Various

“ We have just seen that the Egyptians have their harvest about the time which the sun passes over the equator, and if we go back to the time of Abraham we shall find that the equator [perhaps he means equinox] was in Taurus; the Egyptians must, then, have had their harvest while the sun was in the Bull; the Bull was, therefore, in their figurative way of speaking, the father of harvest, not only because he ploughed the ground, but because the sun was there when they got in their harvest: thus the Bull was doubly distinguished as their benefactor ”

“ Many years ago I saw a most cleverly drawn woodcut, of a party of travellers encountering this imaginary shower; some of the animals were descending helter-skelter from the clouds; others wreaking their vengeance on the amazed wayfarers, while the "pitchforks" were running into the bodies of the terrified party, while they were in vain attempting to run out of the way of those which were threatening to fall upon their heads, and thus striking them to the ground. ”

“ Thomas cannot be too much insisted on in this age of many books, which affords such incentives to literary dissipation and consequent shallowness.
"An intellectual man, as the world now conceives of him, is one who is full of 'views,' on all subjects of philosophy, on all matters of the day. ”

“ About the year 1827, when the prosecutions for blasphemy were leading hundreds and thousands to see what could be said against Christianity, with a very powerful bias to make the most of all that they could find, some friends of mine, of more ingenuity than erudition, strongly recommended to my attention the works of a shoemaker at Norwich, named Mackey, who they said was more learned than any one else, and had completely shown up the thing. ”

“ I examined several works of Mackey's, and I have yet one or two bound up among my wonders of nature and art. As in time to come, when neither love nor money will procure a copy of these books, some tradition may set inquirers looking after them, perhaps it may be worth while to preserve a couple of extracts for the benefit of those who have the sense to hunt the index of "N. & Q." before they give up anything. ”

“ And as their harvest was originally under the direction of Iseth, or Isis, whatever belonged to harvest was Isiac; but the Bull, Abiram, was now become the father of Isiac! and to give this the appearance of a human descent, they added to Abir, the masculine affix ah; then it became Ab'-rh-am who was the father of Isiac. And we actually find this equivoque in the hebrew history of Abram whom the Lord afterwards called Abraham, who was the father of Isaac, whose seed was to be countless as the sand on the sea-shore for multitude; even this is truly applied to Isiac the offspring of Ab'-rh-am ”

“ Alwin, renowned in Europe for her skill in foretelling the future, has arrived, and will furnish intelligence about all circumstances of life. She interprets dreams, law matters, and love, by astrology, books, and science, and tells to ladies and gentlemen the name of the persons they will marry ”

“ In Latin we have the series simplex, duplex, triplex, &c., corresponding precisely to the English single, double, treble, &c. And as single denotes a thing without a fold, so does simplex. Mr. Jeffcock's derivation would make simplex and duplex mean the same thing. Now duplex does not mean twice folded, but double.
Nor can I think that singulus can be "semel and termination." Ainsworth derives it from the Hebrew סגלה‎, which denotes whatever is peculiar or singular. It occurs to me to suggest whether it may not be derived from sine angulis. The term denotes unity—one person, one thing. ”

“ As long as poetry of the highest order is appreciated in England, Gray's Elegy written in a Country Churchyard will never want readers to pore over its beauties, or artists ready to dedicate their talents to its illustration. Of the latter fact we have evidence in a new edition just issued by Mr. Cundall, which is illustrated on every page with engravings on wood from drawings by Birkett Foster, George Thomas, and a Lady. ”

“ Aquinas was once asked, with what compendium a man might best become learned? He answered, By reading of one book; meaning that an understanding entertained with several objects is intent upon neither, and profits not. ”

“ Madame la Compt flatters herself that she is competent, by her great experience in the art of astrology, to give true information in regard to the past, present, and future. She is able to see clearly any losses her visitors may have sustained, and will give satisfactory information in regard to the way of recovery. She has and continues to give perfect satisfaction. Ladies and gentlemen 50 cents. ”

“ The artists have caught the spirit of the poet, and their fanciful creations have been transferred to the wood with the greatest delicacy by the engravers,—the result being a most tasteful little volume, which must take a foremost rank among the gift-books of the coming Christmas. ”

“ M‘Dowall Family.—More than a century ago there was a family (since extinct) of the name of M‘Dowall, in the county Cavan, Ireland, belonging to some branch of the ancient and noble Scottish family of that name, who had migrated to these shores. Perhaps some of your readers could inform me as to what branch they belonged, and when they settled in Ireland, as also if there be any pedigree of them extant, as I am very anxious to learn something of them at all events? ”

“ As Monsieur Humbog does not intend for the future teaching abroad after 4 o'clock, he, at the request of his scholars, has opened an academy for young ladies of fashion to practise minuets and cotillions. He had his first assembly on Friday last, and intends continuing them every Friday during the winter. He does not admit any gentlemen, and his number of ladies is limited to 32; and as Mrs. Humbog is very conversant in the business of the Toilet Table, the ladies may depend on being properly accommodated. ”

“ The cells, however, that are sealed up with wax still retain their honey; and the ordinary process to extract it is to place the sieve with the combs upon it so near a fire as gradually to melt the wax, so as to let the honey escape. During this process, some portion of wax unavoidably gets mixed with the honey. Here then we have two kinds of honey: one in a perfectly pure state, and wholly sine cerâ ”

“ Cracks may exist in every part of a vessel alike; and as the part filled by the liquor is always many times greater than the remainder of the vessel, cracks would more frequently occur in the former; and, as where air can get in the liquor can get out, it {568}is plain that in the majority of instances the liquor would run away instead of turning sour. Now the line plainly contains a general affirmative proposition that all liquor whatsoever will be turned sour, unless the vessel be sincerum; and therefore that version cannot be right which applies only to a few instances. ”

“ Every corps marching in any enemy's country had a small body of men at the head (haupt or hope) of the advanced guard; and which was termed the forlorne hope (lorn being here but a termination similar to ward in forward) , while another small body at the head of the rere guard was called the rear-lorn hope (xx.) . A reference to Johnson's Dictionary proves that civilians were misled as early as the time of Dryden by the mere sound of a technical military phrase; and, in process of time, even military men forgot the true meaning of the words. ”

“ By other of our letters we have commended to your Reverence our beloved Sir W. Weston, Turcoplerius, and the whole Order of Jerusalem in our kingdom; but since we honour the foresaid Sir W. Weston with a peculiar affection, we have judged him worthy that we should render him more agreeable and more acceptable to your Reverence, by this our renewed recommendation ”

“ Pedigree of Sir Francis Bryan.—This accomplished statesman, and ornament of Henry VIII.'s reign, married Joan of Desmond, Countess Dowager of Ormonde, and died childless in Ireland A.D. 1550. Query, Did any cadet of his family accompany him to that country? I found a Louis Bryan settled in the county of Kilkenny in Elizabeth's reign, and suspect that he came in through the connexion of Sir F. Bryan with the Ormonde family. ”

“ And the passage in the 18th satire of Lucilius shows that this is an accurate explanation:
" . . . . . Regionibus illis
Incrustatu' calix rutâ caulive bibetur."
A practice, I rather think, prevails in some parts of England of rubbing the inside of a vessel with sweet herbs, in order to flavour cyder or other liquor.
It appears from the same note:
"Fracta vasa et gypsare et pelliculare Veteres consuevêre. ”

“ The Virgin Andromeda, the daughter of Cepheus and Cassiopeia, was the representative of Palestina; a long, narrow, rocky strip of land; figuratively called the daughter of Rocks and Mountains; because it is a country abounding with rocks and stones. And the Greeks, really supposing Cepha, a rock or stone, to have been the young ladies father, added their sign of the masculine gender to it, and it became Cepha-us. ”

“ Henry, Lord Stanhope, also other sons?
Kicker-eating.—Can any of your West Yorkshire readers supply me with information relative to a practice which is said formerly to have prevailed at Cleckheaton, of eating "kicker," or horseflesh? It is a fact that natives of that locality who come to reside at Leeds are still subjected to the opprobrium of being kicker-eaters. ”

