FDV:
Concerning the genesis of
his
Harold or Humphrey Coxon's
agnomen and discarding finally those theories which would link him either
with the Glues & Gravys & Earwickers of Sidleham [in the hundred of
manhood] or proclaim him a descendant of vikings who had settled in
Herwick (?) or Erwick (?) the most authentic version has it that it was
this way. Like Cincinnatus he
the G.O.G.
(grand old gardener) was one sabbath day at
following
his plough [for rootles] in the rear garden of his Royal Marine Hotel
when royalty was announced by runner to have been pleased to halt on
the highroad along which
a dogfox had cast.
forebar - to hinder, prevent, prohibit
Tree, Iris - English actress whom John Quinn called "a fine wench with pink hair."
song Orange Lily, O
genesis - origin, mode of formation or production
harold - a species of sea duck + Harold II, "last of the Saxons" (1022-66) - English king, defeated and killed at Hastings, fighting William I, the Conqueror. It was after the Norman Conquest that surnames were introduced into England.
to dine with Duke Humphrey - to go dinnerless + nursery rhyme Humpty Dumpty + FDV: Concerning the genesis of his Harold or Humphrey Coxon's agnomen
occupational - rel. to occupation (employment, vocation)
agnomen - an additional name or epithet
pre - - before
prodromatic - of or pertaining to a prodromus; forerunning, introductory, preliminary.
Enos - biblical name. He is the son of Seth, father of Kenan, and grandson of Adam (Gen. 5:6-11; Luke 3:38). He supposedly lived nine hundred and five years. The Sabeans, who worshipped the "regents of the Seven planets" held Seth and his son Hermes (Enoch or Enos) as the highest among the planetary gods. Seth and Enos were borrowed from the Sabeans and then disfigured by the Jews (exoterically); Enos, son of Seth, was regarded by the kabbalists as a greater magician than any before him + enosh (Hebrew) - man.
chalk - to write with a chalk
Joyce's note: 'from older sources'
pivotal
- being that on which anything turns or depends; central, cardinal,
vital +
Joyce's note: pivotal ancestor
Anker (ger) - anchor
Joyce visited the graveyard at St Mary's Our Lady in Sidlesham, near Chichester in southern England, and had in his possession a guidebook stating that there could found at the church gravestones with curious names such as Earwicker, Gravy, Glue, Boniface, Anker and Northeast + A Pictorial & Descriptive Guide to Bognor &c. Chichester 54: 'Sidlesham Church is an Early English structure worthy of notice, and an examination of the surrounding tombstones should not be omitted if any interest is felt in deciphering curious names, striking examples being Earwicker, Glue, Gravy, Boniface, Anker, and Northeast' (Sidlesham is in the Hundred of Manhood, the extreme southwestern Hundred (county division) of Sussex; Joyce stayed in Bognor, a few miles from there, in summer 1923).
hundred - a subdivision of a county or shire (in England); Manhood is in south-west Sussex and contains the town of Sidlesham.
offspring - the progeny which springs or is descended from some one
wapentake - a subdivision of some english shires; (on.) - to take a weapon
hem - them + hem (Dutch) - him.
authenticate - to make authentic or autoritative
Talmud (read backward) - commentary on the Pentateuch (Hebrew is written from right to left).
hoofd (Dutch) - head
Ben Edar - anciently Howth, said to be named for Edar, a Dedanaan chief, buried on the hill + ben (Hebrew) - son of.
'In the beginning' (Genesis 1:1, John 1:1)
cabbaging - pilfering, purloining (mostly of tailors stealing pieces of cloth).
Cinncinatus - Roman emperor, who was said to have laid down his plow on his tiny farm to serve as dictator in 458 BC.
Alfred Lord Tennyson: Lady Clara Vere de Vere: 'The grand old gardener and his wife Smile at the claims of long descent' (the first verse was changed to 'The gardener Adam and his wife' because of frequent letters to Tennyson from friends asking for an explanation).
save the day - to bring success when failure seems certain
redwood - mahagony, scotch pine, etc. + song Chevy Chase: 'Under the greenwood tree'.
sabbath - in the original use: The seventh day of the week (Saturday); since the Reformation, often applied to 'the Lord's day', i.e. the first day of the week (Sunday); transf. and fig. A time or period of rest.
khag (Hebrew) - feast, holiday
The Ballad of Chevy Chase - The ballad tell the story of a large hunting party ("chase") in the Cheviot Hills, hence 'the chevy chase'. The chase is led by Percy, the English Earl of Northumberland. The Scottish Earl Douglas had forbidden this hunt, and interprets it as an invasion of Scotland. In response he attacks, causing a bloody battle which only 110 people survived.
