deriveth, as from the Princes, his Lyne [and] is from Ely Place, the earliest being dated upon the Hill that standithe betwine the 2 Ven-8 January, 1548. draiths." In the margin there is a note: "Lle Careig in Lattin Palatinus cragus." As the variations "Castle," "Castell," "Castele," occur in this paragraph, it is possible that what Leland wrote or read was "Castelle of Careig." The modern name is Castell y Garreg. Lle place does not mean palatinus; only the W. plás, borrowed from Eng. place in the special use under discussion, could yield that sense. The site in question is about a mile or so to the north-west of the village of Llandybie. In that village there is a farm-house, bearing evident traces of decayed gentility, still called Y Plás or Plás Llandybie. Tradition says that Oliver Cromwell lodged there one night before visiting the neighbouring Golden Grove. Down to about the middle of last century the commonest term for a country mansion was plas, and that is the word I myself use, but newspaper and periodical writers employ the (to me) incongruous term palas almost invariably. In Lewis's 'Dict.' (1805) the only meaning of palas is "a palace or royal house." Comeragh Road, Kensington. J. P. OWEN. JOHN B. WAINEWRIGHT. THE BABINGTON CONSPIRACY (10th S. v. 190). From memory only I venture to identify The House of the Wolf,' by Mr. Stanley J. Weyman, as the novel dealing with the Babington conspiracy. It first appeared as a serial in The Graphic. ALECK ABRAHAMS. 39, Hillmarton Road, N. HOLBORN (10th S. ii. 308, 392, 457, 493; iii. 56, 234; v. 295, 338).-Stow and Camden and Anthony Munday lived three hundred years ago, and are doubtless entitled to the epithet of "venerable." But Domesday Book was compiled more than eight hundred years ago, and its claim to veneration must therefore be considered to be far superior to that of those comparatively modern writers. In Domesday Holborn is written "Holeburne," and that spelling will be found in subsequent legal documents. MR. JAGGARD might consult, for example, the facsimile of the grant of the manor of "Holburne" in the Transactions of the London and Middlesex Archæological Society, i. 124. One would have thought that this matter was outside the scope of argument. W. F. PRIDEaux. "THE SOPHY" (10th S. v. 308). I think your correspondent is in the right. But there are difficulties as to the explanation of Sophy. May I refer to the article on 'Sophy' in my Notes on English Etymology,' at It is too long to quote. P. 273? WALTER W. SKEAT. There is evidently a subdivision of meaning necessary. Thus in London the earliest application I can trace is Dukes's Place (explanation of Ogilby and Morgan's Map of London, 1677, reprinted 1895; The London Directory,' 1677, reprinted 1878), and this is in its proper sense of a square or place d'armes (vide 'Glossographia Anglicana Nova, 1707). By 1783 (The New MR. THOMPSON OF THE 6TH DRAGOONS Complete Guide,' 1783) it had been applied (10th S. v. 269, 316).-I am much obliged to to Savoy Place, St. James's Place, and Park your correspondents for their kind hints. Place; but by 1790 (The Universal British Cornet Alfred Thompson was probably the Directory') there are twenty examples, author of the water-colour sketch I have nearly all terraces in the suburbs (Kingsland seen. I doubt whether James Thomson, Place) or blocks of property built round the author of 'The City of Dreadful Night' culs-de-sac in the City (Ely Place, Frederick's-who was born in 1834, and was a poor Place, Old Jewry). This, therefore, indicates that the word had altogether lost its original significance, and become little more than an indication of a property uniform in size and architecture, and having a single ownership. ALECK ABRAHAMS. 39, Hillmarton Road, N. In some extracts from The Gentleman's Magazine (1794) I find references to Vauxhall Place, South Lambeth. It was apparently a street or terrace of houses. HAMMOND HALL. Calendar of State Papers (Domestic), 1547-80, records a good many letters written man, I believe-could have been the Mr. Thompson who with David Urquhart and Algernon Massing berd visited Kossuth at Kutahia in October, 1850. Massingberd and Thompson had bought some land near Smyrna, we are told, and were going to establish a colony there for the benefit of the and Russia got wind of the project, and Hungarian refugees in Turkey; but Austria protested against it successfully. In March, 1851, "Thompson the Englishman (now under the name of Hamilton)" again visited the refugees in Kutahia, this time in company with a Danish prince, Frederick of Schleswig-Holstein. My source does not explain whether Thompson had changed his name permanently to Hamilton or whether he only assumed it pro tem. as a convenience to get over some regulation as to visiting the Sultan's Hungarian prisoners. L. L. K. LATIN GENITIVES IN FLORICULTURAL NOMENCLATURE (10th S. v. 309).