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NOTES AND QUERIES. [I2s.ii.ocr.i4.i9i6.

"CADEAU" = A PRESENT. The ' X.E.D.' furnishes, no earlier instance of the introduc- tion of this word than that found in the ' Ingoldsby Legends.' Fanny Burney, not yet Madame D'Arblay, had written in August, 1790 : " I believe [the Princess] had no cadeau that gave her equal delight " (' Diary,' &c., ed. 1905, iv. 415).

RICHARD H. THORNTON.

GLOVES : SURVIVALS OF OLD CUSTOMS. In the third volume of ' L'Archeologie Fran- caise,' by M. C. Eulart, which deals with costume in the Middle Ages, I read at p. 256:

" II etait considere comme scandaleux a la tin du XI* siecle d'entrer gante k 1'eglise, et c'etait encore une grave insulte au XI V e de ne pas se deganter pour sejrer la main d'un ami." I think we may see the remains of the former custom in the Catholic practice of removing one's gloves before approaching the Com- munion-rail to receive the Sacrament. The latter custom seems to survive in England, where the forrmila "Excuse my gloves" always astonishes a Frenchman when he first comes across it. P. TURPIN.

Folkestone.

WORDS IN NEWSPAPERS. I am glad that ' X. & Q.' is protesting against the needless, and in some cases incorrect, use of certain words that are constantly appearing in the newspapers. I am offended by the following to select but a few :

Annihilate. E.g., " After a body of men have been annihilated, there is always a large number that escapes."

Decimate. This word is generally made to imply almost entire destruction.

Asphyxiating Gas. Written inaccurately instead of " irritant gas," a very different matter.

. Orienting. This word is used in a way that sometimes becomes utterly ridiculous, as, e.g., we were told some months ago that " Bulgaria was orienting towards the Central Powers." W. B. S.

NAPOLEON AND SUGAR. The present high price of sugar in England may recall the fact that there was a similar scarcity in France during the later period of the Napoleonic wars. The emperor sought to aim a blow at British commerce and the colonies by encouraging the manufacture of sugar from beet-root. A smart caricature was pub- lished on the occasion, in which the little King of Rome was represented sitting on his nurse's lap, chewing a huge beetroot, while the nurse encouraged him by saying :

' ; Mangez, mangez toujours, mon petit roi ; votre papa dit que c'est du sucre." Beet- root sugar was then, of course, a novelty. ANDREW DE TERNANT. 36 Somerleyton Road, Brixton, S.W.

(Q items.

WE must request correspondents desiring in- formation on family matters of only private interest to affix their names and addresses to their queries, in order that answers may be sent to them direct.

FISHING -ROD IN THE BIBLE OR TALMUD. There is no express mention of a fishing-rod in the Old Testament or New Testament r though some passages have been supposed to imply its use. Nor, to judge by S. Kraus> (' Talmudische Archaologie,' 1910), is the rod mentioned in the Talmud. The opinion of your learned correspondent MB. M. L. R. BRESLAR on both points would be much valued. S. LANE-POOLE.

W T ILLIAM BELL. I shall be glad of in- formation about William Bell, described in S. Redgrave's ' Dictionary* of Artists of the English School ' as " portrait and history painter." J know what is said about him there, and also in Bryan's ' Dictionary/ It appears that

he found a patron in Lord Delaval, and painted! two views of his Lordship's mansion, Seaton Delaval, and several whole-length portraits of his family."

Do these pictures still exist, and if so, where are they ? PHILIP N GERMAN.

45 Evelyn Gardens, S.W.

EPITAPHS IN OLD LONDON AND SUBURBAN- GRAVE YARDS. Is there any comprehensive collection of such inscriptions made before the general craze for their destruction set in at the end of last century ? The collections for Lambeth, Battersea, &c., recently pub- lished in ' N. & Q.' are most interest ing and valuable, and should excite imitation. L'n- fortunately, so many of our old London churchyards have, I fear, disappeared f leaving no trace behind them.

Can any contributor to ' N. & Q.' kindly inform me if a collection has been made of the epitaphs in the churchyard of St. Anne's, Limehouse ? When I visited that interesting old church, now in the midst of an asphalted playground looking far more dismal than when it was sur- rounded by a " God's Acre " I noticed that almost all the tombstones were more or less defaced, and covered up with rubbish against