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Notes.

REPRINTS OF EARLY BIBLES.

In 1833 the authorities of the Clarendon Press put forth a quarto reprint, word for word, page for page, and letter for letter, of the first large black-letter folio edition of 1611, of the present authorised or Royal version of the Bible. So accurate was it, that even manifest errors of the press were retained. It was published that the reader might judge whether the original standard could still be exactly followed. It was accompanied by a collation with a smaller black-letter folio of 1613, in preference to the larger folio of that year, as no two copies (entire) of the latter could be found, all the sheets of which corresponded precisely:

"Many of these copies contain sheets belonging, as may clearly be proved, to editions of more recent date; and even those which appear to be still as they were originally published, are made up partly from the edition printed at the time, and partly from the remains of earlier impressions."

Now this is a most interesting subject to all lovers of our dear old English Bible. It is supposed the translators revised their work for the 1613 edition (after two years); yet the collation with the small folio of that year, shows little or no improvement, rather the contrary. I possess a small quarto edition of 1613 (black-letter, by Barker), not mentioned by our more eminent bibliographers, which, while admitting the better corrections, adheres to the old 1611 folio, where the small folio of 1613 unnecessarily deviates. It is certainly, I consider, a most valuable impression. I have lately purchased a magnificent copy of the great folio of 1613. It is in the original thick oak binding, with huge brass clasps, corners, and bosses; and appears to have been chained to a reading-desk. In collating it, I find a sheet or two in 1 Samuel and St. Matthew most carefully supplied from an earlier impression. The titles both to the Old and New Testaments are exactly the same as those of the folio 1611, with the exception of the date 1613 for 1611. It has been gloriously used, and the imagination revels in the thought of the eyes and hearts that must have been blessed by its perusal. I am not sufficiently conversant with our earlier translations to identify, without reference, the sheets of the inserted edition, and I have not time to refer. I may only say that there is a most quaint woodcut of little David slinging a stone at the giant Goliath. A slight collation of Genesis shows me this large edition agrees in corrections with the small one the Clarendon Press authorities used, though my quarto 1613 differs, adhering, as I said before, more closely to the original standard of 1611. I would put a Query or two to your many readers.

1. Was the great folio 1613 ever published entire, or are the sheets I have indicated supplied in every known copy, some from earlier, some from later, impressions? 2. Is it an established fact, that the translators revised their work in 1613? 3. What is the small quarto of 1613 I have mentioned?

Lastly, would it not be an interesting enterprise to reprint our various translations of the holy volume in a cheap and uniform series, like the Parker Society published the Liturgy? A society might be formed by subscription to support such an object. We might have Coverdale's, Matthews', Cranmer's, Taverner's, the Geneva (1560), the Bishops' (Parker's, 1568), and the noble authorised (Royal 1611), with their variations noted. I cannot see any harm would arise; and surely it might give an impulse to that noblest of all studies, the study of God's Word. What grander volume for simplicity and elegance of language, for true Anglo-Saxon idiom, than our present venerated translation? What book that could interest more than Cranmer's Great Bible of 1539, from whence our familiar Prayer-Book version of the Psalms is taken? It would give me heartfelt pleasure to contribute my humble efforts in such a cause.

Richard Hooper, M.A.

St. Stephen's, Westminster.

MARRIAGE LICENCE OF JOHN GOWER THE POET.

The following special licence of marriage extracted from the Register of William of Wykeham, preserved in the registry at Winchester, is a curious document in itself; but if, as there is much reason for supposing, the person on whose behalf it was granted was no less a man than the illustrious poet—the "moral Gower"—the interest attached to it is very much enhanced: and for this reason I am desirous of giving it publicity through the columns of "N. & Q."—a fit place for recording such pieces of information, relating to the lives of men eminent in the annals of literature. I have not been able to find any notice of the marriage of John Gower in the books to which I have been able to refer; and, though it may be perhaps an event of little importance, it is one which a faithful biographer would never omit to mention. The document is as follows:

"Willelmus permissione divina Wyntoniensis Episcopus, dilecto in Christo filio, domino Willelmo, capellano parochiali ecclesiæ S. Mariæ Magdalenæ in Suthwerk, nostræ diocesis, salutem, gratiam, et benedictionem. Ut matrimonium inter Joannem Gower et Agnetem Groundolf dictæ ecclesiæ parochianos sine ulteriore bannorum editione, dumtamen aliud canonicum non obsistat, extra ecclesiam parochialem, in Oratorio ipsius Joannis Gower infra hospicium cum in prioratu B. Mariæ de Overee in Suthwerk prædicta situatum, solempnizare valeas licenciam tibi tenore præsentium, quatenus ad nos attinet, concedimus specialem. In cujus rei testimonium sigillum nostrum fecimus his apponi. Dat. in manerio nostro de alta clera vicesimo quinto die mensis Januarii, A.D. 1397, et nostræ consecrationis 31mo."

The connexion of the poet Gower with the priory of St. Mary Overy is well known; as well as his munificence in contributing very largely to the reconstruction of the church of the priory, in which he also founded a chantry, and where his tomb still exists. It would appear from this document, that he actually resided within the priory.

This marriage must have taken place late in his life. The year of his birth is unknown. He is said to have been somewhat older than Chaucer, the date of whose birth is also uncertain; there being some grounds for assigning it to 1328, others, perhaps more satisfactory, for fixing it 1345. If the latter be correct, and if we allow for the disparity of age, we may suppose Gower to have been somewhere between fifty-five and sixty years of age at the time of his marriage with Agnes Groundolf.

W. H. Gunner.

Winchester.

[A reference to the will of Gower, which is printed in Todd's Illustrations of Gower and Chaucer, p. 87. et seq., confirms the accuracy of our correspondent's inference, that this is the marriage licence of the poet, inasmuch as it shows that the Christian name of Gower's wife was Agnes.—Ed. "N. & Q.">[

ASKA OR ASCA.

Throughout North America this dissyllable is found terminating names in localities, occupied at the present day by Indian tribes speaking very different languages; and, in these languages, with the exception of such names, few analogous sounds exist. There are, besides, names terminating in esco, isco, isca, escaw, uscaw, which, perhaps, may be placed in the same category, being only accidental variations of aska, arising from a difference of ear in those who first heard them pronounced by a native tongue.

Are these names vernacular in any of the modern Indian languages? and, if so, what is their real meaning? I propound these questions for solution by any of the gentlemen at Fort Chepewyan, Norway House, &c. (since, no doubt, "N. & Q." penetrates the Far West as well as the Far East), who may feel an interest in the subject.

Apparently, they have been imposed by a people who occupied the whole continent from sea to sea, as they occur from Hudson's Bay to Yucatan, and from the Pacific to the Atlantic.

Were the American nations originally of one tongue? Humboldt, Du Ponceau, and others have remarked that striking analogies of grammatical construction exist in all American languages, from the Eskimo to the Fuegian, although differing entirely in their roots. Dr. Prichard says,—

"There are peculiarities in the very nature of the American languages which are likely to produce great variety in words, and to obliterate in a comparatively short period the traces of resemblance."—Phys. Hist. &c., vol. v. p. 317.

It may be only a curious coincidence, but it is undoubtedly true, that, with scarcely one exception, all names (we might almost say words) so terminating are more or less connected with water. The exception (if it really be one) is Masca, which I have found among my old notes, followed by the word Montagne; but nothing more, and I have forgotten all about it.

For the rest, the varieties in isca, &c., spoken of before, are chiefly to be found in the northern countries, towards Hudson's and James' Bay, &c., where the present spoken languages are the Eskimo or Karalit, the Cree, and the Montagnard dialect of the Algonkin, viz. Agomisca, island in James' Bay; Meminisca, lake on Albany River; Nemiskau, a lake; Pasquamisco, on James' Bay; then, Keenwapiscaw, lake; Naosquiscaw, ditto; Nepiscaw, ditto; Camipescaw, ditto; Caniapuscaw, ditto and river: the last five lie between the head waters of the Saguenay and the bottom of James' Bay.

Again, beginning at the extreme west, we find Oonalaska, or Agoun Aliaska, or (according to the natives) Nagoun Alaska, an island abounding in fine springs and rivulets. Nor should I omit another of the Aleutian islands, called Kiska.

Alaska, or Aliaska, a peninsula. The language in these instances is a branch of the Eskimo.

Athabaska (Atapescow of Malte-Brun), lake and river. M‘Kenzie says that the word means, in the Knistenaux language, a flat, low, swampy country, liable to inundations (edit. 4to., p. 122.). Here I repeat the question, is the word vernacular, or only adopted? In such vocabularies as I have seen, there is nothing bearing the slightest relationship to it. In one given by Dr. Latham (Varieties of Man, &c., pp. 208-9.), water, in the Chepewyan, is tone, and river, tesse.

Itaska, the small lake whence the Mississippi has its origin. The languages prevalent in the adjacent country would be the Sioux, and the Chippeway branch of the Algonquino.

Wapiscow, river. Language, Cree?

Nebraska, "The Shallow River," said to be the name of the Platte in the Sioux language.

Mochasko, "Always full;" another river so called in the Sioux. Query, Are these two vernacular? Watapan is river in that language.

Oanoska is a Sioux word, meaning "The Great Avenue or Stretch;" but whether it applies to a river I have forgotten. The quotation is from Long's Expedit. to St. Peter's River, vol. i. p 339., to which I have not access just now. Atamaska and Madagaska are two names of which I can give no account, for the same reason as stated above at Maska.

Arthabaska is (or was) a very swampy township so named, lying south of the St Lawrence.

Maskinonge (also the name of a fish) in which the sound occurs, although not as a termination, is a seigneurie on the north bank of the St Lawrence, of which the part near the river is so low that it is inundated frequently. A river of the same name runs through this seigneurie. Both the foregoing are in the country where the Iroquois language prevailed.

Zoraska, or Zawraska, name of a river somewhere between Quebec and James' Bay, of which I know nothing more, having only heard it spoken of by moose-hunters. Probably it is in a country where the language would be the Montagnard.

Yamaska, a river on the south side of the St. Lawrence, having much marshy ground about it, particularly near its junction with the Grand River.

Kamouraska, or Camouraska, islands in the St. Lawrence below Quebec, taking their name from a seigneurie on the mainland; a level plain surrounded by hills, and dotted all over with mounds. Bouchette says,—

"D'après la position, l'apparence, et l'exacte ressemblance de ces espèces d'îles en terre-firme avec celles de Camouraska, entre lesquelles et le rivage le lit de la rivière est presqu'à sec à la marée basse, le naturaliste sera fortement porté à croire que ce qui forme à présent le continent était, à une époque quelconque, submergé par les vagues immenses du St Laurent, et que les élévations en question formaient des îles, ou des rochers exposés à l'action de l'eau," &c.—Description de Bas-Canada, &c., p. 551.

There can be no doubt, if aska relate to water, that this district is appropriately named.

We may presume the language prevalent here to have been the Algonquin, since the inhabitants, when first visited by Europeans, were either the Micmac or Abenaqui, both tribes of that great family.

Still further eastward, flowing from Lake Temisconata into the River St. John, we find the Madawaska, in a country where the language was either the Abenaqui, or a dialect of the Huron, said to be spoken by the Melicite Indians of the St. John. Aska does not occur again in this part of North America, as far as I call ascertain; but on looking southward it does so, and under similar circumstances, viz. associated with water.

Tabasca, or Tobasco (for it is written both ways), a country on the borders of Yucatan, described by the conquerors as difficult to march through, on account of numerous pools of water and extensive swamps. Clavigero says the present name was given by the Spaniards; but I know of no Spanish word at all resembling it, therefore presume they must have adopted the native appellation. The language was, and perhaps is, the Maya.

