would otherwise have remained buried in the Latin obscurity of Dr. Horsley's more elaborate production.

these unlettered students being able to derive any portion of Dr. Simson's restoration of Euclid's material advantages from their publication: and Porisms, translated from the Opera Reliqua of that hence arises another weighty reason why Simpson's distinguished geometer; and though the work was writings were so eagerly studied, seeing they con- not continued, sufficient had already been done to tained the leading propositions of some of the most furnish the generality of students with a clue to interesting researches of the Alexandrian School. the real nature of this celebrated enigma of antiAfter the death of Simpson, the Rev. John quity. The last of these worthy benefactors to Lawson, who appears to have inherited no small the non-academic geometers of the last century portion of the spirit of his predecessors, began to was Mr. Reuben Burrow, who, by publishing_in take the lead in geometrical speculations; and 1779 his Restitution of Apollonius Pergaus on Inhaving himself carefully studied the principal writ-clinations, gave publicity to a valuable relic which ings of the ancient geometers, now formed the happy project of unfolding these treasures of antiquity to the general reader, by presenting him with English translations of most of these valuable re- During the greater portion of the time just remains. With this view he published a translation viewed, Mr. Jeremiah Ainsworth was resident in of Vieta's restoration of Apollonius on Tangencies the neighbourhood of Manchester, and so early as in 1764, and to this, in the second edition of 1771, 1761 was in correspondence with the editors of the was added the Treatise on Spherical Tangencies, Mathematical Magazine. He subsequently assoby Fermat, which has since been reprinted in the ciated with Mr. George Taylor, a gentleman of Appendix to the Ladies' Diary for 1840. In 1767 kindred habits, then resident in the immediate appeared Emerson's Treatise on Conic Sections; a vicinity, and these worthy veterans of science, as work which, notwithstanding its manifest defects, time wore on, collected around them a goodly contributed not a little to aid the student in his array of pupils and admirers, and hence may truly approaches to the higher geometry, but whose pub- be said not only to have laid the foundation of the lication would probably have been rendered un- "Oldham Society," but also to have been the necessary, had Dr. Simson so far loosened himself fathers of the Lancashire school of geometers. from the trammels of the age, as to have written Such then was the state of affairs in the mathemahis own admirable treatise in the English language. tical world at the period of which we are speaking; The frequency, however, with which Mr.Emerson's all the works just enumerated were attracting the treatise has been quoted, almost up to the present attention of all classes of students by their novelty date, would appear to justify the propriety of in- or elegance; Dr. Hutton and the Rev. Charles cluding it amongst the means by which the study Wildbore had the management of the Diaries, each of geometry was promoted during the last genera-vieing with the other in offering inducements for tion. The success which attended Mr. Lawson's geometrical research; whilst both, in this respect, first experiment induced him to proceed in his for a time, had to contend against the successful career of usefulness by the publication, in 1772, competition of Reuben Burrow, the talented editor of the Treatise on Determinate Section; to which of Carnan's Diary: correspondents consequently was appended an amended restoration of the same became numerous and widely extended, each colwork by Mr. William Wales, the well-known geo- lecting around him his own select circle of ardent meter, who attended Captain Cook as astronomer, inquirers; and thus it was, to use the words of in one of his earlier voyages. In 1773 appeared Mr. Harvey, and answer the questions proposed, the Synopsis of Data for the Construction of Tri- that inquiries which had hitherto been "locked up angles, which was followed in 1774 by his valuable in the deep, and to them unapproachable recesses Dissertations on the Geometrical Analysis of the of Plato, Pappus, Apollonius and Euclid * Ancients; and although the author used an unjus- porisms and foci, sections of ratio and of space, tifiable freedom with the writings of others, Dr. inclinations and tangencies,-subjects confined Stewart's more especially, it is nevertheless a work among the ancients to the very greatest minds, which probably did more to advance the study of (became) familiar to men whose condition in life the ancient geometry than any other separate was, to say the least, most unpropitious for the treatise which could be named. As these publica- successful prosecution of such elevated and protions became distributed amongst mathematicians, found pursuits." the Magazines, the Diaries, and various other The preceding sketch is respectfully submitted periodicals, began to show the results of the activity as an attempt to answer the queries of PEN-AND which had thus been created; geometrical ques- INK, so far as Lancashire is concerned. It is not tions became much more abundant, and a numer-improbable that other reasons, equally cogent, or ous list of contributions appeared which afford ample proof that their able authors had entered deeply into the spirit of the ancient geometry. During the year 1777 Mr. Lawson issued the first

