Antecedents.—The word "antecedents," as a plural, and in the sense attached to it by the French, is not to be found in any English dictionary that I have the means of consulting. And yet it seems now to be commonly used as an English expression, even by some of our best writers.
When was this word first imported, and by whom? I have just met with an instance of it in Jerdan's Autobiography, vol. i. p. 131.:
"I got him (Hammon), with a full knowledge of his antecedents, into the employment of a humane and worthy wine merchant of Bordeaux."
Henry H. Breen.
St. Lucia.
The Letter X.—The letter X on brewers' casks is probably thus derived:
Simplex = single x, or X.
Duplex = double x, or XX.
Triplex = treble x, or XXX.
This was suggested by Owen's Epigram, lib. xii. 34.: