favourite one with the political ballad and pamphlet writers of the latter part of Queen Anne's reign; and is frequently used by the Examiners, and Whig Examiners; and the words "D——u shall blush in his grave among the dead, and Wle among the living," are often quoted on both sides.

EDWARD SOLLY.

BUTTERFLIES IN FOLK-LORE (vol. i., PP. 147, 177). Butterflies are connected in the superstitions of several Indo-European peoples with the human soul, and, by consequence, with death. The Greeks called the insect, 4vxh, a spirit, a soul, and their sculptors represented the personified soul, Psyche, with butterfly wings. The connection in the mind of a Roman of the appearance of a butterfly with death, is shown by the epithets, papilio pestifer, papilio feralis ("baleful butterfly," "deadly butterfly"), applied to it by Pliny and Ovid respectively (Plin., xi., 9, 21, Ovid. Met. xv., 374). In Nottinghamshire it is as great an omen of misfortune to see three butterflies together as three magpies (Choice Notes, Folk-Lore, p. 17). In Devonshire it is unlucky not to catch the first butterfly (Ibid., p. 175). In Ireland the insect is sometime called "blessed," and it is not thought right to harm it. Unless my memory deceives me, in Mr. Tylor's "Primitive Culture" your correspondent will find other instances of superstitions connecting butterflies with the soul; but not having the book handy just now, I cannot verify this impression. Hammersmith.

F.

IN Devonshire it is thought unlucky not to catch the first butterfly. Also in South Northampton, the sight of a trio of butterflies is an omen of death.

and am happy to say I cannot call to mind such
encounters for fifty years past on the 18th March as
were usual nearly seventy years ago, and I presume
for many previous generations.
Ireland.
B. L. Z.

STEPNEY CHURCH (vol. i., pp. 116, 146, 180).The stone from Carthage was thought by Newcourt, in 1708, deserving of special notice in his " Repertorium Ecclesiasticum," vol. i., p. 738. He refers to Stow and Weaver for an account of the monument; and adds:-"I shall only take notice of a stone at the east end of the north-aisle, of this church, and on the outside, fixed in the wall, brought, it seems, from Carthage, by one Thomas Hughes, Anno 1633, with this plain, but wellmeaning inscription on it :

'Of Carthage, once, a stone I was,
O mortals, read with pity;
Time consumes all, it spareth none,
Men, Mountains, Town, nor City;
Therefore, O mortals! all bethink
You whereunto you must,

Since now such stately building lie,
All buried in the dust.'"

This inscription differs from the four already quoted,
Diocese from 1681, and a careful collector, it was
but as Newcourt was Principal Registary of the
probably correctly copied. Is the date, now 1663,
the original date? or has the inscription been re-
stored? Perhaps Mr. Rolfe would kindly examine
the surface of the stone, and see whether it bears
any evidence of this.
EDWARD SOLLY.

road from Kinqusie to Loch Laggan). The gentleman who kindly guided myself and companion up the steep and intricate ascent, mentioned that he pointed out a bed of nettles growing in a nook of the fort to the officers of the Ordnance Survey Corps when surveying that district, and stated to them his belief that human remains were buried beneath. The spot was dug into, and the conjecture proved to be correct; the remains of several I have since

GRANTON. NETTLES (vol. i., pp. 146, 181).—In answer to ST. SHELAGH'S DAY (vol i., p. 147).—The poor the inquiry of " M. D." it would be wrong to affirm old woman of the Emerald Isle was correct in her positively that nettles growing on any particular statement of her country's ancient practice-supersti- spot are "an infallible proof of former human habition if you will-she did not draw upon her mother tation," but certainly they are a strong indication wit to hoodwink the magistrate she was brought of it. About four years ago I visited the remarkbefore for having been "drunk and disorderly." able hill-fort of Dundalamk, in Glenshera (on the I regret to say I find myself now an authority in reminiscences of former days, and well remember the inebriety of the poor wives on each 18th of March (some sixty-five years ago) which was an occurrence looked upon as expected as that of their husbands' on the 17th. The poor women being fatigued, watching their husbands' safety on Saint Patrick's Day, thought themselves bound to take a little drain; as Mrs. Brown would say, to refresh themselves on the day following. And as every Pat must have human bodies being found there. his Sheelagh, the lady was raised to the same rank observed patches of nettles growing rankly in simias her husband, and sainted accordingly. I have lar forts, and the probability is that they mark the now, at the evening of my days, a vivid recollection place of human burial. of the staggering, pummelling, hair-pulling, fistycuffing, clothes-tearing, nose-bleeding, &c., &c., of the very lowest order, in my childhood. I am an observer of life from constitution, habit, and profession,

Dundalamk is one of the

most remarkable hill-forts in Scotland, the walls of the fort are in one place still about seven feet in height, built of small flat slabs without mortar. Newburgh-on-Tay.

ALEX. LAING.

WILL WRITTEN ON A BED-POST (vol. i., p. 183). I do not know whether Charles Dickens had any remembrance, among his Doctors' Commons reminiscences, of this story of the "Will written on a bed-post," but he makes Sam Weller give a similar account of a will written on the lid of a corn-bin. in the following terms :-He is relating the death

of the hostler of the Bristol fast coach :-" "I've

TO LEARN TO TEACH (vol. i. p. 183).-There seems to have been originally a distinction between these verbs, for Chaucer contrasts them : "And gladly wolde he lerne and gladly teche." saved a little money, and I'm a-going into the Learn, as an active verb, is common in Lancastable to make my last will and testymint.' He shire, and can never be deemed vulgar while we goes away into the stable, and there he soon arter- possess the present authorised version of the wards lays himself down atween the two piebalds also in Acts (vii. 22), where it is said Moses was Bible. It occurs occasionally in the Psalms; and dies-prevously a-writin' outside the cornchest, 'This is the last vill and testymint of Villiam learned (i.e., instructed, raideúon), in all the wisdom Blinden.' They was nat'rally wery much amazed of the Egyptians. The latter instance is noticeable in that all the English versions from at this, and arter looking among the litter, and up in the loft, and vere not, they opens the corn-chest, Wycliffe so render it, with the exception of the Rheims (1582), which has "instructed." Students of Shakespeare will not need to be reminded of J. E. BAILEY.

and finds that he'd been and chalked his vill inside

the lid; so the lid wos obligated to be took off the
hinges, and sent up to Doctor Commons to be
proved."
JOHN J. BENNETT.

Sandrock, Maresfield.

his use of the word.

GAS AND BOOK-BINDING (vol. i., pp. 147, 183). -The only constituents which contribute to the LYDD (vol. i., p. 140). Of the Tombstones in illuminating value of gas are marsh gas, olefiant Lydd Churchyard the following inscription, copied gas, and other similar hydrocarbons. The most from one in 1847, may not be uninteresting to some objectionable constituent of gas is sulphur, which of the readers of LONG AGO. "In memory of is present in the form of sulphuretted hydrogen Lieut. Thos. Edgar, of the R.N., who departed this and bisulphide of carbon, for this is converted into life Oct. 17th, 1801, Aged fifty-six years. He came sulphuric acid by combustion, which seriously ininto the Navy at ten years of age, was in the juries pictures, furniture, &c. Sulphuric acid memorable engagement with Admiral Hawk, and rapidly corrodes skin and other organic textures, sailed round the world in company with the unfor- usually charring or blackening them at the same tunate Captain Cook, of the Resolution, in his last time. Even the sulphuretted hydrogen in the voyage, when he was killed by the Indians at the atmosphere has the effect of spoiling books, &c. Island of Owhie, in the S. Seas, the 14th Feb. 1779.I should advise " M. D." to use a Queen's reading

Tom Edgar at last has sailed out of this world,
His shroud is put on, his topsails are furled.
He is snug in death's boat, without any concern,
And is moored for a full due ahead and astern;
O'er the compass of life he has merrily run,
His voyage is completed, his reckoning is done."
H. W. ROLfe.

3, Punderson-place, Bethnal Green-road.

NOTTINGHAM ALE (vol. i., p. 178).-This song was originally printed anonymously in the Gentleman's Magazine, Jan., 1752, p. 38. In this version line three reads cranium not cranum, as given by Blackner (not Blackman, as Mr. Ratcliffe gives it). The song was written by Gunthorpe not Gemthorpe, as stated in your issue for June. It is also given with music in Chappell's ballad," Literature and Modern Music of the Olden Time." This song was a popular one at the end of the last and the commencement of the present century. Dr. Johnson, who frequented the Globe Tavern in Fleetstreet, "was never tired of hearing a certain tun of a man," sing "Nottingham Ale," so Larwood and Holten state in their curious work, "The History

lamp in his library.

GRANTON.

LENTEN RHYMES (vol. i., p. 176).-In Hone's "Every-day Book," vol, i., p. 379, the rhyme which Mr. Ratcliffe quotes is thus given :

"Tid, Mid, Misera,

Carling, Palm, Paste-egg day.

The first line is supposed to have been formed from the beginning of Psalms, &c.-Te deum, Midens, Miserere mei." Another couplet runs,

"Care Sunday, care away,

Palm Sunday and Easter-day."

MIDDLETON.

SOCIETY OF BIBLICAL ARCHEOLOGY (vol. i. p. 183).—The papers read before this Society are not reported in full in any periodical; being of considerable length and number, it is obviously impossible. I believe, however, that they will be printed at length in the Society's "Transactions.”

H. W. H. AUTHORS WANTED (vol. i., pp. 147, 181):— "And thus he bore without abuse

The grand old name of gentleman,"

J. G. Nichols communicated a paper "On certain and the chairman made some remarks upon the portraits by Quintin Matsys and Holbein in the subject.