*

perhaps corrective of several of the preceding, may
be advanced by some of your more learned cor
respondents, whose experience and means of re-
ference are superior to my own. Should
any such

Trianon (No. 27.).—The origin of this name is thus stated by M. Dolort, in his excellent work entitled Mes voyages aux environs de Paris, ii. 88. "Le grand Trianon.-Appelé au 13° siècle Triarmun, nom d'une ancienne paroisse, qui était divisée en trois villages dépendant du diocèse de Chartres. Cette terre, qui appartenait aux moines de Sainte-Geneviève, fut achetée par Louis XIV. pour agrandir le parc de Versailles, et plus tard il y fit construire le château."

MEANING OF "BAWN."

Bawn (Vol. i., p. 440.) has been explained as "the outer fortification, inclosing the court-yard of an Irish castle or mansion, and was generally composed of a wall with palisadoes, and sometimes flankers."

The word bawn or bane (the a pronounced as in the English word hat) is still applied in the south of Ireland to the spot of ground used as a place for milking the cows of a farm, which, for obvious reasons, is generally close to the farm-house. Before the practice of housing cattle became general, every country gentleman's house had its bawn or bane. The necessity for having such a place well fenced, and indeed fortified, in a country and period when cattle formed the chief wealth of all parties, and when the country was infested by Creaghadores and Rapparees, is obvious; and hence the care taken in compelling the "undertakers in Ulster" to have at least "a good bawn after the Irish fashion." In Munster the word bane or baun is used to express land that has been long in grass; tholluff bawn being used to signify grass land about to be brought into cultivation; and tholluff breagh, or red land, land which has been recently turned. To redden land is still used to express either to plough land, or, more generally, to turn land with the spade.

in grass, and necessarily receiving a good deal of Now the milking field was, and is always kept manure, would usually be white from the growth of daisies and white clover. Hence such a field would be called the white field: and from this to the general application of the phrase to grass land the transition is easy and natural. It may be

Wood paper (No.32.)-At the close of the last century a patent was granted to Matthias Koops for the manufacture of paper from straw, wood, &c. In September, 1800, he dedicated to the king a Historical account of the substances which have been used to describe events, in small folio. The volume is chiefly printed on paper made from straw; the appendix is on paper made from wood alone. Both descriptions of paper have borne the test of time extremely well. Murray, in his Prac-proper to add, that in Kerry, particularly, the tical remarks on modern paper, speaks of Koops the same person will call it bane, if mentioning word is pronounced bawn, in speaking Irish; but and his inventions with much ignorance and unsuch land in English. The a in the latter word is, fairness. as I said before, pronounced like the a in hat.

Tobacco in the East (No. 33.)-Relying on the testimony of Juan Fragoso, physician to Felipe II. of Spain, I venture to assert that tobacco is not indigenous to the East. To the same effect writes Monardes. Nevertheless, it was cultivated in Java as early as the year 1603. Edmund Scott, factor for the East India Company at Bantam, thus describes the luxuries of the Javans: "They are very great eaters - and they haue a certaine hearbe called bettaile which they vsually have carryed with them wheresoeuer they goe, in boxes, or wrapped vp in cloath like a suger loafe: and also a nutt called pinange, which are both in operation very hott, and they eate them continually to warme them within, and keepe them from the fluxe. They doe likewise take much tabacco, and also opium.”—An exact discovrse etc. of the East Indians, London, 1606. 4°. Sig. N 2.

BOLTON CORNEY.

The Irish for a cow being bo, the phrase may have had its origin therefrom. On this matter, as on all relating to Irish antiquities, the readers of "NOTES AND QUERIES" may be glad to have a sure person to refer to; and they cannot refer to a more accomplished Irish scholar and antiquarian than "Eugene Curry." His address is, "Royal Irish Academy, Grafton Street, Dublin." KERRIENSIS.

Replies to Minor Queries.

