1266 down to the present time, 662 years, by
twenty-seven (see 'N. & Q.,' 6th S. xii. 77). The
date of the institution of each rector may be seen
in my History of Trigg Minor,' vol. i. pp. 51-53.
I challenge the readers of N. & Q.' to bring
forward a similar case.
JOHN MACLEAN.

6

Glasbury House, Clifton.

The Rev. F. Beadon, Canon of Wells, died June 10, 1879, aged 101 years, having been rector of North Stoneham for more than sixty-eight years. He was presented to the living in succession to his father, Edward Beadon, who had held it from 1761 till his death on Dec. 10, 1810, at the age of eightyone; so it remained in the hands of father and son without a break for 118 years. PHILIP NORMAN.

PASSAGE FROM RUSKIN (7th S. vi. 108).-The passage in question will be found in 'Fors Clavigera,' Letter V., May 1, 1871, p. 10.

EILDON DOUGLAS.

[Many correspondents supply the same information, and some quote the passage, which is at the service of G. F. R. B.]

SOAPY SAM (7th S. vi. 46, 95).-This story is not even now told in the form in which I used to hear it five-and-twenty years ago, and which, I think, is obviously correct. Query: Why is the Bishop of Oxford called "Soapy Sam"? Answer (by the bishop himself): Because, although he is often in hot water, he always comes out with clean hands. JOHN WOODWard.

It is painful to see a good story mangled, even if not genuine. The tale related should be: Bishop Wilberforce, of Oxford, being asked by a young lady, with more familiarity than taste, "Why are you called 'Soapy Sam'?" replied, "I suppose because I have often been in hot water and always came out with clean hands.”

WILLIAM FRASER of Ledeclune, Bt. [C. C. B. and KILLIGREW supply the same correction.]

BRISTOL (7th S. iv. 225; vi. 108).-In Carlisle's "Topog. Dict. of England,' 1808, I find that "previous to its being dissevered from the counties of Gloucester and Somerset, and made a county of itself, it was reckoned by the Parliamentary Rolls in the county of Somerset." That seems about as reasonable as calling London in Surrey, except that Bristol, when actually in population our second city (but claiming only the third largest extent of walls), had a little of its walls south of its river, while London had none. liarity was having a church larger than its cathedral, and this unique parish church was its only public building on the Somerset side of the stream. But certainly its "nucleus " castle, cathedral, or marts), as well as most of its (whether walls and population, was always on the Glou

cester side. I would like to know whether we
had any other city than York and Bristol walled
all round, like foreign ones, instead of having
their river for part of their boundary.
E. L. G.

ETYMOLOGY OF WHISK OR WHIST (7th S. vi.
ence, that I "changed Skinner's Viffte into Visste
146, 178).-CELER's insinuation at the last refer-
merely to insinuate a groundless etymology," is a
groundless insinuation, and ranks among those
(fortunately rare in N. & Q.') which deserve no
reply.
wrongly, but innocently) suggested the possibility
The fact is simply that I (rightly or
of "a mere misprint" in Skinner, which, if a sin,
is no worse than CELER has himself done in his
own note. The long s is often confused with the f.

If I was wrong, I was misled by Skinner, who associated the Danish word with "Teut. Wischen" as an alternative. But Viffte is not necessary to my theory, for Prof. Skeat, in his 'Etymological Dictionary,' quotes the "Dan. Viske, to wipe, rub, sponge; from visk, sb., a wisp, a rubber; Swed. viska, to wipe, to sponge, from viska, a whisk." principle of the "swabber" I am at a loss to What one could have more nearly approaching the imagine.

for wisk, as the history shows, so that the wh in it CELER says that "the E. whisk is a misspelling is unoriginal." Unoriginal it may be, but assuredly the h was there long before the word was used as the name of a game, as "history shows" in the works of Gascoigne, Skelton, Beaumont and this game was first called whisk, and not whist, Fletcher, &c. At any rate, we must recollect that which was only a corruption of the earlier name. Those who adopt the notion that the name means word whisk being used in that sense in English. "hush" have not yet shown an instance of the

JULIAN MARSHALL.

