Torquay.
[We have reason to believe that Messrs. Longman have it in contemplation to produce such a cheap edition as our correspondent suggests, but not, perhaps, as a portion of their Traveller's Library.]
The French Language.
—It has continually appeared to me as a great absurdity, that the terms masculine and feminine should be applied to inanimate things in the French language, when common sense is opposed to such a distinction. I think the reason for using feminine and masculine articles in conjunction with nouns said to be of those genders, is to be found in the rule which obtains in the Irish or Celtic language, namely, that of "caol re caol," i.e. fine with fine, and "leatair re leatair," i.e. broad with broad vowels or sounds. I throw out this hint to those who are better qualified to investigate the matter; as I feel sure it would be a great benefit to learners of the French language to have a clear rule to guide them, instead of the present system, which is very complicated.
FRAS. CROSSLEY.
Curious Epitaph.
—The following portion of an epitaph from the tomb of Thomas Carter, 1706, in the church of St. Gregory, Sudbury, will doubtless interest some of your readers; it is as well to premise that he was a very charitable man, as the whole inscription (which would occupy about forty lines) fully records:
"Viator mirum referam
Quo die efflavit animam Thos. Carter, prædictus,
Acûs foramen transivit Camelus Sudburiensis.