-The use of a single or double i in this class of genitives is optional, or, at all events, a matter of taste. Such modern surnames have a nominative -ius hypothetically tacked on in order to conform with the large number of Roman clan-names with stems ending in io. These clan-names are strictly speaking adjectival, and hence the genitives in, as in Curtisii; but, if they are to be regarded as substantive, there is classical support also for the monocular variety, as in Thomsoni. J. DORMER. Is it not merely considerations of euphony which demand the duplication of the i in such Latin genitives? Aster Curtisii possesses a more rounded euphony than Aster Curtisi. Similarly Anoectochilus Lowii and A. Heriotii are preferable to A. Lowi (Low's) and 4. Herioti (Heriot's). J. HOLDEN MACMICHAEL. DICKENS ON THE BIBLE (10th S. v. 304).The "paragraph in some of the papers appeared first. I think, in The Daily Chronicle. It seems as if MR. MACRAE did not see that paper day by day, or he would have noticed that, the day after the paragraph, a correction appeared of its inaccuracy. The document discussed by The Daily Chronicle reporter was not a "notable and unknown Dickens letter," but a facsimile of one of the best-known letters of Dickens, written on the day before his death to John M. Makeham. This letter is reproduced in facsimile in the 'Letters of Charles Dickens' (Macmillan, 1893), and has been often referred to elsewhere. MR. MACRAE speaks of his letter as quoted by Forster in the 'Life.' It is referred to in my edition (Chapman & Hall, 1876) in vol. ii. p. 467. The odd thing is that, had MR. MACRAE looked a few pages on, he would also have seen a quotation (on p. 469) from The Daily Chronicle's "unknown" novelty. I think it a pity that people cannot make a little research of such obvious character on their own behalf; but in the present age of hurry and superficiality, few lovers of literature can expect that. NEL MEZZO. The letter quoted by MR. MACRAE is undoubtedly "genuine and independent," but it is not unknown. It is reproduced in facsimile in the 'Letters of Charles Dickens' (Macmillan, 1882). I believe that the original is either at the British Museum or South Kensington. HAMMOND HALL. OSCAR WILDE BIBLIOGRAPHY (10th S. iv. 266; v. 12, 133, 176, 238, 313).-The statement at the last reference that Sharp, in his anthology, claimed to have printed for the first time the sonnet on Keats's love letters, is manifestly due to an oversight. Two of Wilde's sonnets appear in the collection, the one on the love letters being numbered cclii., and immediately following the other. The editor's note on the subject is quite clear. "No. cclii.," he says, "appears in his 'Poems,' but its companion is printed here for the first time." Perhaps some question connected with copyright prevented republication in subsequent editions of 'Sonnets of this Century.' THOMAS BAYNE. [U. V. W. writes to the same effect.] To Midsummer Dreams, being the double Summer Number of a weekly journal called Society, for July, 1885, Oscar Wilde contributed a poem entitled 'Roses and Rue.' This number is not in the British Museum, and though I have advertised for many months, I have not succeeded in procuring a copy. I am particularly anxious to have, at least, a transcript of this poem, in order that it may be included in the volume of 'Poems which I am editing for Messrs. Methuen's forthcoming uniform edition of Oscar Wilde's works. Can any of your readers help me? This volume will contain all the poems The Sphinx,' The Ballad of Reading Gaol,' included in the 1881 edition, Ravenna,' translations in verse, and at least one unpubsome sixteen hitherto uncollected poems, four lished poem of exquisite beauty. c/o Holywell Press, Oxford. STUART MASON. LADY COVENTRY'S MINUET (10th S. v. 307). MR. BLEACKLEY asks if a special minuet was composed in honour of the beautiful Lady Coventry, and who wrote the music. I find it difficult to give an exact answer to the question, but I hope the following information may assist him. Mr. Adair FitzGerald, at p. 115 of 'Stories of Famous Songs,' writes that a correspondent in The Illustrated London News of 16 February, and 1 March, 1856, says : "In my youth I was accustomed to hear a song, of which Kitty Fisher and the famous