FIELDING'S 'TOM JONES': ITS GEOGRAPHY (11 S. ix. 507; x. 191, 253, 292, 372). -There is another passage in 'Tom Jones' where Fielding was very probably referring to the battle of Malplaquet :—

"For surely the gentlemen of the Esculapian art are in the right in advising, that the moment the disease has entered at one door, the physician

should be introduced at the other; what else is meant by that old adage : Venienti occurrite morbo'? Oppose a distemper at its first approach.' Thus the doctor and the disease meet in fair and equal conflict; whereas by giving time to the latter, we often suffer him to fortify and entrench himself, like a French army; so that the learned gentleman finds it very difficult, and sometimes impossible to come at the enemy."-Book v. chap. vii.

Possibly Fielding might again have been thinking of this battle in book vi. chap. xii.

Sophia soon returned to his imagination, and allayed the joy of his triumph with no less bitter pangs than a good-natured general must feel when he surveys the bleeding heaps, at the cost of whose blood he hath purchased his laurels."

The very heavy losses of the allied forces at Malplaquet, which were about twice as numerous as those of the defeated army, were due to a delay of two days having enabled the French to construct formidable

entrenchments.

MEDALLIC LEGENDS (11 S. x. 28, 48, 68, 89, 109, 315, 356).-No. 138, on p. 109, "Tantum calcaribus opus," is apparently based on a criticism attributed to Isocrates, which is mentioned several times in Latin literature. See Cicero, Epist. ad Att.,' VI. i. 12; 'De Oratore,' III. ix. 36; Brutus,' 56, 204. But the passage the wording of which bears most resemblance to the above motto is in Quintilian, II. viii. 11 :—

6

"Clarissimus ille præceptor Isocrates......cum de Ephoro atque Theopompo sic iudicaret, ut alteri frenis alteri calcaribus opus esse diceret."

The same criticism on pupils of opposite
dispositions is attributed to Plato and
Aristotle in Diogenes Laertius, IV. ii. 2, and
V. ii. 7 (39).
EDWARD BENSLY.

"THE TITLED NOBILITY OF EUROPE' (11 S. x. 419).—In your kind notice of this work your reviewer says that "the canting position of the inescutcheon in the Belgian arms, and the substitution of a bird for the familiar crowned stockfish of Iceland in the Danish shield, require some explanation.”

out (11 S. x. 447) that the Iceland arms A correspondent has already pointed have recently been changed, and that the quartering as given by me is correct; and I shall be glad if you will allow me to say that the Belgian arms are reproduction of those sent me by the private secretary to the King of the Belgians, and were approved by His Majesty.

an exact

As to the question of supporters not having "been served out impartially," I would call your reviewer's attention to the fact that certain sovereigns do not use them. I went into this question fully with the Spanish authorities, and was assured that His Catholic Majesty had none. The same applies to the mantle. In nearly every case the arms given are reproduced from drawings officially supplied, and I considered it best to follow these exactly. The statement that "for France only ducal titles as yet appear" is doubtless a slip, as hundreds of others are included. THE EDITOR

HERALDRY OF

"TITLED NOBILITY OF EUROPE.' LICHFIELD CATHEDRAL (11 S. x. 467).-Arms: 1. Bellomont or Beaumont, Earl of Leicester. Robert, 2nd Earl, was Canon Regular of Leicester (d. 1167). 2. De Montford, Earl of Leicester. 3. Welsh origin.

Could it be Leoline, Prince of N. Wales? 4. Perhaps Vermandois. E. E. COPE.

FIRE AND NEW-BIRTH (11 S. viii. 325, 376, 418, 454; ix. 14, 113; x. 472).—Although not presumably connected with the action of fire, I should like to record a curious phenomenon which came under my notice nearly ten years ago. When I took up my residence here in 1905, I broke up to use as a garden some turf land which had been devoted to grazing purposes for quite thirty years previously. It lay broken during the winter, and in the following spring was literally covered with the common fumitory (Fumaria officinalis). The seeds must have lain dormant beneath the turf for the whole of the period mentioned, as this plant is rarely, if ever, seen on any but cultivated ground or in hedgerows. Although I invariably destroy every specimen I see, I am still troubled with this lively weed. JOHN T. PAGE. Long Itchington, Warwickshire.

AUTHOR WANTED (11 S. x. 488).-It might assist a reply to GLADSTONIAN'S query if he could state whether it was Samuel Tinsley & Co. or Tinsley Brothers who published the skit, 'Hair-Splitting as a Fine Art.' Both firms were, I believe, in existence at the date named. CECIL CLARKE.

