THE MELANCHOLY OF HAMLET.-A lady correspondent of "N. & Q." (5th S. iii. 405) gave an extract from Burton's Anatomy, as illustrating the melancholy of Jaques, Timon, and Hamlet. There is another passage in the same author, which is, I think, strikingly applicable to the wavering intellect of Hamlet :

"Suspicion and jealousy are general symptoms. two talk together, discourse, whisper, jest, he thinks presently they mean him-de se putat omnia-or, if they talk with him, he is ready to misconstrue every word they speak, and interpret it to the worst. Inconstant they are in all their actions; vertiginous, restless, inapt to resolve of any business: they will, and they will not, persuaded to and from upon every occasion: yet, if once resolved, obstinate and hard to be reconciled. They do, and by and by repent them of what they have done: so that both ways they are disquieted of all hands, soon weary. They are of profound judgments in some things, excellent apprehension, judicious, wise, and witty: for melancholy advanceth men's conceits more than any humour whatsoever. Fearful, suspicious of all, yet again many of them desperate hairbrains; rash, careless, fit to be assassinates, as being void of all ruth and sorrow. Tædium vita is a common symptom; they are soon tired with all things; often tempted to make away with themselves-vivere nolunt, mori nesciunt-they cannot die, they will not live; they complain, lament, weep, and think they lead a most melancholy life."

Burton was a contemporary of Shakspeare, and one would almost imagine that when he wrote the above passage Hamlet was in his thought; I am sure, at least, there is no intelligent student of the character who will not recognize it as a faithful abstract of the prince's fitful disposition, which it portrays with photographic minuteness in its wayward moods and shifting fancies. It coincides, for instance, with the latter part of Burton's description, when the unhappy prince bursts into that magnificent eulogy on the beauty and glory of all created things, which, seen through the medium of absorbing grief and a disordered imagination, have lost their power to charm him : "I have of late (but wherefore I know not) lost all my mirth, foregone all custom of exercises, and, indeed, it goes so heavily with my disposition, that this goodly frame the earth seems to me a sterile promontory; this most excellent canopy the air, look you, this brave o'erhanging firmament, this majestical roof, fretted with golden fire, why it appears no other thing to me than a foul and pestilent congregation of vapours. What a piece of work is man! How noble in reason! How infinite in faculties! In form and moving how express and admirable! In action how like an angel, in apprehension how like a god! The beauty of the world, the paragon of animals. And yet, to me, what is this quintessence of dust? Man delights not me, nor woman neither."

H. A. KENNEDY.

Waterloo Lodge, Reading. CHARACTERISTIC NAMES IN THE WAVERLEY NOVELS. I do not remember ever to have seen a certain peculiarity of Sir Walter Scott in his novels noticed by any critic; I allude to his fondness for characteristic names. He does not often

Twigtythe, a clergyman.- Waverley.

Soles, a shoemaker; Quid, a tobacconist; Protocol, an attorney.-Guy Mannering.

Sweepclean, a bailiff; Shortcake, a baker; Mailsetter, a postmistress.-Antiquary.

Poundtext, a minister; Busk body, a milliner.-Old Mortality.

Bangtext, a Puritan; Whackbairn, a schoolmaster; Crossmyloof (Anglice, grease my palm), a barrister; Lickpelf, a greedy laird; Knockdunder, a local magnate. -Heart of Midlothian.

Doboobie, a quack doctor; Holdforth, a Puritan minister.-Kenilworth.

Lady Penfeather, a blue-stocking; Trampclod, a peasant-St. Ronan's Well.

Blindas, a Justice of the Peace.-Qu. where? Pitchpost, a timber merchant; Pindivide, a bankrupt; Raredrench, an apothecary; Doublefee, a barrister; Shortyard, a mercer; Sir Paul Crambagge; Trebleplumb, a Turkey merchant; Crosspatch, a tailor; Stitchell, a tailor; Suddlechop, a barber.-Fortunes of Nigel.

Thimblethwaite, a tailor.--Pirate.

Many of the above are introduced in so unobtrusive a manner, that it is possible some readers have passed them by without observing their quaint humour. I dare say a careful examination of the whole series of the Waverley Novels would lead to many more discoveries.

Bexley Heath, Kent.

JONATHAN BOUCHIER.

"FALLAING."-This is the Irish word for a cloak or mantle. The mantle was closed to the throat by clasps, sometimes of silver, sometimes of gold and bronze. The similarity between the Gaelic word and the word in Greek, pedory, which signifies the same article of wear, is curious. St. Paul (2 Tim. iv. 13) asks Timothy to bring to him from Troas his pedovny or cloak. Some of the commentators assert that the Greek word is of Cretan origin (vide Parkhurst's Biblical Lexicon, p. 591). In the History of Ireland it is stated that the Milesian colony resided for some time in Crete, and brought to Ireland, no doubt, some of the language of Crete. In "N. & Q.," 5th S. iii. 289

290, MR. PICTON gives an interesting dissertation on certain degrees of similarity between the Latin and Gaelic languages. There is no doubt that in many words equal to both languages there is a striking similarity. The same may be said of the Irish and the Greek languages. M'Curtin, in his Preface to The English-Irish Dictionary (Paris, MDCCCXXXII.), has the following observations, which are well worthy of being transcribed and placed in "N. & Q." :—

"Of all the dead or living languages none is more copious or elegant in the Expression, nor is any more harmonious and musical in the Pronunciation, than the Irish, tho' it has been declining these Five Hundred Years past along with the declining condition of our Country: whereas most of the modern Tongues of Europe have been polishing and refining all that long Series of Time. This is a circumstance in favour of the Irish, which no other national Tongue can pretend to; and shews that a Language, which was so polite when the English Arms first put a Stop to the Progress of it, would have been much more so at present had it had the like Opportunities of Improvement that the others have met with. Nevertheless, as it is, it will be found inferior to none. Our authors affirm it to be the old

Scythian Language, and upon that Account very well

deserves to be rescued from oblivion."

I agree with M'Curtin, I heartily sympathize with the patriotic efforts of Prof. Blackie of Edinburgh, and all others likewise who endeavour to revive one of the oldest and most beautiful and expressive languages in Europe or the world.

Limerick.

MAURICE LENIHAN, M.R.I.A.

COINS VISIBLE IN BELLS.-In an interesting history of old St. Martin's Church, Birmingham, recently published by John Thackray Bunce, is the following respecting the twelve bells in the above church:

"No. 1 bell weighs 35 cwt. 8 lb., was cast by Lester & Packe of London in 1758. Richard Dovey, Rector; Charles Horton and Christopher Stedman, Churchwardens.

'Let your ceaseless changes vary

To our Great Maker still new praise.' Several coins, one a Spanish dollar of 1742, are visible in

the metal.

"No. 10 bell, cast by Lester & Packe in 1758, weighs 11 cwt. 3 qrs. 6 lb. The inscription upon it combines loyalty and piety:In honour both of God and King Our voices shall in consort ring.' "No. 11 bell weighs 9 cwt. 3 qrs. 3 lb., and was cast by Lester & Packe in 1758. It bears the following somewhat halting rhyme :

'Ye ringers all, that prize your health and happiness, Be sober, merry, wise, and you'll the same possess.' "No. 12 bell is thus inscribed, Richard Dovey, Rector, and Thomas Faulconbridge and Richard Anderton made us; Lester, Packe & Chapman of London fecit, 1769.'” Are there other instances of coins being visible in bells, and where? J. B. MINSHULL.

"MANCHET": "SWERD": "FLEER." - Mr. Tennyson uses the rare word manchet :— "And Enid brought sweet cakes to make them cheer, And, in her vail infolded, manchet bread." Another example of its employment may be found in Stillingfleet's Enquiry into the Miracles of the Roman Church, published in 1673:

"Having nothing provided, he goes to the next oak, and, instead of leaves upon it, he found as many manchets as he had occasion for (the first manchets, I am confident, that ever grew within a mile of an oak)."

In the same work Stillingfleet has the word "swerd

:

"They who could turn Acorns into Pork, and which is more a swerd of Bacon into a Coulter to Plow with," &c.