Countess of Coventry, who were rival beauties in their respective lines, were the heroines." Fisher's Jig, besides being in Walsh's dances, 66 Within the cottage at the end of the court will be found, in the second room on the right of the entrance, a ceiling which will surprise those visitors who care to obtain the very civil owner's permission to view it. It is far finer than the Carey House one. The medallions, portraits, four classic heads, and the floral wreaths are in excellent preservation. It has been purchased, and will no doubt be shortly removed. John Carter, F.S.A., author, antiquary, and artist, resided in Wood Street in 1785, and in Great College Street in 1787, before removing to Hyde Park Corner. JAS. ARROW. SIR JOSHUA REYNOLDS AT LE PORTEL (10th S. v. 228).-En ce qui concerne le passage de Sir Joshua Reynolds au Portel, près de CHEMISTS' COLOURED GLASS BOTTLES (10th S. Boulogne, lors de ses voyages dans les v. 168, 231).- Many of these containers of Flandres et en Italie [?]," j'ai consulté ses coloured waters were formerly adorned with 'Literary Works' (éd. 1835, 2 tomes), sans y planetary symbols. Is it beyond the verge trouver aucune allusion à cet endroit. Voici of likelihood that the sign and the hue had l'itinéraire de ses voyages en l'année 1781, mutual reference to each other? In old d'après l'ouvrage cité: Il partit de Londres heraldry the tinctures of royal arms were le 24 juillet, et passa par Margate, Ostende, indicated by the names of the planets; thus Gand, Bruxelles, Anvers, Dort, La Haye, the vert of the commoner became Venus; his Leyde, Amsterdam, Dusseldorf, Aix-la-purpure was Mercury; his gules, Mars; his Chapelle, Liège, Bruxelles, Ostende, Margate, Londres, où il revint le 16 septembre. Je ne dis pas que le "guide" en question ait tort, mais il paraît qu'il y a erreur quelque part. EDWARD LATHAM. WESTMINSTER CHANGES IN 1905 (10th S. v. 221, 262).—To an old resident the notes by MR. HARLAND-OXLEY are extremely interesting, and I should like to add a few words with reference to the little court and cottage in North Street. Mr. T. Fairman - Ordish contributed an article to Cornhill, February, 1904, but he too gives no information why the little court has always been known, and is still alluded to, as Noah's Ark. Old inhabitants of the neighbourhood will confirm my assertion, and I have a distinct recollection of Mr. Barnes, the pantaloon, alluding to his studio by that name. It is not generally known that he was a clever photographer. I have some of his work by me at this moment. And in confirmation of this, strange to say, after so many years, his name and profession as photographer may still be made out, in black paint, on the shabby old wooden facia above the iron gateway. It may not be generally known that in Bentley's Miscellany, vol. vii. p. 457, will be found an amusing account of a continental tour, Journal of Old Barnes, the Pantaloon,' in 1830. There is a woodcut portrait in character-"Here I am." I knew him well; he was a charming old fellow of the old school. azure, Jupiter; and so forth. We must remember that the organs of the body were supposed, and are supposed, to be under direct planetary influence. ST. SWITHIN. A correspondent informs me that he has been told "that the blue and red colours represent venous and arterial blood, and that the exhibition of these colours was to let the public know that the gentleing, and willing to bleed, people who were so man displaying these signs was capable of bleeddesirous." Jeaffreson, in his 'Book about Doctors,' 1861, p. 49, says : "The dispensing chemists and druggists, whose shops, flashing with blue bottles (last remnant of empiric charlatanry), brighten our street corners and scare our horses at night, are the apothecaries of the last century." Sandgate. R. J. FYNMORE. This custom is, I think, traceable to the old alchemists, the coloured waters symbolizing the different minerals that they used in their compounds. Thus yellow would represent gold; red, iron; green, copper; blue, tin; and purple, quicksilver. So far as I know, white or black bottles are never seen, although it would be interesting to hear of any instance of their use, or, indeed, of the use of any other colours than those mentioned above. H. T. SMITH. REBUS IN CHURCHES (10th S. v. 188, 250, 297, 317).