In the latter part of the same paragraph, the allusion is to the wry faces, which the speeches of this imperious member of council sometimes caused. Can any of your correspondents explain the expression, "a worse face under a cork upon a bottle?"
L.
Monteith (Vol. ix., p. 452.).—The Monteith was a kind of punch-bowl (sometimes of delf ware) with scallops or indentations in the brim, the object of which was to convert it into a convenient tray for bringing in the glasses. These were of wine-glass shape, and being placed with the brims downwards, and radiating from the centre, and with the handles protruding through the indentations in the bowl, were easily carried, without much jingling or risk of breakage. Of course the bowl was empty of liquor at the time.
P. P.
A. M. and M. A. (Vol. ix., p. 475.).—Juverna, M. A., is certainly wrong in stating that "Masters of Arts of Oxford are styled 'M. A.,' in contradistinction to the Masters of Arts in every other university." A. B., A. M., are the proper initials for Baccalaureus and Magister Artium, and should therefore only be used when the name is in Latin. B.A. and M.A. are those for Bachelor and Master of Arts, and are the only ones to be used where the name is expressed in English. Thus John Smith, had he taken his first degree in Arts at any university, might indicate the fact by signing John Smith, B.A., or Johannes S., A.B. If he put John Smith, A.B., a doubt might exist whether he were not an able-bodied seaman, for that is implied by A.B. attached to an English name. The editor of Farindon's Sermons, who is, I believe, a Dissenter, styles himself the Reverend T. Jackson, S.T.P., i. e. Sacrosanctæ Theologiæ
Professor. He might as well have part of his title in Sanscrit, as part in English and part in Latin.
I believe this mistake is made more frequently by graduates of Cambridge than by those of Oxford. Indeed, they have now created a new degree, Master of Laws, with the initials LL.M. (Legum Magister). But they are usually infelicitous in their nomenclature, as witness their voluntary theological examination, now made compulsory by all the bishops.
E. G. R., M.A.
Cambridge.
Greek denounced by the Monks (Vol. ix., p. 467).—In his History of the Reformation (b. I. ch. iii.), D'Aubigné says,—