St. Andrew's: Lay Vicars, 214—Female Novelists—Louisa Parr—The Mass: Famous Englishman's Change of View—S. Joseph, Sculptor, 215—Thomas May, Recorder of Chichester—Album Lines by Sheridan Knowles George Inn, Borough—Col. John Pigott—Contributions to European Travel: Busino, 216—Queen Anne's Three Realms—Maria the Jewess—"Burd"—Sudbury Hospital, London—Newcome's School, Hackney—Sources of Southey's 'Thalaba'—Tavern Signs: King John, 217—G. F. Cooke's Mother—Heraldry—Sixteenth-Century Dutch Print—Dr. Johnson on Fishing—Author Wanted, 218.

NOTES ON BOOKS:—'The Mellards and their Descendants'—Reviews and Magazines.

Curiosities of the Seventeenth Century.

Notices to Correspondents.

AMMIANUS MARCELLINUS AND THE LEGEND OF THE HOLY GRAIL.

AMMIAN was born at Antioch, in Syria, in about A.D. 330. He fought under Julian against the Almains in 356, and against the Persians in 363. He wrote his continuation of Tacitus, from Nerva to the death of Valens, in c. 390. We have at least one MS. of his work dating from the eighth century ; v. ' Ammiani Marcellini Rerum Oestarum libri qui supersunt.' ed. V. Gardthausen, 1874. Ammian's account of Julian's great victory over the Almains at Strasburg, in August, 357, and his description of the two kings who led them in that battle, are very interesting (cp. Bk. XVI. cap. xii. 23, p. 102). At the place cited we find a by-no-means unskilful picture of a knavish Teutonic war- lord, " belli totius incentor," of huge

strength, and savage and treacherous mind. This king, Hnodomari by name, was defeated, taken prisoner, and carried captive to Rome, where he quickly died.

Ammian, having described Hnodomari, proceeds thus :

" Latus vero dextrum Serapio agebat etiam tuin adultae lanuginis iuvenis, efficacia prascurrens aetatem : Mederichi fratris Chonodomarii filius, hominis quoad vixerat perfidissimi : ideo sic appellatus quod pater eius diu obsidatus pignore tentus in Galliis doctusque Graeca quaedam arcana, hunc filium suum Agenarichum genital! vocabulo dictitatum ad Serapionis transtulit nomen."

The phrase " doctusque Graeca quaedam arcana," and the strange name " Serapio " for an Almain prince, should both arrest attention. What the particular secrets were we are not told, of course. Some com- mentators have thought that Ammian was a Christian : in that case the Grceca arcana were not the mysteries of the Christian faith. On the other hand, what would appear to be the better instructed opinion is that Ammian was not a Christian : in this case his personal attitude is neutrel with regard to the meaning of the phrase he uses. We will presently return to these two points.

The war between Julian and the Almains continued, but Serapio-Agenaric is not mentioned again by Ammian. In April, 360, Julian assumed the purple. Con- stantius, being greatly incensed against him, intrigued with the Almains, and letters were intercepted. In consequence of this Julian had Wadomari, one of the Almain kings, kidnapped and imprisoned in Spain. This necessarily occurred before the death of Constantius, i.e., before Nov. 3, 361. Julian was then on his way to Constantinople, and he entered that city on Dec. 11. It may be assumed that it was after that date that Wadomari was taken into imperial favour, and made Duke of Phoenicia. He was still holding that office under Valens (f378).

Some fifteen years or so later we learn from the contemporary * Register of the Dignitaries ' that the " Conors Quinta Pacata Alamannorum " was stationed at Onevatha, and was " sub dispositione Viri Spectabilis Ducis Foinicis." The epithet pacata was certainly honorific, and it had probably been added to the style of the Phoenician cohort of Almains by the Emperor Julian's com- mand. In the same document we read that the " Ala Prima luthungorum " was sta- tioned at a place called Salutaria, " sub dispositione Viri Spectabilis Ducis Syriae et [August aa] Eufratensis." The Juthungas are spoken of by Ammian as " pars Alaman-