Cambridge.
Belfry Towers separate from the Body of the Church (Vol. vii., p. 333.).—The tower of the parish church of Llangyfelach, in Glamorganshire, is raised at some little distance from the building. In the legends of the place, this is accounted for by a belief that the devil, in his desire to prevent the erection of the church, carried off a portion of it as often as it was commenced; and that he was at length only defeated by the two parts being built separate.
Seleucus.
In addition to the bell towers unconnected with the church, noticed in "N. & Q." (Vol. vii., p. 333.), I beg to call the attention of J. S. A. to those of Woburn in Bedfordshire, and Henllan in Denbighshire. The tower of the former church stands at six yards distance from it, and is a small square building with large buttresses and four pinnacles: it looks picturesque, from being entirely covered with ivy. The tower, or rather the steeple, at Henllan, near Denbigh, is still more remarkable, from its being built on the top of a hill, and looking down upon the church, which stands in the valley at its foot.
Cambrensis.
God's Marks (Vol. vii., p. 134.).—These are probably the "yellow spots" frequently spoken of in old writings, as appearing on the finger-nails, the hands, and elsewhere, before death. (See Brand's Popular Ant., vol. iii. p. 177., Bohn's edit.) In Denmark they were known under the name Döding-knib (dead man's nips, ghost-pinches), and tokened the approaching end of some friend or kinsman. Another Danish name was Dödninge-pletter (dead man's spots); and in Holberg's Peder Paars (book i. song, 4.) Dödning-knæp. See S. Aspach, Dissertatio de Variis Superstitionibus, 4to., Hafniæ, 1697, p. 7., who says they are of scorbutic origin; and F. Oldenburg, Om Gjenfærd ellen Gjengangere, 8vo., Kjöbenhavn, 1818, p. 23.
George Stephens.
Copenhagen.
"The Whippiad" (Vol. vii., p. 393.).—The mention of The Whippiad by B. N. C. brought to my recollection a MS. copy of that satire in this library, and now lying before me, with the autograph of "Snelson, Trin. Coll. Oxon., 1802." There are notes appended to this copy of the verses, and not knowing where to look in Blackwood's Magazine for the satire, or having a copy at hand in order to ascertain if the notes are printed there also, or whether they are only to be found in the MS., perhaps your correspondent B. N. C. will have the goodness to state if the printed copy has notes, because, if there are none, I would copy out for the "N. & Q." those that are written in the MS., as no doubt they would be found interesting and curious by all who value whatever fell from the pen of the highly-gifted Reginald Heber.
Perhaps the notes may be the elucidations of some college cotemporary, and not written by Heber.