“ And this accords with Ainsworth's derivation, "ex sine et cerâ: ut mel purum dicitur quod cerâ non est permixtum." If it be said that there is nothing to show that the old Romans adopted the process I have described, I reply it is immaterial what process they followed in order to extract what would not flow out of itself; as whatever did flow out of itself would be mel sine cerâ. ”

“ Where a great intensity is desired, Indian ink may be applied in the same manner, taking care in both cases to smooth off the edges with a dry brush. The cyanide of potassium applied in the same way, but with very great care, will remove the black spots. Before it appears to have quite accomplished its object, a negative should be immersed in water, as its action is so energetic. ”

“ Slavery, the gold fields, German philosophy, the French empire, Wellington, Peel, Ireland, must all be practised on, day after day, by what are called original thinkers."—Dr. Newman's Disc. on Univ. Educ., p. xxv. (preface) .
This writer follows up the subject very ably, and his remarks on that spurious philosophism which shows itself in what, for want of a better word, he calls "viewiness," are worth the attention of all homines unius libri.
P.S.—As I think of it, I shall make a cognate Query. Some facetious opponent of the schoolmen fathered on St. ”

“ Every quarter of a year, every month every day, there must be a supply for the gratification of the public, of new and luminous theories on the subjects of religion, foreign politics, home politics, civil economy, finance, trade, agriculture, emigration, and the colonies. ”

“ When ships go down at sea during a terrible tempest, it is said the "death-bell" is often distinctly heard amid the storm-wind. And in tales of what is called Gothic superstition, it assists in the terrors of the supernatural. ”

“ Longevity (Vol. viii., p. 442.) .—Mr. Murdoch's Query relative to Margaret Patten reminds me of a print exhibited in the Dublin Exhibition, which bore the following inscription:
"Mary Gore, born at Cottonwith in Yorkshire, A.D. 1582; lived upwards of one hundred years in Ireland, and died in Dublin, aged 145 years. ”

“ Prewster, from Philadelphia, tenders her services to the ladies and gentlemen of this city in astrology, love, and law matters, interpreting dreams, &c., by books and science, constantly relied on by Napoleon ”

“ Humbog having been solicited by several gentlemen, he intends likewise to open an academy for them, and begs that those who chuse to become subscribers will be so good as to send him their addresses, that he may have the honour of waiting upon them to inform them of his terms and days. Mr. Humbog has an afternoon school three times a week for little ladies and gentlemen not exceeding 14 years of age. Terms of his school are one guinea per month and one guinea entrance. Any ladies who are desirous of knowing the terms of his academy may be informed by appointing Mr. ”

“ X on Brewers' Casks (Vol. viii., p. 439.) .—Your correspondent B. H. C., though ingenious, is in error. The X on brewers' casks originated in the fact, that beer above a certain strength paid 10s. duty; and the X became a mark to denote beer of that better quality. The doubling and tripling of the X are nothing but inventions of the brewers to humbug the public. ”

“ They visit the garret of Herr Novalis Octavianus Hornwunder, a maker of books to order upon every subject: they learn the mysteries of the manufacture. The scene is clever, but much of the wit is unappreciable as directed against productions which have not survived. ”

“ When I have an opportunity of seeing these, I shall be glad to communicate to your correspondent through "N. & Q." anything of interest. The title-page of Mythological Astronomy runs thus:
"The Mythological Astronomy of the Ancients demonstrated by restoring to their Fables and Symbols their Original Meanings. By Sampson Arnold Mackey, Shoemaker. Norwich: printed by R. Walker, near the Duke's Palace. Published May 1, 1822, by S. A. Mackey, Norwich." ”

“ As he calls it a poem (Dichtung) the original is probably in verse. I think the Munich critic could have seen only some extracts from the Comœdia Divina; for, so far from Batornicki "plundering freely," I do not find any resemblance between the works except in the sole word comœdia. The Comœdia Divina is a mockery, not political, but literary, and as such anti-mystic and conservative. Die Ungöttliche Comödie is wild, mystical, supernatural, republican, and communistic. ”