remark in Crotchet Castle, about "my good and Will bring a time we shall not know, A. J. M. diner passed much of her early youth. She married Mr. Mitchell, first manager of the Town and County Bank, Aberdeen, who inherited Stow and Carolside from Miss Innes. Miss Gardiner also had a brother in the Woods and Forests. The Gardiners were related to my grandfather, so I hope this is correct so far as it goes. EYTHIN. from the specific name of which the word pouliot is evidently derived. Suckering.-An eddy is frequently formed in running water in the vicinity of anything which impedes its free course; and as the tendency of such an eddy is to suck in any floating object that comes within its influence, it may well be termed a sucker, or suckering place. ARCHAIC WORDS (6th S. ix. 129, 214, 275).Pouliot can scarcely be called archaic. A reference ZEIRS (6th S. ix. 128, 235, 256).-It is satis- to any French dictionary will show that it is the factory to know that E. B. is "prepared for any ordinary name in that tongue of the well-known vagaries in the spelling of documents of the six-medicinal herb pennyroyal (Mentha pulegium), teenth century." I do not, however, recognize "Singeon" and "Silinger" as Scottish vagaries, for I happen to remember the great distinctness with which the late Lord St. John of Bletshoe was called "Lord Saint John" when he was tenant of Keill, in Kintyre, lang syne. I must also demur to the theory that yettis is a "vagary." It is good Scots, and E. B. has only to study the Acts of the Parliaments of Scotland to find it constantly recurring when the messengers of the law "yappit at the yettis" of a place or castle where a Douglas or a Hume, who had been "forfaulted," had his dwelling. The word is in Longmuir and Donaldson's Jamieson; and the same may be said for thir, which is good Scots for "these." C. H. E. CARMICHAEL. New University Club, S.W. The passage containing this word, and purporting to be an extract from The Miscellany of the Spald ing Club, cannot have been taken directly from that source. The reference should be vol. v. p. 52, and the extract, which is not from "An Account of the Burgh of Aberdeen," but from "Extracts from the Accounts" of the said burgh, should run thus: "The ix day of May, &c., four scoir and twa zers, thir names following maid burgessis, as gentillmen nocht to be occupiars nor handleris witht merchandes, gratia consilii." Thir is of constant occurrence in Old Scotch Acts and other writings, and is to this day the vernacular Scotch plural demonstrative of the first person ("these," Lat. hi, &c.), as thae ("these," Lat. isti, &c.) is of the second person. The phrase that puzzles E. B. means "four score and two years, these names after following." A. C. MOUNSEY. Jedburgh. Guernsey. E. McC SOMERSET PLACE-NAMES (6th S. vii. 462; viii. 23, 123, 143, 261, 342, 403, 461; ix. 43, 101, 161, 276).-If A. B. will look again at p. 163 (ante) he will find that I do not speak of Wrekin as a Saxon name. If he looks at Kemble's Saxons in England, i. 83 (1849), he will find this passage:"Wocensetna may possibly be the Gá of the Wrocensetan, the people about the Wrekin, or hill country of Somerset, Dorset, and Devon." I suppose this is a slip on the part of Kemble, as the Wrekin is in Shropshire; but it should teach A. B. and all of us care, for no less an authority than Mr. Isaac Taylor has fallen into the trap. On p. 47 of Words and Places he speaks of "Wocensætan, the people of the Wrekin or hill country of Exmoor" ! F. W. WEAVER. Milton Vicarage, Evercreech, Bath. "THE RINGING ISLAND" (6th S. ix. 228, 275).— "England is the ringing island" is amongst the proverbs quoted by Fuller in his Worthies of England, first printed in 1662. He explains it as follows: "Thus it is commonly call'd by Foreigners, as having greater, more, and more tuneable Bells than any one Country in Christendom, Italy itself not excepted, though Nola be there, and Bells so called thence because first founded therein. Yea, it seems, our Land is much MRS. MITCHELL (6th S. ix. 188, 236).-My affected with the love of them, and loth to have them mother tells me A. C. S.'s information regarding carryed hence into forreign parts, whereof take this Mrs. Mitchell is not quite accurate. She can reeminent instance. When Arthur Bulkley, the covetous call her in Aberdeen before 1830, a pretty, fair Eighth, had sacrilegiously sold the five fair Bells of his Bishop of Bangor, in the reign of King Henry the girl, Jane Gardiner by name, who was much ad- Cathedral, to be transported beyond the seas, and went mired. Her father was Gardiner of Smithston, down himself to see them shipp'd, they suddenly sunk a farm near Huntly, and her mother was a Milne, down with the vessell in the Haven, and the Bishop fell daughter of the minister of Inverkeithing. One of instantly blind, and so continued to the day of his death. her maternal uncles held office in the Department that, in the memory of man, they were never known so Nought else have I to observe of our English Bells, save of Woods and Forests, and with him MissGar-long free from the sad sound of Funerals of general in fection; God make us sensible of, and thankfull for the same." CONSTANCE RUSSELL. Swallowfield Park, Reading. LION YEAR (6th S. ix. 266).