Notes and Queries, Vol. V, Number 129, April 17, 1852: A Medium of Inter-communication for Literary Men, Artists, Antiquaries, Genealogists, etc.Various
History
Notes and Queries, Vol. V, Number 129, April 17, 1852: A Medium of Inter-communication for Literary Men, Artists, Antiquaries, Genealogists, etc.
Various
Questions and answers -- Periodicals
_Lunatic Asylum benefited by Dean Swift._--Which of the lunatic asylums
benefited by the "will" of Dean Swift; either founded or endowed by the
bulk of his property?--Vide _Memoirs_.
SAMPSON LOW, Jun.
169. Fleet Street.
[St. Patrick's, or Swift's Hospital, for the reception of lunatics
and idiots, situated near Dr. Steevens's Hospital, adjoining to
James Street, Dublin. It was opened in 1757. For some account of
it see Scott's "Memoir of Dean Swift," _Works_, vol. i. pp. 438.
527.]
Replies.
ST. CHRISTOPHER.
(Vol. v., p. 295.)
Some years ago I remember meeting with the following explanation of the
beautiful legend of St. Christopher, and unfortunately forgot to take a
_Note_ of it. It recurred to my mind on lately reading Mr. Talbot's work
on English etymologies, the writer of which appears to take a similar
view of the allegorical meaning.
Part of the legend is founded on the meaning of the Greek
Χριστοφερων, coupled with a circumstance in the original legend,
which is of German origin, and is an allegorizing of our blessed Lord's
bearing the sins of the world, and _offering_ himself up on the altar of
the cross. In a Latin document of A.D. 1423, the name is abbreviated
into _X'poferus_; in an English one of the same date it is spelt
_Christopfore_; and in French, _Christopfre_. _Christopfer_ signifies
_Christ's sacrifice_: that is, the sacrifice of the cross continually
offered up in the sacrament of the altar, or the mass, the _messopfer_,
so named from the German _opfer_, a sacrifice; Welsh _offeiriad_, a
priest; _offrwm_, a sacrifice; _offeren_, the mass; Irish, _oifrionn_,
or _aifrionn_.
The perfection of our blessed Lord's humanity, His resistance of evil,
and mighty strength displayed in bearing the sins of the universe, are
shadowed out in the great stature and vast strength of the giant
Christopher. According to the legend, when he had succeeded in reaching
the shore, and had set down his burden, he said: "Chylde, thou hast put
me in grete peryll, thou wayest alle most as I had had the world upon
me; I might bere no greater burden;" and the child answered,
"Christopher, marvel thou nothing, for thou hast not only borne all the
world upon thee, but its sins likewise."
Mr. Talbot says, the name Christopher, _Christoffer_, may have been
given to children born on Good Friday, the day of the Great Sacrifice,
as those born on Christmas, Easter, and All Saints were named Pascal,
Noel, Toussaint.
JARLTZBERG.
"REHETOUR" AND "MOKE," TWO OBSCURE WORDS USED BY WYCKLYFFE, A.D. 1384.
(Vol. i., pp. 155. 278.)
I. REHETOUR.
(See the _Three Treatises_, published by Dr. Todd, Dublin, 1851.
Text, pages xxv, xxvi and lxv; Note on Rehetours, p. clxxi-ii.)
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account