Ballina Castle, Mayo (Vol. viii., p. 411.).—I have no idea to what place O. L. R. G. can allude as Ballina Castle; there is no place, ancient or modern, about that town, that has that name; and the only place with the title of castle in the neighborhood, is a gentleman's modern residence of no great pretensions either as to size or beauty. He perhaps alludes to Belleck Abbey, which is a fine building; but, notwithstanding its title, is of still more modern date than the so-called castle. I am not aware of any recent historical or descriptive work on the county generally. Cæsar Otway, Maxwell, and the Saxon in Ireland, have confined their descriptions to the "Wild West;" and the crowd of tourists appear to follow in their track, leaving the far finer central and eastern districts untouched. The first-named tourist appears to have projected another work on the county, but never published it.
J. S. Warden.
Dorset (Vol. ix., p. 247.).—Nares gives various spellings, as douset, dowset, doulcet, but in all equally derived from dulcet, "sweet;" and Halliwell has "doucet drinkes;" so that the great Manchester philosopher had probably been indulging in a too copious libation of some sweet wine, which he styles "foolish Dorset."
F. R. R.
Dorchester beer had acquired a very great name, and was sent about England. Out of the shire it was called "Dorset Beer," or "Dorset." That town has lost its fame for brewing beer.
G. R. L.
Judicial Rank hereditary (Vol. viii., p. 384.).—Such a list as your correspondent gives is not easily paralleled, it is true, in the judicial annals of England or Ireland; but in Scotland he might have found cases in considerable number to equal or surpass those which he mentions: for instance, in the family of Dundas of Arniston, respecting which I find the following note in the Quarterly Review, vol. lvii. p. 462.:
"The series is so remarkable, that we subjoin the details:—Sir James Dundas, judge of the Court of Session, 1662; Robert Dundas, son of Sir James, judge of the Court of Session from 1689 to 1727; Robert Dundas, son of the last, successively Solicitor-General and Lord Advocate, M.P. for the county of Edinburgh, judge of the Court of Session 1737, Lord President 1748, died in 1753 (father of Henry, Viscount Melville); Robert Dundas, son of the last, successively Solicitor-General and Lord Advocate, and member for the county, Lord President from 1760 to 1787; Robert Dundas, son of the last, successively Solicitor-General and Lord Advocate, Lord Chief Baron from 1801 to 1819; all these judges, except the Chief Baron, had been known in Scotland by the title of Lord Arniston. They were, we need hardly add, all men of talents, but the two Lords President Arniston were of superior eminence in legal and constitutional learning."
The Hope family, and some other Scottish ones, present as numerous a display of legal dignitaries as the above; but the hereditary succession from father to son is perhaps not equalled, certainly not excelled, in any age or country. In fact, let the opponents of hereditary honours say what they will, there is no description of talent except the poetical that has not frequently remained in the same family for several generations unabated.
J. S. Warden.