-Gubernatis says (Zoological Myths, vol. ii. p. 158), "The women of antiquity when they met a lioness considered it as an omen of sterility," and that "under the sign of the lion the earth also becomes arid, and consequently unfruitful." The superstition noted by your correspondent is often heard in the North, and appears in a modified form in Sussex, where a farm labourer said that the reason a sow had a litter of still-born pigs was that it was the year that the lions breed, which happened every seven years (vide Henderson, 24). I heard of another curious superstition of a like class current in Yorkshire. The tiger in a travelling menagerie became furious and could not be pacified, whereupon the manager stood on the steps and asked if there was any woman enceinte in the show, and if so would she kindly leave, as that was the reason of the tiger's rage. W. HENRY JONES. DANDY (6th S. viii. 515; ix. 35, 135, 213).— Is there not some reason to suppose that this term has been derived from Jack-a-dandy? The following quotations will help to support this query:"Smart she is and handy, O, Sweet as sugar candy, O; Fresh and gay As flow'rs in May, And I'm her Jack-a-dandy, O." This stanza is from L. Macnally's comic opera, Robin Hood; or, Sherwood Forest, performed in 1784. "My love is blithe and bucksome Cardiff. And sweet and fine as can be; Fresh and gay as the flowers in May, And looks like Jack-a-dandy." Westminster Drollery, 1671. F. C. BIRKBECK TERRY, well be expected. Almost of necessity in a work of this class, some expressions are reproduced which, like the sins "heteroclitical" of Sir Thomas Browne, might, in the opinion of some readers, be condemned to pass henceforward unmentioned, so far, at least, as literature is concerned. The subject treated is, however, interesting and important, and Mr. Sharman, while displaying no needless squeamishness, avoids most occasions of giving offence. This is the more to his credit since his book, as its title denotes, is written from a quasi-comic standpoint. His History of Swearing is, indeed, both philosophical and scholarly. It approaches fairly near completeness also, though we failed to recognize in the gallery of comminators the fine picture of the man-a Scotchman was it not?-standing in the early morning at his garden gate and "swearing at large"; nor is adequate reference made to the affected imprecations of the comedy of two centuries or less ago the "Stap my vitals" and "Strike me awkwards "-which were, perhaps, among the least odious forms of an indefensible habit. A Study of the Prologue and Epilogue in English Literature from Shakespeare to Dryden. By G. S. B. (Kegan Paul, Trench & Co.) THIS is an interesting and almost an important contribution to literature. It is not free from errors of the press "sensus subanditus," p. 182; of carelessness, p. 120, where, à propos of The Merry Devil of Edmonton, the author says the reverse of what he means; of misquotation-"This age comes on too soon or he too fast," instead of "too slow" (Dryden, epilogue to Aurengzebe), p. 57; and of positive misstatement, as when, p. 41, the death of Mountfort, due to a barbarous murder, is ascribed, most unjustly, to a "tavern brawl." In spite of these and other similar defects, A Study of the Prologue and Epilogue deserves high praise. It is written with breadth of view and insight that may even be called philosophical. It makes a respectable display of erudition, and it leaves comparatively little for a following writer to glean. When to this it is added that it is written in a literary style and constitutes agreeable reading, the fact that a popular welcome is deserved is established. It is, indeed, well worthy of a place on the shelves. That a study of the prologue and epilogue comes to be pretty much the same thing as a long essay on Dryden is not the author's fault. No other English writer has used these forms of composition so freely or to so great advantage as Dryden, and the best illustrations of the condition and surroundings of the stage that are to be drawn come from him. Ben Jonson AUTHORS OF QUOTATIONS WANTED (6th S. ix. is, however, seen at times to advantage in these forms of 229). "Leave me not wild, and drear, and comfortless" is part of a Pantheistic prayer, occurring_in_Shelley's Adonais, stanza xxv. (6th S. ix. 250.) "Far Cathay." T. PAYTON. co. position. To Ben Jonson G. S. B. shows himself a little less than kind." The lines from the epilogue to The Poetaster may show the author, as is said, "almost beside himself with rage," but it may claim to be of the noblest and the most virile rage that poet has often uttered, and it is the wrath of one whose expressed conception of the functions of the Muse was higher than that of any contemporary. In dealing with Dryden G. S. B. takes a little too seriously that experienced author's references to modern times are not always quite dramatist's attacks upon the public and the critics. Our intelligible, or, being intelligible, are not specially significant. These blemishes are, however, unimportant, and the verdict to be passed upon his volume is favourable. Italian and other Studies. By Francis Hueffer. (Stock.) We do not think the title that Mr. Hueffer has chosen for his collection of essays is happy. Less than half of the papers contained in the volume are on Italian subjects. It is difficult to y which essay is the best. They are all most carefully written, and the English is pure and limpid, contrasting favourably with much of the periodical writing of the day. The paper on "The Literary Aspect of Schopenhauer's Work" is, in some respects, the most important. Schopenhauer is known in this country as the