more than a hundred times, is Honovere. Later documents have been published by Grupen, under the title of 'Origines et Antiquitates Hanoverenses, &c.,' Goettingen, 1740. To judge from these though, of course, in former times no great importance was attached to orthographic niceties-the writing with two n's becomes more frequent from the fifteenth century. Respecting the o or a in the first syllable, there is in the 'Urkundenbuch,' p. 60, a note that in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries the town clerks never, strangers rarely, wrote Hanovere. A. FELS. Hamburg.

SOAPY SAM (7th S. vi. 46).—The sobriquet of "Soapy Sam" given to the late Bishop Wilberforce most certainly did not have its origin in the combination of his own initials S. O. (Sam. Oxon) with those of the Principal of Cuddesdon, A. P. (Alfred Pott, not Potts), but was certainly anterior to the somewhat unfortunate juxtaposition of those letters in the chapel of that college to which MR. SIKES refers. A friend of mine was present on the occasion alluded to, and I have heard him tell how dismayed he was when, on reaching the east end of the chapel and turning round to survey the building, he descried the unhappy letters S. O. A. P. in floral decorations above the stalls of the bishop and of the principal respectively, at the west end. "An enemy," he exclaimed, "hath done this." But it was too late then to alter it.

The story, though tolerably well known, may be worth repeating, that the bishop himself, being asked in a railway carriage by some impertinent fellow passenger, who pretended not to recognize him, "why the Bishop of Oxford was called Soapy Sam," replied, "Don't you know? It is because whatever mess he gets into he always comes out with clean hands."

EDMUND VENABLES.

I have always understood that the coincidence of the combined initials S, O. and A. P. suddenly struck with consternation the spectators on the occasion of a festivity at Cuddesdon which the bishop was to attend, and when there was not time to alter the floral arrangement, as his lordship was momentarily expected. This must have been after the sobriquet had been applied, or there would have been no such cause for disturbance. A very good story is told of the bishop himself, who asked a friend if he knew why he (the bishop) was called Soapy Sam. The friend, of course, expressed his ignorance on the subject. "Because," said the Right Rev. Samuel, "I come out of every transaction with clean hands." C. H. GEORGE HANGer, Fourth BaRON COLERAINE (7th S. vi. 47).-There is a caricature portrait of this person in a large cartoon, by George Cruikshank, issued with the Scourge, for Nov. 2, 1812. He is represented as a tall, full-faced man, wearing

a long, drab-coloured coat with a star upon the right breast and a cape; each of his arms encircles a gin-drinking old woman, and at his feet, one of which is cloven like a satyr's, sprawls a young woman who applies a bottle to her lips. A dandy, standing near, inspects the scene through his quizzing-glass, and observes, "Hang her! She's quite drunk." A label issuing from the mouth of the principal person makes him observe, "As for me, my name is sufficient; I am known by the title of the Paragon of Debauchery, and I only claim to be the [Prince]'s Confidential Friend." The letterpress description of the caricature contains the following illustrative paragraph :—

must know that

"A tall, strapping - looking person, shabbily but buckishly attired, with a peculiar cast of countenance, now stepped forward, and cried out, "My name is sufficient. Whoever has heard of I am without a rival in the annals of debauchery, I claim no higher honour than to be my Prince's friend!'" I have for some time been searching without success for an octavo portrait of Major Hanger. ALFRED WALLIS, F.R.S.L.

Exeter.

G. F. R. B. will find several portraits of Col. Hanger in Gillray's 'Caricatures.' See pp. 32, 162, 257, 262, 323, 423, 426, 437, 463, 523.

sure.

E. LEATON BLENKINSOPP. BROMPTON (7th S. v. 389, 432) = Broom encloR. S. CHARNOCK. BOOTH OF GILDERSOME (3rd S. v. 172).—From a recent note in the Leeds Mercury my attention has been called to the inquiry of H. N. S. concerning Booth of Gildresome. The family still flourishes at Gildersome, not Gildresome, as your correspondent puts it, and if H. N. S. is still in existence and cares to correspond with me I shall be glad to give him any information I may possess thereupon.

Gildersome, near Leeds.

PHILIP H. BOOTH.

SINGULAR SOLECISMS (7th S. iii. 434).-The Globe of March 23, p. 5, col. 2, informs the world that Lord Molyneux "introduced the Prince of Wales" to the Mayor of Liverpool and several others. perhaps, Very kind of him, certainly! We may, charitably consider it a misprint, and not a solecism, that in the next column we are told that large districts of the coast of the Black Sea have been "sequestered" to the Crown.

At p. 633 of the Graphic, June 16, we have an illustration to a chapter of a current romance depicting a fat little woman in the centre holding a

fatter little man by her right hand and the fattest big girl in tartan riding-habit and sealskin jacket by her left. Under the trio is written, "Take him, my dear,' she added, placing his hand in that of Clara's."

What is the sense of calling a common policeman an "officer"? A notable instance of this absurdity occurs in the Times of May 2, p. 5, col. 4, where a not very distinguished member of the force is so designated five several times.

R. H. BUSK.

16, Montagu Street, Portman Square. ALPUE (7th S. vi. 39).—In the review of the new edition of Sir G. Etherege's works at the above reference it is noted that this term of the game of basset is not explained in the 'New Dictionary.' It may, therefore, be worth while to state that this game is first described (in English) in the 'Compleat Gamester,' edition of 1709, where the following paragraph occurs in the "Explanation of the Terms":

"9. The Alpiew is much the same thing as the Paroli, and like that Term us'd when a Couch is won by turning up, or crooking the corner of the winning Card." Further, "the Couch," which may also be unfamiliar to modern card-players, "is a term for the first Mony that every Punter puts upon each Card," &c. There are other terms used in basset which would not a little mystify the punter of to-day. JULIAN MARSHALL.

CONFUCIUS (7th S. vi. 8).-Shoo is thus explained in Prof. Legge's article on "Confucius" in the 'Encyclopædia Britannica':

"Foremost among these [lessons] we must rank his distinct enunciation of the 'golden rule,' deduced by him from his study of man's mental constitution. Several times he gave that rule in express words :'What you do not like when done to yourself do not do to others.' The peculiar nature of the Chinese language enabled him to express this rule by one character, which, for want of a better term, we may translate in English by reciprocity.' When the ideogram is looked at, it tells its meaning to the eye, a thing seen weightier than a thing heard.' It is composed of two other characters, one denoting heart,' and the other itself composite-denoting as. Tyekung once asked if there was any one word which would serve as a rule of practice for all one's life, and the master replied, yes, naming this character (shu) the as heart, my heart; that is, in sympathy with yours; and then he added his usual explanation of it, which has been given above. It has been said that he only gave the rule in a negative form, but he understood it also in its positive and most comprehensive force, and deplored, on one occasion at least, that he had not always attained to taking the initiative in doing to others as he would have them do to him." Prof. Douglas, in his 'Confucianism and Taouism,' argues in support of the merely negative force of the precept. EDWARD H. MARSHALL, M. A.

it is a widespread notion that it is a prudent thing during a thunderstorm to leave a door or a window open for the easy egress of the lightning, should it have got into the house. During the thunderstorms which prevailed in June last I noticed several houses in which the windows were open at the top and at the bottom, evidently with this intention. I have seen the same thing at other places, notably in Nottinghamshire. At one time, in Paris, when it began to thunder and lighten they used to ring the great bell at the Abbey St. Germain, which they believed would make it cease. The same used to be done in Wiltshire at Malmesbury Abbey. In "The Burnynge of Paules Church in London' (1561) there is enumerated, amongst other superstitions," ringinge the hallowed Belle in great Tempestes or Lightninges."

Stratford, E.

J. W. ALLISON.

RAILWAY TICKETS (7th S. vi. 4).-In the years 1840 and 1841 I had occasion to travel frequently from Manchester to York. The clerk took down my name and address and entered it into a waybook before giving me my ticket. The ticket was of paper. At one time the tickets were all collected at a barrier before entering the train. But this did not long continue, for persons took advantage of the opportunity of travelling for a long journey while taking a short-journey ticket. The train was started by a bugle, on which the air "I'd be a butterfly was played. Carriages were made to resemble stage coaches as much as possible. Luggage was placed on the top, much to the detriment of the luggage, besides giving a great deal of unnecessary labour to the porters. The guards sat in seats on the top of the carriages, where they were exposed not only to wind and rain, quite unnecessarily, but to the far greater inconvenience of receiving all the cinder-dust of the engine into the eyes and mouth. My experience of railway travelling goes much further back. I travelled on the first railway that carried pas

sengers, the Stockton and Darlington line, which was opened for passenger traffic five years before the Liverpool and Manchester. Its first passenger carriage was the body of a stage coach fixed to a railway truck. The majority of the passengers on the day of opening had to content themselves with places in empty coal-waggons.

E. LEATON BLENKINSOPP.

A collection of railway tickets would, half a century hence, be of some antiquarian interest. We have collections of postage stamps ad nauseam, and why not tickets? Has any attempt been made to form one? I can fancy that were an interest once aroused in the collection of tickets it would soon far outstrip that in postage stamps, for the simple reason that tickets are more costly and more difficult to obtain. If any reader of 'N. & Q.' has commenced collecting, I shall be glad to communicate with him. G. W. M.

CHAFFER (7th S. vi. 7).—

What do I care for the Doctor Seraphic, With all his wordy chaffer and traffic? 'Golden Legend,' sect. vi. (p. 238, Albion ed.). Is this such a quotation as DR. MURRAY wants? C. F. S. WARREN, M.A.

Foleshill Hall, Coventry. CHAD PENNIES (7th S. vi. 7).—For some account of Chad pennies and Chad farthings see a letter from Samuel Pegge, printed in the Gentleman's Magazine for June, 1788.

Hastings,

EDWARD H. MARSHALL, M.A.

ROYAL OFFERINGS AT THE FEAST OF THE EPIPHANY (7th S. v. 369; vi. 13).-In the year 1861 or 1862 I had an opportunity of inspecting the Epiphany offerings. After being offered they become the property of the Dean of the Chapel Royal. Dr. Tait then occupied that office, and it was through him that I saw the offerings. There was a red pasteboard box, with a gilt star on the lid. Inside were three small silk bags, one containing a few grains of incense, another a few leaves of myrrh, and the other a small roll of beaten gold such as is used by gilders. I have never heard of any such change as your correspondent ST. SWITHIN mentions. It certainly would be an improvement if a gold coin were substituted for such a mere apology for gold as

is that used.

E. LEATON BLENKINSOPP.

"PHIZ" AND " ALFRED CROWQUILL" (7th S. vi. 26). In works illustrated by Alfred Crowquill has 'Pickwick Abroad,' by G. W. M. Reynolds, published in 1839, now a rare book, been included? GEORGE ANGUS.

St. Andrews, N.B.

"THE LINCOLNSHIRE POACHER' (7th S. vi. 26). -If ST. SWITHIN will consult "The Annotated

Edition of the English Poets," by Robert Bell, Ballads, Songs, &c., of the Peasantry,' London, 1857, p. 216, he will see that the story in the 'Generation of Judges' (p. 14) may very well be correct, for there is this note on 'The Lincolnshire Poacher':

"This very old ditty has been transformed into the dialects of Somersetshire, Nothamptonshire, and Leicestershire, but it properly belongs to Lincolnshire." ED. MARSHALL.

I think the above is the correct title of this ditty, though it has been made to do duty for Lancashire, Leicestershire, and I believe several other shires. The earliest copy I have seen is in a duodecimo pamphlet printed at Dublin. This was reprinted, with one or two_typographical errors, in the Midland Counties Historical Collector, vol. ii. p. 320. ANON.

STORM FROST (7th S. v. 448, 473). -Somewhat analogous to this use of storm for frost is the use of orage for wind of any kind, even for a light breeze, upon the Saône. Mr. P. G. Hamerton twice notes this in 'The Saône: a Summer Voyage'; see pp. 58, 81. I quote from the latter

reference :

"The word 'orage' on the banks of the Saône has not its usual French meaning...... In ordinary French it means a storm, generally a thunderstorm, but on the wind, even a light breeze. Our pilot called the faintest Saône it means the south wind, and, by extension, any breezes 'l'orage,' which produces the oddest effect until one is accustomed to it. The English reader may realize this by supposing that in some parts of England faint breezes were always called thunderstorms by the inhabitants."

If so

LOUVIMA, A NEW CHRISTIAN NAME (7th S. vi. 6).-CUTHBERT BEDE's note on this name reminds me of similar Christian names I have met with while preparing the registers of St. Alphage, Canterbury, for the press. In 1706 Louina Backer was baptized, where probably u=v. the name is Lovina. In 1730 Lovevina Cooper was christened, and in 1769 I find a Levina Cramp. Possibly the whole of these may be variants of Lavinia. If not, the first and second go far to prove that Sir Francis Knollys has narrowly escaped "appropriating" an invention of the last century. J. M. CowPer. Canterbury.

"Pereant qui ante nos nostra dixerunt." If CUTHBERT BEDE Coined the name Mareli for one of his fictitious heroines, a very similar name was coined for a real person long before his facile and amusing pen began to be exercised. A lady well known to