The old word "fleering," too, may be seen in it :

"When the good man was looking for them, he saw the Devil standing not far off with them fleering and laughing at him."

ROBERT J. C. CONNOLLY, Clk. Rathangan, co. Kildare.

LADY HELPS.-This new order in society is becoming very active in advertising columns. As a sample, the following is taken from the Times, Oct. 8:

"Lady-Housekeeper.-Wanted, by a lady, age 32, a Situation in the above capacity, in the household of a widower, with or without children. She is an experienced housekeeper and an excellent manager, calcu lated to make a home very comfortable. Being a staunch Churchwoman (without bigotry), a thorough lady both by birth, position, and education, she could not treat with any one avowedly professing no religion, neither with parvenus nor nouveaux riches. Address.” In nearly every line of the above there is a text for a smart social sermon. EAST BOURNE.

NEWSPAPER CUTTINGS: A HINT. - A kind literary friend has lately presented to me a collection of cuttings from newspapers upon a subject of great interest and some historical importance,

which, at the time the collection was made, more than half a century since, attracted considerable attention. But I regret to say the majority of these cuttings are without any memorandum as to the names and dates of the newspapers from which they are taken. This is the more provoking, as in some of them I find information throwing great light on a matter which I am investigating. The value of scraps of this kind is great to all who desire to learn the truth; and that value depends so much upon the authority and character of the journals from which they have been derived, that I am sure you will find space for this hint to all collectors of such scraps-always mark your cuttings with the names and dates of the papers from which they are taken. To vary your Cuttleian motto, "When and where found, make a note of." T.

Queries.

[We must request correspondents desiring information on family matters of only private interest, to affix their names and addresses to their queries, in order that the answers may be addressed to them direct.]

CORRESPONDENCE OF DIDEROT WITH ENGLAND. -Being commissioned by the publishers, Garnier frères, to bring out a new edition of the works of Diderot, my best efforts must be directed to making the same as complete as possible. I have already the unedited manuscripts from the library of the Ermitage, some of which were inserted in my first six volumes; but it is the correspondence which has unfortunately remained very incomplete, and I believe that inquiries on the subject in England will not be without result. In truth, the

first works of Diderot were translations from the

English. I am not speaking of the Essay on Merit and Virtue, by Lord Shaftesbury, nor of the History of Greece, by Temple Stanyan, for which he simply had to procure a copy of the English work, the authors being dead at the time he translated them, but of his great undertakings, such as the Dictionary of Medicine, by James, and the projected translation of the Encyclopedia, by Chambers, which must have necessitated a correspondence between the English and French editors. Diderot was evidently the man for the

latter.

A proof that Diderot had at this date friends in England is that when he gave to the world his Mémoires sur Differents Sujets de Mathématiques (1748), he applied to an Englishman for an illustration to his title-page. This artist drew for him some charming vignettes, engraved by Sornique, and signed them "N. Blakey, Londineus." Has Blakey left any Recollections of himself in his own country, and might one light on any correspondence in searching in this direction?

Rather later, when the Encyclopedia was issued, a school of Encyclopedists was formed, in which Germany and England were represented. Among the English who are mentioned as having taken an active part in the movement I can only name Sir Samuel Romilly, who came to France and kept up a constant intercourse with Diderot, D'Alembert, and the other members of this philosophical school. Is there any hope of falling upon the traces of this intercourse in the archives of the family?

Later still, when Garrick came to Paris, no more fervent admirer had he than Diderot. They met often, and were sufficiently intimate for Diderot to write in 1767 to the great comedian for the purpose of recommending him Fenouillot de Falbaire. To the best of my belief this letter was inserted in the Memoirs of Garrick (the autograph did belong to the Marquis Raffaelli). Is it the only one, and can the Garrick Club give me information on this point?

The famous Philidor, who in his old age retired to London, there received also letters from the philosopher. I only know of one, dated 1782, published by the son of the celebrated musician and chess-player. Are there at this time any of his descendants in England?

A letter of Diderot to Wilkes is inserted in the

Correspondence with his Friends of this patriot. Is it the only one?

