Minor Queries.

"Jejunus raro stomachus vulgaria temnit."—Hor.Sat.2."A hungry dog eats dirty pudding.""Dum vitant stulti vitia, in contraria currunt."—Hor.Sat.1."He misses one post, and runs his head against t'other.""Χελιδὼν ἔαρ οὐ ποιεῖ."—Arist.Eth., i. 7."One swallow don't make a summer."

"Jejunus raro stomachus vulgaria temnit."—Hor.Sat.2.

"A hungry dog eats dirty pudding."

"Dum vitant stulti vitia, in contraria currunt."—Hor.Sat.1.

"He misses one post, and runs his head against t'other."

"Χελιδὼν ἔαρ οὐ ποιεῖ."—Arist.Eth., i. 7.

"One swallow don't make a summer."

J. H. B.

The English Liturgy.—

"It is deserving of notice, that although Dr. Beattie had been brought up a member of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland, and regularly attended her worship and ordinances when at Aberdeen, he yet gave the most decided preference to the Church of England, generally attending the service of that Church when anywhere from home, and constantly when at Peterhead. He spoke with enthusiasm of the beauty, simplicity, and energy of the English Liturgy, especially of the Litany, which he declared to be the finest piece of uninspired composition in any language."Life of Dr. Beattie, by Sir W. Forbes, Bart., vol. iii. p. 168. note.

J. M.

Oxford.

"To jump for joy."—This expression, now most often used figuratively, was probably in the olden time a plain and literal description of an actual fact. TheAnglo-Norman Poem on the Conquest of Ireland by Henry II., descriptive of events which occurred at the close of the twelfth century, informs us (at p. 53.) that one of the English knights, named Maurice de Prendergast, being desirous of returning with his followers to Wales, was impeded in his march by "les traitres de Weyseford;" and that this so much provoked him, that he tendered his services to the King of Ossory, who—

"De la novele esteit heistez,E de joie saili à pés."

"De la novele esteit heistez,

E de joie saili à pés."

This expression, "saili à pés," is translated in the Glossary "rose upon feet;" but the more correct rendering of it appears to me to be that of jumping or dancing for joy.

James F. Ferguson.

Dublin.

"What is Truth?"—Bacon begins his "Essay of Truth" (which is dated 1625) with these words:

"What is truth? said jesting Pilate, and would not stay for an answer. Certainly, there be that delight in giddiness, and count it a bondage to fix a belief; affecting freewill in thinking, as well as in acting."

There is a similar passage in Bishop Andrews's sermonOf the Resurrection, preached in 1613:

"Pilate asked,Quid est veritas?And then some other matter took him in the head, and so up he rose, and went his way, before he had his answer; he deserved never to find what truth was. And such is our seeking mostwhat, seldom or never seriously, but some question that comes cross our brain for the present, somequid est veritas? So sought as if that we sought were as good lost as found. Yet this we would fain have so for seeking, but it will not be."

Perhaps Bacon heard the bishop preach (the sermon was at Whitehall); and if so, the passage in Andrews will explain the word "jesting" to mean, not scoffing, but asking without serious purpose of acquiring information.

J. A. H.

Abolition of Government Patronage.—The following passage, from Dr. Middleton'sDedication of the Life of Ciceroto Lord Keeper Hervey, isinteresting as showing the enlightened sentiments of an eminent scholar a hundred years ago when addressing a minister of the crown:

"Human nature has ever been the same in all ages and nations, and owes the difference of its improvements to a difference only of culture, and of the rewards proposed to its industry; where these are the most amply provided, there we shall always find the most numerous and shining examples of human perfection. In old Rome, the public honours were laid open to the virtue of every citizen; which, by raising them in their turns to the commands of that mighty empire, produced a race of nobles superior even to kings. This was a prospect that filled the soul of the ambitious and roused every facility of mind and body to exert its utmost force; whereas, in modern states, men's views being usually confined to narrow bounds, beyond which they cannot pass, and a partial culture of their talents being sufficient to procure everything that their ambition can aspire to, a great genius has seldom either room or invitation to stretch itself to its full size."

Alpha.

Oxford.

"One New Year's Day."—An old lady used to amuse my childhood by singing a song commencing—

"One New Year's day, as I've heard say,Dick mounted on his dappled grey," &c.

"One New Year's day, as I've heard say,

Dick mounted on his dappled grey," &c.

The rest I forget, but I should be glad to know if it is extant, and what is known of its origin, &c.

G. William Skyring.

Somerset House.