to follow the plough - to plough (said of the ploughman) + FDV: at following his plough
rootlet - a branch of the root of a plant; a subsidiary root + rootless - without roots + (notebook 1922-23): 'rootles'.
rere - rear, the back or back part of anything
mug house - an ale-house, beer-house. ? (obs. or arch.)
ye - the
marine - of or belonging to the sea, a sailor, mariner + A Pictorial & Descriptive Guide to Bognor &c. Hotel Ads 7: 'SELSEY, near Chichester. THE MARINE HOTEL. ONLY HOTEL ON SEA FRONT'.
royalty - a person of royal rank
runner - one that delivers messages, reports, etc. + (notebook 1922-23): 'by runner to Luxor (mail)' + Irish Times 30 Nov 1922, 7/3: 'Egyptian Treasure': 'The Cairo Correspondent of The Times yesterday telegraphed a long message, dated from the Valley of the Kings (by runner to Luxor)... the most sensational Egyptological discovery of the century'.
highroad - a chief or main road, a highway
leisure - time which one can spend as one pleases, free or unoccupied time.
dog fox - a small fox + (notebook 1922-23): 'dogfox'.
cast - to turn in one's course, to veer; to throw off the pursuing dogs + (notebook 1922-23): 'casts along shore (fox)' + Quarterly Review Oct 1922, 267: 'Reynard the Fox': 'The fox had vanished... exhaustive casts upon the shore failed to recover the line' (i.e. foxhunt).
lady pack - a pack of female hounds + Joyce's note: 'lady pack' → Quarterly Review Oct 1922, 271: 'Reynard the Fox': 'A late snowfall having prevented hunting, we had taken the lady-pack out for road exercise'.
cocker spaniel - a small spaniel
vassal - in the feudal system, one holding lands from a superior on conditions of homage and allegiance, a tenant in fee.
FDV: Forgetful of all but his fealty he stayed not to saddle or yoke but he hastened stumbled hotface out of his forecourts on to the road in his [surcingle [plus fours] &] bulldog boots [coated with red clay marl [jingling the his turnpike keys a sweatdrenched bandana hanging from his coat pocket]] holding aloft among the fixed bayonets pikes [of the royal hunting party] a long perch atop of which a flowerpot was affixed. On his majesty, who was rather noticeably longsighted from his early youth, inquiring whether he had been engaged in lobstertrapping honest Humphrey bluntly answered very similarly: 'No, my liege, I was only a cotching of them bluggy earwigs'. The king who held a draught of obvious water in his hand upon this smiled heartily beneath his walrus moustaches and, giving way to that none too genial humour which he William the Conk had inherited from his great aunt Sophy, turned towards two gunmen of his retinue, the lord of Offaly and the mayor of Waterford (the second gun being syndic of Drogheda according to a later version cited by the learned Kanavan) remarking 'Holybones, How our brother of Burgundy would fume did he know that he have this for trusty vassal who is a turnpiker who is also an earwicker'. whether are these the True facts are recorded in as this legend? maybe We shall perhaps see. But it is certain that from that historic date all documents initialled by Humphrey bear the sigla. H.C.E. and whether he was always Coxon for his cronies and good duke Humphrey for the ragged tiny folk of Lucalizod it was certainly a pleasant turn of the populace which gave him as sense of these initials the nickname 'Here Comes Everything Everybody'.
fealty - the obligation of fidelity on the part of a feudal tenant or vassal to his lord.
ethnarch - a governor of a nation or people; a ruler over a province [Joyce's note: 'ethnarch']
yoke - to attach a draft animal to something (by yoke)
sweatful - full of or abounding in sweat
bandanna - a large handkerchief
forecourt - the front court of a building
public - Short for public house. colloq. Cf. pub
topee - a helmetlike hat with curved brim worn esp. for protection from the sun.
surcingle - a girdle or belt which confines the cassock (a kind of long loose coat or gown worn by rustics, shepherds, or sailors) [Joyce's note: 'surcingles'].
plaid - a rectangular length of tartan worn over the left shoulder as a part of the scottish national costume.
(notebook 1922-23): 'plus fours (shoes)'
putee - a covering for the leg from ankle to knee consisting of a spirally wrapped narrow cloth.
ruddle - to redden, flush, to color with red ocher + FDV: coated with red clay marl
cinnabar - a red colour like that of vermilion