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NOTES AND QUERIES. tn s. ix. APRIL is, wu

fence, intrans. verb (?). " Fencing of a congey with arms and legs." ' Induction to Malcon- tent,' stage-direction. fiery-still, adj. =bold and gentle at once. Whose resolution was so fiery-still It seemed he knew better to die than kill.

' Mon. Col.,' 80.

figure, noun = a stage surmounted with per- formers in a pageant. "To give you better light of the figure, the chief person in this is Sir Thomas White." ' Mon. Hon.,' 331.

find out, active verb = to win to one's wife. " In hope to find you out." ' Cuck.,' I. i. 38.

fore-path, noun = a short cut. "The fore-path may advantage thee to meet 'em." ' Cuck.,' II. i. 32.

jorespousals, noun =betrothal. " Divorc'd from her forespousals with Icilius." ' App.,' IV. ii. 128.

iort-bridge, noun = the drawbridge in front of a fortress, or a bridge fortified with a barbican. " Meet me at the fort-bridge."' D.M.,' III. iii. 75.

forthcoming, noun = custody.

She is a virgin, sir, and must not lie Under a man's forthcoming.

' App.,' III. ii. 337.

(The word is quoted only as an adjective with a similar meaning, 1565-73, to keep somebody 'forthcoming=to keep in safe custody.)

iraight, ad j.= fraught or freighted. " Fraight with love and duty."' D.M.,' V. i. 69.

French rheum, noun =the venereal disease. " Your French fly applied to the nape of the neck for

.the French rheum." ' App.,' III. ii. 27.

B ON A. F. BOURGEOIS.

(To be, continued.)

A WOLFE DISPATCH. What light could be thrown on the following dispatch ? It is of parchment, eight inches in length, three in width, curved on the top and bottom so as to be the more easily fitted to the ankle (or arm) of the messenger under his clothes. It is crumpled, and shows evidences of having been used. This is the wording in facsimile : GENERAL AMHERST, Duquesne.

I can make no Change in the Position as you suggest no can I render you assistance in the matter. It is imperative that you hold the left bank until the arrival of General How.

June, 1759. WoLFE '

It does not look like a forgery. Who would have an interest in such ? and a forger would have added an r to " no " and a terminal e to the "How."

The present Earl Amherst has searched among the family papers, but cannot find any letter to which the above would have been a reply.

Unless the apparent place of writing be a cipher word, my opinion would be that it and all following the word " matter " are to deceive the enemy in case the ranger to

whom it was entrusted should be captured. Duquesne was far to the west, and had been in our possession since the preceding year. It was the first intimation to Am- herst that Wolfe was before Quebec. The route to the rear and the Hudson, though long, was familiar to the rangers. Wolfe would not have given advice to Amherst as to his movements. The rendering of assistance might refer to the regret often expressed by Wolfe that, owing to some of the French frigates having escaped up the river, he could not with gunboats clear the route towards Montreal, and thus aid the other general.

There may be traditions in the family of officers in one or the other of the armies, and I have not yet been able to find the family whence the dispatch came, although I am assured of its authenticity.

Col. Howe, later a general officer, was at Wolfe's side in June, 1759.

DAVID Ross McCoRD.

Temple Grove, Montreal.

THE GREAT FIRE OF LONDON : A CON- TEMPORARY LETTER. The following extract from The Morning Post of 7 March may, I think, be deemed worthy of reproduction

in ' N. & Q.' :

" A correspondent writes : Among the many interesting old documents which Mr. G. L. Courthope, the member for the Rye Division of Sussex, possesses is the following letter, which he has permitted me to copy and to send to the Morning Post for publication. It was written on the third day of the Great Fire of London, 1666, by the London agent or factor to the Courthope family, which owned extensive ironworks in Kent and Sussex. One of the few houses which survived in Leadenhall Street belonged to an ancestor of Mr. Courthope, Sir George Courthope, of Whiligh, a cousin of Mr. Alexander Courthope, of Sprivers, to whom this letter was addressed. The house survived until about 1878, when it was replaced by Africa House. The letter is as follows :

" HONOURED MB. COURTHOP, I must begg your pdon if I write nonsense, for I am in a sadd condition, my house burnt and all my other houses in London to ye valor of 150 S. And (?) but as to your Aceompts & business all is safe, only I have 500Z. in S r Robert Viners hands, how they have disposd of your Cash I know not, but will make enquiry that soe I may supply your occasion as long as I am able you shal be sure to heare from me next weeke when I hope to satisfie your desires, but truly sd. have it ye saddest glow that ever was seen and I believe there is'nt one house standing within ye walls except some few at Leadenhall Street & ffenchurch Street it is still burning, and when it will cease none knows for ye french Preists have a world of fireballs which they scatter up & downe in all places. I saw one of their Balls this morning and there was taken 3 Bushells of them, soe that we can not