this favourite and near relation, they may explain, very simply and naturally, what in our ignorance looks like a mystery.

It appears from Swift's Letters that in August, 1727, Mr. Launcelot was living in "New Bond Street, over against the Crown and Cushion;' and it was to "my cousin Launcelot's house" that Swift went, when, on August 31, 1727, he so abruptly left Pope's at Twickenham.

Further, I would ask whether it is known what were the accidents that brought Thomas of Goodrich's son Jonathan acquainted with Abigail Erick of Leicestershire? Goodrich and Leicester were very wide apart in those days. Now it is just worth noticing that it appears from the History of Leicester that about that time John and Thomas Swift were, in conjunction with others, owners of the stage-waggon between London and Leicester. Can any connexion be shown between these John and Thomas and the Goodrich people? N. A. Q.

The Vanhomrigs.—It is curious, considering the interest which attaches to Vanessa, that so little should be known about the family. Walter

Scott embodies the current belief in a note. Bartholomew, the father, he says, was a Dutch merchant, who had been commissary of stores for King William during the Irish civil wars, and afterwards Muster-master General and Commissioner of the Revenue. How is this to be reconciled with other facts? Thus it is noted in Luttrell's Diary, that in Oct. 1689:

"Mr. Vanhomery, alderman of Dublin, lately arrived here from the English camp in Ireland."

Again, Dec. 6. 1689:

"Alderman Vanhummery, who came lately from Dublin, is appointed Commissary General of Ireland."

As Tyrconnel and the Catholic party had power to nominate to all offices in the city of Dublin after the quo warranto in 1686, and never lost their power until after the battle of the Boyne, July, 1690, it appears to me that a Protestant

alderman in 1689 must have been an alderman

before 1686, and consequently that Vanhomery or Vanhomrig must have been a prosperous merchant, if merchant at all, settled in Dublin in the reign of King James, and I should say of

Charles II.

In May, 1692, Vanhomerig was appointed a Commissioner of the Irish Revenue; and in 1697 he was chosen Lord Mayor of Dublin, on which occasion, as recorded in the List of Mayors appended to the Irish Compendium, he "being a person very servicable to the crown and city, obtained a collar of SS. to the value of a thousand pounds, the former collar having been lost in the reign of King James."

This collar, it is understood, was presented by, or "obtained" from King William. T. V.

Pamphlet against Swift.-Where can I learn any particulars as to the authorship of a bitter pamphlet directed against Swift? It is entitled Essays, Divine, Moral, and Political: viz.—I. Of Religion in General. II. Of Christianity. III. Of Priests. IV. Of Virtue. V. Of Friendship. VI. Of Government. VII. Of Parties. VIII. of Plots. By the Author of "The Tale of a Tub: sometime the writer of "The Examiner," and the original inventor of the Band-Box Plot. With the Effigies of the Author. Out of thy own Mouth will I condemn Thee, O thou Hypocrite. Ex hoc dicite Hominem. London, printed in the year 1714. Price One Shilling. The frontispiece is engraved on copper, and represents Swift on horseback at the gates of a large house, listening apparently to the master of it, who is standing at a gate, and seems by his gesture to be directing him to go away. There are two other figures in the print, both on horseback and riding from the housethe first is in clerical costume, the second, whose is full of charges against Swift of the grossest back only is seen, is blowing a horn. The book kind. I do not find it mentioned in Scott's Life

of the Dean.

M. S.

Faulkner's Edition of "Swift's Works." - In 2nd S. ii. iii. there was considerable discussion about an octavo edition of Swift's Works, published by Faulkner of Dublin. The conclusion seemed to be that the first edition was certainly published in 1735; and C. (2nd S. ii. 255.) was of opinion that an edition of 1734 would be "unique, and a great literary curiosity;" in fact, that there was no such edition. C. subsequently (2nd S. iii. 72.) drew a distinction, in reference to a 12mo. edition, between the first three volumes and the fourth volume, but always with reference to a presumed first issue in 1735. Against this general argument was the fact that some of the separate pieces in the edition of 1735 bore on their titlepage "Printed" in the year 1733 and 1734— and the natural eagerness of printers and publishers to hurry into the market, and bring back a profitable return for their labour and capital. In confirmation of this view, and as tending to show that an edition was issued in 1734, I forward a copy of the following advertisement, which appeared in the Dublin Evening Post of Nov. 26. 1734:

"Tomorrow will be delivered to the Subscribers at the house of George Faulkner, Printer and Bookseller, in Essex Street, and nowhere else in Dublin,

"Three Volumes of the Writings of the Revd D. J. S. D. S. P. D., &c., in 80. The other Volume shall be given out on the 6th day of January next. The delay is owing to several new pieces which came late to his hands."