Births, Marriages, &c., Taxes on (Vol. ii., p. 10.). -The first instance, that I am aware of, of a tax on marriages in this country, occurs in the 5 of Wm. and Mary, c. 21. The war in which William engaged soon rendered it necessary to tax other incidents of humanity; and accordingly the 6 & 7 Wm. III. c. 6. was passed, granting to his Majesty certain

1048? I have already hinted at the necessity of
caution in such cases; and Mr. Wilkinson of Burn-
ley has given, in a recent number of your work,
two exemplifications. The Bishop of Rochester
certainly adds another; though, of course, un-
designedly.
T. S. D.

Shooter's Hill, June 7.

rates and duties upon marriages, births, deaths, and burials, and upon bachelors and widowers (a widely-spread net), for the term of five years, "for carrying on the war against France with vigour." The taxes on births, marriages, and burials were continued indefinitely by the 7 & 8 Wm. III. c. 35. I know not when this act was repealed; but by the 23 George III. c. 67., taxes were again imposed on burials, births, marriages, Comment. in Apocalypsin (Vol. i., p. 452.).—There and christenings; and by 25 George III. c. 75. was a copy of this volume in the library of the these taxes were extended to Dissenters. By the Duke of Brunswick; and in the hope that Sir F. 34 George III. c. 11., the taxes were repealed, Madden may succeed in obtaining extracts, or a and they ceased on October 1st, 1794. The entries sight of it, I intimate just as much, though not in the parish register noticed by ARUN, refer to in this kingdom. (See Von der Hardt's Autographa these taxes. Query, were our ancestors justified Lutheri et Coætaneorum, tom. iii. 171.) You do not in boasting that they were "free-born" English-seem to have any copy whatever brought to your notice. This collection was, it appears from the men as long as one of these taxes existed? Centifolium Lutheranum of Fabricius (p. 484.), bequeathed by the Duke to the library at Helmstad. Novus.

C. Ross.

M. or N. (Vol. i., p. 415.).—These must, I think, be the initials of some words, and not originating in a corruption of nom, as suggested. We have in the marriage service :

6

"I publish the banns of marriage between M. of

and N. of:

"The curate shall say unto the man, "M. Wilt thou have this woman,' &c. "The priest shall say unto the woman, 66 N.' Wilt thou have this man,' &c. "The man says: 'I, M. take thee N. to my wedded wife,' &c.

"The woman says: 'I, N. take thee M. to my wedded husband,'" &c.

Again," Forasmuch as M. and N. have consented together, &c.

All these passages would go to show that the letters are initials either of some word by which the sex was denoted, or of some very common Christian names of each sex, which were formerly

in use.

I grant that, in the baptismal service, N. may possibly stand for nomen. THOS. COX.

Preston.

Arabic Numerals. — I am not entitled to question either the learning or the "acumen of the Bishop of Rochester; but I am entitled to question the interpretation which E.S.T. tells us (Vol. ii., p. 27.) he puts upon the Castleacre inscription. My title to do so is this:-that in the year of grace 1084 the Arabic numerals were not only of necessity unknown to the "plaisterers" of those walls, but even (as far as evidence has been yet adduced) to the most learned of England's learned men.

As to the regular order in crossing himself, that will entirely depend upon whether the plaister was considered to be a knight's shield, and the figures the blazonry, or not. Is it not, indeed, stated in one of your former numbers, that this very inscription was to be read 1408, and not

formation is too scanty to deserve a place among Robert Deverell (Vol. i., p. 469.). If my inthe Replies, you may treat it as a supplement to Dr. Rimbault's Query. Mr. Deverell also published (according to Lowndes) A New View of the Classics and Ancient Arts, tending to show the invariable Connexion with the Sciences, 4to. Lond. 1806; and Discoveries in Hieroglyphics and other which was Antiquities, 6 vols. 8vo. Lond. 1813,suppressed by the author after a few copies had been sold. I have the second and third volumes, being all that relates to Shakspeare. They consist of an edition of Hamlet, Lear, Othello, Merchant of Venice, and the third satire of Horace, copiously illustrated with notes and woodcuts, intended to prove that in the works in question, in common with "all the classics and the different specimens of the arts which have come down to us from the ancients, no part of them is to be understood without supposing that they were mere vehicles of knowledge not intended to meet the eye or the understanding on the first inspection or perusal;" in short, that all the phrases, characters, and incidents are merely allusions to the appearances of the moon! a representation of which, and of Shakspearian characters, &c., bearing supposed resemblance to its lights and shadows, form the staple of the illustrations. I collect from passages in these volumes, that the first was devoted to a similar illustration of Hudibras. The whole affair seems to afford indications of insanity. In the Biographical Dictionary of Living Authors, 8vo., Lond. 1816, I find that in 1802 he was returned to Parliament by the borough of Saltash, in Cornwall: and from the same authority it also appears that, in addition to the works above noticed, he was the author of A Guide to the Knowledge of the Ancients, 1803, and A Letter to Mr. Whitbread on two Bills pending in Parliament, 8vo. 1807.