May an old whist-player be allowed a word on this subject from a non-scientific point of view, science. having no acquaintance with etymology as a

some derivative of "husb," implying silence, and The popular belief is that whist is by sequence enforcing it upon both players and spectators. It is difficult to conceive that any game should be named with reference to its possible onlookers; and in respect to the players themselves, so far from being a game of silence or secrecy, every card played is the medium of conversation, to the partner-hand especially, and to the other hands if they have the wit to observe it. Speakfact, the very essence of the game. Another pecu-ing (with the cards instead of the tongue) is, in spades, say, is led by X. (first lead in that suit). The four of By so doing X. tells his partner, as distinctly as man, thou knowest) now I have neither the two the game permits, "Du wist (Dutch, weiszt, Gernor three of that suit." It is needless to multiply

de chèvre." Which is the original definition is not
clear, whether Webster's or that of Landais.
JULIUS STEGGALL.

Brockett's Dictionary. A large wicker basket,
CAUF (7th S. v. 287, 517).-Spelt corf in

this illustration. Every card played conveys an intimation, either complete in itself or to be completed later in the game. The popular attribute of silence is utterly fallacious. The origin of the game is (probably irrecoverably) lost. Traditionally it is rather Latin than Teutonic. Possibly it may have been renamed. Instances of such used for drawing coal out of the pits, made of rechristening are common enough with other games strong hazel rods from half an inch to an inch in of cards, especially with those adopted by Ameri- diameter, called corf-rods. Dutch korf, a basket, can fashion, the origin of which names, in all Isl. koerf, Danish kurv." These are now obsolete, probability, will equally puzzle future etymologists. being superseded by tubs made of wood or iron.

J. J. S.

RUTLAND HOUSE (7th S. vi. 89).—Bearcroft's History of Charterhouse,' p. 202, says that "Lord North sold Charterhouse to the Duke of Norfolk......except that part which was then the Mansion-house of Lord North, and is now [1737] Rutland Court," &c.; and in the Carthusian is a plan of Charterhouse in 1839, showing Rutland Court in the position described by Bearcroft, and opening into the square. It would seem, therefore, to have occupied the ground where is now the en' trance to Merchant Taylors' School, and is called Rutland Place. Query, Was Rutland House the

same that in 1565 was the house of Lord North ?

MRS. ROBINSON, THE ACTRESS (7th S. vi. 147). -The Thespian Dictionary,' 1802, states that Mrs. Mary Robinson "remained on the stage till 1779," but does not say that she returned to it in 1783. The same remark applies to the short account of her life given in the 'Biographical Dictionary,' 1809. J. F. MANSERGH. Liverpool.

CHALLIS (7th S. vi. 7,96).-A word chaly is given in his great 'Dictionnaire Française' (Complément, 1857) by Landais, and with the same meaning as Webster gives the word, which he quotes as French. Webster says the word chaly denotes "a fabric of goats' hair"; Landais describes the word thus: "Chaly, subs. masc. (commercial), Etoffe en poil

E. LEATON BLENKINSOPP.

FLYING MACHINES IN THE FORM OF BIRDS, &c. (7th S. vi. 88).—I am not aware where MR. E. DAKIN can find "a full account" of Archytas's dove. Aulus Gellius, who notices it ('N.A.,' x. xii. 9, 10), was so surprised that he thought it necessary to cite his authority, which he does as follows: "Libet hercle super re tam abhorrenti a fide ipsius Favorini verba ponere: 'ApxúrαS Ταρεντῖνος, φιλόσοφος ἅμα καὶ μηχανικὸς ὤν, ἐποίησε περιστερὰν ξυλίκην πετομένην ἥτις ἔιποτε καθίσειεν, ουκέτι ἀνίστατο μέχρι γὰρ ToÚTOV."

Aulus Gellius further says of this "simulacrum columbæ": "Ita erat scilicet libramentis suspensum et aura spiritus inclusa atque occulta concitum." Peter Ramus, who is, I think, the original authority for the curious works of Regiomontanus ('Schol. Mathem.,' l. ii., Proem), has, so far as I have seen in extracts, no minute description of them.

Hakewill, in his 'Apology,' book iii. c. x. § i. pp. 272-4, London, 1630, has a notice of these curiosities, with extracts from Du Bartas, week the first, day the sixth. Several such things are mentioned by Sir D. Brewster in his 'Natural Magic,' Letter xi. pp. 264-96, "Fam. Libr.," 1832, and an account of many more may be seen in Wanley's Wonders,' book iii. ch. xliv., "Of the Admirable Works of some Curious Artists." Forty-one in all are taken notice of in so many sections, with references for the statements. haps Pancirollus ('The History of many Memorable Ancients,' translation, London, 1715), may contain Things Lost which were in Use among the some information, but I have not a copy for refer

ence.

Per

ED. MARSHALL.

Peter Heylyn, in his 'Cosmographie,' 1657, says:

"I cannot chuse but instance that work of Regiomontanus, an excellent Mathematician, and a cunning Artizan, spoken of by Keckerman; who at the coming of the Emp. Maximilian to the city of Nuremberg, made a wooden Eagle, which flew a quarter of a mile out of the Town to meet him; and being come to the place where he was, returned back of its own accord, and so accompanied him to his lodging. A thing, if true (as the Relator was a man of too much gravity to abuse the world with an untruth) exceedingly beyond that miracle of a flying Dove, for which Archytas is so famed amongst

the Antients. Exceeded only by himself in a like invention, which was that of an Iron Fly......which at a Feast, to which he had invited some of his especial friends, flew from his hand about the room, and returned again, as is affirmed by Peter Ramus. Expressed thus by Divine Du

Bartas," &c.-P. 399.

No author's name is on the title-page of the copy of this book in my possession, which is presumably the first edition. It is printed as follows:

"The Commissioner: or, | De Lunatico Inquirendo,
With Twenty-eight Illustrations on Steel | by | Phiz
Orr and Company London. | Fraser and Co. Edin-
Dublin | William Curry, Jun. and Company. William

See also Wanley's 'Wonders of the Little World'
(1678), p. 224, where, among other references, the S.
following are given: Pet. Ramus, 'Schol. Math.,'burgh. | 1843."
1. 2; Versteg., 'Rest. of Decayed Intellig.,' c. 2,
p. 53; Keckerman in 'Physic,' l. c. iv. p. 1368;
Du Bartas in sixth day of the first week. Archytas,
Governor of Tarentum, “made a wooden pigeon
which could fly" (Lemprière).
J. F. MANSergh.

In 'A Treatise upon the Art of Flying,' by
Thomas Walker, 1810, there are drawings of such
machines.
W. C. B.

G. P. R. JAMES: 'THE COMMISSIONER' (7th S. vi. 27, 111).-As supplemental to my note on Charles Lever and G. P. R. James, it may be pertinent to subjoin the following extract from a letter addressed to me on March 3, 1873, by the highly distinguished "A. K. H. B.," of St. Andrew's, Scotland :

"The traces of Lever's hand in Kilgobbin' seem very plain. But a young man in Edinburgh has given out that he is in fact the author of Lord Kilgobbin.' He says that he wrote a good many of the earlier chapters, as they came out in the Cornhill; and that then, having to go to India, he sold his work, so far as it was done, together with a sketch of what was to follow, to the proprietors of the magazine, who then employed Lever to finish it; the Edinburgh man not knowing till the book was completed and published that Lever was the man who finished it. It is certainly hard if a man like Lever is to be represented as dressing himself in borrowed plumes, which never mortal less needed to do."

The claim, to carry any weight, should have been made in the lifetime of Lever. A perusal of his private letters during the progress of Kilgobbin,' of which I possess a great number addressed to Major Dwyer, leaves no room to doubt that Lever alone was the author-apart from the internal evidence revealing its paternity.

On the next page is the following dedication:"To that illustrious Body | The Faults, Follies, and adequate Attempt | To place in the Prominent Situation Vices of The British People, | This Faint and Inwhich they deserve, | a few of the Principal Members of that numerous and Remarkable Band, | is dedicated, most humble and obedient servant, | F. de Lunatico With a most profound sense of their merits | By their K.F.M. F.S.ST. L., &c."

