Page:Notes and Queries - Series 12 - Volume 3.djvu/389

 12 s. m. AUG., ion.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

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Sir George also states that a petty-officer on the St. Jean d'Acre, Capt. Henry Keppel's ^hip, offered to blow up any hostile vessel -which might be indicated if he were allowed to approach it disguised, and in a special kind of canoe, so that he could attach a bag con- taining a hundredweight of explosive powder to its forefoot. It appeared that neither the admiral nor Lord Raglan approved of the ^proposal " because, as neither the torpedo nor submarine had at that time been invented, it was hardly thought to be ' cricket ' " (p. 176, &c.).

ST. SWITHIN.

MAGIC SQUARES IN INDIA. In the annual report for 1916 of the Archaeological Super- intendent of Hindu and Buddhist remains in Xorthem India it is stated that amid the ruins of a temple at Dudhai, Jhansi, was to be seen a stone on which was engraven a '" magic square " : (1) The sum of each row, -each column, and each diagonal is 34 ; (2) the sum of all the numbers in each sub- square is 34. Such squares probably are -well known, but to find one in a Hindu temple assigned to the eleventh century A.D. .Hs unusual, perhaps. The figures are 1 to 16.

J. H. RIVETT-CARNAC. Vevey.

" PROFITEER." This word has come into much prominence, both as verb and sub- stantive, during recent discussions on the cause of the great increases in the price of food that have occurred in the last few months. It may therefore be well to put on record in ' N. & Q.' the Prime Minister's use and definition of the word in his speech at Dundee on Saturday, June 30. The Daily Telegraph of July 2 (p. 8, col. 1) thus ^reported this portion of Mr. Lloyd George's speech :

" The second condition which I think the country is entitled to ask from the Government is that they will not permit the burdens of 'the country to be increased by what they call profiteering. Now, although I have been criticized for using that word, very solemnly I believe on "the whole it is a rather good one. It is profiteer- ing as distinguished from profiting. What do I mean by profiting ? Profiting is fair recom- -pense for services rendered, either in production or distribution. Profiteering is an extravagant recompense given for services rendered. I believe that unfair in peace. In war it is an outrage."

The 'N. E. D.' has only the form "" profiter," one who profits by or makes profit from anything. " Profiteer " always conveys a sense of reproach for profit un- fairly obtained. J. R. T.

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.

GERMANS AS " HUNS." Who first applied to the Germans the opprobrious term of Huns ? The credit is usually ascribed to the Kaiser himself on the occasion of a send- off speech to his troops embarking on the China expedition, when they were exhorted to emulate the deeds of the Huns of old. Without wishing to deprive the Kaiser of his bon mot, I would point out that his com- parison is not original, for it appears in several of Lord Byron's letters about the year 1820, when an Italian revolt was brewing (Moore's ' Life of Byron '). One wonders if the Kaiser borrowed from Byron, or if the same happy thought occurred to them independently. E. L. P.

GERMANY IN ROMAN TIMES. I should be much obliged if any one could tell me of any source from which illustrations can be obtained : (1) of the life of the ancient Germans in Roman times (I have Bartoli's illustrations of the columns of Trajan and Marcus Aurelius) ; (2) of monuments or buildings of Roman origin in Germany.

A. H. DAVIS.

Oakridge, Malvern Link.

ROBERT ASKE, citizen of London and Master of the Worshipful Company of Haberdashers, 1684, founded Aske's Alms- houses, Hoxton. I shall be glad to obtain information about his parentage, family, source of wealth, &c. Please reply direct.

OLD ASKEAN.

Canute House, Old Fishbourne, Chichester.

JOSEPH ADDISON'S DESCENDANTS. Could any of your readers tell me if persons still exist who claim to be of the family of Joseph Addison ? INQUIRER.

COROMANDEL SCREENS. Can any of your readers tell me what is the reason the Chinese Coromandel screens are called by that name, i.e., a place in India ? Is it possible that they are made of Coromandel wood, or is there some more hidden meaning ?

W. H. R.-W.

HAMPTON COURT INSCRIPTION. What do the abbreviations in " Gulielmus et Maria R. R. F.," on the facade at Hampton Court, mean ? Is it " Rex Regina fecerunt " ?

H. C N.