Tarasca; name of a people inhabiting the country of Mechouacan, celebrated for its numerous fountains of fine water. Language appears to have been Mexican. (See Clavigero, vol. i. p. 10., edit. 4to., Cullen's Trans.; and Dr. Prichard's Phys. Hist., &c., vol. v. p. 340.)

The mention of Tarasca reminds one of Tarascon, also written Tarasca. Two instances occur in the country of Celtic Gaul; both on rivers: the one on the Rhone, the other on the Arriège.

Having for the present finished with America, one is naturally led to inquire whether asca occurs in other parts of the world, in like manner associated with water. Before doing so, however, I would observe that Thompson, in his Essay on Etymologies, &c., p. 10., remarks that "The Gothic termination sk, the origin of our ish, the Saxon isk, signifying assimilated, identified, is used in all dialects, to the very shores of China," &c. He instances "Tobolsk" and "Uvalsk." If, then, it be true that ā and āb are primitive sounds denoting water in many languages, may we not here have a combination of ā and sk?

But to proceed. Malte Brun mentions a city in Arabia called "Asca," one of the places sacked by the expedition under Elius Gallus (Précis de la Géographie, &c., vol. i. p. 179.). Generally speaking, Arabia is not abounding in waters; but that very circumstance renders celebrated, more or less, every locality where they do abound and are pure. The city, therefore, might have been notable for its walls and fountains of pure water.

Aska is the name of a river in Japan, remarkable for its great depth, and for frequently changing its course (Golownin, vol. iii. p. 149.).

In north-eastern Asia we find a river called after the Tongouse, Tongousca. Query, Tungouse-asca? and, following up Thompson's examples before mentioned, we may name Yakutsk, Irkutsk, Ochotsk, Kamtchatka, &c., all intimately connected with water. Then there is Kandalask, a gulf of the White Sea; Tchesk, another; Kaniska-Zemblia, an island, &c. In Spain, Huesca is on the river Barbato. The two Gradiskas in Hungary, &c. are the one on the Sâve, the other on the Lisonzo.

Zaleski (Pereslav) is seated on a lake; but Malte-Brun says the name means "au-delà des bois." This may or may not be the case. The sound is here, and in connexion with water. Pultusk is nearly surrounded by water, the Narew. Askersan, in Sweden, stands on a lake. Gascon,

says Rafinesque, means "beyond the sea" (American Nations, &c., No. 2. p. 41.).

Madagascar. Curious the similarity between this name of an island and the American names Madagaska and Madawaska. By the way, I forgot to notice of this last, that Captain Levinge, in his Echoes from the Back Woods, &c., vol. i. p. 150., derives it from Madawas (Micmac), a "porcupine;" whilst The Angler in Canada (Lanman), p. 229., says that it means "never frozen," because part of the river never freezes. Which is right?

Tcherkask. Every one knows that the capital of the Don Cossacks is eminently a water city. According to Pallas, the Circassians (Tcherkesses) once were located in the Crimea. They may have extended their influence to the Don, and the name in question may be a synthetic form of Tcherkesse-aska.

Damasca (Latinised Damascus) is famed all over the East for its waters. The name of the ancient city was Damas, "Le Demechk, ou Chamel-Dimichk, des Orientaux" (Malte-Brun, viii. 215.).

The modern city is said to be called Damas, or I Domeschk, though it seems more generally known as El Sham. Bryant says it was called by the natives Damasec and Damakir, the latter meaning the city (Caer?) of Dams, or of Adama (Mythology, &c., vol. i. p. 69.). Can it have once been Adama, or Dama-asca?

In Great Britain we have rivers and lakes called severally Esk, Exe or Isca, Axe, and Usk.