-In Middleham Church, Yorkshire, formerly collegiate, is the fine slab once covering the remains of Robert Thorneton, twenty-second Abbot of Jervaulx, some three miles from that town. It has on it a tun with thorn leaves, and on it is inscribed the legend: "Orate pro a'i'a Dompni Roberti Thorneton, abbat hui' domi Jorevaulis vices'ini, Sc'di." In Aysgarth Church, on one of the stalls brought from Jervaulx Abbey at the time of the Dissolution in 1536 is a hazel-bush 1475. fructed growing out of a tun, a rebus on the name of William de Heslington, abbot in There is also a fine screen brought from the same abbey, now elaborately painted in blue, green, and gold, with the initials A. S., i.e, Adam Sedbergh, the last Abbot of Jervaulx, executed for his participation in the Pilgrimage of Grace. On the tower of Bolton Priory, begun by the last prior, Richard Moone, is this inscription in capitals, with a half-moon as rebus: "In the yer of our Lord Myxx Rbegaun this foundachion, on qwho sowl God have marce. Amen." JOHN PICKFORD, M.A. I regret that in giving the rebus of Abbot Darnton, of Fountains Abbey, at p. 297, I stated that the label was inscribed " tun, 1494"; it should be "Dern, 1494." 6 GRAY'S 'ELEGY' IN RUSSIAN (10th S. v. 306). -In the edition of V. A. Zhukovsky's works edited by Prof. A. S. Arkhangelsky (St. Petersburg, Marks, 1902), I find that the Elegy Occurs among the poems for 1801. (I note that the Russian bard wrote his name Joukoffsky, but the above more nearly represents the original.) It is not quite correct to say that he "die' capo alla sua carriera letteraria" with this translation, as his first poem is an ode in praise of the beneficence of the Tsar Paul, dated 1797. In 1801-2 the Viestnik Evropii (Courier of Europe)-in which the Elegy appeared with a dedication to A. I. Turgeniev-was edited by the historian N. M. Karamzin. In 1839 Zhukovsky made a second translation while on a visit to Windsor, illustrated with a sketch of the churchyard at Stoke Poges by his own hand. Zhukovsky is one of the most prolific Russian poets and translators, his work including a version of the Odyssey,' and renderings of Dryden, Goldsmith, · Southey, and the leading German bards. Streatham Common. "THE HAND THAT ROCKS THE CRADLE" (10th S. iv. 447; v. 273).—I had no intention of doubting the existence of William Ross Wallace, but merely fancied that perhaps his name had been confused with that of William Stewart Ross, the author of one of the poems referred to. I take it that M. C. L. claims for W. R. Wallace the authorship of a poem having for its subject or refrain the abovenamed phrase-a poem which was written earlier than either of the poems of which I but it is very desirable that the date of have given the dates of publication. Good; publication of W. R. Wallace's poem (if it was published; but of this I myself have no knowledge) should be furnished. We should then have documentary evidence, and the question would be settled beyond any fear of dispute. EDWARD LATHAM. "METROPOLITAN TOE" (10th S. v. 46).Surely we have here a sarcastic description of the Canterbury Primacy as if it were a Papacy-the Pope having his toe kissed, and Laud being another Pope in Milton's idea. Miscellaneous. T. NICKLIN. NOTES ON BOOKS, &o. A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles. Edited by Dr. J. A. H. Murray. Matter Mesnalty. (Vol. VI.) By Henry Bradley, Hon. M.A. Ph.D. (Oxford, Clarendon Press.) Ar a late period, or at any rate in the course of progress, the intention of including in the present instalment of the New English Dictionary' one section only of vol. vi., that comprising Matter to Meet, has been abandoned, and a double section, including Matter to Mesnalty, has been substituted. is of unknown origin, the Welsh matog and Gaelic Mattock, one of the earliest words in common use, madag being from the English. Maud, a grey striped plaid, is also of obscure origin. A good history is given of the various uses of the word maudlin. Maugrabee an African Moor. Maumet, in its various senses repays study, as does maund. maumetrie, are used of image-worship. Maunder It is not every one who knows the origin of mausoleum. A better quotation for maw than that given from the same source is found in 'Paradise Lost': Death Grinned horrible a ghastly smile, to hear Mawworm, a hypocrite, first occurs in 1850. May, 358 press. Mr. E. C. Vansittart's paper on the reverence shown in Italy to San Giuseppe is not only instructive, but very entertaining also. Little honour was shown with us to St. Joseph in pre-Reformation days. We do not remember hearing of a single old church in this country being dedicated to him; but in Italy and Spain he ranks in popular regard next to the Blessed Virgin herself. One of the stories the writer tells is grotesquely amusing. Though it is under the ban of the ecclesiastical