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THE Shakespeare Summer Festival at Stratford-upon-Avon will this year extend for nine weeks from Monday, July 11, until Saturday, September 10. Per formances will take place each evening at 8 o'clock with two matinée performances weekly on Wednesdays and Saturdays, and will be given by the Stratford-upon-Avon Festival Company under the direction of Mr. W. Bridges Adams. The plays to be performed are:-King Henry the Fifth, Hamlet, Macbeth, Much Ado About Nothing, The Taming of the Shrew, Twelfth Night, Antony and Cleopatra, As You Like It, and The Rivals. The "Scholars Fortnight" will take place during the first three weeks. an THE English Place-Name Society Place-Names of Worcestershire will be published this summer. The Society, founded in 1923, has over 700 members, and the Secretary, whose address is Liverpool University, appeals for more members, as it has undertaken no less a task than the nounces that its next volume, The survey of all the place-names in England. Volumes in active preparation deal with the North Riding,Sussex, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Devon and Essex. THE Trustees of the British Museum have just acquired the prism used by Sir Isaac Newton for his experiments. This #prism is well authenticated and has never left the possession of families related to Newton. It may be seen represented in his hand in the statue in the ante-chapel of The prism has been acquired by the trustees from the Rev. H. T. Inman in return for a small service which makes a gift of the transaction. THE ninth centenary of the birth of William the Conqueror was celebrated at Hastings when descendants of some of William's knights and nobles, and mayors and delegates from Rouen, Falaise, Dieppe, Deauville, and Paris were welcomed to the town by the Mayor, Mr. T. S. Diamond. Amongst the guests were Mr. Jackson Crispin of New York, and Mr. Alexander Crispin of Eastbourne, who claim a knight of William's court as one of their ancestors. THE legend of Sir Francis Drake and the fireball was given in 'N & Q.' for June 29, 1863. A member of the Sydenham family sent the following account to last Sunday's Observer:-"In the Drake family and in the Sydenham it has always been held beyond controversy that Elizabeth Sydenham, the daughter of Sir George Sydenham, of Combe Sydenham, in Somersetshire, was very much in love with Drake, but her father absolutely forbade the marriage. Drake swore in parting with her that she should marry no other; and if she stood at the altar he would come between them. He went off on one of his buccaneering trips and was not heard of for six years, and her parents persuaded Elizabeth to marry William Courtenay, of Powderham (who was her second husband). As she went up to the altar a fireball came down from heaven and rolled between her and the bridegroom, and she again refused to marry anybody but Francis Drake, who after a time re-appeared and whom she married. The stone ball was still at Combe Sydenham Sydenhams on the female line, and during a few years ago. I am a descendant of the the time the late Lady Drake (widow of Sir Francis Drake) was writing her history of Drake she went to Combe Sydenham to see the ball, and we have had many talks about the legend which she has related in her history.' DR. R. H. W. Meikle, librarian of the London Institute of Historical Research, has been appointed Keeper of the Manuscripts, National Library of Scotland. MESSRS. Faber and Gwyer are publishing or not, it almost certainly passed through this week Northumbrian Crosses of the his hands. Pre-Norman Age,' by W. G. Collingwood. THE archives of the Public Record Office seem to be inexhaustible. Miss L. J. Redstone (The Times is informed by Mr. J. M. Manly) has found, among the Exchequer (K.R.) Bille, a memorandum of the form of oath for the controller of petty customs in Chaucer's time. Although it is undated, it occurs in the bundle for 1376 and reads (with the contractions expanded) : THE French pictures and other works of art from the Empress Eugenie's_collection will be sold at Christie's on July 1 and 7. The pictures include examples by Greuze, Canaletto, Teniers, Ingres and Other items include panels Wouvermans. of Gobelins tapestry. Two Hundred Years Ago. The British Journal. vous Jurrez qe vous frez continuele demeure From [then above the line, with a caret: en propre persone ou par suffisante depute pur qi vous vuilliez respondre] en le port de Loundres & suruerrez les charges des biens qe paieront petite custume & en qanqe en vous est ne Soeffrez qe nostre seignur le Roi eit damage ne perde illoeqes & qe loial accompt eit rendrez & des issues des dites custumes loialment respoundrez saunz fauxme ou fraude faire en nul point si dieu vous eide & ses seintz This form is shorter and simpler than the corresponding oath in English, dating from Elizabethan times, published by the Chaucer Society, and it gives us the very words heard by Chaucer when he took office. Especially interesting is the addition, in a smaller, different hand, allowing the use of a deputy. Miss Redstone also found two memoranda concerning Chaucer's deputies at different times. The first reads (with contractions expanded) : Geffrey chaucer conterollour de le Wolkeye en le Port de loundris par lauis [then above, with a caret: & assent] du conseil nostre sire le Roy a constitut Richard baret de estre soun lieutenaunt en loffice auant dite de le xvi Jour de maii lan du Roy Richard le Primer Juqez a sa reuenue