Whether this edition in three volumes, issued on Nov. 26, 1734, had the date of 1734 on the title-page, I know not; but the title-page of

edition 1735 describes the work as in "four volumes."

While on the subject I may observe that Faulkner subsequently published two additional volumes, which were thus announced in the Dublin Evening Post of Feb. 17, 1736 [173]:

“Dublin, Feb. 14, 173, George Faulkner, &c, having met with very great encouragement for four Volumes which he hath lately published of the writings of the Rev. J. S., &c., proposeth to publish two Volumes more, &c., consisting of political Tracts, and many pieces both in verse and prose never before published."

These additional volumes were issued in 1738, and are in Archbishop Marsh's library in Dublin, -may indeed be common. F. E. S.

Dean Swift and Erick the Forester. - The celebrated Dean of St. Patrick's says of his father, Mr. Jonathan Swift, that "he married Mrs. Abigail Erick of Leicestershire, descended from the most ancient family of the Ericks, who derive their lineage from Erick the Forester, a great commander, who raised an army to oppose the invasion of William the Conqueror, by whom he was vanquished, but afterwards employed to command that prince's forces; and in his old age retired to his house in Leicestershire, where his family has continued ever since."

I am aware that the family still exists in Leicestershire, and is now represented by Mr. Herrick of Beaumanor, and, from what is said by Worsaae, in his Traces of the Danes and Norwegians, it is not improbable that, at the time of William's invasion, a person of that name was in a position to oppose him. Is there any historical evidence of the truth of what the Dean has recorded?

GERSHOM.

[No one, perhaps, was better able to clear up this point than Mr. John Nichols, the able historian of Leicestershire; but for want of historical evidence, he left it an open question. He says: "There is a tradition that the most ancient family of the Ericks derive their lineage from Erick the Forester, a great commander who raised an army to oppose the invasion of William the Conqueror, by whom he was vanquished; but afterwards employed to command that prince's forces; and in his old age retired to his house in Leicestershire, where his family hath continued ever since. From a veneration to the memory of the Dean of St. Patrick's, and the friendship I have experienced from both branches of this family (the Heyricks of Leicester and the Herricks of Beaumanor), I should have been happy to have been able to confirm a tradition which has every appearance of probability." Hist. of Leicestershire, vol. ii. part ii. p. 579. Consult also "Ñ. & Q.," 1st S. xii. 227.1

66

EARTHQUAKES AND METEORS.

In the various notices of earthquakes it appears that in some instances they have been preceded by luminous meteors, which favours the supposition that there may be some connexion between

"I was writing on Wednesday night [Dec. 16th] at 10:10 P.M., when my table seemed to be grasped by a powerful hand, and dragged violently backwards and forwards. Lamps danced, pictures knocked against the walls. The timbers of my rooms cracked like a ship labouring in a heavy sea, and the very walls moved perceptibly. It is an earthquake,' I shouted, and rushed to the door, when the bell rang violently, as though one were in a hurry for admission. Outside of my apartment, which is on the fourth story, were grouped many persons, some of whom had sprung out of their beds and were in night dresses. Terror seemed to have overcome them; and whilst some were screaming or invoking the saints, others were leaning in a fainting state against the walls."

Now it is remarkable, and worthy of a Note, that an extraordinary meteor was seen in England on the same evening, as appears from the following letters in The Times of the 18th and 19th ult.:

"Sir,-A meteor of extraordinary brilliancy was seen in this neighbourhood on Wednesday evening [Dec. 16th], about 10 minutes before 8. It was of a blood-red

colour, and traversed the heavens from north to west. The labourers who saw it were quite terrified at its appearance. At 4 A.M. this morning the sky presented an extraordinary appearance, the heavens being illuminated in the north-west with a bright fiery red, as if lighted up by a conflagration. You will probably hear further particulars from other quarters.

66

'Wokingham, Berks, Dec, 17."

"X. Y. Z.

"Sir, X. Y. Z.' to-day notices the meteor of Wednesday which he saw in Berkshire. I on that evening saw it as I was passing through Pentonville on my road home. The evening was, as you will remember, very hazy, though the clouds hung at a great height. To me the meteor had the appearance of a body of fire (of the size the sun presents through a thick fog), which rolled over and over three times, afterwards totally disappearing as suddenly as it had appeared. Its light was great, and presented the effect of a triple forked flash of lightning, "J. B. X."

