I'll start by Avernus,

A tavern of note,
That Charon won't spurn as
He comes from his boat.

No cave-rat inspector
A spy on my ways,
I'll make a prime nectar
That Pluto will praise.
If Tant'lus inclin'd

Is to give me the meeting,
Thirsty dog! he shall find
Wine that knows no retreating!
In my "parlour" the Furies
Shall smilingly rest;
O'er my wine that so pure is
They'll frolic and jest.
The Parcæ their portals
And weaving shall quit,
Letting poor fated mortals
Alone for a bit!

If rollicking Bacchus
Look in for a crack,*
Silenus's jack-ass

Must carry him back.
And as for Ixion,

I'll make him to feel (He this may rely on!)

His head is his wheel!

Should I e'er get permission
T' emerge from the gloom,
In my usual condition

I'll visit my tomb.
And should there be near it
No well-laden vine,
You'll find that a spirit
Can kick up a shine!
Don't give me a marble-
'Tis well understood,
The wild birds can warble
The best from the wood!
So my tomb be a cask,

With some verses that say

"This son of a flask

Was the first-in his way!"

JAMES HENRY DIXON.

"ES" AND "EN.”

(4th S. vi. 396, 514.)

Roquefort renders ès, "chez, dans; es unz, es aultres, chez les uns, chez les autres"; and ès, "la préposition en, dans, in; voici, ecce. Elle est encore usitée au palais."

Cotgrave gives ès, "preposition ever set before words of the plurall number, as en before those of the singular. In the, at the, into, or unto the." Surenne gives 66 ès, contrac. of en les." Both Landais and Tarver consider ès contracted from dans les. R. S. CHARNOCK.

Gray's Inn.

Gossip, tittle-tattle:

"Come Nicol, and gie us thy cracks." Anderson's Cumbrian Ballads.

The confidence with which DR. DIXON solves philological difficulties is something quite remarkable. In the case before us, without a word of argument, proof, illustration, or any warrant from authority (for I deny that Asborne de Chastelain is in any sense an authority), he pronounces ex cathedra that (1) ès and en have the same meaning; (2) that "ès is as good a French word as en"; (3) that "ès has nothing to do with en les"; and (4), that "ès has nothing to do with any abbreviation, except it be the Greek eis, from whence it is derived." He then gently reproaches me, by implication, for not having referred to "so common a French dictionary" as De Chastelain's, and assumes that if I had done so I should have been at once converted to the doctrine of that author (whoever he may be) that "ès is derived from the Greek." The fact is, however, that De Chastelain's and DR. DIXON'S " guess" (for it is nothing more) that ès is derived from the Greek weighs little with me against the grave authorities of Scheler, Burguy, Littré, Ampère, and Brachet, assuring and convincing me that it has nothing at all to do with Greek, but is a contraction of en les.

The argument itself may be very briefly stated. The process which converts de les into dels, and then into des, converts en les into enls and then into ens. This form is found, but as the combination ns was in early times distasteful to French ears, ens soon became es, just as transpas became trespas, and enfans, enfes. Those who wish to see this little problem fully worked out, with_illustrations, may consult Scheler, Littré, and Brachet's dictionaries, sub voce, and especially Burguy's Grammaire de la Langue d'Oïl, i. 54.

Unfortunately for DR. DIXON, he has not only laid down rules founded on no other authority than his own, but he has ventured to illustrate them by self-made examples. He tells us that in France, Belgium, and Switzerland countries where French is spoken-the academical diplomas are made out in the following fashion: "Bachelier ès Science," "Docteur ès Droit," "Docteur ès Philosophie," where, as he adds, ès is used as being 66 more official and classical than en." Being greatly surprised at this information, I resorted at once to the great treasury of the French language-Littré's noble dictionary-to see if by any chance such an anomaly as "Docteur ès Droit had ever found its way into French literature. Not one example, however, could I find of ès before a noun in the singular number. "Es périls," "es mains," "es bestes,' 99.66 99.66 es plantes," es arbres," 99.66 es lettres," es arts," &c., have all been in use in different stages of French, but never es péril,' "es art," &c. It now therefore remains for DR. DIXON to tell us where he discovered "ès science," "ès droit," and "ès philosophie."