Greek denounced by the Monks.—

"Almost the time (A.D.1530) when the monks preached in their sermons to the people to beware of a new tongue of late discovered, called the Greek, and the mother of all heresies."—Foreign Quarterlyfor October, 1842, No. 59. p. 137.

Can any of your readers give references to such passages in Monkish sermons?

Cpl.

Pliny's Dentistry.—As your journal has become the repository of so many novel and interestingfacts, I trust that the following data will be found acceptable to the readers of "N. & Q." Having had occasion, of late, to look over the works of Pliny, I was struck with the extent to which this ancient naturalist and philosopher has carried his researches on the above subject; as, in some editions, the Index of the articleDentesoccupies several closely-printed columns. He recommends tooth-powder (dentifricia) of hartshorn, pumice-stone, burnt nitre,Lapis Arabus, the ashes of shells, as well as several ludicrous substances, in accordance with the mystic prejudices of the age. Amongst the remedies for fixing (firmare) teeth, he mentionsInula,Acetum Scillinum,Radix Lapathi sativi, vinegar; and loose teeth are to be fixed byPhilidonia,Veratrum nigrum, and a variety of other remedies, amongst which some are most rational, and tend to prove that more attention was paid to the physiological (hygeistic) department relating to that portion of the human body than we have been hitherto aware of, as even the most recent works on Dentistry do not mention these facts.

George Hayes.

Conduit Street.

J. Farrington, R.A.—Having recently met with some views by J. Farrington, R.A., without a description of the locality, I shall be obliged by your insertion of a Query respecting information of what views were executed by this painter, with their localities, in or about the year 1789. As I am informed that those above referred to belong to this neighbourhood, and therefore would be invested with interest to me, I could ascertain their locality with precision.

John Nurse Chadwick.

King's Lynn.

Henry Crewkerne, of Exeter, "Captain of Dragoons, descended from Crewkerne, of Crewkerne, in Devonshire," died at Carlow in Feb. 1664-5. Was he descended from Crewkerne of Chilhay, Dorset? His pedigree would be very acceptable.

Y. S. M.

Dr. Johnson.—Johnson says somewhere that he never was in a tight place but once, and that was when he had a mad bull by the tail. Had he held on, he said he would have been dragged to death over a stubble field; while if had not held on, the bull would have gored him to death. Now my Query is, what did Dr. Johnson do, hold on or let go?

G. M. B.

Latin "Dante."—Is there not a literal Latinprosetranslation of Dante, somewhat rhythmical? Has not Stillingfleet cited it in theOrigines? If so, where is itscorpus? And in what form, MS. or printed? Of metrical Latin versions there are several beside those of the Jesuit Carlo d'Aquino and Piazza. The Query is as to the prose?

Philip Aske.

Ralph Bosvill, of Bradbourn, Kent, Clerk of the Court of Wards, married first, Anne, daughter of Sir Richard Clement, and widow of John Castillon, by whom he had five children. He married secondly, Benedicta Skinner, by whom he had six children. This I have taken from theVisitations of Kent. In Harl. MS. 5532.152, he is said to have had another son Ralph, "slain in Ireland." This Ralph was his son, and I wish to discover by which wife, as the entry above-mentioned in theMSS. is of a much later date than the body of it. He had, I think, two other sons at least, who are not in the books, namely, Godfrey and William. The name is sometimes called "Boswell." Was the younger Ralph's wife, Mary, daughter of Alveray Copley of Batley?

Y. S. M.

Major-General Wolfe.—The following MS. is advertised for sale. Is anything known concerning it?

"A Copy of Orders written by Major-General Woolfe; an important unpublished Historical MS. This valuable collection commences with 'General Orders to be observed by a regiment on their arrival in Scotland, 1748.' At p. 55. begin 'Orders by Major-General Woolfe in America: Halifax, April 30, 1759.' They continue dated from Louisburg, Point Orleans, Montmorenci, Cape Rouge, &c., to the last, which is dated on board the Sutherland, off St. Nicholas, Sept. 12th, the day before the scaling the heights of Abraham; no doubt the last issued by Woolfe, as on that day (13th) he fell in battle. There is no clue in the MS. to its compiler; it consists of 103 pages 4to., beautifully written, with MS. Plan of Order of Battle, of the army commanded by General Woolfe in America, 1789. It is believed that no printed copy exists of these valuable papers, which are of the highest importance to the Historian, as a slight extract will show. Small 4to., calf.'Sept. 12. The Sutherland, at anchor off St. Nicholas:—The enemies' forces are not divided; great scarcity of provisions in the camp, and universal discontent amongst the Canadians. The second officer in command is gone to Montreal or St. John's, which gives reason to think that Governor Amherst is advancing into that colony. A vigorous blow struck by the army at this juncture might determine the fate of Canada. Our troops below are ready to join us; all the light infantry and tools are embarked at the Point of Levi, and the troops will land where the enemy seems least to expect it.'"