The

collection of the Earl of Radnor at Longford ROYAL SOCIETY OF LITERATURE.-May 28.Castle," which were exhibited at the Exhibition of Sir Charles Nicholson, Bart., in the chair. Old Masters at the Royal Academy last winter. Rev. A. H. Sayce read a paper "On Karian InscripBRITISH ARCHEOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION.-May tions," pointing out the philogical analogies that 28.-Gordon M. Hills, Esq., Hon. Treasurer, in might be brought to bear upon the interpretation of the chair. Mrs. Baily sent the following Roman the only ten fragments yet known of the ancient relics, recently found in London:-an iron fish-hook; language of Karia. :-an iron fish-hook; language of Karia. He considered that it was a very perfect iron pair of shears (forfex); an iron probably that the Karians were the same people as sagitta or phleme, of great rarity, being the first the Tokhari, and connected (as the myth of Kar, specimen found in London; one of a pair of ears the Brother of Lydus and Mysus, suggests) with the of a pail or bucket, iron; two iron driving hooks, Lydians and the Mysians. The Karian dialect, he of unusual form; a strong iron nail (clavus muscarius) thought, was not far removed from that of Lydia ; nearly six inches long; and a iron nail or holdfast, two it was unlike Greek, though not necessarily Nonand a quarter inches long. Mr. J. Murton sent | Aryan; and it was of a harsh character, this arising three fine neolithic implements, viz:—a celt or axe- probably from a superabundance of consonants. Mr. blade, found in the parish of Yardley Hastings, Sayce then noticed at full length all the Karian Northamptonshire; the fore-part of an axe-hammer, words preserved in ancient authors, and showed the unusually large, found at Silverdale, Lancashire; connection of the alphabets derivable from the ten and an ovoid-shaped maul or hammer, of brownish Inscriptions with those of Corcyra and the Celtibegranwake, also found at Silverdale." Mr. S. I. rian dialects of Spain. Tucker exhibited a three-faced seal, cut in crystal, SOCIETY OF ANTIQUARIES.-May 29.—Dr. C. S. and mounted in gold, of David Garrick, bearing his Perceval, V.P., in the chair. This was a meeting initials, his coat of arms, and a fine head of for the election of Fellows only. After the usual Shakespeare. This was from the late Captain | ballot, the following candidates were declared to be Rickett's collection. Mr. W. de Gray Birch read a elected :-The Revs. J. N. Dalton, H. J. Bigge, paper on "The great seals of Henry I.," in which G. Ornsby, H. G. Duffield; Messrs. J. L. Palmer, he described all the known examples of these seals, E. L. C. P. Hardy, F. W. Smith, and Admiral T. and proposed a new classification of them into four A. B. Spratt, as Ordinary Fellows; and as Honorary types as follows:- 1. An unpublished type, with Fellows: Dr. E. Hübner, Dr. J. Dirks, Count G. the throne resembling that on William II.'s seal, C. Conestabile, and Dr. H. Brunn. and used during the Chancellorship of William SOCIETY OF BIBLICAL ARCHAEOLOGY.-June 3.Giffard, A.D. 1100. 2. Also a new type, with a S. Birch, Esq., LLD., President, in the chair. Two more elaborate style of throne, used during the new members were elected. The following papers Chancellorship of Giffard, in 1103. 3. The type were read :-I. "The legend of Ishtar descending formerly known as the first, used from 1103 to 1106. to Hades," by Dr. H. F. Talbot, F.R.S. In this 4. The type hitherto called the second or star" paper the author translates from the tablets the type, used from 1106 to the end of the reign, that Goddess's voluntary descent into the Assyrian is, after the battle of Tenchebrai, when Henry took Inferno. In the cuneiform it is called the Land of prisoner Duke Robert, and added to his own seal No Return. The Lord of Earth gives her a green the title, Dux Normanorum. An engraving in bough of the Li.. tree to protect her life Sandford's "Genealogical History" of a fifth and diffe- (compare Virgil's "Eneid "), and Ishtar passes rent type is not corroborated by any actual known successively through the seven gates, compelled to surspecimen. The thanks of the meeting were un- render her jewels, (1), her crown, (2), her carrings, animously returned to Mr. Birch for the elaborate (3), her head-jewels, (4), her frontlets, (5), her girdle, paper he had prepared, elucidating all these dates (6), her finger and toe rings, (7), her necklace. by documentary and historical evidence; and also The Lord of Hades seeing her, sends his messenger to the Rev. Canon Greenwell, to whose good offices Namtar, to greet her; but she cannot return of her the Association were indebted for the loan, from own accord to the upper regions. The heavenly the Durham Cathedral Library, of eleven valuable triad, Sun, Moon, and Hea or Hu (Lord of Mycharters with seals. Mr. H. Syer Cuming read steries), consult, and Hea raises a black phantom some interesting remarks upon the discovery, in the who performs a juggler's trick before the Lord of wall of the chancel of East Harling Church, Nor- Hades; during which he gives to Ishtar a cup full folk, of a number of Roman terra-cotta jars, sup- of the Waters of Life, whereby she returns to the posed to have been placed in the wall, upon its erection about 1320, for the purpose of increasing the sound of the music. A drawing, by Mr. H. Watling, was exhibited in illustration of this paper,

66

upper world, receiving at each gate of Hades the jewels she had been deprived of in her descent. The phantom is rewarded by the most exquisite meats, wines, &c. The Greek Fate, Atropos, is sup