Kildare Gardens.

79.66

66

J. PAYNE.

THE BALTIMORE AND "OLD MORTALITY” PATERSONS.

(4th S. vi. 187, 207, 290, 354.)

DR. RAMAGE gave some interesting papers on "Old Mortality" and his descendants, expressing no doubts as to the relationship of the Baltimore Patersons to "Old Mortality." Is he aware that Sir Walter Scott accepted the statement of Mr. Train with considerable reserve? I find the following letter in the work entitled

"The Contemporaries of Burns and the more Recent Poets of Ayrshire, with Selections from their Writings." Hugh Paton, Edinburgh, 1840,—

to which DR. RAMAGE has referred (4th S. vi. 457):

"17th April, 1829. "My dear Train, "Your valuable communication arrived in clipping time, and adds highly to the obligations which your kindness has so often conferred on me. I shall hardly venture to mention the extraordinary connexion between the Bonaparte family and that of Old Mortality, till I learn from you how it is made out; whether by continued acknowledgment and correspondence between the families of the two brothers, or otherwise. A stream of genius (too highly toned in the old patriarch) seems to have run through the whole family. The minister of Galashiels is a clever man, and so is his brother. What

a pity Old Mortality's grave cannot be discovered! I would certainly erect a monument to his memory at my own expense."

In reply to this Mr. Train stated that he had been prevented from answering his kind letter sooner, Mr. Paterson not having drawn up his account of his family so early as promised:

"I thought it would be more satisfactory to you," adds Mr. Train, "to have an account of his relations in America, written by himself, than anything I could say on the subject. Although you will see that what is stated does not amount to positive proof of the Queen of Westphalia's father being the son of Old Mortality, I for my part have no doubt that he was."

Then it goes on to say that Robert Paterson-' “gives a distinct account of his brother John sailing in

a vessel called the Golden Rule, of Whitehaven, from the Water of Cree in Galloway for America, in the year 1774; of his making a considerable fortune during the American War; and of his afterwards settling at Baltimore, where he improved his fortune, married, and became highly respectable. He had a son named Robert after Old Mortality, his father; and a daughter named Elizabeth after his mother, whose maiden name was Grey. Robert married an American lady, who, outliving him,

has become Marchioness of Wellesley. Elizabeth was married to Jerome Bonaparte. Extraordinary as these circumstances may appear, Sir Walter was convinced of the truth of the statement, and declined publishing it solely in deference to the Duke of Wellington."

Now I have little doubt that DR. RAMAGE is aware of the hesitation which Sir Walter, at one time at least, felt in accepting the relationship between the two families, and has probably examined the question. Would he do us the favour to give the grounds on which he assumes the relationship? He will also observe that there are some additional circumstances noted in what I have quoted, which do not appear in the copy of the paper which he gives. This account stops at the sailing of John to America, but here Mr. Train gives some account of John's career in America. F. B.

he thinks it does against those who put forward any other suggestion.

Tenby was originally called Dinbych y Pyscoed, having been a fishing station of the ancient Britons. The name is thus analysed: Din, a hill; bych (a corruption of bech), small, and Pyscoed, sh, reading thus-"the fishery by the small hill." This, I conceive, is the correct origin of the word; and bearing in mind the composition of several words forming one, in Welsh names, the rules of etymology are not broken. Denbigh is another name in which we have Din bech, a small bill; probably so named from the comparison with the higher places surrounding it. In the word Penyoun there are three distinct Welsh words, viz. Pen y, the head or promontory, and eca, summit. The manner in which such a name is this is construed is surprising. Supposing the Scandinavian origin to be the true one, it follows naturally, I think, that such words as Pen y bont in Radnorshire, Penstrywed (written sometimes Pen y Strowed) in Montgomeryshire, Penmaen or Pen y Maen in Glamorganshire, Peniarth in Merionethshire, Penderin or Pen-y-daren in Brecknockshire, must testify to Danish or Scandinavian influence; but I am afraid that J. CK. R. would not permit this. It is hardly sound reasoning to say that, because the Danes were in South Wales, it follows corrupted names must be Danish. I am aware of the presence of traces of Danish or Northern influence in Wales, but to what extent I am as yet unable to say; but so far as the words in question are concerned, the Welsh derivations are and must be satisfactory to an impartial student.