Axe seems to have been written Asca at one time; for Lambarde gives Ascanmynster as the Saxon name of Axminster. Hence, also, we may infer that Axholme Island was once Ascanholme. The Exe was probably Esk, i.e. water, or river: it certainly was Uske. Iska is the British Isk Latinised by Ptolemy; for Camden says Exeter was called by the Welsh Caerisk, &c. Usk or Uske was written Osca by Gyraldo Camb. (See Lambarde.)

Kyleska, or Glendha, ferry in Sutherlandshire. Kyle-aska? Kyles (Ir.), a frith or strait.

Ask occurs frequently as the first syllable of names in England, and such places will be almost invariably found connected with water. Camden mentions a family of distinguished men in Richmondshire named Aske, from whom perhaps some places derive their names, as p. ex. the Askhams, Askemoore, &c. Askrigg, however, being in the neighbourhood of some remarkable waterfalls (Camden), may have reference to them.

Now, from places let us turn to things, first noticing that usk, in modern Welsh, means river. In Irish, uisce or uiske is water. In Hebrew and Chaldee, hisca is to wash or to drink. (See Introduction to Valancey's Irish Dictionary.) In the same we find ascu (ancient Irish), a water-serpent or dog; iasc, fish; easc (Irish), water, same as esk. Chalmers, in "Caledonia," &c., has easc or esc (Gael.), water; easc lan (Gael.), the full water.

Askalabos (Greek), a newt or water reptile; and asker, askard, askel, ask, and esk, in provincial English, a water-newt. (See Archaic Dictionary.)

Masca, the female sea-otter; so called by the Russians.

Askalopas (Greek), a woodcock or snipe, i.e. a swamp-bird.

As I said before, there are few words in any of the Indian languages of North America in which the sound ask occurs; at least as far as my limited acquaintance with them goes. The only two I can quote just now are both in the Chippeway. One only has direct reference to water; perhaps the other may indirectly. They are, woyzask, rushes, water-plants; mejask, herb, or grass. The only grass the forest Indians are likely to be acquainted with is that growing in the natural meadows along the river banks, which are occasionally met with, and these in general are pretty swampy.

We may wind up with our cask and flask. I could have added much more, but fear already to have exceeded what might hope for admittance in your pages; therefore I will only say that, in offering these remarks, I insist on nothing, and stand ready to submit to any correction.

A. C. M.

Exeter.

LEGENDS OF THE COUNTY CLARE.

About two miles from the village of Corofin, in the west of Clare, are the ruins of the Castle of Ballyportree, consisting of a massive square tower surrounded by a wall, at the corners of which are smaller round towers: the outer wall was also surrounded by a ditch. The castle is still so far perfect that the lower part is inhabited by a farmer's family; and in some of the upper rooms are still remaining massive chimney-pieces of grey limestone, of a very modern form, the horizontal portions of which are ornamented with a quatrefoil ornament engraved within a circle, but there are no dates or armorial bearings: from the windows of the castle four others are visible, none of them more than two miles from each other; and a very large cromlech is within a few yards of the castle ditch. The following legend is related of the castle:—When the Danes were building the castle (the Danes were the great builders, as Oliver Cromwell was the great destroyer of all the old castles, abbeys, &c. in Ireland),—when the Danes were building the Castle of Ballyportree, they collected workmen from all quarters, and forced them to labour night and day without stopping for rest or food; and according as any of them fell down from exhaustion, his body was thrown upon the wall, which was built up over him! When

the castle was finished, its inhabitants tyrannised over the whole country, until the time arrived when the Danes were finally expelled from Ireland. Ballyportree Castle held out to the last, but at length it was taken after a fierce resistance, only three of the garrison being found alive, who proved to be a father and his two sons; the infuriated conquerors were about to kill them also, when one of then proposed that their lives should be spared, and a free passage to their own country given them, on condition that they taught the Irishmen how to brew the famous ale from the heather—that secret so eagerly coveted by the Irish, and so zealously guarded by the Danes. At first neither promises nor threats had any effect on the prisoners, but at length the elder warrior consented to tell the secret on condition that his two sons should first be put to death before his eyes, alleging his fear, that when he returned to his own country, they might cause him to be put to death for betraying the secret. Though somewhat surprised at his request, the Irish chieftains immediately complied with it, and the young men were slain. Then the old warrior exclaimed, "Fools! I saw that your threats and your promises were beginning to influence my sons; for they were but boys, and might have yielded: but now the secret is safe, your threats or your promises have no effect on me!" Enraged at their disappointment, the Irish soldiers hewed the stern northman in pieces, and the coveted secret is still unrevealed.

