XLIX. Letter from Godfrey Higgins,

My Dear Sir,

I yesterday learnt that you are a candidate for the vacant school at Stamford. I instantly wrote to my friend Mr Gossip, who lives there, to interest him in your behalf. I told him, what I can most conscienciously repeat to be true, that there is not in England a more learned or a more steady and industrious man, or a man better fitted for the situation. I wish it were in my power to give you any other assistance. With compliments to Mrs Barker, I remain, dear sir, yours very truly, Godfrey Higgins.

No 4 Warwick street, Pall Mall, 4th Feb. 1833.

E. H. Barker, esq., Thetford, Norfolk. Franked by E. S. Cayley.

L. CHOLERA.

"On the etymology of cholera.' It may appear a work of supererogation to direct attention to the derivation of the word cholera; but, if its extraction, as generally received, and as given by medical writers, is shown to be probably incorrect, and if the enquiry tends to throw any light on the question as to whether this disease is of modern origin, or has at former periods ravaged the nations of the earth, the research may be divested somewhat of its scholastic character, and the enquiry may not be entirely devoid of interest. The perusal of an able Academical Discourse on this subject, lately read before the Academy of Sciences at Caen, (Recherches Etymologiques sur le Cholera Morbus, par M. E. H. Smith, B. Art. de l'Universite de Cambridge, le 31 Juillet, 1832.) and of an article to be found in the Gazette de Normandie, le 6 Juillet, 1832, has excited my attention to it.

"Those writers, whom we are accustomed to regard as authorities in these matters, differ materially in their derivations of the word Cholera. Celsus makes it a compound of xoaǹ péw, bile flux, whilst Trallian traces it to xoλàs péw, intestinal flux and a third, (Cyclop. of Practical Medicine, Art. Cholera,) ingeniously suggests that, as xoλépa also signifies a water-spout, the word may have been applied figuratively to mark the force, with which the evacuations are projected, whilst its adjunct morbus was added merely to distinguish between the two applications of the word. It does not appear that either of these derivations can be traced to Hippocrates, who mentions neither bile nor a flux as necessary to constitute the disease, but admits two varieties, the χολέρα ξηρά, dry cholera, and the χολέρα vypn, humid cholera. The translation runs thus: -' Humida cholera dicitur, in qua magna contentione virium jactura, sursum deorsum excretio fit putrium incoctorumque; ab arida cholera venter inflatur, strepitus fiunt, dolor laterum et lumborum, nihilque alvus dejicit, sed astringitur.'

"The intelligent author before mentioned renders it highly probable that cholera is derived from the compound Hebrew word choli-râ, literally 'a malignant disease,' and this word is clearly shewn to have been applied 3300 years since in Eastern countries to a pestilential visitation, afflicting mankind. In- · deed Moses mentions the existence of such a disease amongst the Egyptians, and probably refers even to a more remote period than the above. Our author says that he traces choli-ra more particularly to the description of a disease accompanied by trembling or spasm, and affecting the intestines; and as if to mark the extreme suffering, which attends it, the sacred writers constantly apply the word figuratively to the writhings of the soul, 'pour les souffrances de l'ame.'

"The substantive choli signifies suffering' or 'disease,' or figuratively it is applied to 'mental distress.' It comes from chala, 'to suffer, fall sick,' and this is derived from choul, 'to have spasmodic pains, to tremble.'

"The adjective râ is literally translated 'very bad, destructive,'

and, used substantively, it is rendered 'an evil, calamity, punishment inflicted by God.' It is a derivative of raâ, 'to break, bruise,' the root of which is rouah, 'to be wicked, to do evil.' Choli and râ with their ramifications are often used variously conjoined.

"EXAMPLES. Deut. 28, 59. Then the Lord will make thy plagues wonderful, etc. and sore sickness,' (magnas plagas, Vulg. cholaim raim, plural of choli-râ,) and of long continuance.' 7,15. And the Lord will take away from thee all sickness,' (languorem, choli,) and will put none of the evil' (raim) 'diseases of Egypt upon thee.' 2 Chron. 21, 15. 'And thou shalt have great sickness,' (tu ægrotabis pessimo languore, cholaim,) by disease,' (choli,) of thy bowels until thy bowels fall out, by reason of the sickness,' (choli.) 1 Kings 17, 17. 'The son of the woman fell sick, and his sickness,' (languor fortissimus, choli,) was so sore, that there was no breath left in him.'