'Sept. 12. The Sutherland, at anchor off St. Nicholas:—The enemies' forces are not divided; great scarcity of provisions in the camp, and universal discontent amongst the Canadians. The second officer in command is gone to Montreal or St. John's, which gives reason to think that Governor Amherst is advancing into that colony. A vigorous blow struck by the army at this juncture might determine the fate of Canada. Our troops below are ready to join us; all the light infantry and tools are embarked at the Point of Levi, and the troops will land where the enemy seems least to expect it.'"

J. Balch.

Philadelphia.

Custom at University College, Oxford.—What is the origin of the following custom observed at this college? On every Easter Sunday the representation of a tree, dressed with evergreens and flowers, is placed on a turf, close to the buttery, and every member there resident, as he leaves the Hall, after dinner, chops at the tree with a cleaver. The college-cook stands by holding a plate, in which the Master deposits half a guinea, each Fellow five shillings, and the other members two shillings and sixpence each; this custom is called "chopping at the tree." When was this custom instituted, and to what circumstance are we to attribute its origin? Who presented to the chapel of this College the splendid eagle, as a lectern, which forms one of its chief ornaments? Was it presented by Dr. Radcliffe, or does it date its origin from the happy reign of Queen Mary?

M. A.

"Old Dominion."—It is stated in a newspaper that the term "Old Dominion," generally applied here to the state of Virginia, originated from the following facts. During the Protectorate of Cromwell the colony of Virginia refused to acknowledge his authority, and sent to Flanders for Charles II. to reign over them. Charles accepted, and was about to embark, when he was recalled to the throne of England. Upon his accession, as a reward for her loyalty, he allowed the colony to quarter the arms of England, Ireland, and Scotland, as an independent member of the "Old Dominion;" whence the term. What truth is there in this story?

Penn.

"Wise men labour,"&c.—

On the fly-leaf of Sir Roger Twysden's copy of Stow'sAnnalesare the following, lines, dated 1643:

"Wise men labour, good men grieve,Knaves devise, and fooles believe;Help, Lord! and now stand to us,Or fooles and knaves will quite undoe us,Or knaves and fooles will quite undoe us."

"Wise men labour, good men grieve,

Knaves devise, and fooles believe;

Help, Lord! and now stand to us,

Or fooles and knaves will quite undoe us,

Or knaves and fooles will quite undoe us."

From whence are these lines taken?

L. B. L.

Dame Hester Temple.—"Lady Temple lived to see seven hundred of her own descendants: she had thirteen children." I have extracted this "sea-serpent" from an extract in Burke fromFuller's Worthies, but I am unable to refer to the original for confirmation of this astounding fact; if true it is wonderful.

Y. S. M.

[Fuller's amusing account of Dame Hester Temple will be found in hisWorthies of Buckinghamshire, vol. i. p. 210. edit. 1840. He says: "Dame Hester Temple, daughter to Miles Sands, Esq., was born at Latmos in this county, and was married to Sir Thomas Temple, of Stow, Baronet. She had four sons and nine daughters, which lived to be married, and so exceedingly multiplied, that this lady saw seven hundred extracted from her body. Reader, I speak within compass, and have left myself a reserve, having bought the truth hereof by a wager I lost. Besides, there was a new generation of marriageable females just at her death; so that this aged vine may be said to wither, even when it had many young boughs ready to knit."Had I been one of her relations, and as well enabled as most of them be, I would have erected a monument for her—thus designed. A fair tree should have been erected, the said lady and her husband lying at the bottom or root thereof; the heir of the family should have ascended both the middle and top bough thereof. On the right hand hereof her younger sons,on the left her daughters, should, as so many boughs, be spread forth. Her grandchildren should have their names inscribed on the branches of those boughs; the great-grandchildren on the twigs of those branches; and the great-great-grandchildren on the leaves of those twigs. Such as survived her death should be done in a lively green, the rest (as blasted) in a pale and yellow fading colour."Pliny, lib. vii. cap. 13. (who reports it as a wonder worthy the chronicle, that Chrispinus Hilarus,prælatâ pompâ, 'with open ostentation,' sacrificed in the capitol seventy-four of his children and children's children attending on him,) would more admire, if admitted to this spectacle."Vives telleth us of village in Spain, of about an hundred houses, whereof all the inhabitants were issued from one certain old man who lived, when as that village was so peopled, so as the name of propinquity, how the youngest of the children should call him, could not be given.[1]'Lingua enim nostra supra abavum non ascendit;' ('Our language,' saith he, meaning the Spanish, 'affords not a name above the great-grandfather's father'). But, had the offspring of this lady been contracted into one place, they were enough to have peopled a city of a competent proportion though her issue was not so long in succession, as broad in extent."I confess very many of her descendants died before her death; in which respect she was far surpassed by a Roman matron, on which the poet thus epitapheth it, in her own person[2]:'Viginti atque novem, genitrici Callicrateæ,Nullius sexus mors mihi visa fuit.Sed centum et quinque explevi bene messibus annos,In tremulam baculo non subeunte manum.''Twenty-nine births Callicrate I told,And of both sexes saw none sent to grave,I was an hundred and five winters old,Yet stay from staff my hand did never crave.'Thus, in all ages, God bestoweth personal felicities on some far above the proportion of others. The Lady Temple diedA.D.1656."]

