business to explain the complex methods of chronography anciently employed in dating legal and historical documents. The learned Janis cited again by MR. STEVENSON in order that he may assure us that there is no instance of the use of the Dionysian era in public documents before 742, when the Englishman Boniface (i. e., Winfrid, a native of Crediton, who went on the Continent in 715) presided over a council in Germany. This is curious, because the first of the 'Crawford Charters' is the public document, dated A.D. 739, from which we learn that land was granted by King Ethelhard to Forthhere, Bishop of Sherborne, for the foundation of Crediton monastery. suppose era By MR. STEVENSON's second argument I am to understand that it is a fallacy to suppose, as I do, that the fathers of the sixth and seventh centuries used the era of the Incarnation for computing the indiction, the reason given being that there is a canon for com puting the year of the Incarnation itself from the indiction. One would that two canons made proof doubly sure. The discovery of the date of a year in the of the Incarnation, by the method referred to, depends upon the knowledge of the date of an earlier indiction in the same era. The canon of Cassiodorus, for instance, required the computist (a) to know how many indictions had elapsed since the consulship of Basil Junior, and (b) to bear in mind that that consulship fell in a certain year of our Lord which is given in the canon. The fact that the Computus Paschalis of Cassiodorus was, as MR. STEVENSON admits, brought up to date, proves a great deal more than the use of the "writings" of Dionysius--it proves the use of the era he invented. writing as "quinto Tiberii," "Indictione prima," and "ab Incarnatione Domini DCCIII." (Opp.,' ed. Giles, vi. p. 130; and cp. Mr. Plummer's 'Bede,' i. p. cxlvi). BOOKS PUBLISHED AT THE BEGINNING OF THE CENTURY (9th S. i. 487). "The New London Catalogue of Books, with their Sizes and Prices, containing the Books which have been Published and such as have been Altered in Size and Price since the "London Catalogue of Books to the End of the Year 1800," 8vo. pp. 120, was printed for W. Bent, Paternoster Row, in 1807. The next issue of Bent's London Catalogue' which I have includes all books from 1800 to 1822. The year of the publication of each book is not, however, given in either catalogue. WM. H. PEET. lxxiv. p. 1173, there is a quotation from the In the Gentleman's Magazine for 1804, vol. New Catalogue of Living Authors. This refers to "A New Catalogue of Living English Authors; with Complete Lists of their Publications and Biographical and Critical Memoirs. Scribimus indocti doctique. Lond., printed for C. Clarke, No. 6, Northumberland Court, Strand, 1799." A copy of this is in the British Museum. One volume only was published, which embraces a part of the letter C. Mr. Robert Bent, of Paternoster Row, published in 1799 the London Catalogue of Books,' to September in that year, and an appendix during the year following. The "Modern Catalogue of Books' appeared in 1807, 1811, and 1812. In 1802 Mr. William 1803, and the 'New London Catalogue' in Bent began the Monthly Catalogue of New What I have said with respect to the argu- it appeared that from 1792 to the end of Publications.' From the Modern Catalogue' ments that MR. STEVENSON has advanced will, 1802 (eleven years), 4,096 new books were I think, show that Kemble had good reason for saying (C. D.,' i. p. lxxii) that "those published, exclusive of reprints not altered who argue that the era of the Incarnation in price, and also exclusive of pamphlets; was not introduced into England until the time of Beda appear......to have no sound grounds for their belief." I regret that MR. STEVENSON did not support his theory that Bede was the "restorer" of the use of the Dionysian era by giving reasons from Prof. Rühl's recently published work (which I have not yet seen), instead of by quoting the learned Jan, who wrote in 1715. A. ANSCOMBE. P.S.-I have omitted to correct MR. STEVENSON's supposition (9th S. i. 232) that Bede did not use the era of the Incarnation in works written before 725. In the 'De Temporibus' (c. xiv.) Bede dates the year in which he was deducting one-fifth for the reprints, there is 71, Brecknock Road. ST. THOMAS À BECKET (9th S. i. 407).—In answer to your correspondent who desires information about the dedication of Clapham Church, Bedfordshire, I would refer him to the Sarum use, which marks the translation of St. Thomas à Becket at 7 July. This, then, is the particular event in his life which is honoured in the dedication of Clapham. The uses of York and Hereford agree with this date. Clapham, since the tower is of Saxon date, must have been rededicated to the famous archbishop, and the name of its primal patron has been so utterly lost that it is practically hopeless to try to discover it. Very likely it was to some Saxon saint, as it is highly improbable that a dedication to the Blessed Virgin Mary would have passed out of memory in Norman times. The only other church in county Bucks dedicated to St. Thomas à Becket was a destroyed one at Meppershall. I may add that I know of ten churches in that county which have suffered alterations in their dedications. Sir Harris Nicolas in his 'Chronology of History' states that 7 July is the feast of the translation of St. Thomas. Q. V. "HARROW" (9th S. i. 485).