"Odo, Archebishop of Cantewarbyri ... causid to be edified, wher the Minstre now is."

This passage is said to have been used as a place of ordeal through which maidens of suspected honesty were caused to pass,—a feat which none but a virgin could accomplish.

K. P. D. E.

"Measure for Measure," Act I. Sc. 1. (Vol. v., p. 535.).—I should be sorry to cast a cloud over the satisfactory elucidation which A. E. B. flatters himself he has made of a passage in Measure for Measure, for, if not convincing, it is unquestionably ingenious. I am afraid, however, there is one fatal objection, of which, when pointed out, I

doubt not your correspondent will see the force. He says, "the demonstrative pronoun that, refers to the commission which the Duke holds in his hand;" but is this the language we in England use? Until the Duke presented the commission,—the act indicated by the words "there is our commission,"—there cannot indeed be much doubt that he held it in his hand; and while he did so, he would as certainly have said this, as I speak of this pen with which I write.

Your correspondent challenges comment in assuming that his explanation was satisfactory enough to preclude all correction. At the same time I must confess I am altogether sceptical with regard to Mr. Halliwell's verb. As, however, he has excited our curiosity, he will doubtless not object to satisfy it. Mr. Singer's suggestion seems to me worthy of consideration; but, after all, I feel that there is a degree of incoherency in the passage, and so unsatisfactory a connexion between the words "and let them work" and that which precedes, that I cannot help recurring to the idea that a line has been lost,—an accident of not very uncommon occurrence.

Samuel Hickson.

St. John's Wood.

"Stunt with false care," &c. (Vol. v., p. 538.).—The lines alluded to, though the first of them is incorrectly quoted, are from George Cox's brilliant satire, Black Gowns and Red Coats; or, Oxford in 1834, respecting which some information was recently furnished by your correspondents S. F. C. (Vol. v., p. 297.) and C. W. B. (Vol. v., p. 332.) in reply. The work is perhaps sufficiently scarce to warrant the citation of the whole passage, which occurs at the commencement of Part V.:

"When Philip's son, in all a monarch's pride,