If J. CK. R. or any other Norse scholar can prove the names I have put forward in support of my position to be of Norse origin, then I shall only be too happy to acknowledge my error; but till then I am content to accept the Welsh explanation. J. JEREMIAH.

The first of these names is clearly Celtic. Peny-tir-sal signifies in Cymric "the head (or end) of the poor land." In Gaelic it would take the form of Ben-a-tir-salach.

There is an infiltration of Cymric forms in many of the Scottish names of places, which is probably due to the Pictish element, midway between the Cymric and Gaelic.

The word Cun-stone is evidently Scandinavian. Kona or Kuna signifies woman or wife-a word of cognate derivation with the English queen. It is a fair inference that the name is connected with the chambered tumulus mentioned by your correspondent. It would then signify the queen's (or wife's) cairn or burial-place.

The pertinacity with which your correspondent J. CK. R. (4th S. vi. 479) clings to the exploded fallacy of the Danish derivation of such common

Welsh names as Conway, Llugwy, &c., is quite amusing. If Celtic forms, with a Celtic intelligible meaning, found in a Celtic district, are not evidence of a Celtic origin, I am at a loss to know how anything at all is capable of proof. The science of etymology has grievously suffered from being identified with the guesses and riddles, frequently ingenious enough, of persons who misunderstand its very elements. As Max Müller observes

66

Sound etymology has nothing to do with sound. We know words to be of the same origin which have not a single letter in common, and which differ in meaning as much as black and white. Mere guesses, however plausible, are completely discarded from the province of scientific etymology. A derivation, even though it be true, is of no real value if it cannot be proved."

Take for instance at random a passage from the letter of J. CK. R. He asserts, without any attempt at proof, that Pen is a personal Danish name, and then proceeds —

"There is Penycwn, in Pembrokeshire, one of the chief settlements of the Danes or their predecessors the Picts on the English coasts, in which is found the purely Danish name of Tenby."

It would be difficult to bring together in so small a space a larger number of fallacies. In the first place Pen-y-cwm, the head (or end) of the hollow, is one of the commonest of Welsh appellations. There is not the slightest ground for the assertion that it was ever a Danish settlement. When did the Picts settle on the English coasts? or if they did, where is the evidence of their ever being in Pembrokeshire?

Then as to the name of Tenby. The suffix by is assumed plausibly enough to indicate a Danish town or settlement (not a fortress). But what of Ten, the prefix? Mr. Taylor says it is a corruption of Dane. J. CK. R. very conveniently assumes it to be a Danish proper name.

Now the facts about Tenby are simply these: Its original name was Dynbych-y-Pysgod, "the little hill-fort by the fishery," which exactly indicates the position of the castle rock projecting into the sea. The Danes harried the coast in the tenth century, but effected no settlement here. No town existed until the end of the twelfth century, when Tenby was founded by the Flemings and English after the destruction of the castle by Malgwn, son of Rhys ap Gryffyth, Prince of South Wales. Tenby then is simply the English corruption of the original Cymric Dynbych, as another Dynbych in North Wales has by a similar process become Denbigh.

If etymology is ever to take its proper rank as a true science, the first thing to be done is to discard all such fanciful and baseless speculations, and to build upon the solid basis of known facts. J. A. PICTON.

Sandyknowe, Wavertree, Liverpool.

