The Ribston Pippin (Vol. vii., p. 436.).—The remarks of your correspondent H. C. K., respecting the uncertain origin of the Ribston pippin, reminded me of a communication which I received about fifty years ago, from one of the sisters of the late Sir Henry Goodricke, the last of the family who possessed Ribston. Though it leaves the question concerning the origin of that excellent apple unsettled, yet it may not be uninteresting to
H. C. K. and some others of your numerous readers. I therefore send a transcript:
"Tradition of the Ribston Pippin Tree.
"About the beginning of the last century, Sir Henry Goodricke, father of the late Sir John Goodricke, had three pips sent by a friend in a letter from Rouen in Normandy, which were sown at Ribston. Two of the pips produced nothing: the third is the present tree, which is in good health, and still continues to bear fruit."
"Another Account.
"Sir Henry, the father of the late Sir John Goodricke, being at Rouen in Normandy, preserved the pips of some fine flavoured apples, and sent them to Ribston, where they were sown, and the produce in due time planted in what then was the park. Out of seven trees planted, five proved decided crabs, and are all dead. The other two proved good apples; they never were grafted, and one of them is the celebrated original Ribston pippin tree."
The latter tradition has, I believe, always been considered as the most correct.
S. D.
Cross and Pile (Vol. vi., passim.).—The various disquisitions of your correspondents on the word pile are very ingenious; but I think it is very satisfactorily explained as "a ship" by Joseph Scaliger in De Re nummaria Dissertatio, Leyden, 1616:
"Macrobius de nummo ratito loquens, qui erat æreus: ita fuisse signatum hodieque intelligitur in aleæ lusu, quum pueri denarios in sublime jactantes, Capita aut Navia, lusu teste vetustatis exclamant."—P. 58.