These notes are taken from a MS. History of the English Episcopate, which it is my hope to give to the public.
Mackenzie Walcott, M.A.
Tortoiseshell Tom Cat.—I am pretty certain that I once saw in "N. & Q." an inquiry whether there ever was a well-authenticated instance of a tortoiseshell tom cat. The inclosed advertisement, which I have cut from The Times of the 19th January, 1853, will perhaps give some of your readers an opportunity of testing the fact:
"To be sold, a real Tortoiseshell Tom Cat. This natural rarity is fifteen months old and eight lbs. weight. Apply to John Sayer, Mr. Bennison's, bookseller, Market-Drayton, Salop."
L. L. L.
[The inquiry will be found in our 5th Vol., p. 465.]
Irish Rhymes (Vol. vi., and Vol. vii., p. 52.).—Cuthbert Bede, in his notice of the Irish rhymes in Swift's poetry, quoted one couplet in which put rhymes to cut. Is this pronunciation of the word put an Irishism?
A late distinguished divine, who, although he occupied an Irish see, was certainly no Irishman, and who was remarkably particular and, I believe, correct in his diction, always pronounced this word in this manner (as indeed every other word with the same termination is pronounced: as rut, cut, shut, nut, but, &c.).
The bishop to whom I allude pronounced the word thus, long before he ever had any communication with Ireland: and it is strange that, although I have been in Ireland myself, I never heard put pronounced so as to rhyme with cut by any native of that island.
Rubi.