Page:Notes and Queries - Series 10 - Volume 5.djvu/285

 V. MARCH 24, 1906.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

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not only in Derbyshire and America, but in Scotland, Ireland, and in many English counties, including two so far apart as Northumberland and Devon. I notice further, in my 'Concise Etymological Dictionary' (also not consulted), that the Swedish dialects possess a strong verb, with the sense "to fall down plump," which would in English take the form dimp, with a past tense damp, and a pp. dumpen. There is also the E. Friesic dumpen, to press down ; Du. dampen, to extinguish, dompden, to plunge ; Jutland dumpe, to fall plump, &c. I suppose it is of no use to remark that the * New English Dictionary' explains four substantives, one adjective, and two verbs, all of the form dump, besides dumpage, dumpily, dumpiness, dumping (in three senses, including the one under discussion), dumpish, &c., because it seems to be generally agreed that this book is wholly inaccessible and deserves to be ignored. Yet the derivatives dumping bucket -car, -cart, -{/round, -machine, -place, -reel, sled, and -loagon are all mentioned there. WALTER W. SKEAT.

I think the credit (if any) for the entry of this word into the language of fiscal con- troversy belongs to the Canadian Parliament. Our protective system owes its birth to the bitter cry set up by our manufacturers about 1876, to the effect that they were being ruined of set purpose by American manu- facturers, who were accused of "slaughtering," or "dumping" their goods here, regardless of present loss to themselves, with a view to effecting the destruction of the infant industries of Canada, which object being accomplished, they would proceed to in- demnify themselves by exacting monopoly prices, &c. In the peculiar circumstances of Canada this cry was a very effective one. AVERN PARDOE.

Legislative Library, Toronto.

MASTEGNA'S HOUSE (10 th S.iv. 87; v.74, 115). In my reply at the last reference, 1. 14 from foot, for "under the heading 'In S. Andrese'" read "under the headings *Man- tuana ' and ' In S. Andre*.' "

In The Century Magazine of January, 1890, vol. xxxix. p. 395, is an article on Mantegna. The date of his death there given is 1506 :

"At the age of seventy-three he was engaged to paint for Francesco Cornaro, a Venetian, the 'Triumph of Scipio,' the price being stipulated at 150 ducats ; but as he found this too little, he^seems not to have gone on with the work, and Cardinal Bembo wrote to the Marchesa [i.e., Isabella, wife of Giovanni Francesco II.] in 1505 to beg her to urge Mantegna to goon with it. This is now in the National Gallery of London. It was apparently

.iis last work, for in 1506 he wrote to Isabella saying, that he had finished the * Comas' she had ordered,

adding that he had paid 340 ducats for a house

Five weeks later he died." P. 393. [t would appear that " It was apparently his last work " ought to read " It was apparently not," &c.

The same article (p. 397) says :

lk In 1476 we have a memorandum of the Marchese [i.e. Lodovico Gonzaga] having given him land near ihe church of S. JSebastiano to build himself a- louse."

In 1484 he writes to Lorenzo de' Medici for a little money to enable him to finish his new house (p. 327).

Also it is asserted (ibid.} that Mantegna received a grant of a piece of land free from? taxes apparently from Giovanni Fran- cesco II. as an extra compensation for finishing the 'Triumphs of Oesar ' for the San Sebastiano Palace and the decorations of a new room (1491).

It is not stated where this second piece of land was situated. ROBERT PIERPOINT.

CURSE OF SEAFORTH' (10 th S. v. 168). In Burke's ' Vicissitudes of Families,' second ed., 1863, Third Series, p. 266, there is an article 'The Fate of Seaforth.' The whole of the curse is not given, as explained further on at p. 274 :

'I must offer an explanation concerning the fragmentary nature of the Warlock's prophecy. He uttered it in all its horrible length ; but I suppress the last portion, which is as yet unful- filled, and which, therefore, I am unwilling to- relate." Further on Sir Bernard writes :

" The last clause of the prophecy is well known? to many of those versed in Highland family tradi- tion ; but it must not be published, and I trust that it may remain unfulfilled."

R. J. FYNMORE.

Sandgate.

A fairly full account of this is given in a small book entitled 'The Prophecies of the- Brahan Seer,' by Alexander Mackenzie, F.S. A.Scot., published by A. <fe\V. Mackenzie, of Inverness. A. R. H.

DOUBTFUL PRONUNCIATIONS (10 th S. v. 147,. 193). As myth is a word used only by edu- cated people, its pronunciation (at least in Scotland) is fairly uniform. This gives it the- value that fits it to form a rime with smith. Only one of my university contemporaries said meith, and it used to be very entertaining to induce him unconsciously to pronounce the word. Troth and wroth rime with froth, nob with loth. The former, as a mild asseveration,, is still in common use on the east coast of Scotland, north of the Tay. Probably th&