—With reference to this word and the employment of this implement, it may be interesting to readers of N. & Q.' to peruse the following quotation, gleaned from a French book entitled 'L'Agriculture et Maison Rustique,' published at Paris in 1598, although, be it noted, the dedicatory epistle to Messire Jaques de Crussol, Duc d'Usez, Pair de France, Comte de Crussol, Seigneur d'Assier, et Prince de Soyon," is dated October, 1582 :— "Incontinent apres que la semence sera distribuee en terre, faudra pour le dernier labour hercer de long et de travers, puis rasteller de sillon en sillon, mais à la traverse: à ce faire les herces dentees de fer sont meilleures que si les de'ts estoyent toutes de bois, d'autant qu'elles font mieux entrer le grain en terre, laquelle ils esment et rompent plus commodement, à fin de couvrir le grain de terre pour le moins de quatre doigts, pour lui faire prendre racine, et empescher qu'il ne soit mange des oiseaux," &c. It will be perceived that the above French extract is somewhat antiquated as regards the spelling of the words therein made use of. MELVILLE. "HORSE-SENSE" (9th S. i. 487).-A correspondent in 8th S. xi. 149 stated that this expression was common all over the United States, and asked if it had a local habitation in Great Britain, to which no reply has appeared. EVERARD HOME COLEMAN. "HOP-PICKER" (9th S. i. 487). — An_early Tradesman,' printed in the Sussex Arch. instance occurs in the 'Diary of a Sussex Colls., xi. 192. There we have, 1756, “Sept. 23. Halland hop-pickers bought their poleof them insensible." DR. MURRAY knows, puller's nickcloth; and, poor wretches, many doubtless, the other word "hopper," which may be seen in 'Peregrine Pickle, ch. lxxxvii., and is in use still. EDWARD H. MARSHALL, M.A. 'Amateur Hop-pickers,' 'N. & Q.,' 3rd S. x. E. MARSHALL. 353, in 1868. What curious coincidences do occur! I received almost simultaneously the number of N. & Q' containing this inquiry, and a mixed parcel of old engravings, one of which is entitled "The Hop Pickers, from a Picture of Mr. Geo. Smith, 2 feet 1 inch by 1 foot 5 inches. Engraved by Wm. Wilson." From the costumes I fancy the picture must have an earlier date assigned to it than even 1812. The pickers seem to be a family party, not tramps. However, as I have no use for the stained print, I send it by book post to our Editor, who will perhaps kindly add any comment as to probable date, &c., which may seem likely to be useful to DR. MURRAY. St. Petersburg. H. E. M. [We claim no knowledge of the subject. The picture seems to us in the style of George Smith 1713-76, the second and ablest of the "Smiths of Chichester" (see 'Dict. Nat. Biog. '), who studied in the school of Claude and Poussin, and was known on the Continent as the British Gessner. The engraving seems earlier than the date named. Stained as it is, it is an interesting work, for which we thank our contributor.] And how doth my cousin, your bedfellow? In Elizabethan times-and perhaps for a century or so earlier "bedfellow" was a very frequently used expression to indicate a wife. I fancy it may be found so employed in the well-known 'Paston Letters,' temp. Hen. VI., Edw. IV. et seq. NEMO. Temple. ["Sir J. Paston, 'Lett.,' iii. 235, 'He hathe entryd the maner of Scolton uppon your bedffelawe Conyerse"" ('Hist. E. D.').] columns two-thirds of the open page. We SIR WALTER SCOTT ON GRIMM'S 'POPULAR STORIES' (9th S. i. 262).-MR. HEELIS is evidently unaware of the later editions of Gammer Grethel.' The one before me is a reprint from stereotype plates of the edition added by the late Mr. Bohn to his libraries in 1862. The title is as follows: "German Popular Stories | and | Fairy Tales, as told by Gammer Grethel. From the collection of MM. Grimm. | Revised Translation | By Edgar Taylor With illustrations from designs | By George Cruikshank and Ludwig Grimm." "TABLE DE COMMUNION" (9th S. i. 25, 251).— MR. GEORGE ANGUS is, I believe, quite wrong The book has been continuously in print in thinking that this term means to French since 1862. In the preface Edgar Taylor is Catholics the altar-rail, bearing the houselling referred to as "one of the translators" to cloth, at which communicants kneel. In the whom Sir Walter wrote the letter printed in French Church Table Sainte or Table de Com- full in your columns. The same letter, with munion is the equivalent of Communion Table some slight variations and the omission of -Mensa Altaris in the language of Latin three unimportant lines, is printed at the end ritualists. In the Armenian Church, which of Bohn's edition. The preface is undated, sometimes celebrates Mass in the evening, but it begins with a reference to a translathe altar is called the table. The Basque tion of "nearly fifteen years ago," so that Catholics have much respect for the altar. 