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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
(JULY, 1910.
many of their successors in this century, did not into dictionaries, and is not found in all of them. date from their reign, but only used the common Yet it is not of reoent invention. Sir Harris dates of place, day, and the current year. The Nioolas, to whom the necessity for such a word only exceptions are some acts of John II. and of naturally saggested itself, found this term a Charles V.
subject for special notice and inquiry : and the The Emperors often dated from the year of result was that he carried back the existence their reign, though from only one epoch: they of it to 1615, as shown in the following remarks, only added thereto the date of the place, day, which we quote from a footnote on page 383 and current year. The Kings of Spain and Sicily of his book :dated nearly in the same manner. The charters The necessity of a word to express the senof the Kings of England differed little in this tence-"years of a King's reign,"--might almost respect from those of other Sovereigns; and it justify the creation of one for the purpose; but is to be remarked, only, that Edward III. though the appropriate word "regnal" does not sometimes used the [ 282 ) the date of his reigns ocour in any dictionary, there are early in France as well as in England. In France, as authorities for its use, in the sense in which it well as in England, private charters were some- is employed in the text. In the dedication of times, in this century, dated from the reigns of Hopton's "Concordanoy of Years," to Lord Obiet the respective Monarchs.
Justice Coke, first pablished in 1616, he says, The Fifteenth Century.
"After, as induced by complaint of some, I In the fifteenth century, Charles VII., Louis observed the inconveniences that happened to II., and the two following Kings of France, tbe valgar wits and mean capacities, in the dated in the years of their reigns, but always calculation of the expiration of time by puch from one epoch only; whereas the Emperors of rules and compatations as is now extant. Germany still dated from many epocha, viz., from occasioned chiefly thereunto by the participation their accession to the throne of the Romans, of every one regnal year with two ecclesian of Hungary, of Bohemia, ato., and from their years; because the year of any Prinre's reign Imperial coronation. But these various dutes, as yet) begun in one year of our Lord, taking both in this and in the following century, were part of the same, ending in the next, and specified by the common formula--" of our participating likewise thereof; by which means reign in Hungary, the year," etc.-" of our when a question is made by the regnal year only. reign in Bohemia, the year," etc. While the the common doubt is, to which year of our Lord Duke of Albany administered the attairs of it answers unto : or, a question being made by Sootland, the public instruments were dated in the year of our Lord, without mention of the the years of his government."
regnal year, to know if it answer to the year of The Sixteenth century.
the King that did take beginning or ending In the acts of the Kings of France in the in the ecclesian year." In the preface to the sixteenth century, the dates of the place, of the "Chronica Juridicialia," published in 1885, the day, of the current year, and of the reign, word regnal also occurs. After noticing the civil uniformly occur.
and astronomical year—"thirdly, there is what NOTE ON THE TERM REGNAL. we call the year regnal; and that beginneth on The term regnal," pertaining to the reign of the day, and at the immediate moment, of the king," seems to deserve a comment. Appro-decense of each last preceding King, to the priate as it is, and obvious as seems to be the rightful heir and successor of this Imperial existence of it, it is only now making its way crown."
NOTES AND QUERIES.
one of them, an la habitant of Bombay, is sent to SUPERSTITION AND THE INQUISITION AT
the Inquisition at Goa, which proceedings will BOMBAY IN 1707.
discourage the Inhabitants. Wherefore the " UPON a dream of a Negro girl of Mahim that
Generall is desired to Issue proclamation there was a Mine of Treasure, who being over release bim, and if not restored in 20 days, no beard relating it, Domo. Alvares and some others Roman Catholiek Worship to be allowed on the went to the place and Sacrificed a Cook and dugg Island." the ground, but found nothing, they go to Bombay General Letter, daced 17th Mar, 1707. Bundara at Salsett, where disagreeing. the Bombay Abstracts, Vol. I. P. 78. Government there take notice of the same, and I
R. O. TEMPLE. • Vide p. 318 postes.
5 For example :-"Datum sub testimonio magni sigilli ofii nostri, apad villam de Imperkethyne, degimo Dor die mensis Augusti, anno Domini 1483, at Gubernationis nostra fortio, "-Fadere, vol. X, p. 299.