If the style is father to the man, it may be any way resemble that of G. P. R. James, nor is safely said that 'The Commissioner' does not in it a book which either he or Lever might be proud of owning. The illustrations by Phiz are about his average, most of them more or less caricatures, and probably, commercially speaking, the work

was a failure. Can it be that the work was a
under the editorship of Lever?
joint production, or written by James and floated
Would not a
reference to the Dublin University Magazine of
about the date 1842-3 be likely to contain some
information throwing light upon the points? It
is not a singular instance in the publishing world
of a work being written by one author and floated
under the protection and name of another in order
to obtain a sale. The subjoined is extracted from
a bookseller's recent catalogue :-

"582. Phiz's Illustrations. Hook's Peter Priggins, The College Scout, edited by Theodore Hook, with 8vo, cloth uncut (titles stamped), 14s. 6d. Scarce. Colhumorous plates by Phiz, original edition, 3 vols. post burn, 1841."

This book was really written by the Rev. William Hewlett, Head Master of Abingdon School, and originally published in the New Monthly Magazine, then edited by Theodore Hook.

early work of John Gibson Lockhart.

H. G. KEENE.

To the list of books which Lever certainly did JOHN PICKFORD, M. A. Newbourne Rectory, Woodbridge. not write may be added ‘Major O'Connor,' by the author of Charles O'Malley.' Lever, in a letter that the Maxims of Sir Morgan O'Doherty' is an MR. FITZPATRICK does not seem to be aware now before me, brands it as a forgery. But no doubt he often borrowed names and incidents. The Hibernian Journal; or, Chronicle of Liberty, published at Dublin in December, 1776, contains ROBERT NUGENT DUNBAR (7th S. iv. 508).—This The Tour of Cornelius O'Dowd,' marked by gentleman, about whom G. G. inquires, was the humour like Lever's own. No reference is made by representative of the family of Dunbar of MacherLever in 'Cornelius O'Dowd' to this old production; more, parish of Minigaff, stewartry of Kirkcudbut the coincidence can hardly have been accidental, bright. He married in 1856, Annette Ellen, especially as in a letter to James MacGlashan daughter of the Rev. Anthony Pingleton Atcheson, Lever thanks him for a file of old Dublin news-rector of Teigh, Rutland. His eldest surviving papers printed about the year 1776, and sent to Spezzia in 1866, where Lever then lived.

W. J. FITZPATRICK.

son, Robert Lennox Nugent Dunbar, succeeded him and is now owner of the property. Machermore House is a picturesque building of the

sixteenth century on the east bank of the Cree, near Newton Stewart. The property was purchased from the family of Macdowall in 1623 by Alexander, second son of John Dunbar of Enterkin, in the county of Ayr, who was a cadet of the family of Dunbar of Blantyre. The latter descended from Cuthbert, second son of Sir John Dunbar of Mochrum and Cumnock, who obtained the barony of Blantyr from his elder brother Patrick about the year 1437. The Dunbars of Mochrum in turn were decended from George, third son of Patrick, tenth Earl of Dunbar and March (the second son becoming Earl of Moray), who, on July 25, 1368, got a charter of the lands of Cumnock, Blantyre, and Mochrum. The origin of the family in Scotland is traced to Cospatric, Earl of Northumberland (this earldom was administrative, not hereditary), who obtained the lands of Dunbar, in Haddington, from Malcolm Canmore, and whose son is styled Cospatricius Comes in one of the writs of Coldingham, A.D. 1130.

HERBERT MAXWELL.

MUNCELLAM LAPIDEAM (7th S. vi. 107).-The meaning and derivation of muncella are not far to seek. It is merely a provincial mode of spelling moncella or moncellus, a little hill, a mount. In the Provençal dialect mont becomes mon or mun (vide Littré, sub voc.), so that the Low Latin moncellus becomes muncellus. The "Moncellus Gervasii" of the Middle Ages changes to the French "Monceau St. Gervais." In Italian monceau takes the form of mucchio, being, I suppose, a degraded form of mu(n)chio=mucchio.

The Provençal dialect has close affinity with Italian. In the latter the vowels o and u are frequently interchanged, e.g., munire, munisterio, munitione for monire, monasterio, monitione, &c. "Usque quandam muncellam lapideam" defines the boundary as being up to a certain rocky hillock," or possibly "heap of stones."

Sandyknowe, Wavertree.

