Σ
Ashes to Ashes (Vol. ii., p. 22.).—The word is taken from Genesis, xviii. 27.:
"I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am but dust and ashes."
It is plain that this has nothing to do with the treatment of the corpse; but that whatever the exact meaning of the word in Hebrew may be, it is synonymous with dust. As to dust, this is perfectly plain in Genesis, iii. 19.:
"Till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken; for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return."
Here burial seems to be distinctly meant.
The Latin word cinis, which denotes ashes produced by burning, is derived from the Greek, which denotes natural dust, I forget whether burnt ashes also.
C. B.
Dr. Maginn's Miscellanies (Vol. i., p. 470.).—Mr. Tucker Hunt (brother of Mr. F. Knight Hunt, author of The Fourth Estate, a History of Newspapers, &c. &c.) showed me some years since a collections of these papers from various sources, which he proposed to publish, and which I was very glad to learn, as I had always regretted that Dr. Maginn had left no memorial of his splendid talents in a seperate publication, but frittered away his genius in periodicals. As "J. M. B." appears very anxious to obtain an authentic reference to any article contributed by the Dr., I think if he could communicate with Mr. Tucker Hunt, it might be of great assistance. I have not the latter's address, but probably a note to the care of his brother's publisher, "D. Bogue, Fleet Street", might lead to a communication.
W. H. Lammin.