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APBEO 21. 1855.] NOTES AND QUERIES.
Ministerial "Jobs."—The origin of political
" r a t s " Las been discussed in " N . & Q." At
present politicians talk less of "rats" than of
"jobs;" a definition of the latter phrase seems
therefore desirable. R. B. Sheridan has thus ex-
plained its meaning:
"Yesterday he (Sir. Sheridan) made use of the word
'job,' as applicable to some part of the minister's con-
duct with respect to appointments to certain offices under
government since the commencement of the war. The
minister, in his simplicity and innocence, seemed not to
comprehend what a job was. It was certainly not a very
elegant, bat it was a very intelligible term ; bat if the
right hon. gentleman wanted an explanation of it, he
should give one. Whenever any emolument, profit,
salary, honour, or favour of any kind whatever was con-
ferred on any person, be he who he may, or his character
what it may, unless he has cone through a public service
or necessary public duty, adequate to what he receives,
that is a job; if from any private friendship, personal at-
tachment, or any other view than the interest of the
public, any person is appointed to any office in the public
service, when any other person is known to be fitter for
the employment, that is a job."— Sheridan's Speeches
(Bonn, 1842), i t 278.
Perhaps some reader of " N. & Q." may be able
to say when this phrase first came into use. The
abuse which it expresses has doubtless existed in
every age and country. F.
Bee-hives. — What bee-hives do the French and
Germans prefer ? G. R. L.
Plat/ Ticket by Hogarth. — I picked up a short
time since .a theatre ticket by Hogarth for " The
Old Batchelor. Theatre Royal Drury Lane. For
the benefit of Joe Miller." Will you or any of
your correspondents inform me of the date of this
benefit? PBUCANTJS AMERICANOS.
Miner &\miest toifb <3nStoai.
Train Bands. — Are there any, and what, re-
cords of the train bands ? When were they first
embodied ? for what purpose ? and when dis-
banded ? Were they confined to any particular
localities? Did the officers in them hold their
commission from the sovereign ? or, if not, from
whom ? N. K. C.
[Tn the year 1585, the trained bands are first noticed
by Stowe, in connexion with the London Artillery Com-
pany, when the Spanish Armada was hanging like
a vast cloud over the political horizon. Stowe says:
"Certain gallant, active, and forward citizens, having
had experience both abroad and at home, voluntarily
exercised themselves and trained others, for the ready
use of war; so that in two years there were almost three
hundred merchants, very sufficient and skilful to train
common soldiers. These merchants met every Tuesday
to practise all points of war. . Some of them in 1588 bad
charge of men in the great camp, and were generally
called captains of the Artillery Garden." Their first place
of meeting was in Tasel Close, now Artillery Lane, Bi-
303
shopsgate. On the breaking out of the Great Rebellion,
the trained bands of London were placed under the com-
mand of Serjeant-Major Skippon; and in May, 1642, a
general muster took place in Finsbnry Fields, where s i x '
regiments appeared under arms, comprising eight thousand"
men. At the Restoration the trained bands joined the
Artillery Company, as stated by Highmore in his History
of the Artillery Company, p. 04., who tells us, that " the
lieutenancy recommended that the Serjeants of the twelve
regiments of trained bonds and auxiliaries of the city not
already entered into the company, should, with the con-
sent of the Court of Assistants," have their admittance
without paying any fine, but were to pay quarterage
with the rest of the members." The records relating to
the trained bands are most probably in the custody of
the Artillery Company, whose "Court Books" are fre-
quently quoted by Highmore.]
Benjamin of Tudela. —Who are we to believe,
D'Israeli, or Dr. Robinson ? The first tells us
that the Travels of Benjamin are supposed to be
fictitious- He describes places which he has evi-
dently never seen, and people that have no exist-
ence. {Curiosities of Literature, i. 223.) The
other says, the inaccuracies and fables of which
he is accused were faults common to all writers
of that age (1160-73), and that he has found his
account of Palestine, so far as it goes, " to be that
of an eye-witness, and quite as accurate and
trustworthy as any of the narratives of those
days," &c. {Biblical Researches, iii., 1st Appen-
dix, 7.) A. C. M.
Exeter.
[Considerable diversity of opinion has existed respect-
ing tbe value and authenticity of this Itinerary, which
perhaps arises from the author not at ali times sufficiently
distinguishing those regions which he personally visited,
from those which he notices apparently from hearsay.
The last English translation, with notes, by the Rev. B.
Gerrans, Lond., 1783, seems to have been undertaken
principally with the view of confuting and weakening
tbe authenticity of the author. Consult Wolfius's Bi-
blioth. Htbraica, torn. i. p. 247.; Monthly JRemea, vol. l x x .
p. 347.; Chalmers's Biog. Diet, vol. iv. p.449.]
The City of Noviomagus. — Camden states
that this city was at Woodcote:
" Nor need I insist," he says, " upon any other argu-
ment for it besides that of distance, for 'tis ten miles from
London, and eighteen ( ?) from Vagniacos, or Maidstonc"
Woodcote is twenty-eight miles from Maidstone ;
thus Camden's argument as to distance will not
hold good.-
Query, Is it probable that the city was situated
at that place ? and might not the mistake as' to
distance in Camden have originated in the print-
ing or in the manuscript? S.
Croydon.
[This discrepancy is noticed by Dr. Gale, in his Com-
mentary on Antoninus. The Doctor does not agree'with
Camden, that the distance of Noviomagus from Vag-
niaciB, which in the Itinerary is eighteen miles, does at
all correspond with that of Woodcote from Maidstone;
but this, he thinks, is easily reconciled by supposing that,
as the MSS. evidently differ from one another in this