1838 is the probable date of this revised In the rare volume entitled "Jesusen Comtranslation. It is interesting to note that pañiaco A. Sebastian Mendiburuc Euscaraz Madanie Hillebrand, Edgar Taylor's daughter, eracusten duen Jesusen Bihotzaren Devocion has translated, "in order to obtain a clearer 1747 Urtean. Bear Bezala. Donostian, Bar- comprehension" of them, two essays by Schotholome Riesgo Montero, Guipuzcoaco Im-penhauer, and they appear also in Bohn's primitzallearen Echean" (the author of which, according to Mr. W. Webster, was called, as he deserves, the Basque Cicero, and of which the city of Bayonne possesses perhaps the only complete copy, the British Museum having an imperfect one), you may read on p. 17: "Bacequien Jesus Onac, Herege ez diranac ere asco milla bider ciquinduco Zutela beren sacrilegio gaistoacquin comunioco Maia." That means "The good Jesus well knew that many even of those who are not heretics would defile a thousand times the Table of Communion with their wicked-GENERAL MAXWELL misunderstands me on BOSWELL'S 'JOHNSON' (9th S. i. 385, 409, 452). sacrileges." Maia means the table. PALAMEDES. WEIGHT OF BOOKS (9th S. i. 284, 394).-May not something be said upon the size of books? -size and shape that the matter they contain does not require. I will simply give one example: a new monthly magazine printed on a heavy white paper, irregular edges to imitate hand-made paper, type, small pica thick leaded, occupying exactly three-sevenths of the open page, the remaining four-sevenths being printer's fat." The page measures 11 in. by 8 in. In contrast, my weekly friend 'N. & Q.' covers with its closely printed series. With regard to the Grimm Museum, I one or two points. He implied that the original printer's error was overlooked by Boswell, and I wished to show that the passage did not occur in Boswell's work. If GENERAL MAXWELL will look again at the misprinted line, he will see that there are in the real line not fifteen syllables, as he says, but sixteen, and that at most four of them are wrong. The errors, in fact, are only three: TA is misprinted Y, one I is inserted, and another misplaced. Then for the correction. Should GENERAL MAXWELL have implied that it had never been made? On one point I misunderstood GENERAL MAXWELL. I thought that, when he wrote that the adjec- Yorkshire it would appear to have been in tive ought "in strictness to be ανταξία, he quarrelled with the termination of avrácios. ventured to think that Liddell and Scott are wrong, and that avragía (not, as GENERAL MAXWELL gives it, ávráĝia) is a vox nihili. J. S. Westminster. BIBLIOGRAPHY OF THE RYE HOUSE PLOT (9th S. i. 68, 212, 372).-'The Rye House Plot,' which appeared in Reynolds's Miscellany, was by G. W. M. Reynolds. I had it at the time it was running. Afterwards it came out in penny weekly numbers, and I think in three-volume form, and some years ago in Dicks's cheap series at sixpence per volume. I believe the work is still issued from the office of Reynolds's Newspaper. THOS. RATCLIFFE. 'Russell; or, the Rye-House Plot,' otherwise 'Russell: a Tale of the Reign of Charles II.,' by G. P. R. James. 66 THOMAS J. JEAKES. "FOND" (9th S. i. 365).—MR. TATE's interesting note on this word with its two meanings has sent me to my copy of Nathaniel Bailey's "English Dictionary (1733, sixth edition), where I find the old lexicographer has duly noted the second and now common meaning of the word-affectionate. Bailey has it Fond-passionately desirous of and devoted to, vainly affecting." He has also "Fon a fool," on the authority of Spenser (cf. 'Shep; heard's Calend.: April'). It will be noted that he does not give both meanings of the word, like Coles, from whom MR. TATE quotes. Fond-affectionate can, I find, be traced further back than the dates quoted by MR. TATE. Shakespeare in A Midsummer Night's Dream,' II. i., uses the term with this meaning, More fond on her than she upon her love. Cf. Encyclopædic Dictionary.' The older signification does not now obtain to any great extent, I believe, although it has probably some vogue provincially. In common use at a comparatively recent period. In a 'Glossary of Yorkshire Words and Phrases' (1855), which I have before me as I write, there are seven separate references to the meaning. Noticeable among these is "Fond-foolish, weak-minded," and hence the saying "As fond as a horn, the horn answering to every one's tuning, reasonless." Fondcruke foolish whim, and Fond talk nonsense. = C. P. HALE. COPE AND MITRE (8th S. xii. 106, 175, 350, charges brought by the Puritans against Dr. 493; 9th S. i. 14, 212, 351).