died without issue, but his brother, William, left a son, Thomas, who, after arriving at many honourable employments, was, in the 35th year of Henry, the Eighth, ennobled under the title of Lord Southampton of Tichfield, in the County of Southampton; and, in the following year, he was made the Lord Chancellor, and, subsequently, Earl of Southampton. It is unnecessary, for the purposes of this note, to pursue the genealogy of this family further. Let it suffice to say, that Rachel, the co-heiress of the fourth, and last, Lord, married, for her second husband, the celebrated patriot, Lord William Russell. The house of Bedford, consequently, now quarters the arms of Wriothesley; and, in remembrance of the alliance, that name is usually borne by some one of the family. I know not, whether it can be proved; but I suspect, that Sir John Wriothesley, Garter King of Arms, sprang, collaterally, from the ancient family of Wroth, which inherited, and resided on, the manor of Durants, in the parish of Enfield, for upwards of three centuries. The pedigree of this family is given in Lysons's "Environs of London." The same family, also, in an early age, possessed the manor, and estate, of Barford, in the parish of Downton, Wilts. NOTE 2-(p. 22.) "Si Thomas Halle sit tertius serviens attendens maioriThe subject of this note will, I fear, be regarded as trivialtoo unimportant to call for special observations, and too barren in itself to excite interest. The Latin Participle "serviens" is, manifestly, the origin of the English Word "servant;" and, without doubt, also, that of "Serjeant," or "Sergeant." The latter words are merely formed by the interchange of a letter, or two. The question is here debated, whether Thomas Halle should be (elected) the third Sergeant (or servant) attendant on the Mayor. The word Serjeant, or Sergeant, varies somewhat in its meaning, and is applied to different parties, generally in a ministerial situation, such as the Sergeant-at-Mace, or the Mace-bearer of a Corporation-the regimental Sergeant-the Sergeant-at-Arms of the House of Lords, and of the House of Commons-all these denote offices of a lower, or higher, service -bound to obey official commands, and, perhaps, their offices, originally, bore more the semblance of a defensive nature, than at present; yet, even now, it may be held to be their implied duty to restrain breaches of decorum, and of discipline, and to retain in hold those, who are guilty of such default. There is, also, another party, to designate whom the term is applied of the "Serviens ad legem," or "Sergeant-at-Law." Such is the honourable appellative of those, who, after a long, and arduous, service, have arrived at the higher station in the legal profession, and are inferior only to Judges, by whom they are, severally, addressed by the term of "Brother." The word "Sergeant," as used with reference to one holding this superior station in the profession, I am induced to think, is not intended to imply present official duties, but bears retrospect to past time, and is meant to denote one, who, having served the law long, and closely, by his attentive, and deep, study, and professional experience, is, at length, from his eminence, thought worthy to be raised to its highest honours. NOTE 3-(p. 22.) "Attendens maiori." The object of this note may be considered, by the many, equally unnecessary as the last. On the other hand it may be said with truth, that, which is most obvious, is often the least heeded. By some the origin of the word "mayor" is little noted-by others not even surmised. Let us assume, that a grant is passed to establish a corporation, which shall consist of a mayor, and a certain number of aldermen, of members of the Common Council, and of these, annually, one is to be chosen, whose especial duty it shall be to preside over the rest to see, that the municipal laws are put into execution -and on whom the duty shall more peculiarly devolve of taking cognizance of offences committed within the jurisdiction of the City, or Borough, and of sitting in judgment on the minor offender. This selected, and honoured, party is, for the time, major in auctoritate-he, by his superior functions, is the greater amongst his fellows-and, by the ancient interchange of letters, he passes, as we see (in the present instance in the days of John Halle) from the appellative of "major" to that of "maior," from whence is the most easy transition to mayor." I must here remind you, gentle reader, that this Thomas Halle, the Sergeant-at-Mace, is presumed not to be the father of John Halle; but that, as I think, one of the same name, who was, at that time, a member of the corporation, stood in that relation to him. NOTE 4-(p. 22.) "Claviger." It having been just mentioned, that Thomas Halle (not the father of John Halle) was elected as the third Sergeant, or mace-bearer, the question of his rate of wages then became the subject of debate, the decision of which is thus entered in the Corporation Leger: "Quod Thomas Halle tertius Claviger habeat de maiori et communitate pro salario suo vis. viiid., et esculenta sua, et liveratus de maiori:” i. e. “That Thomas Halle, the third mace-bearer, should receive from the mayor and commonalty as his salary six shillings and eightpence, and his food and livery from the