J. A. PICTON.

May not muncella be an attempt to Latinize the Old French word moncel Modern French monceau, a heap? If I am right in this conjecture, muncella lapidea would mean what is commonly called in the north a cairn-a very obvious mark for a boundary. It may be objected that moncel would make moncellus, and not muncella; but the Norman-French form of the word is mouceau and mouchel, which may account for the change of the Vowel o into u. The change of gender is more difficult to account for, but cf. cerveau and cervelle,

both derived from cerebellum.

EDGAR MACCULLOCH.

a very apposite quotation: "XIIe S...... Puis
ruerent Absalon en une grant fosse, e jeterent
pierres sur lui, si que il i out un grant muncel."
The derivation is from the Latin monticellus,
diminutive of mons, montis, through the Provençal
moncel.
JULIAN MARSHALL.

[Answers to the same effect are acknowledged from the REV. ED. MARSHALL, M. T. M. W., &c.]

ANSON'S VOYAGES' (5th S. iii. 489; iv. 78, 100, 396; 7th S. vi. 92).—It would appear that Mr. Walter was accepted as the author of the popular edition of Lord Anson's Voyage round the World,' at the time of its publication, by a writer in the Gentleman's Magazine for June, 1748. At pp. 251-4 there is given "An Account of the Spanish Squadron commanded by Don Joseph Pizarro, abridg'd from chap. iii. of a Voyage round the World compiled by Rich. Walter, A.M., from Lord Anson's Papers, and publish'd under his Lordship's Direction." In the course of the narrative occurs the sentence, "With this motly crew (says Mr. Walter) Pizarro set sail,” &c.

I have an octavo copy of the work published in Dublin, 1748-the seventh edition-which has a similar title to that given at 5th S. iv. 78, and which also contains the dedication to John, Duke of Bedford, &c., signed by Richard Walter.

Liverpool.

J. F. MANSERGH.

Since writing my former reply I have had the advantage of consulting the Dictionary of National Biography,' in which the writer of the article "Anson, George," seems to set the vexed question of editorship at rest. He says, "Though Robins was certainly employed as sub-editor and assistant (Piercy Brett to Cleveland, Jan. 3, 1747-8), there is no reason to doubt the plain statement on the title-page"; and he then refers to my father's communications to 'N. & Q.' He book was virtually written by Anson himself, as adds, "Whether edited by Walter or Robins, the stated on the title-page, and as affirmed by Anson's friends" (Barrow, p. 408). Where can I find the letter of Piercy Brett, who was Anson's first lieuE. L. H. TEW, M.A.

tenant?

Hornsea Vicarage, E. Yorks.

LOUIS XIV. AND STRASBOURG (7th S. v. 345; vi. 152).-MR. R. N. JAMES quotes from a book of 1744 certain remarks on the French occupation of Strasbourg, which show that the city appeared to be all but ruined by that occupation. Mutatis mutandis, however, precisely the same remarks might be made now as to the results of the change Muncella is, I think, obviously a mound, a from French occupation to German. "In the streets word which Cotgrave translates by sepes, sepi- and exchange, which formerly were thronged with mentum. It is the same as the Old French...merchants, you meet with none hardly now". muncel Modern French monceau. Littré gives i. e., in 1888-but men, not indeed, "in Buff Coats

Guernsey.

They are, when the storm is still at a distance, to open the doors and windows of their rooms, chambers, and stables, in order to expel all vapours, and fill them with fresh air. When it draws nearer, the windows are to be VASELINE FOR OLD BOOK COVERS (7th S. vi. 86). shut, and the doors left open, that fresh air may be-Having used this for the last three or four years admitted, avoiding carefully a free stream of air," &c. J. F. MANSErgh.

WRITING ON SAND (7th S. ii. 369, 474; iii. 36, 231, 358).—Mr. Saywell's 'History and Annals of Northallerton,' p. 157, bears testimony to the fact that some saving in stationery was formerly effected-On the authority of the 'Dictionary of the Judges LORD CHANCELLOR HARCOURT (7th S. vi. 188). by the use of the "sand-desk" in an elementary of England,' by Edward Foss, this eminent lawyer daughter of Mr. Thomas Clark; secondly to was married three times-"first to Rebecca, Elizabeth, daughter of Richard Spencer, Esq., and widow of Richard Anderson, Esq.; and lastly