"Had I been one of her relations, and as well enabled as most of them be, I would have erected a monument for her—thus designed. A fair tree should have been erected, the said lady and her husband lying at the bottom or root thereof; the heir of the family should have ascended both the middle and top bough thereof. On the right hand hereof her younger sons,on the left her daughters, should, as so many boughs, be spread forth. Her grandchildren should have their names inscribed on the branches of those boughs; the great-grandchildren on the twigs of those branches; and the great-great-grandchildren on the leaves of those twigs. Such as survived her death should be done in a lively green, the rest (as blasted) in a pale and yellow fading colour.

"Pliny, lib. vii. cap. 13. (who reports it as a wonder worthy the chronicle, that Chrispinus Hilarus,prælatâ pompâ, 'with open ostentation,' sacrificed in the capitol seventy-four of his children and children's children attending on him,) would more admire, if admitted to this spectacle.

"Vives telleth us of village in Spain, of about an hundred houses, whereof all the inhabitants were issued from one certain old man who lived, when as that village was so peopled, so as the name of propinquity, how the youngest of the children should call him, could not be given.[1]'Lingua enim nostra supra abavum non ascendit;' ('Our language,' saith he, meaning the Spanish, 'affords not a name above the great-grandfather's father'). But, had the offspring of this lady been contracted into one place, they were enough to have peopled a city of a competent proportion though her issue was not so long in succession, as broad in extent.

"I confess very many of her descendants died before her death; in which respect she was far surpassed by a Roman matron, on which the poet thus epitapheth it, in her own person[2]:

'Viginti atque novem, genitrici Callicrateæ,Nullius sexus mors mihi visa fuit.Sed centum et quinque explevi bene messibus annos,In tremulam baculo non subeunte manum.''Twenty-nine births Callicrate I told,And of both sexes saw none sent to grave,I was an hundred and five winters old,Yet stay from staff my hand did never crave.'

'Viginti atque novem, genitrici Callicrateæ,Nullius sexus mors mihi visa fuit.Sed centum et quinque explevi bene messibus annos,In tremulam baculo non subeunte manum.'

'Viginti atque novem, genitrici Callicrateæ,

Nullius sexus mors mihi visa fuit.

Sed centum et quinque explevi bene messibus annos,

In tremulam baculo non subeunte manum.'

'Twenty-nine births Callicrate I told,And of both sexes saw none sent to grave,I was an hundred and five winters old,Yet stay from staff my hand did never crave.'

'Twenty-nine births Callicrate I told,

And of both sexes saw none sent to grave,

I was an hundred and five winters old,

Yet stay from staff my hand did never crave.'

Thus, in all ages, God bestoweth personal felicities on some far above the proportion of others. The Lady Temple diedA.D.1656."]

Footnote 1:(return)In Comment upon 8th chapter of lib. xv. de Civitate Dei.Footnote 2:(return)Ausonius, Epitaph. Heröum, num. 34.

In Comment upon 8th chapter of lib. xv. de Civitate Dei.

Ausonius, Epitaph. Heröum, num. 34.

Samuel White.—In Bishop Horsley'sBiblical Criticism, he refers several times to a Samuel White, whom he speaks of in terms of contempt, and calls him, in one place, "that contemptible ape of Grotius;" and in another, "so dull a man." Query, who was this Mr. White, and what work did he publish?

I. R. R.

[Samuel White, M.A., was a Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge, and Chaplain to the Earl of Portland. His work, so severely criticised by Bishop Horsley, is entitledA Commentary on the Prophet Isaiah, wherein the literal Sense of his Prophecies is briefly explained: London, 4to., 1709. In his Dedication he says: "I have endeavoured to set in a true light one of the most difficult parts of Holy Scripture, following the footsteps of the learned Grotius as far as I find him in the right; but taking the liberty to leave him where I think him wide of the prophet's meaning."]