posed by the author to mean No Return, and Hades America, in which a collection of antiquities had been (House of Eternity) is compared with the Hebrew shipped. Mr. Burtt read "Notes on some original Od and Bet-moed of Job xxx. 23.-II. "On the and undescribed documents selected from the colEgyptian Preposition," by M. P. Le Page Renouf. lection at Losely Hall, Surrey," and by permission The author remarks that in most languages with of the owner, Mr. J. More Molyneux, several very which we are familiar, prepositions are unchangeable interesting and valuable manuscripts were exhibited. particles, but that this is not the case in Egyptian. Among them were private letters of Sir Francis When expressing a relation between two substan- Walsingham; and two extremely scarce letters of tives, the Egyptian preposition may be considered the Privy Council, written in the name of the Lady as a relative pronoun as well, agreeing with an ante- Jane Grey as Queen, and addressed to the Justices cedent, and subject to changes dependent upon the of Surrey, having reference to the flight of the number and sometimes upon the gender of that Princess Mary from Hunsdon. One of these letters antecedent. These transformations, and others con- bore the autographs of the whole of the members sequent upon change of signification or of gram- of the Privy Council. Mr. Gough Nichols made matical position in a sentence, are described and some remarks on these manuscripts, testifying to exemplified.-III. "On a remarkable Babylonian their great importance and interest. Mr. J. H. Brick described in the Bible," by Mr. Richard Cull. Parker, C.B., then gave a most learned and valuable The object of this paper is to show that the word discourse "On the Architecture of the eleventh translated tile in the authorised version, ought to be century," describing a large number of the buildings translated brick, in Ezekiel iv. 1, as it is the same and churches of that period, and illustrating his Hebrew word as occurs in Genesis xi. 3-" Go to, remarks with numerous beautiful drawings. The let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly. chairman made some remarks, stating that he And they had brick for stone, and slime had they entirely concurred in Mr. Parker's views on the for mortar." And secondly, to show that the word subject. It was announced that a special excursion translated pourtray, in the passage in Ezekiel iv. 1, would be made to Berkhampstead in the early part ought to be engrave, when the passage will stand- of July, and that Mr. Parker and Mr. Clark would "Thou also, son of man, take thee a brick, and lay give discourses upon the Castle and Church, as at it before thee, and engrave upon it the city, even Guildford last year. Jerusalem." With this accurate translation of the two words in the description, a brick with a design, or an inscription engraved upon it, may be recognised, like the bricks now found in the ruins of the ancient cities of Mesopotamia.

BRITISH ARCHEOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION.-June 11.-H. Syer Cuming, Esq., V.P., in the chair. The secretary announced that the Congress at Sheffield would commence on the 18th of August, under the presidency of the Duke of Norfolk. Mr. ROYAL ARCHEOLOGICAL INSTITUTE.-June 6.-W. de Gray Birch concluded his remarks upon the Octavius Morgan, Esq., M.P., V.P., in the chair. Great Seals of Henry I. Mrs. Baily sent for exhiThe chairman exhibited four watches of the seven- bition the following collection of Roman objects, teenth century, the work of Edward East, James all recently found in London, which were as usual Markwick, and Thomas Tompion. He explained their ably explained and commented upon by Mr. Cummechanism at length, tracing the successive improve- ing-a portion of the body of a snake, in red ments effected by Dr. Hooke and the three watch- terra-cotta, probably a fragment from a figure of makers just mentioned. Mr. Morgan also exhibited Hygeia; a lamp of reddish brown terra-cotta, with two medieval rings, and a small enamelled model a figure of Victory upon it; a mould for impressing of Napoleon's tomb at St. Helena. Miss Ffarring- the upper surface of fictile lamps, made of light ton exhibited four coloured drawings of ancient grayish terra-cotta; a silver spoon (lingula), nearly stained glass, now preserved at Worden, Lancashire, four inches long; three spatula of aurichalcum or and said to have been taken from Lathom House, yellow bronze, probably toilet implements; three when despoiled by order of the Parliament; also a iron styli, of fine work, and inlaid with brass; a curious seventeenth century key from a farm-house haft of bronze (manubium); a surgical needle of at Leyland. Mr. J. J. Rogers exhibited a bronze bronze; an iron surgical instrument, forceps; also mirror, two glass beads, and some bronze rings, all two very delicate iron spear-heads. The Rev. S. Anglo-Saxon, and found in a grave in the parish of M. Mayhew exhibited a beautiful collection of RoSt. Keverne, Cornwall. Mr. J. E. Nightingale sent man glass, found in London, and comprising specia photograph of an early arch lately found in the mens of wonderful iridescence; also several pieces nave of Britford Church, near Salisbury. Mr. J. H. of British pottery from excavations in Southwark ; Parker made some valuable remarks upon it. two ingots of British bronze, probably unique; an General Lefroy, Governor of Bermuda, sent a iron Roman lamp, of large size and peculiar conrubbing of a large brass dish, and a photograph of struction; several pieces of Roman pottery, includa work in wax on panel, which had been recovered ing a tetana, or feeding-bottle; a fine dagger of the from the wreck of a vessel sailing from Leghorn to sixteenth century; a pair of bronze ears from an