Minor Notes.
Mental Almanac (Vol. iv., p. 203.).
—The additive number for this month of December, is 6. Hence next Sunday is 1 + 6 = the 7th of December. Christmas Day will be 25, less 20, that is 5, or Thursday.
A. E. B.
Corruptions recognised as acknowledged Words (Vol. iv., p. 313.).
—The first person who settled in Honduras was the celebrated buccaneer Wallis, in 1638, from whom the principal town and river were named. The Spaniards called it Valis; and v and b having the same pronunciation in Spanish, it became Balis, then Balize, Belize, the actual name.
PHILIP S. KING.
Pasquinade (Vol. iv., p. 292.).
—Will A. B. R. allow me to correct one or two to typographical errors in the Italian version of his clever epigram? In the first place "Piu," in both places where it occurs, should be "Pio," which the sense demands, while Piu is downright nonsense. What A. B. R. intended to write was no doubt:
"Quando Papa o' Cardinale
Chies' Inglese tratta male,
Quel che chiamo quella gente
Pio? No-no, ne sapiente."
The alteration in the third line is required both by sense and metre, which last is octosyllabic; and chiamo is pronounced as a dissyllable, as are also chiesa and -piente.
E. S. TAYLOR.
Epigram on Erasmus.
—The following epigram, written in a fly-leaf of a copy of the Epistolæ Obscuroram Virorum, published at Frankfort, 1624, in the possession of a friend, is commended to your notice; not, however, without a suspicion of its having been printed already:
"Ut Rhadamantheum stetit ante tribunal Erasmus,
Ante jocos scribens serio damnor, ait
Cui Judex, libri dant seria damna jocosi,
Si tibi culpa jocus, sit tibi pœna jocus."
Anglicè, T. CORBETT.
"Erasmus standeinge fore hell's tribune said,
For writeinge iest I am in earnest paid.
The iudge replied, Iests will in earnest hurt,
Sport was thy fault, then let thy paine be sport."
D. B. J.
Etymology of London.
—I believe the word London has never yet received a satisfactory explanation, and it is, perhaps, too late in the day to try to explain it entirely. It has always, however, been supposed that it was significant in the old British language. It has been explained as "the town of ships," the final syllable don, formerly dun, meaning a town. Several other explanations have been given also on the same principle, namely, that the final syllable meant a town or fortified place, and the first was the characteristic distinguishing it from other towns or duns in the neighbourhood.
This mode of explanation is repugnant to the general principles of British topographical nomenclature: for they generally put the general name first, and the characteristic last. Might the first syllable "Lon" not be a corruption of the British "Llan," so common yet in names of places, and so universally retained in Wales to this day? Llan means a level place generally, as most of your readers who are versant in those subjects know. The don is not so easily explained, but perhaps some of your readers may be able to assist in finding a meaning.
"Don" might indeed still mean an enclosed strong place, and the meaning of the whole word "London" would then be Llandun, or "the level ground near the fort or strong camp." Perhaps some of your correspondents may be able to offer something confirmatory or adverse to this explanation, and in either case I should join with the rest of your readers in thanking them.
M. C. E.
Verses on Shipmoney.—
"A coppy of certaine Verses dispersed in and about London in febr. 1634 in ye 10th year of ye Raigne of ye King Charls occasioned by ye eager prosecucon of Shipmoney, and Imprisonmts therefore.
"The Cittie Cofers abounding with Treasure,
Can pay this ship Tribute, and doe poor men pleasure
To save that Pelfe: the more is the pitty,
The Grey Cloaks divide it and yet tax the Citty.
A p'sent there being small occasion for Gold
Hast thether Collectors, 'tis time it were tould
And taken from such citty Asses:
Mony whom sly Proiects easily passes,
And speedily conveyt to Court
Wher they to see it will make sport,
And set out Shipps from Puddle dock
To scoure ye seas. A pretty mock
"If that this ship Tribute be not speedily paid
Pycrust Lord Maior saith in Newgate you shall be laid,
Wher you shall see rogues, theeves, and vile knaves,
Yet none so bad as are Tributarie Slaves.
"If men like Pycrust could make so great gain
As xxty in ye hundred to Irish mens paine
For moneys lent, some reason ther were,
To pay this ship Tribute wthout wit or feare.
"O crewell hard Pycrust though pay all men must
This crewell hard Tribute cause thou art uniust
And favourest this Project, when laid in thy grave
All good men will say then: Parkhurst was a knave.
"Finis."
(From a MS. at Oxford.)
Columbus's Bust, &c. at Havanna.
—In case you do not happen to possess a correct copy of the inscription on Columbus's bust and tablet in the cathedral at Havanna, I send you one, and my translation of it, for the benefit of those who may not make out the force and beauty of the "éloge."
"O restos e imagen del grande Colon,
Mil siglos durad guardados en la urna,
Y en la remembranza de nuestra nacion!"
"O remains and image of the great Columbus,
[ages]
For a thousand centuries rest ye securely in this urn,
And in the remembrance of our nation."
The bust is a mean and ill-executed one; although a late "lady" authoress has a different opinion of its merits. It is stiff and wooden-looking, and, still worse, the right cheek, and side of the head too, are comparatively flattened. Within it, built into the wall, are the "restos," the dust and bones, in the urn. Beneath the epitaph is a date of "1822"—the year, I presume, of the bust being "set up." It stands abreast of the altar, and on the right hand, the head of the bust being about six feet from the ground. I visited the interesting spot only a few days ago, as soon as possible after my landing, for the first time, in that truly noble city the Havana (or, in the Spanish, Habana).
A. L.
West Indies.