lamy's" to have been a man of but little or no education, is it reasonable to believe that in contact, almost daily, during more than half the year, with some of the best educated men and most correct speakers, from the time of Pitt, Fox, and Sheridan to the time of Grey, Brougham, and Macaulay, that he (Nicholls) could have been guilty of the absurdity fathered upon him by Disraeli ? "Mr. Nicholls, I will thank you for [or "I will take"] one of your veal pies" must have been addressed to the keeper of Bellamy's a thousand or ten thousand times. Is it likely he would designate his popular edible" a weal pie"?

It is a pity Englishmen are so prone to hold up their own countrymen to ridicule on the score of bad pronunciation. The funny men may show off their own wit-for I doubt not three-fourths of

their stories are but jokes, and intended to be accepted as such-but foreign nations, and especially "our Yankee cousins," take these jokes au sérieux, and hence nine-tenths of American newspapers constantly describe Englishmen in general (not merely cabmen and costermongers) as speaking Hingland," "Hoxford," "Hepsom," "Ighgate," ," "Ampstead," " Ampshire," "weal-pies," &c. The funny men should remember that "it is a dirty bird that fouls its own nest." G. JULIAN HARNEY.

of

Cambridge, Mass., U.S. IRISH PORTRAITS (7th S. iv. 208).-The Guinness Art Exhibition of 1872 had a good display of Irish portraits, consisting of paintings lent by various persons and of a valuable collection of mezzotints the property of J. Chaloner Smith, many of which were lately acquired for the National Gallery in Dublin through the muni

ficence of Sir Ed. Guinness.

W. FRAZER, M.R.I.A. BISHOP OF HEREFORD (7th S. iv. 149, 214).—I think that CANON VENABLES is wrong when he states that surnames in their modern acceptation, transmitted regularly from father to children, are hardly to be found in common use so early as the fourteenth century." If he will refer to the return of members of the House of Commons from the earliest date until 1832 (I think it is) obtained by Sir William Fraser, he will find the names of some of the best-known families in England returned to the earliest Parliaments for counties and towns in which their descendants are represented at the present day. I have not the return at hand, but I recollect well, when reviewing it in 1879, being struck with this, and particularly with the very early date of a Corbett sitting for Shropshire, and a Berkeley for Gloucestershire, and many others. This very interesting return also shows how easily people got about at a very early date, for Parliaments were summoned at Winchester, York, &c., to meet within a few days of the return of the

writs, although it would be supposed that it might have taken some weeks to travel from Dorset and Devon to York, or from York and the northern counties to Winchester. J. STANDISH HALY.

66

POTHOOKS (7th S. iv. 226).-My first writing lessons were given me by my father when I was "a boy of five," and I most certainly called the second stage of the series which succeeded strokes "9 by the name of "pothooks and hangers." "Pothooks" designated the stroke terminating in a curve which we see in the letters i and u, while "hanger" stood for the stroke with a double curve, as in the last part of m and n, as well as in K. P. D. E.'s p's and h's. This was while George IV. was king.

E. V.

HENCHMAN (7th S. ii. 246, 298, 336, 469; iii. 31, 150, 211, 310, 482; iv. 116).—The following quotation is from Burt's 'Letters from a Gentleman in the North of Scotland' (London, 1754, 2 vols., 8vo.), ed. 1815, vol. ii. pp. 141-2:

"The foster-brother having the same education as the young chief, may, besides that, in time become his Hanchman, or perhaps be promoted to that office, if a vacancy should happen. Or otherwise, by their interest, obtain orders and a benefice. This officer is a sort of secretary, and is to be ready, upon all occasions, to ven

ture his life in defence of his master; and at drinkingbouts he stands behind his seat, at his haunch (from whence his title is derived), and watches the conversa

tion to see if any one offends his patron."

ROBERT F. GARDINER.

