Precedence.—Will any of your correspondents assign the order of precedence of officers in army or navy (having no decoration, knighthood, or companionship of any order of knighthood), not as respects each other, but as respects civilians? I apprehend that every commission is addressed to the bearer, embodying a civil title, as e.g., "John Smith, Esquire," or as we see ensigns gazetted, "A. B., Gent." My impression therefore is, that in a mixed company of civilians, &c., no officer is entitled to take rank higher than the civil title incorporated in his commission would imply, apart from his grade in the service to which he belongs. On this point I should be obliged by any notices which your correspondents may supply; as also by a classification in order of precedence of the ranks which I here set down alphabetically: barristers, doctors (in divinity, law, medicine), esquires, queen's counsel, serjeants-at-law.
It may be objected that esquire, ecuyer, armiger, is originally a military title, but by usage it has been appropriated to civilians.
Suum Cuique.
"Σφιδή."—The meaning of this word is wanted. It is not in Stephens' Thesaurus. It occurs in Eichhoff's Vergleichung der Sprachen Europa und Indien, p. 234.:
"Sanscrit bhid, schneiden, brechen; Gr. φάζω; Lat. fido, findo, fodio; Fr. fends; Lithuan., fouis; Deut. beisse; Eng. bite" [to which Kaltschmidt adds, beissen, speisen, fasten, Futter, Butter, Mund, bitter, mästen, feist, Weide, Wiese, Matte]; "Sans. bhidâ, bhid, Spaltung, Faser; Gr. σφιδή, Lat. fidis; Sans. bhittis, graben; Lat. fossa; Sans. bhaittar, zerschneider; Lat. fossor."
T. J. Buckton.
Lichfield.
Print of the Dublin Volunteers.—Can any of your correspondents inform me when, and where, and by whom, the well-known print of "The Volunteers of the City and County of Dublin, as they met on College Green, the 4th day of Nov., 1779," was republished? An original copy is not easily procured.
Abhba.
John Ogden.—Can any reader of "N. & Q." furnish an account of the services rendered by John Ogden, Esq., to King Charles I. of England? The following is in the possession of the inquirer: