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NOTES AND QUERIES, rio s. XL MAB. 20, im

hypothetical equivalent of the German gau a district. This O.E. *gea has frequently been assumed as a fact by ingenious ety- mologists, but it has never received rights of citizenship in the English language ; it has never been accepted, so far as I am aware, by grammarian or lexicographer. I venture to suggest there is no O.E. *gea.

But even if we admit the existence of this word, it is difficult to see how it can form the final element of Ely or of Surrey. Take the forms of Ely in the English Bede ; how can Elig, Elige (with long i) be ex- plained on the *gea hypothesis ? We are reminded that one of the forms for Surrey in the ' Anglo-Saxon Chronicle ' is SuSrigea a form which is produced as evidence for the existence of gea ; but this explanation does not account for other forms of the word in the same text SiCSrig, StiSrige, Suftrigum.

I think that in the case both of Ely and Surrey we may be allowed to retain the old explanation that Ellg(e) and Suftrigie) con- tain the element lg(e). meaning island or land near the water. There are fewer diffi- culties in the old than in the new etymology. A. L. MAYHEW.

21, Norham Road, Oxford.

"LAPPASSIT" (10 S. xi. 149). I venture to think that term a corruption of the French laissez passer, let pass. A. M. C.

Amsterdam.

CAROLINE AS A MASCULINE NAME (10 S. x. 450 ; xi. 15, 117). In the registers of Heddon-on-the-Wall, Northumberland, there is an instance of this : " Thomas, son to Charolinus Campbell, a Scotchman, and Anne his wife, baptized 10 Feb., 1698 " (quoted in ' Chronicon Mirabile,' p. 153). Perhaps the father was descended from a Stuart adherent. A. RHODES.

JONES =FBANCIS (10 S. xi. 128). Two portraits of Sir Wm. Jones one " aged 47 years," and the other aged about 25 occur in the edition of his works edited by Lord Teignmouth, and published in 1807 in 13 vote. 8vo. No name of painter or engraver is attached to either.

WILLIAM JAGGABD.

CHURCH TOWERS AND SMUGGLED GOODS (10 S. xi. 129). Church towers also appear, at times, to have been utilized as military storehouses and prisons. During the dis- turbances between the Devon and Cornish rebels early in the sixteenth century the . venerable western tower of St. Sidwell's

Church was used for storing gunpowder. This exploded, with the result that the upper portion, with its parapet, was blown into the air.

Previous to that, the belfry seems to have done duty as a prison, one of those confined there, it is stated, being the father of Sir Walter Raleigh. HARRY HEMS.

Fair Park, Exeter.

"HANDSOME TRACY" (10' S. ix. 188? xi. 197). In the last catalogue of Mr. Henry Gray, genealogical bookseller, of Acton, is a folio MS. on 22 pp. containing Proceed- ings in Chancery, 1778-80, Freeman v. Duke of Chandos, Viscount Hereford, Chateris, &c., under will of Robt. Tracy, 1766 (Tracy and Keck). This may perhaps interest MR. BLEACKLEY. W. F. PRIDEAUX.

NOTES ON BOOKS, &o.

The Private Palaces of London, Past and Present,

By E. Beresford Chancellor. (Kegan Paul

&Co.)

THIS volume is handsomely bound, and exceed- ingly well printed and produced. It deals with the historical associations and contents of the London houses of the great nobles, and contains a wonderful mass of information, which will be of value not only to those personally connected with any of the houses in question, but also to any lover of antiquarian London, and to those interested in the extinct or extant peerage, or in pictures, furniture, or statuary. In the preface the author tells us that his " chief aim has been to make known to those who may not be familiar with these great houses the beautiful things that are contained in them, and the intrinsic interest that centres in each " j but he does much more than accomplish his chief aim.

The work is virtually divided into two parts : the first half contains the history and historical associations of houses that are now either demo- lished or converted to other uses, and the second half deals with houses still in existence as "private palaces," such as Apsley House, Devonshire House, Lansdowne House, and a dozen others.

In our view the first part of the book is the more interesting, though why the author has omitted any notice of Somerset House we do not quite understand ; but he has evidently done so by design, as this house is several times re- ferred to in connexion with its ancient neighbour Essex House and Norfolk House.

Our criticisms are, first, that Mr. Chancellor's style is too didactic, as witness his long digression on " public benevolence " in connexion with Crosby Hall ; and secondly, that he is given to using too long sentences and words. Take as an example the first sentence in the book, which runs over ten printed lines, and reads as follows :

" Considering that no such iconoclastic move- ment as that which on two notable occasions