-Amongst the Heywood, rector of St. Giles-in-the-Fields, in 1641, is his manner of celebrating the Holy Communion in his church. After speaking of the crucifixes, images, &c., and of the altar lately erected there, the indictment charges the rector with repeated bowings and prostrations at the time of Communion, also "that the said doctor and three sub-deacons doe all goe from the body of the church unto the west end, being there cloathed according to their order, some in scarlet, silk, and fine linen." The service described is evidently what Anglicans would now call a high celebration, and vestments certainly would seem to have been used, though the church inventory makes no mention of either copes or chasubles. The whole of the charges brought against Dr. Heywood may be seen in a very scarce tract printed in 1641 and largely quoted from by Parton in his Hospital and Parish of St. Giles-in-the-Fields,' published in 1822. Like MR. ANGUS, I have never been able to find a single instance of a chasuble being mentioned in connexion with any Anglican service from the time of Queen Elizabeth till the Oxford revival. FREDERICK T. HIBGAME. any MR. GEORGE ANGUS asks, "Does bishop, except the Bishop of Lincoln, wear a vestment or chasuble?" The present Bishop of London wears both a cope and mitre, as I have seen him officiate in them; and he has lately been presented with a new ivory mitre. I have also read that the present Bishop of Rochester uses the cope and mitre at certain ceremonies. These are the only two bishops of the Establishment (besides the Bishop of Lincoln), I believe, who wear the cope and mitre. C. R. T. The and 'ballyragged' by their barrack-room companions from other parts of France. The inhabitants of the central portion of the country are fond of saying that the Basques, the Bretons, and the Normans are not Frenchmen, and the barrack-room bullies have taken the jibe so literally that the French press has made a strong protest against this persecution." S. A. D'ARCY, L.R.C.P. and S.I. Rosslea, Clones, co. Fermanagh. BURNS AND COLERIDGE (9th S. i. 405).—Why does MR. THOMAS BAYNE omit the words with which Burns concludes the letter to Mrs. Dunlop ?- "I own myself partial to such proofs of those awful and important realities-a God that made all things-man's immaterial and immortal nature and a world of weal or woe beyond death and the grave. H. J. F.-A. Beverley. 'ALONZO THE BRAVE' (9th S. i. 287). This There is one well-known exception to the statement of the late Dean Burgon anent the use of vestments, cope, &c., in the English Church, quoted by FATHER ANGUS. beautiful copes now preserved in Durham poem may be found in Anthologia OxoniCathedral Library-one of which was pre-into Latin elegiacs, signed J. E. B., i. e., John ensis' (1846), accompanied by a translation sented to the cathedral by Charles I.-were in use at the celebration of the Holy Communion so late as 1779, and were discontinued in that year by Prebendary Warburton (afterwards Bishop of Gloucester). F. S. SNELL. HANDS WITHOUT HAIR (9th S. i. 328).If PALAMEDES turns to the twenty-seventh chapter of Genesis, the Scriptural origin of this not very common idiom will appear to him. The interjection wfft (pronounced oofft) in Welsh means Fie, for shame!" which may be the meaning of the word ooft in the English translation of 'Rhys Lewis.' Had PALAMEDES given the number of the chapter in which the word appears, a reference to the original might have cleared the matter up. JEANNIE S. POPHAM. Plas Maenan, Llanrwst, North Wales. Has PALAMEDES forgotten the hairy hands of Esau and the smooth hands of Jacob? Surely the interpretation of an easy conscience, void of deceit, is very plain. W. D. MACRAY. [Many replies are acknowledged.] CORNWALL OR ENGLAND? (8th S. xii. 466; 9th S. i. 131.)-There seems to be a parallel to this in France, judging from the following extract, the original of which appeared in a Dublin daily paper two or three years ago :"With reference to the number of suicides of Breton recruits in the French army, it appears that home-sickness is not the only cause of this disgust of life. Most of these men speak French very imperfectly, and so they are regularly set upon Ernest Bode, M.A., student of Christ Church. "MINISTER OF THE WORD OF GOD" (9th S. i. Romford. OLDEST PARISH REGISTER (8th S. xi. 108, 215). -Although this question was asked more than a year ago, it may interest MISS THOYTS to know that the registers of Alfriston, co. Sussex, date from 1512, being twenty-six years prior to the compulsory statute of Henry VIII. This is said to be the oldest parish church register known in England. South Hackney. C. H. C. AUTOGRAPHS (9th S. i. 268, 336).-I keep my collection of autograph letters (4,000) and a vast mass of illustrative items alphabetically. "Variety is charming." I take a four |