authorities, we are told that it is accepted still by the common people. The Antiquary. Vol. XLI. (Elliot Stock.) in all its senses, beginning with a virgin, has a deeply interesting history. The same may be said WE have read this volume with much pleasure. A of mead and meadow. Meadsweet is an accepted few of the articles are shorter than could be wished, form of meadowsweet. Words such as meal, mean, but nearly all indicate knowledge and constructivemeat, in their various senses, have all well-toldness, and are thus far in advance of what we histories. The different significances of the second, frequently encounter in the columns of the daily We should have mean, are specially curious. been glad of comment on the misuse of by no means in phrases such as "it is by no means sure." This is a favourite mode of speech of Miss Burney, an instance from whom is quoted with no hint of disapproval. A possible connexion is suggested bea person, and tween meander in the case of maunder. It seems remarkable to meet with no instance of Mecca, a sacred spot, earlier than 1850. Under mechanical we note "a crew of patches, rude mechanicals." Mediaval is first heard in 1827. It was popularized by Ruskin. Medical first occurs in Sir T. Browne. Medicament is found even a century earlier, and medicine two centuries earlier still. The American use, medicine-man, &c., belongs to early in the nineteenth century. Medley is first used in the sense of mêlée. What is said concerning médoc is brief, but excellent; and meed and meek repay close attention. Meeting-house, a place of worship, is now confined to the U.S. Of melancholy, in a lighter sense, an instance earlier and happier than is given occurs in Beaumont and Fletcher: There's naught in this life, sweet, But only melancholy. Menagerie occurs in 1712. The Countess of Blessington in 1837 seems responsible for menu, a bill of fare. I would adventure for such merchandise," Romeo and Juliet,' provides a special instance of the last word. Some hesitation is shown in accept ing the popular derivation of Merry Andrew. Apollonius of Tyana, and other Essays. By Thomas have Celsus's views as reported by his adversaries. The other essays consist for the most part of highly technical and schematic discussions of obscure problems in transcendental metaphysics, where lucidity is much to be desiderated-perhaps it was not possible. The misprint of "would" for world at the foot of p. 63 makes nonsense of the passage where it occurs. There is a highly interesting article by Miss Jessie M. E. Saxby on The Sacred Sites of a Shetland Isle.' Unst is the island referred to. It is about fourteen miles long, and at its widest seven miles broad. Tradition says that at one time about twenty kirks existed there; but it may be that in this instance we have a blending of Christian churches with places of heathen worship. As Miss Saxby has evidently visited most of the localities she treats of, the labour expended must have been severe as well as wearisome. It is clear that the early missionaries to Unst acted in the spirit of the instructions given by St. Gregory the Great to St. Augustine, to christianize the places of the old worship, not to sweep away the fabrics for which their simple hearts still retained a warm affection, and around which, in many cases, their forefathers were buried. This is demonstrated by the fact that burnt bones and fragments of early pottery have been discovered under the foundations of Some of these indications of pre-Christian worship have been desecrated Christian churches. It is thus discovered by Miss Saxby herself. obvious that heathen rites were once performed where in later times the Christian sacraments were beside their ancestors who had lived ages before celebrated, and the baptized dead were buried Mr. C. Lynam's paper on the Lapley font suggests the light of the Gospel shone on the far North. wide-stretching speculations. The subjects carved thereon are taken from events recorded in the Gospels, and by their rudeness, and the highly conventional way in which they have been treated, a remote antiquity is suggested; but an inscription under the representation of the Nativity, "Het which give the idea of a very modern date. The geborte Christi," is engraved in plain Roman capitals vessel, too, is in shape an octagon, and this seems to point to a time far later than the sculptures. Mr. Sheppard's 'Roman Remains near Spurn' and Mr. Sieveking's paper on old French doors and door-handles are well worthy of attention. Both are well illustrated. The Home Counties Magazine. Edited by W. |