"The plague, which smote all the first-born of the Egyptians, is attributed by some sacred writers to evil angels, and is rendered by raim; but in Ps. 78, 51, the same is called a pestilence.

“Ps. 29, 3. The following passages are all translated from different derivatives of choul the root of choli. 'The voice of the Lord shaketh the wilderness, yea, the Lord shaketh the wilderness of Cades.' "The voice of the Lord maketh the birds to bring forth young, ou les fait trembler comme si elles allaient avoiter.

"Our author concludes by saying, 'L'epithéte râ est appliquée à tout ce qui est mauvais au superlatif.'

"As the first syllable cho ought always to be pronounced as if spelt ko, it has been proposed that the spasmodic cholera should be named kolirah, whilst the bilious epidemic, which is so distinct a disease, might retain its present name of 'cholera.' I am, Sir, your obedient servant, WESTON GOSS, Surg. Dawlish, Devon, Febr. 25, 1833." The Lancet, March 23, 1833.

* In order to shew to you the necessity of caution and research in editing the Memoirs, and how unsafe it is to proceed without having all the editions before you, and how little dependence can be placed on the accuracy and fullness of CROKER's edition, I will cite two articles.

I. "The EPITAPH of PHILIPS is in the porch of WOLVERHAMPTON CHURCH. MR GARRICK appears not to have recited the verses correctly; and one of the various readings is remarkable, as it is the germ of JOHNSON'S concluding line,

And meet thy Saviour's CONSORT in the skies."

CROKER'S BOSWELL, 1, 120.

The note stands thus in PICKERING's edition of 1826, the only other edition which I have at hand :

"The EPITAPH of PHILIPS is in the porch of WOLVERHAMPTON-CHURCH. The prose part of it is curious:

Near this Place Lies

CHARLES CLAUDIUS PHILIPS,
Whose Absolute Contempt of Riches,
And inimitable Performances on the Violin,
Made him the Admiration of all that Knew him :
He was Born in WALES,

Made the Tour of EUROPE,

And after the Experience of both Kinds of Fortune,

Died in 1732.

MR GARRICK appears not to have cited the verses correctly, the original being as follows. One of the various readings is remarkable, as it is the germ of JOHNSON'S concluding line ::

Exalted soul, THY VARIOUS SOUNDS could please
The love-sick virgin, and the gouty ease;

Could jarring CROWDS, like OLD AMPHION, move
To beauteous order, and harmonious love;

Rest here in peace, till Angels bid thee rise,
And meet thy SAVIOUR'S CONSORT † in the skies.

* The first leaf of this letter is unfortunately lost.

DR WILKES, the author of these lines, was a Fellow of TRINITYCOLLEGE, in OXFORD, and Rector of PITCHFORD in SHROPSHIRE; he collected materials for a history of that County, and is spoken of by BROWN WILLIS, in his HISTORY OF MITRED ABbies, 2, 189. But he was a native of STAFFORDSHIRE, and to the antiquities of that County was his attention chiefly confined. MR SHAW has had the use of his papers." BLAKENAY.

Here, then, CROKER attributes to BOSWELL a Note, which was written by BLAKENAY, and he has given only a fragment of the Note !

II. MR COURTENAY, in his Poetical Review of Johnson's Moral and Literary Character, has the following lines;

Soft-eyed compassion with a look benign,
His fervent vows he offer'd at thy shrine ;
To guilt, to woe the sacred debt was paid,
And helpless females bless'd his pious aid:
Snatch'd from disease, and want's abandon'd crew,
Despair and anguish from their victims flew :
Hope's soothing balm into their bosom stole,
And tears of penitence restored the soul.

MR COURTENAY gives the following Note:

"The dignified and affecting Letter written by him to the King in the name of DR DODD, after his condemnation, is justly, and I believe, universally admired. His benevolence indeed was uniform and unbounded. I have been assured that he has often been so much affected by the sight of several unfortunate women, whom he has seen almost perishing in the streets, that he has taken them to his own house, — had them attended with care and tenderness, and on their recovery clothed and placed them in a way of life to earn their bread by honest indus try."

CROKER adds: —

"See ANTE, 5, 219. Such a circumstance may have happened once, but it is absurd to represent it as HABITUAL, as MR COURTENAY has done. DR JOHNSON'S house never was without the superintendence of a respectable lady, who, of course, would "not have tolerated any frequent practice of such irregular charity." CROKER. VOL. 5. p. 456. The passage, to which he refers, 5, 219, is by BosSWELL himself, and is as follows:

"His

generous humanity to the miserable was almost beyond exam