In the South of Scotland a legend, almost word for word the same as the above, is told of an old castle there, with the exception that, instead of Danes, the old warrior and his sons are called Pechts. After the slaughter of his sons the old man's eyes are put out, and he is left to drag on a miserable existence: he lives to an immense old age, and one day, when all the generation that fought with him have passed away, he hears the young men celebrating the feats of strength performed by one of their number; the old Pecht asks for the victor, and requests him to let him feel his wrist; the young man feigns compliance with his request, but places an iron crow-bar in the old man's hand instead of his wrist; the old Pecht snaps the bar of iron in two with his fingers, remarking quietly to the astounded spectators, that "it is a gey bit gristle, and has not much pith in it yet." The story is told in the second volume of Chambers's Edinburgh Journal, first series, I think; but I have not the volume at hand to refer to. The similarity between the two legends is curious and interesting.

Francis Robert Davies.

ARCHAIC WORDS.

(Vol. vii., p. 400., &c.)

The following list of words, which do not appear in Mr. Halliwell's Dictionary of Archaic Words, may form some contribution, however small, to the enlargement of that and of some of our more comprehensive English dictionaries. It falls in with the desire already expressed in "N. & Q.;" and, if the present paper seem worth inserting, may be followed by another. In some few cases, though the word does appear in Mr. Halliwell's columns, an authority is deficient; instances having as it were turned up, and in rather uncommon sources, which seemed occasionally worth supplying. It must be observed that the explanations given are, in some instances, mere conjectures, and await more certain and accurate interpretation.

Aege, age. The Festyvall, fol. cxii. recto, edit. 1528.

Advyse, to view attentively. Strype's Memorials, under Mary, ch. xxviii. p. 234., folio, or vol. iv. p. 384. edit. 1816.

Apause, to check. Foxe, Acts and Monuments, vii. 647.; and Merchant's Second Tale, 2093.

Assemble, to resemble. Bale's Image of both Churches, Part II. p. 378., edit. 1849.

Beclepe, to embrace. The Festyvall, fol. xxxvi. recto, edit. 1528: "The ymage—becleped the knyght about the necke, and kyssed hym."

Bluck, ...(?) "So the true men shall be hunted and blucked."—The Festyvall, fol. xxvi. recto.

Boystously, roughly. "Salome—boystously handled our Lady."—The Festyvall, fol. lxvii. verso.

Brince, to introduce, hand out, propino. "Luther first brinced to Germany the poisoned cup of his heresies."—Harding in Bishop Jewel's Works, vol. iv. p. 335., edit. Oxford, 1848.

Bussing. "Without the blind bussings of a Papist, may no sin be solved."—Bishop Bale's Image of both Churches on the Revelation, ch. xiii. p. 431., edit. Cambridge, 1849.

Croked. A curious application of this word occurs in The Festyvall, fol. cxxviii. recto: "A croked countenance."

Daying, arbitration. Jewel's Works, i. 387. See Dr. Jelf's note, in loc.

Dedeful, operative? "This vertue is dedefull to all Chrysten People."—The Festyvall, fol. clxxii. recto.

Do, to do forth; meaning, to proceed with, to go on with, occurs in The Festyvall. fol. viii. verso.

Domageable, injurious. The Festyvall, fol. cxi. recto: "How domageable it is to them which use for to saye in theyr bargens and marchaundyses, makynge to the prejudyce—of their soules."