PIEL CASTLE (7th S. iii. 47).-In reply to the query of R. R. R. at the above reference, I may state that a recent visit to Morecambe has convinced me that the castle alluded to by Wordsworth in his elegiac stanzas to Sir George Beaumont is the Manx ruin, and not that known as Piel Castle. The latter is an insignificant heap of stones, to which it would be ridiculous to apply such epithets as "rugged pile" and "huge castle," made use of by the poet; but which would be strictly accurate if written of the former, which he visited in 1833. The orthographic similarity between Peel and Peele (copied, no doubt, by Wordsworth from Beaumont) would also go far to strengthen this conviction, and the painting itself, could we refer to it, would doubtless confirm it still more. When at Peel last year the guide told me that about forty years ago a storm of terrific violence broke over the old castle, which may possibly have furnished the subject of

NOTES ON BOOKS, &o. The Metrical Chronicle of Robert of Gloucester. Edited by William Aldis Wright. 2 vols. Rolls Series. STUDENTS of history and of the earlier form of the English language have been waiting impatiently for Dr. Wright's edition of Robert of Gloucester. The old printed text, which we owe to the marvellous industry of Hearne, was known to be in many respects faulty; and yet, inaccurate as it is, we were all thankful to use it as the best and earliest specimen of the Western form of our common tongue. The impatience which we have felt was justified by the long delay, but that will be forgiven by those who intelligently use these excellently edited volumes. It is given but to very few to be able to edit a text accurately which is written in such a very obscure form of English. The drudgery of making the notes which give the various readings of the several manuscripts must have been frightful. The labour, too, of tracing the sources from which Robert derived his materials has been great, and shows an amount of reading in ancient chronicles which is truly admirable in our eyes. We do not quite agree with Dr. Wright in his estimate of his author. Apart from the linguistic value of the book, and the latter portion, where Robert ranks as an independent authority, the editor does not value his author highly. Robert certainly was not a poet, but there is a swing or roll (we do not know which is the proper word to use) about his lines which renders them very pleasant reading. Robert, though seemingly a Gloucestershire man, has made a stupid blunder as to the parentage of the wife of Sir Maurice Berkeley, which has misled a host of modern writers. Dr. Wright (p. xxxii) does not seem to see his way through the fog. "He will be convinced that Robert of Gloucester was misinformed if he consults the passage in Smith's 'Lives of the Berkeleys' where this lady's origin is discussed. We must not conclude without saying that the glossary to these volumes is one of the best we ever examined.

Saga Time. By J. Fulford Vicary. (Kegan Paul, Trench & Co.)

THE saga time of which Mr. Vicary writes may be said to have commenced in 870, and to have terminated in 1030. It was not, however, until 1120, or even later, that the sagas were committed to writing. The three principal collectors of the old sagas were Are Frode, Sæmund Frode, and Snorri Sturlasson. From internal evidence afforded us by the existing sagas, it is clear that many of the older poems have been lost. Of those which have been preserved the more ancient are made up of myths and traditions, while the more recent refer to events and genealogies. From these sagas Mr. Vicary has endeavoured to draw a series of pictures of social life in the North during the early ages. Though as sources of historical information the sagae cannot be implicitly trusted, Mr. Vicary has gathered from them many interesting details relating to the laws, language, pastimes, dwellings, and dress of the Northmen. In the last two chapters the author deals with the Völunsungasaga, which was probably written in Iceland towards the close of the thirteenth century. The book is

embellished with a number of illustrations. A curious chart, drawn in 1570 by Sira Sigurd Stephanius, Rector of Skálholt School, and lately published in the Transactions of the Copenhagen Geographical Society, is reproduced in the chapter on "Geography in Saga Time." Another interesting illustration is that of the 'Burning of Tavistock Abbey.' It has been taken from the original sketch by Herr Lorenz Frölich, the artist of the friezes at Fredriksborg Palace. One fault we must find with Mr. Vicary's book-there is no index; but this can be easily remedied when the time comes for another edition, The Tolhouse. Restored by Frederick Danby Palmer. With Illustrations by Henry Olley. (Great Yarmouth, Buckle.)

THE Tolhouse of Great Yarmouth is a building of no ordinary interest. It was built in the Early English period as a prison and a court of justice, and has continued to be used for these purposes until recent days. For a prison it was totally unfitted; but our ancestors had little regard for the comforts of the criminal class, or even of the innocent who fell into the hands of the authorities. The upper chamber must once have been a fine room, but the alterations of centuries concealed almost every object of interest. But a few years ago there was great fear that this interesting building would be swept away. Antiquarian feeling was believed not to be strong in Yarmouth, and it was doubted whether sufficient money could be raised to put the old Tolhouse in repair. The fears of those who cherish the memory of the past have not been realized in this instance. The Tolhouse has been restored in a most conservative manner, and is now quite safe from accidents. Some things of minor importance yet remain to be done, but we may be thankful that all danger has been averted.

The meaning of the word Tolhouse has been the subject of some controversy. It is almost certainly identical in meaning with Tolbooth, a word which many people will persist in considering Scotch, though it can be proved that Tolbooths were scattered over England. Mr. Palmer gives several examples. We may add to his list Skipton, in Craven, and Cambridge. Research among town records and histories would no doubt furnish many other examples.

The great hall, which is now a very fine room, is, we believe, to be used as a museum for the town. It already possesses one relic of interest-an anchor dredged up by the crew of a Yarmouth fishing smack off the Dutch coast, at the spot where the battle of Camperdown was fought. Whether it has belonged to a Dutch or an English ship is at present uncertain. The letters with which it is marked, I.M.G.D. and I.M.G., ought, one would think, to be capable of interpretation by those learned in naval history, here or in Holland.

English Worthies.-Claverhouse. By Mowbray Morris. (Longmans & Co.)

MR. MORRIS could hardly have chosen a subject more suitable for his picturesque pen. We fail, however, to understand how John Graham, Viscount Dundee (better known by his territorial title of Claverhouse) comes to be classed as an English worthy. For this Mr. Laing, the editor of the series, must be held responsible. But, ludicrous as the misnomer is, we gladly welcome Mr. Morris's interesting sketch of the brilliant Scotchman "who died in the arms of victory, and whose battle-cry was King James and the Church of Scotland.'" Mr. Morris is of opinion that Claverhouse has been too harshly judged, and has done his best to whitewash the character of his hero. But, with an impartiality which does him much credit, he makes no attempt to gloss over any crime which can fairly be brought home to Claverhouse. At the same time, however, he stoutly

maintains, with much show of reason, that his faults were the faults of his age, and not of the man, and that it is unfair to try the morality of an earlier age by the standard of the present day. If we were disposed to deal hardly with Mr. Morris we might point out some examples of his want of accuracy in dealing with the history of the period of which he treats. We think, too, that Mr. Morris makes a mistake in illustrating his remarks by references to current politics. The subjects of present controversy are out of place in a history of a past age.

Great Writers.-Life of Adam Smith. By R. B. Haldane, M.P.-Life of Charles Darwin. By G. T. Bettany. (Scott.) MR. HALDANE's capacity for hard work is simply marvellous. Though a familiar figure at the Chancery bar, in the House of Commons, and on the political platform, he has yet managed to find time to write an account of Adam Smith for Prof. Robertson's series of "Great Writers." So meagre are the details of Smith's life that they occupy only a few pages of Mr. Haldane's book, which is mainly taken up with a description of Smith's teaching and its effects. Though we do not feel disposed to endorse Buckle's assertion that The Wealth of Nations' was the most important book ever written, we cannot but allow that few books have ever produced larger results. In these latter days we are likely to under-estimate the magnitude of the work which Smith accomplished, for, as Mr. Haldane shrewdly remarks, “Like every great thinker, he [Smith] is apt to lose something of the admiration he merits, because of the extent to which his conceptions have entered into and become part of our intellectual lives." We are surprised not to find any reference in the bibliography to Bentham's letter to Adam Smith which was appended to the Defence of Usury.' We have also looked in vain for any reference to Smith's letter to Dundas on the question of free trade for Ireland which appeared in an early number of the English Historical Review.