FRANCIS, EARL OF BOTHWELL (4th S. vi. 422.) ANGLO-SCOTUS says that Francis Stewart, son of James Stewart, Commendator of Melros and Kelso, was created Earl of Bothwell in 1587 by James VI. I do not pretend to enter into these questions with one so thoroughly conversant with such | subjects, but it may interest him to have his attention drawn to the following old charter, which accidentally came under my notice when · I was investigating the " Temple-lands" of Dumfriesshire, and which seems to contradict the statement as to the year when he was made Earl of Bothwell. The charter, of which I have a copy, was among the archives of the "Kirkpatricks " of Closeburn. It is a charter by James VI. dated "apud Dunfermeling penultimo die Mensis Junii anno Domini millesimo quingentesimo octagesimo sexto regni nostri decimo nono." The witnesses are

et

"Perdilectis nostris consanguineis et consiliariis Joanne Domino Hamiltoun, commendatorio monasterii nostri de Aberbrothek, Archibaldo Angusie, comite, Domino Dolbyles? Abernethie, Reverendissimo ac venerabili pro patribus Patricio Sanctiandre Archiepiscopo, Waltero priore de Blantyre nostri secreti sigilli custode; dilectis nostris familiaribus et consiliariis, Domino Joanne Maitland de Thirlstane milite nostro secretario, Alexandro Hay de Eister," &c.

This charter is confirmatory of the church-lands and temple-lands of Closeburn to "Petro Collace," which had been granted by a charter (which is recited) of Francis Earl of Bothwell: "Perdilectum nostrum consiliarium Franciscum comitem de Bothwell, dominum Haillis et commendatorem monasterii de Kelso," and this charter was signed "apud Castrum de Creichton die vicesimo quarto mense Januarii, anno Domini millesimo, quingentesimo octagesimo quinto."

Here we have Francis Stewart styled in this charter of January, 1585, as Earl of Bothwell. I throw out this hint for the consideration of ANGLO-SCOTUS, without pretending to give an opinion on the subject.

CRAUFURD TAIT RAMAGE.

MOUNT CALVARY (4th S. vi. 542.)—The holy Scripture, it is true, says nothing as to the place called Golgotha being a mountain or a valley. But the universal custom of calling it a "mount" could only have arisen from a knowledge of the spot, and the tradition of the first ages of the Christian Church. J. W. H. observes that "if the tradition of an eminence were of respectable antiquity, it might be," &c.; by which he seems to doubt if it be of respectable antiquity. I think the testimony of St. Cyril ought alone to suffice on this point. St. Cyril was Bishop of Jerusalem in the fourth century, and there he delivered his famous Catecheses, or catechetical instructions, in sight of the holy places. In his 13th Catechesis he distinctly speaks of Calvary as a holy eminence

“ Ο Γολγοθὰς οὗτος ὁ ἅγιος, ὁ ὑπερανεστώς, καὶ μέχρι σήμερον φαινόμενος, καὶ δεικνύων μέχρι νῦν ὅπως διὰ Xploтdy ai téтpai Tóte éppáynσav." (Catechesis xiii. § xxxix.)

(That holy and supereminent Golgotha; and to be seen at this day, and showing even now, how by Christ the rocks were then rent.) F. C. H.

There are at least two passages of earlier date than the middle of the eleventh century (the time when MR. FERGUSON supposes the transference of the Holy Sepulchre to the western hill to have taken place), in which Calvary is referred to as a "mount." The one is in the Ecclesiastical History of Sozomen, ii. 1, where it is said that the Greeks, "the more effectually to conceal them, had enclosed the place of the resurrection and Mount Calvary within a wall"; the other in the tract of Theodorus, written somewhere about the end of the sixth century, where it is said, speaking of Calvary, that the mount is stony, and that the ascent to the mount is by steps. (See Revue archeologique, Aug. 1864, p. 109, and Palæstina Descriptiones ex Sæculo, iv. v. et vi. Titus Tobler, St. Gallen, 1869.) There is a curious passage of a later date in Geoffrey de Vinsauf's Itinerary of King Richard I. cap. 79, where, speaking of the capture of Jerusalem in A.D. 1187, the writer says:

"When the city was taken, the crier of the Mahometan law proceeded to the summit of the rock of Calvary, and had consummated the law of death upon the cross." (Sec there published their false law in the place where Christ Bohn's Chronicles of the Crusades, p. 79-80.)

ALEX. B. M'GRIGOR.