Noli me tangere.—Can any of your readers refer me to pictures upon the subject of Noli me tangere. I want to know what artists have treated the subject, and where their pictures exist.
B.R.
Line in Milton's "Penseroso."—In those somewhat hacknied lines,
"And may my due feet never fail," &c.,
I am somewhat puzzled to understand the expression,
"With antique pillars massy proof."
Now what is "proof,"—a substantive or adjective? If the latter, no edition is rightly stopped; for, of course, there should be a comma after "massy;" and then I somewhat doubt the propriety of "proof" for "proved," unless joined with another word, as "star-proof," "rain-proof."
If "proof" is a substantive, "massy proof" is in apposition to "antique pillars," and is very meaningless. Can any of your readers suggest an explanation?
H.A.B.
"Mooney's Goose."—As a pendant to "Ludlam's dog," I beg to insert the proverb of "Full of fun and fooster, like Mooney's goose," with the hope that your acute and ingenious correspondent D.V.S. may be able to throw some light upon "Mooney." Let me add that D.V.S. has perhaps somewhat misconceived my brief comment on Ludlam, which my regard for conciseness has left some deal obscure; and it does not appear worth while to go over the ground again. I repeatedly heard "Dick's hat-band" quoted by Lancashire friends exactly as given by Southey. Does not the variation "cobbler's dog" tend to prove the alliterative principle for which I had been contending?