mayor." In all countries, and from the earliest ages, it hath been usual to honour Kings, and those "sitting in high places," and acting under their authority with a preceding guard to clear the way to maintain order-and to take, and retain in hold, the disorderly, and turbulent; and, under the semblance of a guard of honour, these were thus in the early, and more unruly, ages a protecting guard. They are commonly denominated "Sergeants-at-Arms," and "Sergeants-at-Mace;" and, in the olden times, they were, certes, accustomed to bear, before those invested with official dignity, insignia, not merely of honour, but of defence. The mace, I trow, was, then, of efficient use, and similar to the warlike instrument anciently known by that appellative-in fact-a massive club, whose wide-spreading top was thickly beset with protruding iron spikes, well fitted to inspire fear; and, if need there were, actually to cleave the skull of any unhappy wight, whose turbulent disposition should cause him to fall under displeasure. Howe'er some may think, yet these are halcyon days, when compared with those of the rude, and barbarous, middle-ages; and it is accounted, now, more wise, and courteous, to exhibit alone the emblems of loyalty-of authority-and of justice. Concordant with these former feelings, and usages, the Sergeant-at-Arms, or Mace-bearer, is thus denominated "Claviger," or "Club-bearer." The appellative, mace, is, I am inclined to think, of eastern origin. Minshieu gives so extensive a derivation, that, I am sure, gentle reader, you will readily dispense with its full extract. Amongst other remarks, he says, that some derive the word from the Arabic, and others from the Hebrew. I will, however, quote the following passage: "Quadrare videtur antiquum Flandr. Martse, i.e. militaris malleus. Primitùs enim militiæ tantum signum fuit & jurisdictionis militaris, unde à Marte dicitur. Hodie tamen aliis enim in dignitate togata constitutis concessum.” I will here add the short derivation given in the “Gazophylacium Anglicanum:" "Mace, from the Fr. Masse-the Ital. Mazza-or the Hisp. Maça, Maza-a club-all from the Lat. Massa—a mass." This word, then, may well allude to the thickened head of the weapon beset with iron points. From the Latin it may be, probably, traced through the Hebrew, and Arabic, to that yet more eastern language, the Sanscrit. That skilful linguist, Townsend, not only proves, in a great number of instances, the remote affinity of the English and Sanscrit Tongues; but, also, demonstrates the close alliance of the Latin and Greek with the Sanscrit Language. Having exemplified these opinions by various, and well-drawn, comparisons, he adds thus: "I might now proceed to examine, and to trace the affinity between Sanscrit and Hebrew, which are certainly related, although not as sisters, nor as parent, and offspring; but for the present I forbear. I shall, however, shortly take occasion to demonstrate, that Greek and Hebrew are radically one, as I have here adduced sufficient evidence to prove, that a similar identity subsists between Sanscrit and Greek. It will then, I trust, be clear to every one, that Sanscrit and Hebrew have a radical affinity, and may claim descent from the same progenitor, existing at a given time, when the whole earth was of one language. This conclusion is perfectly agreeable to the axiom, that, if two things are equal to a third, they are equal to each other. The argument will then stand thus: Sanscrit and Greek are radically one, Greek and Hebrew are radically one, therefore Sanscrit and Hebrew are radically one, q. e. d.” * That the mace was used, as a warlike weapon, amongst the Greeks, is testified by Dr. Meyrick in the following passage of his "Introduction" to his elaborate work on "Ancient Armour: "For close fight" (says he) "the arms of the Greeks • "The Character of Moses," &c. Vol. 2, p. 330. were clubs, páλayyss; the mace, xogum; the spear, lance, gu; the pole-axe, aim; the battle-axe, xos; the xus; the sword, pos; and the dagger, páxaiga. As the clubs were used · Δία Αρηϊθου τὸν ἐπικλησιν, κορυνήτην But with his iron mace whole squadrons routed.' "One of these maces in a horseman's hand occurs on an old Greek coin, engraved in Stuart's Antiquities of Athens; 'S and several brazen mace-heads, which prove, that the handle was generally of wood, may be seen in the British Museum.”|| The mace is enumerated by Dr. Meyrick as a weapon in use amongst the Egyptians, Jews, Palestines, Scythians, Thracians, and Scandinavians. I much doubt, indeed, whether the mace was not in use amongst all early nations. The primitive implement of war was, perhaps, the simple club, which was superseded by the mace, or spiked club, and this, in its turn, uniting its several points in one, probably, yielded to the ponderous, and cutting, battle-axe. Thus was the barbarism of war increased in its effect by the improvement in the arts. When I Strat. Lib. 1, c. xxi. + Plutarch in Theseo; and Diod. Sic. Lib. iv. Hom. Iliad. . v. 136. § Vol. iii. p. 53. "With these are many, that were not thus used, but placed on the striker of a flail, several in succession, made to fit its increasing diameter towards its end, to prevent their flying off. Such a military weapon was used by the Portuguese till the conclusion of the 16th century." |