Heralds' College.—Are the books in the Heralds' College open to the public on payment of reasonable fees?

Y. S. M.

[The fee for a search is 5s.; that for copying of pedigrees is 6s.8d.for the first, and 5s.for every other generation. A general search is 2l.2s.The hours of attendance are from ten till four.]

Pope.—Where, in Pope's Works, does the passage occur which is referred to as follows by Richter in hisGrönlandische Prozesse, vol. i.?

"Pope vom Menschen (eigentlich vom Manne) sagt, 'Er tritt auf, um sich einmal umzusehen, und zu sterben.'"

A. E.

Aberdeen.

["Awake my St. John! leave all meaner thingsTo low ambition, and the pride of kings.Let us (since life can little more supplyThan just to look about us, and to die)Expatiate free o'er all this scene of man."—Essay on Man, Epist. i. l. 1-5.]

["Awake my St. John! leave all meaner things

To low ambition, and the pride of kings.

Let us (since life can little more supply

Than just to look about us, and to die)

Expatiate free o'er all this scene of man."—Essay on Man, Epist. i. l. 1-5.]

(Vol. vii., pp. 404. 486.)

This sonnet first appeared inThe Bijou, an annual published by Pickering in 1828. It is entitled:

"NIGHT AND DEATH.A Sonnet: dedicated to S. T. Coleridge, Esq.by his sincere friend Joseph Blanco White.Mysterious night, when the first man but knewThee by report, unseen, and heard thy name,Did he not tremble for this lovely frame,This glorious canopy of light and blue?Yet 'neath a curtain of translucent dew,Bathed in the rays of the great setting flame,Hesperus, with the host of heaven came,And lo! creation widen'd on his view.Who could have thought what darkness lay concealedWithin thy beams, O Sun? Or who could find,Whilst fly, and leaf, and insect stood reveal'd,That to such endless orbs thou mad'st us blind?Weak man! Why to shun death this anxious strife?Iflightcan thus deceive, wherefore notlife?"

"NIGHT AND DEATH.

A Sonnet: dedicated to S. T. Coleridge, Esq.by his sincere friend Joseph Blanco White.

A Sonnet: dedicated to S. T. Coleridge, Esq.

by his sincere friend Joseph Blanco White.

Mysterious night, when the first man but knewThee by report, unseen, and heard thy name,Did he not tremble for this lovely frame,This glorious canopy of light and blue?Yet 'neath a curtain of translucent dew,Bathed in the rays of the great setting flame,Hesperus, with the host of heaven came,And lo! creation widen'd on his view.Who could have thought what darkness lay concealedWithin thy beams, O Sun? Or who could find,Whilst fly, and leaf, and insect stood reveal'd,That to such endless orbs thou mad'st us blind?Weak man! Why to shun death this anxious strife?Iflightcan thus deceive, wherefore notlife?"

Mysterious night, when the first man but knew

Thee by report, unseen, and heard thy name,

Did he not tremble for this lovely frame,

This glorious canopy of light and blue?

Yet 'neath a curtain of translucent dew,

Bathed in the rays of the great setting flame,

Hesperus, with the host of heaven came,

And lo! creation widen'd on his view.

Who could have thought what darkness lay concealed

Within thy beams, O Sun? Or who could find,

Whilst fly, and leaf, and insect stood reveal'd,

That to such endless orbs thou mad'st us blind?

Weak man! Why to shun death this anxious strife?

Iflightcan thus deceive, wherefore notlife?"

In a letter from Coleridge to White, dated Nov. 28, 1827, he thus speaks of it:

"I have now before me two fragments of lettersbegun, the one in acknowledgment of the finest and most graceful sonnet in our language (at least it is only in Milton's and Wordsworth's sonnets that Irecollect any rival, and this is not my judgment alone, but that of the manκατ' ἐξοχὴν φιλόκαλον, John Hookham Frere), the second on the receipt of your 'Letter to Charles Butler,'" &c.