Dyssclaunderer, a calumniator. "To stone hym (Stephen) to deth as for a dyssclaunderer."—The Festyvall, fol. lxx. verso.

Enclense, to make clean. The Festyvall, fol. lxxxviii. recto.

Enforcement, effort? Erasmus' Enchiridion, 1533, Rule IV. ch. xii.

Engrease, to overfeed. "Riches, wherewithal they are fatted and engreased like swine."—Foxe's Acts and Monuments, v. 615. edit. 1843.

Ensignement, ... (?) The Festyvall, fol. cliv. recto: "And whan all the people come so togyder at this ensignement."

Entrecounter, to oppose. Brook's Sermon, 1553, quoted in Foxe's Acts and Monuments, vol. viii. p. 782.

Fele. An application of this word may be quoted, partaking of a Grecism, unless we mistake: "And whan the people felte the smell therof."—The Festyvall, fol. c. recto.

Flytterynge: "lyghtnynge, and not flytterynge."—The Festyvall, fol. xliv. verso, edit. 1528.

Novus.

Minor Notes.

Inscriptions on Buildings.—The following inscriptions are taken from buildings connected with the hospital of Spital-in-the-Street, co. Lincoln.

On the chapel:

On the wall of a cottage, formerly one of the alms-houses:

"Deo et Divitibvs.
A^o Dni 1620."

On the wall of a building now used as a barn, but formerly the Court-house, in which the Quarter Sessions for the parts of Lindsey were formerly held, before their transfer to Kirton in Lindsey:

"Fiat Ivstitia.
1619."
"Hæc Domvs
Dit, Amat, Pvnit, Conservat, Honorat,
Eqvitiam, Pacem, Crimina, Jvra, Bonos."

L. L. L.

Epitaphs.—The following specimen of rural monumental Latin is copied from a tombstone in the churchyard of Henbury, Gloucestershire:

"Hic jacet
Requiesant in pace,
Henricus Parsones.
Qui obtit XXV. die Junes,
Anno Dominii MDCCCXLV,
Ætatis suæ XX.
Cujus animia proprietur Christus."

The following is from the churchyard of Kingston-Seymour, Somersetshire:

"J. H.

He was universally beloved in the circle of

His acquaintance; but united

In his death the esteem of all,

Namely, by bequeathing his remains."

J. K. R. W.

Numbers.—We occasionally see calculations of how often a given number of persons may vary their position at a table, and each time produce a fresh arrangement. I believe the result may be arrived at by progressive multiplication, as thus:

and so on. Probably also change-ringing is governed by the same mode of calculation.

J. D. Allcroft.

Celtic Language.—As fraus latet in generalibus in linguistics as in law, I beg to suggest that, instead of using the word Celtic, the words Gaelic, Cymbric, Breton, Armorican, Welsh, Irish, &c. might be properly appropriated. The mother Celtic is lost,—her remains are to be found only in the names of mountains, rivers, and countries; and our knowledge of this tongue is derived from an acquaintance with her two principal daughters, the Gaelic and Cymbric (=Kymric). The Gaelic tongue has been driven by Germanic invasion into Ireland (Erse), and into the Highlands of Scotland (Gaelic). The Cymbric tongue first took refuge in Belgium, known afterwards as Breton, and still lives as Welsh and Bas-Breton, which (and not the Gaelic) is nearest of kin in some words to the Latin and Italian.

To understand this subject, the profound induction of Eichhoff must be studied carefully.

T. J. Buckton.

Lichfield.

Illustration of Longfellow—"God's Acre."—Longfellow's very beautiful little poem, commencing:

"I like that ancient Saxon phrase, which calls

The burial-ground God's acre."

is doubtless familiar to all your readers. It may interest some of them to know, that the "ancient Saxon phrase" has not yet become obsolete. I read the words "GOTTES ACKER," when at Basle last autumn, inscribed over the entrance to a modern cemetery, just outside the St. Paul's Gate of that city.