Ormonde House.—Perhaps some of your annotators on Cunningham's Hand-book of London, will be so kind as to inform me whereabouts "Ormonde House" stood in St. James's Square; also to state any particulars respecting its history before and after it was occupied by that noble family.
J.G.
As Morse caught the Mare.—I shall be glad to be informed the meaning of this expression—it is to be met with in the translation of Rabelais. There is also a song sung among the farmers of South Devon, of which the last line of each verse is "As Morse caught the Mare."
R.S.B.
Dustpot—Forthlot.—In a Manorial Compotus, temp. Hen. V., I find the following entry, under the head of Out-goings:—
"In custodes carucarum et carectarum nil quia per firmarium. Item pro eorum duspot (xijd) nil, causa predicta. Item pro eorum forlot (iiijd) nil, causa predicta," &c.
I have in vain consulted the glossaries within my reach,—Ducange, Spelman, Halliwell, for the meaning of the terms dustpot and forlot (or, as spelt in another Compotus, dustpot and forthlot). They appear to have been customary payments to the servants who had the care of the carts and carriages belonging to the manor, which, at the time of this particular Compotus, were not payable by the lord, because the demesne lands were in farm; and these dues were paid by the tenant. A reference to the Promptorinm Parvulorum (a further instalment of which I rejoice to learn, from Mr. Way's communication, in No. 15., is in a state of progress) has been equally unproductive. The editorial note to the communications inserted in No. 17., on the interpretation of Pokership, induces me to send you this query, in the hope of eliciting information, if not from the gentleman you there refer to, at least from some one or other of your numerous readers learned in Archaic words.
I may, at a future period trouble you with some further remarks arising out of the same Compotus.
G.A.C.
Tracts attributed to Eachard.—The writer of this article has long had in his possession an old volume (among many others of a like kind in his collection) published in 1685; and containing the following tracts:—1st. "The Grounds and Occasions of the Contempt of the Clergy,... in a letter written to R.L., 9th edition." This letter is signed T.B. 2nd. "Observations upon the Answer to the Inquiry, &c., in a second Letter from T.B. to R.L." 3rd. "Hobbes' State of Nature, considered, in a Dialogue between Philautus and Timothy;" the "Epistle Dedicatory" is signed, J.E. 4th. "A Letter to his Old Dear Friend R.L. from T.B." 5th. "A Letter to B.D.," the publisher of Mr. Herbert's Country Parson, from T.B. 6th. "A Letter to the Author of the Vindication of the Clergy," from T.B. 7th. "A Letter to T.D.," the Author of Hieragonisticon, or Corah's Doom, from T.B. 8th. "A Letter to I.O. from T.B."