C.
The following are such names of places as have come within my observation:—
| Spelling. | Pronunciation. |
|---|---|
| Happisburgh | Ha'sboro'. |
| Wormegay | Rungay. |
| Sechehithe | Setchey. |
| Wiggenhall St. Mary Magdalen[9] | Maudlin. |
| Babingley | Beverley. |
| Methwold | Muell. |
| Northwold | Nordell. |
| Hockwold cum Wilton | Hockold-Wilts. |
[9] By the last word this place is named to distinguish it from others beginning with the word "Wiggenhall."
J. N. C.
"There's ne'er a villain," &c. (Vol. v., p. 242.).
—In support of A. E. B., with whose view I entirely concur, it may be added that villain and knave do not make the proposition such a truism as Horatio (who is not intended for a conjuror, much less a verbal critic) admits it to be. Alexander the Great has been called a villain and a robber, but never a knave or a thief. By the Rule of Three, villain: robber:: knave: thief. As a truism, intended by Hamlet before the first line was spoken, it is not good enough for Hamlet's wit. But, supposing the second line invented, pro re natâ, to cover the retreat of the disclosure which was advancing in the first line, it is just what might have suggested itself—for Hamlet's uncle was both villain and knave.
M.