Junior Athenæum Club.

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BORSTAL (11 S. x. 488).-' A Dictionary of the Kentish Dialect,' by W. D. Parish and W. F. Shaw, describes Borstal as A pathway up a hill, generally a very steep one." I suggest, however, it is derived from Forstal a farmyard before a house, a paddock near a farmhouse, a small opening in a street or lane, not large enough to be called a common.

In Kent there are many-two near Canterbury and Herne Bay. I know Hicks Forstall and Hunters Forstall.

E. C. BLISS.

Oak Lodge, West Wickham, Kent. THE HEIGHT OF ST. PAUL'S (11 S. x. 388, 434, 474). According to Longman, Three Cathedrals dedicated to St. Paul,' 1873, p. 165: "The height of the Cathedral from the Street on the South side to the top of the Cross is 365 feet." The capitals are copied from the book. S. L. PETTY.

SHAKESPEARIANA : "HALLOOING" (11 S. x. 427). Falstaff means shouting. Compare 'Twelfth Night,' I. v. 289–92 :

Write loyal cantons of contemned love,
And sing them loud even in the dead of night;
Halloo your name to the reverberate hills,
And make the babbling gossip of the air.

W. H. PINCHBECK.

ALPHABETICAL NONSENSE: ALLITERATIVE JINGLES (11 S. x. 468).-The incomplete set of lines given by your correspondent AITCHO would seem to be one of the variants of a kind of alliterative jingle used in playing forfeit games by children at Christmastime or other suitable occasions. One of the children, who knows the game, commences by giving out the first line, which is repeated by the others in turn (all being seated round the fire). The leader then gives out the second line, followed by the repetition of the first one, which then goes the round as before. The rest of the lines then follow, each in turn going the circuit of the party, followed by a backward repetition of the preceding lines, till the last line has been repeated, in a similar way to the well-known House that Jack Built' and 'The Old Woman and her Pig.' I think the proper complement should consist of twelve lines.

By the time that the last line has been reached some one's memory is sure to become confused, and a mistake is made in the repetition, for which, amidst general laughter, a forfeit is claimed.

The following variant from a Dorset source appears in a paper on 'Dorsetshire Children's Games' which I contributed to The Folk-Lore Journal in 1889 (p. 243), and which, as that part may not be readily accessible to your correspondent, I here give :

One old ox opening oysters.

Two toads totally tired trying to trot to Tewkes

bury.

Three tame tigers taking tea.
Four fat friars fishing for frogs.
Five fairies finding fireflies.
Six soldiers shooting snipe.
Seven salmon sailing in Solway.

Eight elegant engineers eating excellent eggs. Nine nimble noblemen nibbling nonpareils (apples).

Ten tall tinkers tasting tamarinds. Eleven electors eating early endive. Twelve tremendous tale-bearers telling truth. Whilst giving other instances of forfeit jingles, I there referred to a very different variant of this one in Halliwell's Nursery Rhymes' (1846), No. ccxxvii., and I have no doubt that other variants exist in other counties. J. S. UDAL, F.S.A.

One old Oxford ox opening oysters.
Two tall tigers totally tired trying to trot to
Tenbury.

Three thirsty tailors tickling trout.
Four fat friars fanning fainting flies.

Five frippery Frenchmen foolishly fishing for frogs.

Six sportsmen shooting snipe.

Seven Severn salmon swallowing shrimps. Eight Englishmen eagerly examining Europe. Nine nimble noblemen nibbling nonpareils. Ten tinkers tinkling tinder-boxes with ten ten-penny tacks. Eleven elephants elegantly equipped. Twelve typographical topographers typically translating types.

I have never seen this in type, but above is my recollection of sixty years and upwards. IVEL.

The lines I have in mind run as follows:-
One old ox opening oysters.

Two toads totally tired trying to trot to Tetbury.
Three thick thumping tigers tickling trout.
Four fat friars fanning a fainting fly.

Five fairy farriers flying to France for fashions.
Six.........

Seven Severn salmon severally swallowing swine. Eight elephants elegantly equipped...... Nine nimble noblemen nibbling nectarines. Ten tinkers tinkling on ten tinder - boxes with ten tenpenny tacks.

Eleven eager Englishmen elaborately examining Europe.

Twelve typographical typographers typographically transposing type.

The blanks represent a regretted lapse of
JOHN T. PAGE.

memory.

DE TASSIS, THE SPANISH AMBASSADOR TEMP. JAMES I. (11 S. x. 488). The fact that there are two Villa Mediana titles in Spain has doubtless confused your correspondent. 1713 is the date of the creation of the Marquessate of Villa Mediana, now held by Don Francisco de Lara y Fontanellas, who in 1884 also succeeded as Marquess of Casa The County Fontanellas (creation 1849).

of Villa Mediana (now written Villamediana) was conferred on Don Juan de Tassis in 1603, and is now vested in Don Diego del Alcázar Y Guzmán, Marquess of Peñafuente (creation 1706).

His address is 2, Plaza de San

Andrés, Madrid.

REGENT CIRCUS (11 S. x. 313, 373, 431, 475). I am obliged to MR. FROST for his correction at the last reference. I find in books, e.g., Peter Cunningham's Handbook for London,' 1850, that Piccadilly is "a street....running east and west from the top of the Haymarket to Hyde Park Corner." So it appears in Fairburn's Plan of London and Westminster,' 1796, i.e., long before But in Wallis's Regent Street was made. Guide to Strangers through London and its Environs' (Plan), 1824, the name "Piccadilly" does not cross the Circus; in Weale's Map, 1851, it does not cross, while "Coventry S." extends from near to the Circus across the top of the Haymarket to Princes Street; in the map issued with 'Cassell's Illustrated Guide to London,' 1862, the Piccadilly "ends at Sackville Street, at the Circus appears "Reg. Cir.," and closely following is Coventry St.," easily covering the top of the Haymarket; in Bacon's Map of London, in an edition preceding the alterations at the Circus, and in one published after the alterations (neither dated), the name "Piccadilly "ends west of Sackville Street; at the Circus, Regent Street (i.e., Lower) is at right angles, and almost

66

Midlothian, 1725-7. The agreement and accounts in connexion with the building of this engine are given in Bald, 'A General View of the Coal Trade of Scotland,' 1812. The discharge of the account is acknowledged by John Potter in the presence of two witnesses, one of them being" Abraham Potter, my brother-german. Bald gives

also the

66

Articles of Agreement betwixt Mr. James Smith of Whitehill, proprietor of the Fire-Engine and Coal work of Whitehill, and Jno. and Abr. Potter, Engineers in Bishopric of Durham." This relates to the repair of an existing engine.

Isaac Potter erected an engine at Königsberg, in Hungary, in 1722-4: he was most probably a brother to John and Abraham, but the writer has not met with a distinct statement to that effect. Leupold, Thea

"About the Year 1710. Tho. Newcomen, Ironmonger, and John Calley, Glazier, of Dartmouth in the County of Southampton (Anabaptists), made then several Experiments in private, and having End of the Year 1711, made Proposals to draw the Water at Griff in Warwickshire; but their Invention meeting not with Reception, in March following, thro' the Acquaintance of Mr. Potter of Bromsgrove in Worcestershire, they bargain'd to draw Water for Mr. Back of Wolverhampton, where, after a great many laborious Attempts, they did make the Engine work....They used before to work with a Buoy in the Cylinder inclos'd in a Pipe, which Buoy rose when the Steam was strong, and open'd the Injection, and made a Stroke; thereby they were capable of only giving six, eight, or ten Strokes in a Minute, 'till a Boy, Humphry Potter, who attended the Engine, added (what he call'd Scoggan) a Catch that the Beam Q always open'd: and then it would go

brought it to work with a Piston, &c., in the latter

15 or 16 Strokes in a Minute."

Abraham Potter was associated with John Potter in the erection of an engine for

vol. ii. p. 94, gives an imperfect description and drawing of the engine, and credits Potter with being its inventor. He gives a letter, dated Vienna, 23 Dec., 1724, from which it appears that the engine had been running continuously for nine months, that Potter was still at Königsberg, and had undertaken to remain there to superintend the engine. Leupold does not give Potter's Christian name, but in recent years another drawing of this engine has been brought to light, in which the name of the engineer appears as Isaac Potter. See Conrad Matschoss, Die Entwicklung der Dampfmaschine,' 1908, vol. i. p. 309, and Zeitschrift des Vereins Deutscher Ingenieure, 1905, vol. ii. p. 1794.

A steam-engine was set up in Paris in 1726, and it is very likely that John Potter was concerned in its erection. As to the story that Humphrey Potter became a skilled Workman, and erected several engines on the Continent, so far as the writer is aware, there is no contemporary authority. Apparently the brief statement in Desaguliers has been the foundation of a number of Humphrey Potter stories, including the charming one by Arago, which will be found in "Historical Eloge of James Watt, by M. Arago, translated by J. P. Muirhead," RHYS JENKINS.

1839.