Minor Notes.

"Garble."—Mr. C. Mansfield Ingleby has called attention to a growing corruption in the use of the word "eliminate," and I trust he may be able to check its progress. The word garble has met with very similar usage, but the corrupt meaning is now the only one in which it is ever used, and it would be hopeless to try and restore it to its original sense.

The original sense of "to garble" was a good one, not a bad one; it meant a selection of the good, and a discarding of the bad parts of anything: its present meaning is exactly the reverse of this. By the statute 1 Rich. III. c. 11., it is provided that no bow-staves shall be sold "ungarbled:" that is (as Sir E. Coke explains it), until the good and sufficient be severed from the bad and insufficient. By statute 1 Jac. I. c. 19., a penalty is imposed on the sale of spices and drugs not "garbled;" and an officer called the garbler of spices is authorised to enter shops, and view the spices and drugs, "and to garble and make clean the same." Coke derives the word either from the French garber, to make fine, neat, clean; or from cribler, and that from cribrare, to sift, &c. (4 Inst. 264.)

It is easy to see how the corruption of this word has taken place; but it is not the less curious to compare the opposite meanings given to it at different times.

E. S. T. T.

Deaths in the Society of Friends, 1852-3.—In "N. & Q.," Vol. viii., p. 488., appeared a communication on the great longevity of persons at Cleveland in Yorkshire. I send you for comparison a statement of the deaths in the Society of Friends in Great Britain and Ireland, from the year 1852 to 1853, the accuracy of which may be depended on; from which it appears that one in three have attained from 70 to 100 years, the average being about 74½; and that thirty-seven attain from 80 to 90, and eight from 90 to 100. It would be useful to ascertain to what the longevity of the inhabitants of Cleveland may be attributed, whether to the situation where they reside, or to their social habits.

The total number of the Society was computed to be from 19,000 to 20,000, showing the deaths to be rather more than 1½ per cent. per annum. Great numbers are total abstainers from strong drink.

Ages. Male. Female. Total.
Under 1 year 13 8 21
Under 5 years 18 13 31
From 5 to 10 4 2 6
,, 10 to 15 5 6 11
,, 15 to 20 5 3 8
,, 20 to 30 7 10 17
,, 30 to 40 8 8 16
,, 40 to 50 7 14 21
,, 50 to 60 16 14 30
,, 60 to 70 26 34 60
,, 70 to 80 20 46 66
,, 80 to 90 13 24 37
,, 90 to 100 2 6 8
All ages 144 188 332

W. C.

Plymouth.

The Eastern Question.—The following extract from Tatler, No. 155., April 6, 1710, appears remarkable, considering the events of the present day:

"The chief politician of the Bench was a great assertor of paradoxes. He told us, with a seeming concern, 'that by some news he had lately read from Muscovy, it appeared to him there was a storm gathering in the Black Sea, which might in time do hurt to the naval forces of this nation.' To this he added, 'that, for his part, he could not wish to see the Turk driven out of Europe, which he believed could not but be prejudicial to our woollen manufacture.' He then told us, 'that he looked upon those extraordinary revolutions which had lately happened in those parts of the world, to have risen chiefly from two persons who were not much talked of; and those,' says he, 'are Prince Menzicoff and the Duchess of Mirandola.' He backed his assertions with so many broken hints, and such a show of depth and wisdom, that we gave ourselves up to his opinions."

F. B. Relton.

Jonathan Swift, Dean of St. Patrick's, Dublin.—It is remarkable (and yet it has not been noticed, I believe, by his biographers) that Dean Swift was suspended from his degree of B.A. in Trinity College, Dublin, for exciting disturbances within the college, and insulting the junior dean. He and another were sentenced by the Board to ask pardon publicly of the junior dean, on their knees, as having offended more atrociously than the rest. These facts afford the true solution of Swift's animosity towards the University of Dublin, and account for his determination to take the degree of M.A. at Oxford; and the solution receives confirmation from this, that the junior dean, for insulting whom he was punished, was the same Mr. Owen Lloyd (afterwards professor of divinity and Dean of Down) whom Swift has treated with so much severity in his account of Lord Wharton.

Abhba.

English Literature.—Some French writer (Victor Hugo, I believe) has said that English literature consists of four distinct literatures, English, American, Scottish, and Irish, each having a different character. Has this view of our literature been taken, and exhibited in all its aspects, by any English writer and if so, by whom?

J. M.

Oxford.

Irish Legislation.—I have met with the following statement: is it to be received as true? In May, 1784, a bill, intended to limit the privilege of franking, was sent from Ireland for the royal sanction; and in it was a clause enacting that any member who, from illness or other cause, should be unable to write, might authorise some other person to frank for him, provided that on the back of the letter so franked the member gave at the same time, under his hand, a full certificate of his inability to write.

Abhba.

Anecdote of George IV. and the Duke of York.—The following letter was written in a boy's round hand, and sent with some China cups:

Dear Old Mother Batten,

Prepare a junket for us, as Fred. and I are coming this evening. I send you these cups, which we have stolen from the old woman [the queen]. Don't you say anything about it.

George.

The above was found in the bottom of one of the cups, which were sold for five guineas on the death of Mr. Nichols, who married Mother Batten. The cups are now in possession of a Mr. Toby, No. 10. York Buildings, St. Sidwells, Exeter.

Julia R. Bockett.

Southcote Lodge.