In a subsequent letter, without date, Coleridge thus again reverts to the circumstance of its having been published without his or White's sanction:

"But first of your sonnet. On reading the sentences in your letter respecting it, I stood staring vacantly on the paper, in a state of feeling not unlike that which I have too often experienced in a dream: when I have found myself in chains, or in rags, shunned, or passed by, with looks of horror blended with sadness, by friends and acquaintance; and convinced that, in some alienation of mind, I must have perpetrated some crime, which I strove in vain to recollect. I then ran down to Mrs. Gillman, to learn whether she or Mr. Gillman could throw any light on the subject. Neither Mr. nor Mrs. Gillman could account for it. I have repeated the sonnet often, but, to the best of my recollection, never either gave a copy to any one, or permitted any one to transcribe it; and as to publishing it without your consent, you must allow me to say the truth: I had felt myself so much flattered by your having addressed it to me, that I should have been half afraid that it would appear to be asking to have my vanity tickled, if I had thought of applying to you for permission to publish it. Where and when did it appear? If you will be so good as to inform me, I may perhaps trace it out: for it annoys me to imagine myself capable of such a breach of confidence and of delicacy."

In his Journal, October 16 [1838?], Blanco White says:

"In copying out my 'Sonnet on Night and Death' for a friend, I have made some corrections. It is now as follows:'Mysterious Night! when our first parent knewThee from report divine, and heard thy name,Did he not tremble for this lovely frame,This glorious canopy of light and blue?Yet 'neath a curtain of translucent dew,Bathed in the rays of the great setting flame,Hesperus with the Host of Heaven came,And lo! creation widen'd in man's view.Who could have thought such darkness lay conceal'dWithin thy beams, O Sun! or who could find,Whilst fly, and leaf, and insect stood reveal'd,That to such countless orbs thou mad'st us blind!Why do we then shun death, with anxious strife?If light can thus deceive, wherefore not life?'"

"In copying out my 'Sonnet on Night and Death' for a friend, I have made some corrections. It is now as follows:

'Mysterious Night! when our first parent knewThee from report divine, and heard thy name,Did he not tremble for this lovely frame,This glorious canopy of light and blue?Yet 'neath a curtain of translucent dew,Bathed in the rays of the great setting flame,Hesperus with the Host of Heaven came,And lo! creation widen'd in man's view.Who could have thought such darkness lay conceal'dWithin thy beams, O Sun! or who could find,Whilst fly, and leaf, and insect stood reveal'd,That to such countless orbs thou mad'st us blind!Why do we then shun death, with anxious strife?If light can thus deceive, wherefore not life?'"

'Mysterious Night! when our first parent knew

Thee from report divine, and heard thy name,

Did he not tremble for this lovely frame,

This glorious canopy of light and blue?

Yet 'neath a curtain of translucent dew,

Bathed in the rays of the great setting flame,

Hesperus with the Host of Heaven came,

And lo! creation widen'd in man's view.

Who could have thought such darkness lay conceal'd

Within thy beams, O Sun! or who could find,

Whilst fly, and leaf, and insect stood reveal'd,

That to such countless orbs thou mad'st us blind!

Why do we then shun death, with anxious strife?

If light can thus deceive, wherefore not life?'"

S. W. Singer.

(Vol. ix., p. 304.)

This word,Seleucussays, "is of course of American derivation." By no means: it is found in German,galloscheorgallusche; and in French,galocheorgalloche. The word itself most likely comes to us from the French. The dictionaries refer to Spenser as using it under the formgalage; and it occurs writtengalege,galosh,calosh, &c. The French borrowed the term from the LatinGallicæ; but the Romans first derived the idea and the thing itself from Gaul,Gallicædenoting Gallic or Gaulish shoes. Cicero speaks of theGallicæwith contempt.—"Cum calceis et toga, nullis necgallicisnec lacerna;" and again, "Cumgalliciset lacerna cucurristi" (Philip.ii. 30.). Blount, in hisLaw Dictionary(1670), gives the following, which refers to one very early use of the term in this country:

"Galege(galiciæ), from the Frenchgalloches, which signified of old a certain shoe worn by the Gauls in foul weather,as at present the signification with us does not much differ. It is mentioned 4 Edw. IV. cap. 7., and 14 & 15 Hen. VIII. cap. 9."

Therefore the thing itself and the word were known among us before America was discovered. As it regards the Latin wordGallicæ, I only know of its use by Cicero, Tertullian, and A. Gellius. The last-named, in theNoctes Atticæ, gives the following anecdote and observations relating to this word. T. Castricius, a teacher of rhetoric at Rome, observing that some of his pupils were, on a holiday, as he deemed, unsuitably attired, and shod (soleati) withgallicæ(galloches,sabots, wooden shoes or clogs), he expressed in strong terms his disapprobation. He stated it to be unworthy of their rank, and referred to the above-cited passage from Cicero. Some of his hearers inquired why he called thosesoleatiwho wore goloshes (gallicæ) and not shoes (soleæ). The expression is justified by a statement which sufficiently describes the goloshes, viz., that they callsoleæ(shoes) all those which cover only the lower portions of the foot, and are fastened with straps. The author adds:

"I think thatgallicæis a new word, which was begun to be used not long before Cicero's time, therefore used by him in the Second of theAntonians. 'Cum gallicis,' says he, 'et lacerna cucurristi.' Nor do I read it in any other writer of authority, but other words are employed."

