"Of more than earth can earth make none partaker."
I find that Quarles has borrowed this in his Emblems, book i. Emblem vi.:
"Of more than earth can earth make none possest."
Henry H. Breen.
St. Lucia.
Ampers & (Vol. ii., pp.230. 284.; Vol. viii., pp. 173. 223. 284.).—Allow me to thank both Φ. and Mr. Henry Walter for their replies to my Query; but I am unhappily no wiser than Mr. Lower was after Φ.'s first response. What on earth "et-per-se" or "and-per-se-and" can mean, I am at a loss to imagine. Why should et be called "et by itself?" Until this Query is answered, I am as much in the dark as ever. While I am upon the matter, I would farther ask this mysterious Ampers and, "who gave thee that name?" May it find a proxy to answer for it!
C. Mansfield Ingleby.
Birmingham.
The origin of this expression is, explained in Vol. ii., p. 318. With regard to the orthography of the word, it seems to me that, if the etymon be followed, it ought to be written and-per-se-and; if the pronunciation, ampussy and.