"Sir, I beg to inform you that I was a witness of the phenomenon described by your correspondent ‘X. Y. Z.' On Wednesday evening, on the road from Sydenham to Norwood, and at about 14 minutes to 8 o'clock, the whole country round was lit up for at least 8 seconds by a meteor of the greatest brilliancy; no sound whatever accompanied its appearance. About five minutes before heavy clouds had come rapidly from the south-west. I observed lightning in the north-east horizon at intervals for about half an hour afterwards. "B. A."

A luminous meteor was also seen early the following morning in all the northern parts of Belgium;

"It was about a quarter before five in the morning, and quite dark, when an aurora borealis of a deep bloodcoloured flame suddenly arose from behind a long, horizontal cloud in the north, dividing itself into two diverging columns; each of these divaricated and extended above 45

degrees into the sky, leaving a pale yellow luminosity tensely bright, and was so extensively reflected from the between them. By degrees the aurora became so inclouds above, that several engines were brought out (from

Malines), and the consternation was very great even as far as Antwerp. At Brussels the phenomenon was most beautiful, and it lasted with little diminution till the dawn of day came over it, when it was only faintly seen. Till six o'clock one might have almost read a large print by it."

The fearful earthquake which happened at Naples on Friday, July 26, 1805, destroyed six towns and villages, and partially destroyed six others, and 20,000 persons lost their lives. And it appears from what is at present known of the recent catastrophe at Naples, that the popular estimate places the loss of human life at about 20,000 persons; the Government, however, computes it at a lesser estimate.

LOCAL NAMES AS INDICATIVE OF RACE.

J. Y.

The

Some remarks of your correspondent E. C. B., in his reply concerning the Kentish Horse, has reminded me to write to you on a subject that has long occupied my thoughts. The means by which we are to discover, or demonstrate, by what race any given portion of this island has been peopled, is principally the comparison of the names of places in England with those of the land from which the settlers are supposed to have come, or with the language they used. This method of proof has been employed very effectively by M. Worsaae, and to a less extent by other writers; but it must have occurred to these writers, and to many readers of their books, that the materials for forming an accurate judgment on these matters are not as yet in the possession of any one. names of places in England quoted by M. Worsaae are entirely those of towns and villages. He had not the power of using the minor local nomenclature of any district, for no such names have ever been catalogued; and yet it is obvious that the names of towns and villages are no higher evidence of the race and language of the early settlers, than are those of brooks, rocks, meadows, and the hundred other objects that were familiar alike to them and to us. Students are frequently not aware that there is hardly an object in our rural districts that has not its distinguishing name. the old enclosed lands almost every field is named; sometimes from a former owner, sometimes from its form or its natural productions, but very frequently by an epithet that has now lost all signification to those who use it, but which would, were it to be analysed by a man learned in such lore, bear evident marks of Norse or Saxon origin.

In

I wish to suggest that your correspondents who live in the country should form catalogues of all such local names as are not obviously of modern origin. If it were made public that such lists were in progress of formation, I have little doubt but that some known antiquary would be found to undertake the task of arrangement.

Those too who are engaged in researches

among records should be requested to note down all the local names they meet with. Many that were in common use in times gone by are now forgotten on account of the alteration that the country has undergone. K. P. D. E.

Minor Notes.

"Honores mutant mores." —The following from Sir Richard Bulstrode's Essays, 1715, may merit disinterment:

"When the Earl of Rutland, who had been instrumental in the Preferment of Sir Thomas More to be Lord Chancellor of England, and thinking the Chancellor did not shew him that Respect he merited, meeting him accidentally, told him in Reproach, Honores mutant Mores, alluding to his Name; the Lord Chancellor sharply return'd upon him, telling him, It was not true in Latin, but in English, That Honours changed Manners."

The supper companions of Charles II. "of Glorious Memory," were "usually (Hannibal Sested, base Brother to the then King of Denmark) the Duke of Ormond, the Lords Carlingford, Wentworth, and Crofts, with Sir Frederick Cornwallis, Sir John Mynnis, and sometimes Tom Killigrew," When the wits began to be piquant and sharp, Charles would "interpose his Royal Authority, telling them, Good Jests ought to bite like Lambs, not Dogs; to Tickle, not Wound." R. WEBB.

The Foremothers of Philadelphia.

"On the 7th of August, 1752, twenty women, who had sold themselves for four years to a shipmaster bound for Philadelphia, were taken from the Bolt and Tun' inn, Fleet Street, London, to his ship. As women are wanted in our colonies,' remarked the Stamford Mercury at the time, and we abound with them, it is thought that none of them will come back."

(From the Gainsbro' News, Dec. 19, 1857.) K. P. D. E.

