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Page 13
By the supposed authority of this statute, and notwithstanding the
revocation of the title by Pope Paul III., and its omission in the Bull
addressed by Pope Julius III. to Philip and Mary, that princess, before and
after her marriage, used this style, and the statute having, been
re-established by 1 Eliz. c. 1., the example has been followed by her royal
Protestant successors, who wished thereby to declare themselves Defenders
of the Anti-papal Church. The learned Bishop Gibson, in his _Codex_ (i. 33,
note), treats this title as having commenced in Henry VIII. So do Blount,
Cowel, and such like authorities.
WM. SIDNEY GIBSON.
Newcastle-on-Tyne, Dec. 1850.
P.S. Since writing the above, I have found (in the nineteenth volume of
_Arch�ologia_, pp. 1-10.) an essay by Mr. Alex. Luders on this very
subject, in which that able writer, who was well accustomed to examine
historical records, refers to many examples in which the title "Most
Christian King" was attributed to, or used by English sovereigns, as well
as the kings of France; and to the fact, that this style was used by Henry
VII., as appears from his contract with the Abbot of Westminster (Harl. MS.
1498.). Selden tells us that the emperors had from early times been styled
"Defensores Ecclesi�;" and from the instances cited by Mr. Luders, it
appears that the title of "Most Christian" was appropriated to kings of
France from a very ancient period; that Pepin received it (A.D. 755) from
the Pope, and Charles the Bald (A.D. 859) from a Council: and Charles VI.
refers to ancient usage for this title, and makes use of these words:
"--nostrorum progenitorum imitatione--evangelic�
veritatis--DEFENSORES--nostra regia dignitas divino Christian�
religionis titulo gloriosius insignitur--."
Mr. Luders refers to the use of the words "Nos zelo _fidei catholic�_,
cujus sumus et erimus Deo dante _Defensores_, salubriter commoti" in the
charter of Richard II. to the Chancellor of Oxford, in the nineteenth year
of his reign, as the earliest introduction of such phrases into acts of the
kings of England that he had met with. This zeal was for the condemnation
of Wycliff's _Trialogus_. In the reign of Hen. IV. the writ "De H�retico
comburendo" had the words "Zelator justitia et fidei catholic� cultor;" and
the title of "Tr�s Chr�tien" occurs in several instruments of Hen. VI. and
Edw. IV. It appears very probable that this usage was the foundation of the
statement made by Chamberlayne and by Mr. Christopher Wren: but that the
title of Defender of the Faith was used as part of the royal style before
1521, is, I believe, quite untrue.
W.S.G.
* * * * *
MEANING OF JEZEBEL.
(Vol. ii., p. 357.)
There appear to be two serious objections to the idea of your correspondent
W.G.H. respecting the appearance of _Baal_ in this word: 1. The original
orthography ([Hebrew: 'iyzebel]); whereas the name of the deity is found on
all Phoenician monuments, where it enters largely into the composition of
proper names, written [Hebrew: b`l]: and, 2. The fact of female names being
generally on these same monuments (as tombstones and so forth) compounded
of the name of a _goddess_, specially Astarth ([Hebrew: 'atiorit] or
[Hebrew: `a]). I do not know that we have any example of a female name into
which _Baal_ enters.
The derivation of the word appears to be that given by Gesenius (s.v.);
that it is compounded of the root [Hebrew: zabal] (habitavit, cohabitavit)
and the negative [Hebrew: 'eiyn], and that its meaning is the same as
[Greek: alochos], casta: comp. _Agnes_. _Isabel_, in fact, would be a name
nearer the original than the form in which we have it.
SC.
Carmarthen, Oct. 29. 1850.
_Jezebel._--W.G.H. has been misled by the ending _bel_. The Phoenician god
_Bel_ or _Baal_ has nothing to do with this name,--the component words
being _Je-zebel_, not _Jeze-bel_. Of the various explanations given, that
of Gesenius (_Heb. Lex._, s. voc.) appears, as usual, the simplest and most
rational. The name [Hebrew: 'iyzebel] (Jezebel) he derives from [Hebrew:
'iy] (_i_) "not" (comp. I-chabod, "In-glorious") and [Hebrew: zabal]
(z�bal), "to dwell, cohabit with."
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