J. F. M.

The Hippopotamus.-The Scotch Kilt.—I was on years since a collection of these papers from vathe point of addressing a Minor Query to you, rious sources, which he proposed to publish, and when No. 33. arrived, and therein I saw a Major which I was very glad to learn, as I had always Query from L. (p. 36.), which prompts an imme-regretted that Dr. Maginn had left no memorial diate answer. He asks, "Has there been a live of his splendid talents in a separate publication, hippopotamus in Europe since the reign of Com- but frittered away his genius in periodicals. As modus?" To be sure there has, and Capitolinus "J. M. B." appears very anxious to obtain an auwould have set him right. A goodly assemblage thentic reference to any article contributed by the of animals of all sorts was collected by Gordianus Dr., I think if he could communicate with Mr. Pius, but used by the elder Philip, for the celebra- Tucker Hunt, it might be of great assistance. I tion of the secular games on the 1000th anniver- have not the latter's address, but probably a note sary of the building of Rome, or A.D. 248. Among to the care of his brother's publisher, “D. Bogue, them were 32 elephants, 10 tigers, 10 elks, 60 lions, Fleet Street," might lead to a communication. 30 leopards, 10 hyænas, 1 hippopotamus, 1 rhinoW. H. LAMMIN. ceros, 40 wild horses, 20 wild asses, and 10 giraffes, with a vast quantity of deer, goats, antelopes, and other beasts. "And," it is added in Captain Smyth's Roman Catalogue, "still further to increase the public hilarity, 2000 gladiators were matched in mortal affray."

The portrait of the hippopotamus exhibited on that splendid occasion is well represented upon the large brass medals of Otacilia Severa, Philip's wife, and on those of their son, Philip Junior. That of Otacilia is described at length in Captain Smyth's work.

Now for my Minor Query. Can you, Sir, or any of your intelligent correspondents, oblige me by saying who introduced the kilt into Scotland, and when? However it may wound local prejudice, I fear our northern brethren will find its use to be much more recent than they seem willing to be aware of. At present I will not put a rider on the question, by asking whether an Englishman first gave it them: but perhaps you, Sir, will sift it thoroughly, even although a whole corps of rabid MacNicolls should enter the field against you. 2.

Ashes to Ashes (Vol. ii., p. 22.).—The word is taken from Genesis, xviii. 27.:

66

"I have taken upon me to speak unto the LORD, which am but dust and ashes."

It is plain that this has nothing to do with the treatment of the corpse; but that whatever the exact meaning of the word in Hebrew may be, it is synonymous with dust. As to dust, this is perfectly plain in Genesis, iii. 19.:

"Till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken; for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return."

Here burial seems to be distinctly meant.

The Latin word cinis, which denotes ashes produced by burning, is derived from the Greck, which denotes natural dust, I forget whether burnt ashes also. C. B.

Dr. Maginn's Miscellanies (Vol. i., p. 470.). -Mr. Tucker Hunt (brother of Mr. F. Knight Hunt, author of The Fourth Estate, a History of Newspapers, &c. &c.) showed me some

Fulham, June 5. 1850.

66

Living Dog better than a dead Lion. — For an answer to my Query at Vol. i., pp. 352. 371., where I asked for the authority upon which Baunez gave Homer credit for the expression (which is evidently none of his), quod leoni mortuo etiam lepores insultant,” a friend has referred me to Antholog. Græc. 8vo. Lipsiæ, 1794, tom. iv. p. 112.; out of which you may, perhaps, think it not too late to insert the following Epigr. xi.

“ ὡς ἀπὸ Εκτορος τιτρωσκομένου ὑπὸ Ἑλλήνων, Βάλλετε νῦν μετὰ πότμον ἐμὸν δέμας, ὅττι καὶ αὐταὶ Νεκροῦ σῶμα λέοντος ἐφυβρίζουσι λαγωοί.”