"Peine forte et dure.". Is not the following a remarkable instance of the application of the punishment for "standing mute" in court, and refusing to plead; and of the extraordinary power of endurance with which the human frame is sometimes found to be gifted?

"31 Edw. III., 1 Pat. m. 11.

"Cecilia quæ fuit uxor Johannis de Rygeway indictata apud Nottingham de morte ipsius Johannis, eo quod se tenuit mutam ad poenam suam extitit adjudicata. In quâ sine cibo et potu in areta prisonâ per quadraginta dies vitam sustinuit (sicut Rex accepit ex testimonio fide digno). Quâ de causâ Rex pardonavit eodem executionem."

A fast of forty days by a mere mortal is unparallelled, I think; yet it appears to have been made out to the satisfaction of the king.

CARLISLE.

East-I find that Richardson, following Tooke, derived East from the Anglo-Saxon Yrst-angry, enraged. I cannot but think that the derivation

by Wachter, from Ust-an (Gothic), to arise, is the true one. The great Day-God rises in that quarter of the heavens; and with all primeval nations, that fact must have preeminently distinguished that point of the compass. We find this to have been the case with the Romans; Orientalis = Eastern, is plainly derived from Orior to arise. The French Orient has the same derivation. The Italian, il Levante = the East, is derived from Levare to raise; and this from the Latin, Levo to lift up. The same analogy may be traced in other languages.

Returning to our own English tongue, we find two other words of similar sound and derivation.

Yeast is, doubtless, so called from its causing the bread to "rise." Among country housewives I have heard it called by the synonymous term "raising." Lastly, the great Christian festival of Easter could only have been thus named in commemoration of the event that caused its institution the rising of our Lord.

ROBERT Townsend. Mild Winter of 1857.-The exceeding fineness of the weather at this period is I think worth noticing. No frost perceptible to ordinarily early risers occurred till the 5th, and that a very slight one. Even this has not been repeated up to this day (Dec. 10.). Farmers say the wheat was never so forward. Garden plants are in full vigour the seeds of annuals have produced fine growing plants-primroses and violets are in bloom-and a horse-martin was observed flying in a neighbouring parish on the 4th. And this is on the east coast of Norfolk. E. S. TAYLOR.

Sir Charles Ventris. An incident in the life of one of the faithful adherents of that unfortunate family of whom it has been said that "they knew not to resign or reign" (the Stuarts), is commemorated by the following quaintly-worded inscription in an old bay-window'd parlour at Compton House, Shefford, Bedfordshire, the property of Sir Geo. Osborne, Bart., the oak panelling through which the heavy-shotted charge of the republican trooper's blunderbuss passed being carefully protected with glass, as a pet Gerard Dow or Mieris might be in the sanctum sanctorum of a connois

cap. 5.)

(B. iii.

"Nimirum propter continentiam incontinentia necessaria est, incendium ignibus extinguitur." (lb.). "Stercus cuique suum bene olet." (Ib. cap. 8.) "Et sua sunt illis incommoda, parque per omnes tem(Ib. cap. 9.) pestas."

"Majorem fidem homines adhibent in quæ non intelligunt." (Ib. cap. 10.)

"Che ricordarsi il ben doppia la noia." (B. xii. cap. 12.) Allusions. In what passage does Plato say –

de leur père, mais selon les facultés de leur âme.” (B. i. cap. 25.)

"Qu'il faut colloquer les enfants non selon les facultés

[* See some remarkable instances of cutting teeth in advanced age in our 1st S. xii. 25.]

Payen (Dr. J. F.). Publications relatives à Montaigne:

1° Notice bibliographique sur Montaigne. Paris, 1837, in-8.

20 Documents inédits ou peu connus sur Montaigne. Paris, 1847, in-8, portrait, fac-simile.

30 Nouveaux documents inédits ou peu connus sur Montaigne. 1850, in-8, fac-simile.

4° De Christophe Kormart et de son Analyse sur les Essais de Montaigne. Paris, 1849, in-8.

50 Documents inédits sur Montaigne, no 3.—E'phémérides, Lettres, et autres Pièces autographes et inédites de Montaigne et de sa Fille Eléonore. Paris, Jannet, 1855, in-8, fac-simile.

60 Recherches sur Montaigne, documents inédits, no 4. Examen de la Vie publique de Montaigne, par M. Grün. Lettres et Remontrances nouvelles. Bourgeoisie romaine. Habitation et Tombeau à Bordeaux. Vues, Plans, Cachets, fac-simile.-R. Sebon. Paris, 1856, in-8.