The Romans named shoes after persons and places as we do: for examples, see Dr. W. Smith'sDictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities, sub voc. "Calceus."

B. H. C.

Poplar.

This word is not of American derivation. In thePromptorium Parvulorumwe find,—

"GalacheorGaloche, undersolynge of manny's fote."

Mr. Way says in his note:

"The galache was a sort of patten, fastened to the foot by cross latchets, and worn by men as early as thetime of Edward III. Allusion is made to it by Chaucer,'Ne were worthy to unbocle his galoche.'—Squires Tale, 10,869."

"The galache was a sort of patten, fastened to the foot by cross latchets, and worn by men as early as thetime of Edward III. Allusion is made to it by Chaucer,

'Ne were worthy to unbocle his galoche.'—Squires Tale, 10,869."

Among many other quotations Mr. Way gives the following:

"To geten hym gilte spores,Or galoches y-couped."—Piers Ploughman, 12,099.

"To geten hym gilte spores,

Or galoches y-couped."—Piers Ploughman, 12,099.

And in theWardrobe Book of Prince Henry,A.D.1607, are mentioned—

"1 pair of golossians, 6s.; 16 gold buckles with pendants and toungs to buckle a pair of golosses."—Archæol.xi. 93.

Nares says:

"Galage.A clown's coarse shoe fromgalloche, a shoe with a wooden sole, old French, which itself is supposed to be fromgallica, a kind of shoe mentioned by Cicero,Philip.ii. 30., and A. Gellius, xiii. 21. If so, the word has returned to the country whence it was first taken, but I doubt much of that derivation; by the passages referred to in the above authors, it seems more likely that thegallicawas a luxurious covering, than one so very coarse as the galloche. Perhaps thecaliga, or military strong boot of the Romans, from which Caligula was named, may be a better origin for it. The wordgallocheis now naturalised among us for a kind of clog, worn over the shoes."

See also Richardson'sDictionary, s. v. "Galoche."

Zeus.

Seleucusneed not have gone quite so far as to "the tribe of North American Indians, the Goloshes," or to America at all, for his derivation. If he will look in his French dictionary he will find,—

"Galoche(espèce de mule que l'on porte par dessus les souliers), galoshoe."

I quote from Boyer'sDictionnaire Royal, edit. 1753.

Cole, in his English dictionary, 1724, has—

"Galeges,galages,galloches,galloshoes, Fr., wooden shoes all of a piece. With us outward shoes or cases for dirty weather, &c."

C. de D.

(Vol. ix., p. 271.)

For the gratification of your correspondent J. M., I give you the result of an enumeration of thelettersandsoundsin three versions of the Hundredth Psalm in Welsh, and three corresponding versions of it in English.

1. From the authorised translations of the Bible, Welsh and English.

2. The metrical version of Tate and Brady, and that of Archdeacon Prys.

3. Dr. Watts's metrical version and a Welsh imitation of it.

From this analysis it appears that the excess of consonantlettersover vowels is, in English, 299; and in Welsh, 159, a little more than one-half. The excess of consonantsoundsis, in English, 246; in Welsh, 51, considerably less than one-fourth.

This result might readily have been anticipated by anybody familiar with the following facts:

1. On examining lists of the elementary sounds of both languages, it will be found that the Welsh has a greater number of vowels than the English, and the English a greater number of consonants than the Welsh.

2. Welsh diphthongs are much more numerous than English.

3. In English,threevowels only constitute words in themselves (a, article;I, pronoun;O, interjection), and each is used only in one sense. In Welsh,fiveof the vowels (a,e,i,o,y) are words; and they are used in at least a dozen different significations.A, besides being an affirmative and interrogative adverb, answers to the Englishand,as,with,will go.

4. Diphthongs forming distinct words are much more numerous in Welsh than in English. The following occur:ai,a'i(=a ei),a'u,ei,eu,ia,ïe,i'w,o'i,o'u,ow,ŵy,yw.

5. In Welsh there are no such clusters of consonants as occur in the English wordsarched(pronouncedartsht),parched,scorched,marched,hinged(hindzhd),singed,cringed,fringed,purged(purdzhd),charged(tshardzhd),scratched, &c. &c. From the difficulty encountered in pronouncing some of these combinations, arise the vulgar errors heard in some parts of the country:burstisforbursts,castisforcasts. Three consonants are very rarely thus crushed together in Welsh,—four, never.

