P.C.S.S. {93}

Sir William Godbold.

Mr. Editor,—­In the Gentleman’s Magazine for July, 1842, occurs this:—­

    “In the parish church of Mendham, Suffolk, is a mural monument
    bearing an inscription, of which the following is a transcript: 

“’M.S.V.Cmi Doctissimique D. Gulielmi Godbold Militis ex illustri et perantiqua Prosapia oriundi, Qui post Septennem Peregrinationem animi excolendi gratia per Italiam, Graeciam, Palaestinam, Arabiam, Persiam, in solo natali in bonarum literarum studiis consenescens morte repentina obiit Londini mense Aprilis Ao.  D. MDCXIIIC, aetatis LXIX.’

“One would presume that so great a traveller would have obtained some celebrity in his day; but I have never met with any notice of Sir William Godbold.  I have ascertained that he was the only son of Thomas Godbold, a gentleman of small estate residing at Metfield, in Suffolk, and was nephew to John Godbold, Esq., Serjeant-at-Law, who was appointed Chief Justice of the Isle of Ely in 1638.  He appears to have been knighted previously to 1664, and married Elizabeth daughter and heir of Richard Freston, of Mendham (Norfolk), Esq., and relict of Sir Nicholas Bacon, of Gillingham, Bart., whom he survived, and died without issue in 1687.  I should consider myself under an obligation to any of your correspondents who could afford me any further account of this learned knight, or refer me to any biographical or other notice of him.”

To the writer of that letter the desideratum still remains unsupplied.  Your welcome publication appears to offer a channel for repeating the inquiry.

G.A.C.

Ancient motto.

Many years since I read that some pope or emperor caused the following, or a motto very similar to it, to be engraven in the centre of his table:—­

    “Si quis amiecum absentem rodere delectat ad hanc mensam
    accumbere indignus est.”

It being a maxim which all should observe in the daily intercourse of life, and in the propriety of which all must concur, I send this to “NOTES AND QUERIES” (the long wished-for medium), in the hopes that some kind “note-maker” can inform me from whence this motto is taken, and to whom ascribed.

J.E.M.

Works of King Alfred.

Sir,—­If any of your readers can inform me of MSS. of the Works of Kings Alfred the Great, besides those which are found in the larger public collections of MSS., he will confer a favour not only on the Alfred Committee, who propose to publish a complete edition of King Alfred’s Works, but also on their Secretary, who is your obedient servant,

J.A.  GILES.

Bampton, Oxford, Nov. 23. 1849

“Bive” and “Chote” Lambs.

I should be much obliged to any of your readers who would favour me with an explanation of the words “Bive” and “Chote.”  They were thus applied in an inventory taken Kent.