Mr. Bettany's interesting 'Life of Charles Darwin' is sure to be widely read. While Adam Smith by his 'Wealth of Nations' revolutionized our commercial and agricultural systems, Darwin by his patient and unwearied investigations has changed the whole current of our mental life. Mr. Bettany's book contains matters of considerable biographical interest, as well as sketches of Darwin's most important works. We cannot, however, help thinking that it is a pity that its publica. tion was not deferred until after the appearance of the Life and Letters.' According to Prof. Newton's address to the British Association, Mr. Francis Darwin's work, which all naturalists have been eagerly expecting, will be published before the end of the year. In conclusion, we must congratulate both the editor and the publisher on the continued success of the series. Even in these days of cheap literature the books are wonderfully cheap, and it is no exaggeration to say that Mr. Anderson's bibliographies alone are fully worth the price of a single volume.

Mr.

Revolted Ireland: 1798 and 1803. By the Hon. Albert S. G. Canning, (Allen.) THIS is a useful little book, giving a clear and bright picture of a troubled time, concerning which most Englishmen are content to remain ignorant. Canning is not a partisan. What his views may be on any of those Irish questions which are being fiercely debated in and out of Parliament it is impossible to gather from his pages. Materials are furnished us from which we may ourselves, if we care to read further, be enabled to form opinions; but no opinion is suggested. Though abstaining from modern politics, Mr. Canning

has evidently a great liking for some of the Irish leaders of past days, even when he feels bound to point out how utterly unpractical their political theories were. Sometimes this admiration leads him into literary contrasts in which no one who has any feeling for the pathos of life or the poetry of language can follow him. To say that Robert Emmett's address to his judge is superior as eloquence to the imaginary speech of Fergus Mac Ivor when in a similar position, as it is given in Waverley,' proves that Mr. Canning unable to criticize the fitness of words for expressing deep emotion.

The Folk-lore Journal, Vol. V. Part III. (Stock), for July-Sept., contains varied matter illustrating Chinese, Tongan, Fijian, and Cornish folk-lore. "Hans Breitmann "contributes a note on the 'Witches' Ladder,' written in Florence, which he speaks of enthusiastically as a centre for folk-lore research. Unfortunately, the Italian in which Mr. Leland's Florentine fragment of fortune-telling lore has been printed is in several places utterly unintelligible, probably owing to the writer not having been able to see a proof. In the Notes and Queries' department it seems rather odd to find the circumstance, which Suavenius was induced to believe, that "there are trees in Scotland from which birds are produced," set down under the head of "Curious Scottish Customs"! The habits of Scottish trees may be "curious," but they are hardly to be classed as "Scottish customs" in any scientific classification. In Mr. Mitchell Innes's interesting account of the Birth, Marriage, and Death Rites of the Chinese,' we greatly regret to find, at p. 241, the expression "mass" used, as it appears to us very misleading to apply any such technical expressions of Christian worship to a Buddhist or Taoist rite. We feel the more bound to notice this point, slight as it may seem to some, because the practice of which we complain is far from standing alone in the Folk-lore Journal, but is much too common in European versions of non-Christian Oriental rites, and we cannot but hold it to be at once unscientific and misleading.

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To secure insertion of communications correspondents must observe the following rule. Let each note, query, or reply be written on a separate slip of paper, with the signature of the writer and such address as he wishes to appear. Correspondents who repeat queries are requested to head the second communication "Duplicate."

W. J. I.-Tunbridge Walks; or, the Yeoman of Kent,' 4to., 1703, is by Thomas Baker, concerning whom see Dict. of Nat. Biog.'

H. DELEVINGNE ("Euclid ").-Please send.

CORRIGENDA.-P. 281, col. 2, 1. 14 from bottom, for "Elizabeth" read Burleigh; p. 293, col. 2. 1. 14, for "kahlu felson,' 'felson-absturz,'" read kahlen felsen, felsen-absturz.

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