There have been, besides, translations of Diderot's original works-among others, his plays. Unfortunately, these translations are anonymous, and I know not either how to trace out their authors or the letters of authorization and thanks they may have received.

the possibility of finding some correspondence in Such are the principal reasons for my belief in England, and I shall be very grateful if the correspondents of "N. & Q.," whose success and courtesy are well known, will kindly assist me in J. AssÉZAT,

my

task.

Editor of the complete works of Diderot, published by Messrs. Garnier Brothers. Rue d'Enfer, 56, Paris.

JULIANA CAREW.-In the parish church of Clonmel there is the following inscription upon a

tablet :

"Mr. Joseph Grinshilds, of Graige Clodie, in the county of Tipperary, erected this monument to his beloved wife Mrs. Juliana Grinshilds, daughter of Robert Carew, of Ballynamona, in the county of Waterford, Esq., relict of John Armstrong, of Farney Bridge, county of Tipperary, who had by her four sons, William, Robert, and John, Esqs., and the Rev. Mr. Larnes. She was a loving, careful wife, a tender, good mother, in friendship sincere, and of a most extensive charity. She was born November 30, 1676; departed this life Nov. 27, 1737, very much lamented by all her acquaintance."

So far the monument; but the descendants of

AUTHORS WANTED.-Who are the authors of the following works?—

1. "L'An Deux Mille Quatre Cent Quarante, rêve s'il en fût jamais. A Londres, 1772." (Publisher's name not given.)

2." Posthumous Parodies and Other Pieces, composed

In the New Bath Guide, among other diversions of the fashionable party

"Miss Church and Sir Toby performed a cotillon, Just the same as our Susan and Bob the postillon." Burns also mentions "Nae braw cotillons new frae France." GREYSTEIL.

ANTI-ABOLITION-OF-SLAVERY BROADSHEETS.— I have a curious one, entitled De interestin accoun ob de last | meeting ob de | Bobolition | Society in 1828, printed in New York. Would it interest any reader of "N. & Q."?

SAINTS WEARING BEARDS.—

"I have read somewhere that one of the Popes refused sented to him, because the saint, in his effigies before the to accept an edition of a saint's works, which were prebook, was drawn without a beard."-Spectator, No. 331. Who was the Pope? Where can I find the story?

WILLIAM GEORGE BLACK.

ADDISON dates one of his Spectators, No. 393, from Islington, whither he went for health. Is it known where he lived? C. A. WARD.

WHIPPING DOGS OUT OF CHURCH.-Can you

3. "Charles the Tenth and Louis Philippe: the Secret History of the Revolution of July, 1830. London: Saunders and Otley, Conduit Street, 1839."

Replies.

PORTRAITS OF SWIFT. (5th S. iv. 208, 235.)

George Monck Berkeley, in his Literary Relics, Lond., 8vo., 1789, says :—

"Of Dean Swift I have seen four original pictures. The first is preserved as an heirloom in the Deanery at frame of Irish black cak, the carving of which cost one St. Patrick's: it was once ornamented with a magnificent hundred guineas; but the present Dean of St. Patrick has-adorned it with five shillings' worth of gilding. Of the other three originals one is in the possession of Mr. Whiteway, of Dublin, another in the possession of Mrs. Wisdom, niece to Mrs. Ridgway, also of Dublin, and the third is in the collection of the Rev. Dr. Berkeley, cellent picture of him, though not an original, lately put Prebendary of Canterbury. There is also a very exup in the new saloon of Trinity College, Dublin."

Mr. Berkeley adds in a note that the third of these portraits, that belonging to Mrs. Wisdom, was then (1789) for sale at a price of thirty guineas. Wilde, in his Closing Years of Dean Swift's Life, Dublin, 8vo., 1849, states that he knew of only two portraits of the dean taken without a wig, namely, the crayon profile by Barber, now (1849) in the possession of Joseph Le Fanu, Esq., of Dublin. This portrait was taken about 1727, and was engraved in 1751 by B. Wilson for Lord Orrery, and many times subsequently. The second of these portraits, Mr. Wilde states, was then in the possession of the Maguire family in Peter's Place;