great pessimist; but very few of us realize that he was also a brilliant stylist, with a deep vein of poetry in him. His was no ignoble nature; but he had a morbidly irritable brain, which had been overtasked by the troubles of life. The neglect of his own countrymen to notice works which their author knew to be of great merit preyed on his spirits, and had an unhappy effect on his character. It is a truism to remark that the literature that a man has produced must be judged by itself, not interpreted by the view we are pleased to take of the author's personality. Obvious though this be, it is plain to any one who has read recent criticism that Schopenhauer's work has suffered in the estimation of English readers from their knowledge that the writer was not a person with whom they would have had much personal sympathy. The paper on "Troubadours, Ancient and Modern," is remarkably well written, and contains much information which will be new to many students of versification. That on "The Poets of Young Italy" is far too short. We wish Mr. Hueffer would expand it into a volume. The Poetical Works of John Keats. Given from his own Edition and other Authentic Sources, and collated with many MSS. Edited by Harry Buxton Forman. (Reeves & Turner.) FROM the library edition of the complete works of Keats, to which recently we called attention, Mr. Forman has collected into one volume the poetical works. The goodly volume of six hundred pages, with its fine type and handsome cover; its admirable portrait, etched by Mr. W. B. Scott from a miniature by Severn; its short, eloquent, and sympathetic introduction and ample chrono logy; and its full index and table of first lines, cannot be other than the accepted and authoritative edition for those who seek to possess the poems alone. The manner in which the publication of Keats has been executed reflects high credit upon editor and publishers. THE April number of the Hull Quarterly and East Riding Portfolio, edited by Mr. W. G. B. Page, contains articles by the Rev. Canon Venables, M.A., on the "Roman Altar to the Parcæ discovered at Lincoln "; the Rev. M. G. Watkins, M.A., on "Andrew Marvell's Bible"; C. Staniland Wake on "Cottingham Castle and its Lords"; Charles Mason on “The Song of Roland"; and several others of an interesting characters. THE Antiquarian Magazine and Bibliographer for May will contain, inter alia, the first instalment of a paper by one of our contributors, Mrs. C. Boger, entitled "The Legend of King Arthur in Somerset," and a seasonable article on "The Floralia at Helston." Royal Progresses and Visits to Leicester, from the reputed Foundation of the City by King Leir, B.O. 844, to the Present Time, by Wm. Kelly, F.SA., F.R.H.S., a valued contributor to our columns, is, we are glad to hear, ready for the press. It will be issued by subscription, the list for which will close on the day of publication. THE death of Mr. Charles Reade, which took place on Good Friday, removes a conspicuous figure from the literary world. Mr. Reade had more invention than almost any English novelist of his day, and his works are likely, for some time to come, to remain favourites with the public. The opening chapters of The Cloister and the Hearth may compare with anything in modern fiction. Mr. Reade was born in 1814, educated at Mag. dalen College, Oxford, of which he was a fellow, and was called to the Bar in 1843. Notices to Correspondents. We must call special attention to the following notices: ON all communications must be written the name and address of the sender, not necessarily for publication, but as a guarantee of good faith. WE cannot undertake to answer queries privately. E. R. VYVYAN.-"Give him an inch and he'll take an ell," in the sense that a man to whom a small concession is made will seek further to encroach, is found in Camden as, "Give an inch and you will take an ell.” A different reading and a signification apparently different are supplied in Armin's Nest of Ninnies, "Give me an inch to-day, I'll give thee an ell to-morrow, and we'll to hell together." See Hazlitt's English Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases. J. D. BUTLER.-1. "Pantaloons," Fr. pantalon, a garment so called because worn by the Venetians, who were themseves called Pantalons. See Littré and Skeat. 2. "Tree of Liberty."-The Americans, during the War of Independence, planted poplars and other trees as symbols of growing freedom. The poplar assumably was chosen on account of its quick growth. The first tree of liberty in France is said to have been planted in 1790. See Dr. Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 3. "An Austrian army awfully arrayed" is supposed to have been written about 1828 by the Rev. B. Poulter, Prebendary of Winchester. 4. "Ignorance is the mother of devotion" is found in Jeremy Taylor, Letter to a Person Newly Converted. Dryden, in The Maiden Queen, I. ii., has, "Your ignorance is the mother of your devotion to me." We have thus answered several of your queries, and will in due course attend to others. In order to spare great inconvenience, please put each question on a separate slip of paper and append your signature to each. Without attention to these particulars the chances of obtaining insertion or reply are minimized. Now ready, price 6d. THE EXTRA SPRING NUMBER OF ALL THE YEAR ROUND. Conducted by CHARLES DICKENS. Containing Tales, &c., by Popular Authors. 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