"Aph. 1060. To lessen the number of things lawful in themselves; brings the consciences of men in[to] slavery, multiplies sin in the world, makes the way narrower than God has made it, occasions differences among men, discourages comers to religion, rebuilds the partition wall, is an usurpation upon the family of God, challenges successive ages backward and forward, assigns new boundaries in the world, takes away the opportunity of free-will offerings."
It is possible that Mr. Leigh Hunt may have found it in the little Manual of Golden Sentences, published by the Rev. John Hunter, Bath, 1826, 12mo., where it occurs at p. 64., No. xlvi.
With respect to Dorothy Jordan's laugh, to those of your readers who, like myself, have heard it, and treasure it among their joyous remembrances, no comment will be wanting.
S. W. Singer.
"Paid down upon the Nail" (Vol. ix., p. 196.).—Your correspondent Abhba mentions Limerick, on the authority of O'Keefe the dramatist, as the place where this saying originated; from the fact of a pillar, with a circular plate of copper upon it, having stood in a piazza under the Exchange in this ancient city: which pillar was called "the nail." Permit me to remark, Bristol also claims the origin of this saying: vide the following paragraph in No. 1. p. 4. of the Curiosities of Bristol, published last September:
"We have heard it stated that this phrase first originated in Bristol, when it was common for the merchants to buy and sell at the bronze pillars (four) in front of the Exchange—the pillars being commonly called Nails."
I should infer that, from the fact of Bristol having been at the time of the erection of these pillars (some centuries ago) by far the most important place in the British empire (London only excepted), it is more likely to have originated this commercial saying than Limerick.
Bristoliensis.
"Man proposes, but God disposes" (Vol. ix., pp. 87. 202.).—I regret that I am unable to afford Mr. Thomas any information respecting the Abbot Gerson, to whom the authorship of the De Imitatione has been attributed, beyond what is contained in the preface to the edition which I before quoted. The authority there cited is a dissertation, entitled Mémoire sur le véritable auteur de l'Imitation de Jésus-Christ, par G. de Gregory, Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur, etc., Paris, 1827. The contents of this work are thus described in that preface:
"Eques de Gregory argumentis tum externis, tum internis demonstrat:—1. Libellum—primitus tractatum fuisse ethicæ scholasticum, a magistro novitiorum elaboratum. 2. Eundem, tempore inter annum 1220 et 1240 interjecto, suppresso nomine conscriptum esse a Joanne Gerson, monacho Benedictino, antea in Athenæo Vercellensi professore, postea ibidem monasterii S. Stephani abbate. Denique specialibus argumentis eos refellit, qui vel Joanni Gersoni, cancellario academiæ Parisiensi, vel Thomæ Kempensi hunc librum attribuendum esse contendunt."