a loundris. and as As this appointment was made less than a fortnight before Chaucer set out for Italy, a Richard Baret had been successively controller of petty customs, deputy alnager, troner and pesager, in London and Middlesex, and in 1377 had been made custodian of the Custom-house on the Wool Quay, it is evident that Chaucer made careful provision for his work during his absence. As the "Bille" include, besides the memoranda of clerks, many turned in by the persons concerned, it is possible that we have on this strip of parchment some of Chaucer's own writing. It is not the same as the signature on the document in the P.R.O. Museum, doubtfully ascribed to him. But whether he wrote the memorandum 4 in the Wednesday between 3 and Afternoon, Mr. Crew, one of his Majefty's Meffengers, arrived here with the melancholy News, that our late moft gracious Sovereign, King George, died laft Sunday, about 2 in the Morning, of a Fit of an Apoplexy, at Ofnaburg, in his Way to Hanover, in the 68th Year of his Age, and 13th of his Reign, Sir Robert Walpole, who first received this News at Chelfea, went with it immediately to the Prince and Princefs of Wales at Richmond, who thereupon came from thence to Leicefter-Houfe, whither the Lords of the Privy Council were fummoned, and figned a Proclamation for proclaiming his Royal Highnefs King of thefe Realms We hear that his late Majefty K. George was very much indifposed after he landed in Holland, thro' the Fatigue of his Paffage by Sea; but being very defirous to finifh his Journey without making any confiderable Stay upon the Road, he travelled after the Rate of 150 Miles a Day, and would not take a regular Reft or Refreshment; on Thurfday he was very ill again, on Friday fomething better, and eat his Dinner heartily; but afterwards_grew very ill and was blooded upon the Road; on Saturday he reach'd Ofnaburg, where he died about 3 o'Clock on Sunday-Morning at his Brother's Palace the Duke of York. Patent On Saturday laft a concurrent pafs'd the Great Seal, whereby the Office of Garter principal King at Arms is granted to John Anftis, fen.. and John Anftis, ju Efqs; and to the Survivor of them for Life I Literary and But even and Historical Notes. THE LORDS OF BELLEME AND ALENCON. IV. (See ante pp. 399, 417). WILLIAM DE BELLEME AND WILLIAM TALVAS. WIL VILLIAM de Bellême is called by M. du Motey "Guillaume Ier Talvas" (p. 121). This appears to be an innovation, former writers assigning this famous sobriquet to William's fifth son and namesake, but not to the elder William (cf. Le Prévost, Ord. Vit. iii. 422, note 1; Stapleton, op. cit. I. lxxii.). The younger William is commonly referred to by Orderic as William Talvas, or William styled Talvas, or simply Talvas; and in one of his interpolations in the " Gesta of William de Jumièges, wherein he mentions both Williams, he distinguishes between them by styling the father William de Bellême and the son William Talvas. The evidence on which the M. du Motey relies for attributing the nickname to the elder William is a passage in Robert de Torigny's continuation of William de Jumièges, in which he states that the Abbey of Lonlay was founded by the first William Talvas, who had built castle of Domfront (Guil. de Jumièges, p. 254). Now there is no doubt that it was the elder William who founded Lonlaythe full details are given by M. du Motey (pp. 131-2)—and William de Noitiers tells us that Domfront was built by permission of Count Richard (Guil. Vict. p. 183): in other words, by the same Williamt. the passage cited from Robert de Torigny occurs in a chapter on monasteries erected in Normandy in the time of Duke William, i.e., the future Conquerort, which makes it probable that by " the first William Talvas" the writer meant the William de Bellême-the William Talvas of Orderic-and erroneously attributed to him his father's foundations. § But younger *Willelmus cognomento Talavatius (Guil. de Jumièges, p. 161); Willelmus Talavatius (ibid., pp. 163, 169); Talavatius (ibid., pp. 162, 163, 164); Willermus cognomento Talavacius (Ord. Vit. ii. 15); Willermus Talavacius (ibid., ii. 28); Talavacius (ibid., ii. 27, 28). But we may view with scepticism M. du Motey's belief that William built the great if Robert de Torigny were referring to the elder William de Bellême, this would not prove that he really was styled Talvas. By the time that Robert wrote, there had been two heads of the family who were undoubtedly known as William Talvas, the second being William Talvas, Count of Ponthieu and Lord of Bellême, son of Robert de Bellême II, whose mother was the daughter and heiress of William de Bellême II-the first William supposed that the elder William de Bellême Talvas; and the historian may well have also was styled Talvas. In the absence of any proof that the elder William de Bellême was ever known as William Talvas, I have referred to him in this paper invariably as William de Bellême and liam, thus distinguishing father from son have reserved Talvas for the younger Wilin the same way that Orderic did in the passage quoted above. The meaning and origin of this famous nickname have been explained in various mentioned Robert de Bellême II was rightly ways. Orderic remarks that the abovecalled Talvas he is not usually given that 422). I take it that this implies that Robert sobriquet for his duritia (Ord. Vit. iii. was as hard as a shield, for according to Bouclier"; and therefore that duritia is Ducange a 66 talvas " was a "Sorte de to be understood here as meaning callousness" rather than " cruelty," or "férocité " as the word is rendered in 'L'Art de Prévost states that the nickname was given Verifier des Dates (xiii. 145-6). Le to William because he was accustomed to carry, a shield so-called (Ord. Vit. iii. 422 from the shape of his shield (op. cit. I. note 1), and Stapleton that he was so called lxxii). But these explanations do not seem convincing, unless the " talvas "" variety of shield. were a rare M. du Motey offers a new and most ingenious explanation: that William de Bellême was styled Talvas as being metaphorically the shield of Normandy, in his capacity of lord of the southern marches keep. This was probably a much later addition. (Cf. Round, Geoffrey de Mandeville,' App. O, Tower and Castle'; and Archæologia, lviii. 