6. The Welsh, to avoid an unpleasant hiatus, often introduce a consonant. Hence we haveyoryr, the;aorac, and;aorag, as;naornac, not;naornag, than;syorsydd, is;o, from, becomesodd;i, to, becomesidd. I cannot call to mind more than one similar example in English,aoran; and its existence is attributable to the superfluity of consonants,nbeingdroppedina, notaddedinan.

The mystery of the consonants in the swearing Welshman's mouth (humorously described by Messrs. Chambers) is difficult of explanation. The words usual in Welsh oaths afford no clue to its solution; for the name of the Deity has two consonants and one vowel in English, while it has two vowels and one consonant in Welsh. Another name invoked on these occasions has three consonants and two vowels in English, and one of the vowels is usually elided; in Welsh it has three vowels and three consonants, and colloquially the middle consonant is dropped. The Welsh borrow a few imprecatory words from the English, and in appropriating them theyappend the vowel terminationoorio. Prejudice or imagination, therefore, seems to have had something to do in describing poor Taffy's profanities.

In conclusion, I may add that the Hundredth Psalm was chosen for analysis without a previous knowledge that it would present a greater excess of consonants (letters or sounds) in English than in Welsh. I do not believe two chapters from the Bible can be produced, which will show an opposite result.

Gwilym Glan Tywi.

There is nokin the Welsh alphabet, a circumstance which reduces the consonants to twenty; while a farther reduction is made by the fact thatwandyarealwaysvowels in Welsh, instead of being only occasionally so, as in English. J. M. will therefore find that the Welsh alphabet contains but eighteen consonants and seven vowels, twenty-five letters in all.

This, however, I imagine, is not the point on which he wishes for information. If a stranger glances at a page of Welsh without being aware thatyandware, strictly speaking, vowels, he will of course naturally conclude that he sees an over proportion of consonants. Hence, probably, has arisen the very general idea on the subject, which is perhaps strengthened by the frequent occurrence of the double consonantsLlandDd, the first of which is but a sign, standing for a peculiar softening of the letter; and the latter forThof the English language.

Such an idea might perhaps be conveyed by the following instances, taken at random:Dywyll,Dydd,Gwyddna,Llwyn,Gwyrliw, &c. But it will be dispelled by an orthography adapted to the pronunciation; thusDou-ill[3],Deeth,Goo-eeth-na,Lloo-een,Gueer-leeoo.

J. M. will be interested to know that the Welsh language can furnish almost unexampled instances of an accumulation of vowels, such as that furnished by the wordieuainc, young men, &c.; but above all by the often-quotedenglynor stanza on the spider or silkworm, which, in its four lines,does not contain a single consonant:

"O'i wiŵ wy i weu ê â,—a'i weauO'i wyau e weua:E weua ei ŵe aia,A'i weau yw ieuau iâ."

"O'i wiŵ wy i weu ê â,—a'i weau

O'i wyau e weua:

E weua ei ŵe aia,

A'i weau yw ieuau iâ."

Seleucus.

In reply to J. M. I beg to ask who ever before heard that consonants "cracked and cracked, and ground and exploded?" and how could the writer in Chambers'sRepositorypossibly know that the drunken Welshman cursed and swore inconsonants? There is scarcely a more harshly-sounding word in the Welsh language—admitted by a clever and satirical author to have "the softness and harmony of the Italian, with the majesty and expression of the Greek"—than the termcrack, adopted from the Dutch. There is no Welsh monosyllable that contains, like the Saxonstrength, seven consonants with only one vowel. There is no Welsh proper name, like Rentzsch, the watchmaker of Regent Street, that contains six consonants in succession in one syllable; and yet the Welsh have never accused theiryoungersister with the use of consonants which "cracked and cracked, and ground and exploded." But if the Welsh language, with "its variety, copiousness, and even harmony, to be equalled by few, perhaps excelled by none," has no instance of six consonants in succession, it has one of six vowels in succession,Gwaewawr, every one of which requires, according to the peculiarity of its pronunciation, a separate inflection of the voice.

J. M. may be assured that the remark of the writer in question is only one of those pitiful "cracks" which flippant authors utter in plain ignorance of Cymru, Cymraeg, and Cymry.

Cymro.

Marlbro.

I think the followingenglynor epigram on a silkworm, which is composed entirely of vowels, will satisfy your correspondent. I have seen it in some book, the name of which I forget. Itmust be borne in mind thatwis a vowel in Welsh, and is sounded likeooinboot.

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