313-340, The Castles of the Conquest"). De monasteriis quae edificata sunt in Normannia tempore Willelmi ducis. 6 § Orderic includes Domfront amongst the castles built by William de Bellême and later members of his family.-(Ord. Vit. iii. 294-5). on (p. 117). Her parentage is unknown, but M. du Motey, whilst naturally rejecting an old fable that she sprang from the line of Ganelon, declares that she was certainly born of the ducal house of Normandy and was probably an illegitimate daughter of Richard 1 (pp. 117, 297, 302). The reasons for this affiliation appear to be wholly inadequate. They are:But of the duchy (p. 121). This is certainly a possible solution, although if the name were first bestowed on the younger William, it would seem to be more flattering than appropriate. M. du Motey supports his theory or rather his assertion by the epitaph Mabel, Countess of Shrewsbury, the daughter and heiress of William Talvas, in which Abbot Durand calls her scutum patriae (Ord. Vit. ii. 412). This certainly (1) The importance of her dowry. seems to be an allusion, missed by all pre- there is no reason for connecting this property vious writers, to her father's sobriquet. On with the ruling House, and a simpler expla the other hand, the fact that Durand re- nation of its extent would be that Maud ferred to it in this complimentary sense was the heiress of her family, whatever that does not exclude the possibility that it was may have been. originally given with a different and less flattering meaning; just as Orderic's uncomplimentary application of the nickname to Robert de Belléme does not exclude the possibility that it may have been given to his grandfather with a more flattering meaning, such as the sense suggested by M. du Motey. 66 (2) The fact that Richard II of Normandy assiste aux principaux actes intéressant Guillaume," from which M. du Motey deduces that "rapports d'étroite intimité " existed between Richard and William. But in view of the great position held by the lord of Bellême, this seems quite natural even if they were not related. Fur M. du Motey urges that later members (3) An entry in the Annals of St. Evroult of the family who were named William recording the death in 1033 of a daughter appear to have added "Talvas" thereto of Count Richard named Maud (Ord. Vit. as if it were a title of honour, but it is not v. 156). But Maud is such a common name safe to put too much reliance on this argu- that it affords no reason for the presumpment. There are well-known instances of tion of identity with the lady of Bellême, uncomplimentary nicknames becoming the date of whose death is unknown. family names which were borne with pride ther, if the daughter of Count Richard had by later members of the house, the true been married, surely the Annals would not meaning of the sobriquet being sometimes have ignored the fact. obscured by a more flattering interpretation. On the whole it seems safer to admit that the original significance of "Talvas," as a sobriquet, is still uncertain. I would add a suggestion that the reason why the younger William was not styled de Belleme," but was always known by a nickname, was that he was never in possession of Bellême. For when Robert de Bellême was murdered, Bellême passed to his next brother Yves-although the latter was in the Church-whilst William received Alençon and other family estates; and Yves survived William by many years." * V. THE MARRIAGE AND ISSUE OF WILLIAM DE William de Bellême married a lady named Maud, who brought him the fief of Condésur-Noireau, comprising seventeen parishes *Orderic implies that Yves did not inherit Bellême until after the death of William Talvas (iv. 46), but the charter evidence cited by M. du Motey shows that Yves was in possession in William's lifetime. (4) The fact that M. Licquet, in his Histoire de Normandie,' calls William de Bellême the cousin german of Robert, Duke of Normandy. But it should be obvious that an unsupported statement by a modern writer is worthless; and M. du Motey admits that William was not the cousin german of Robert. Thus there is really no evidence to support the theory that Maud belonged to the house of Normandy. On the other hand, I can produce one good reason for believing that she was not a daughter of Richard I. When King Henry I of England proposed to marry one of his illegitimate daughters to Hugh Fitz Gervase of Châteauneuf, Bishop Yves of Chartres wrote to the king forbidding the marriage on the ground that the parties were within the prohibited degrees. To prove this assertion, he set out the lady's descent from Gunnor, wife of Richard I, and Hugh's descent from Gunnor's sister Senfrie, these pedigrees showing that both were sixth in descent from the parents of Gunnor and Senfrie |