Page:Notes and Queries - Series 12 - Volume 3.djvu/54

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NOTES AND QUERIES. [12 s. m. JAN. 20, 1917.

. . . (D. not in this sense. It seems to mean over- ride.)

Over-spread, i. 3. . . ., her face over spread with an alarming paleness, (D. not 1863-1748.)

Overture, i. 169. . . . ; upon the reception of your overture everything depends, i. 179...., has refused me, refused my honorable overture, (D. not after 1655, in this sense of " offer of marriage.")

P's and Q's, i. 158. . . ., and who so proper to bring him to his p's and q's as the waiting woman of her he loves ? (D. not before 1779, or possibly 1820.)

Pains-taking, ii. 132 . . . ., I cannot deny that you have been very pains taking, and deserve to be well rewarded ; (D. not 1888-1737.)

Peacock-strut, ii. 90 .... ; and a certain peacock strut bespoke the pride and pleasure of her heart, (Not D.)

Pendulum, i. 9.. . ., permit me to consult your pulse, that little pendulum of life, as an English writer very prettily calls it, (D. not before 1820, as a metaphor. Cf. ' Sapskull,' 2, 213.)

Pensiveness, iii. 62 . . . ., his countenance con- tracted an unusual pensiveness. (D. not 1827- 1752.)

Pick out, i. 21. . . ., this is all I could pick out concerning her. . .(D. not 1882-1678.)

Plough tail, i. 123. . . ., and whether it is a great lord, or a fellow from the plow-tail that wants to ruinate me, ii. 27 . . . . ; nay, our very youths from the plough tail, (D. not 1831-1712.)

Post, ii. 40. Lord Drew having rode post, with a beating heart, ii. 145,. . . ., and riding post, was soon in view of the village. (D. not 1802-1711.)

Pour in, i. 193...., it might be improper to have a croud pour in upon him. (D. not before 1860.)

Presented, i. 139. He then politely asked if the young lady meant to be presented, (at the British Court.) (D. not 1844-1716 in this sense.)

Presentment, ii. 41. . . ., I had no presentment of Swinborne's disobedient machinations, ii. 106 . . . ., what will become of me if my alarming presentment is verified,. . . ? (If it is not a misprint of " presentiment," D. 7 has no instance 1817- 1613.)

Proclaimed, ii. 97 . . . ., until you are lost to me, by a proclaimed preference, (D. not 1826-1681.)

Queer, iii. 107. Mamma, you see, is not so stiff and nonsensical, and so queer as you are. (D. not of persons 1840-1712.)

Rattling, L 56 all the glare and rattling of

birth-night balls, and glittering beaux and belles. (D. not in this sense perhaps after 1677.)

Recommendatory, ii. 43. Your conduct is in- genuous, your family recommendatory, (D. not 1818-1741.)

Reconfirm, i. 178. She extended her hand to him, in token of reconfirmed amity, (D. not 1821- 1679.)

Reconsult, i. 184. This pair of worthy friends consulted and reconsulted, (D. neither 1806-1652, nor after 1806.)

Refused, ii. 26 ; I am a refused man ; (D.

not 1790-1606.)

Rife, i. 20. .. .when it comes to be rife about that I have got a nameless gentlewoman for a lodger ;

EDWAED S. DODGSON. (To be concluded.)

' THE DIABOLIAD.' The following extract from a Diary kept in the year 1808 mentions the learned Person's conviction that 'The Diaboliad ' was written by a man who at one time served as a private soldier. Pre- vious volumes of ' N. & Q.' contain various references to William Combe, generally sup- posed to be the author of that curious work.. Is [it known whether he ever served in the ranks of the army ?

" Went in the evening to Dobree's chambers in the Temple, where I met Mr. Porson. His person seems to have been rather good, but is now much worn and debilitated ; his address was obliging, and perfectly free from that repulsive austerity with which scholars by profession are so generally charged. We talked a great deal of ' the Stage, which he condemned as totally destitute - of a single actor, and was particularly severe on Kemble and Mrs. Siddons. In the course of the evening he recited great part of the Heroic Epistle to Sir William Chambers, and quoted largely from Junius and the ' Bath Guide.' The two following lines from Beattie's ' Minstrel ' he told us when at Eton he thus translated :

All that the genial ray of morning gilds, And all that echoes to the voice of even. Omne quod Aurorae radius genialis- inaurat Vesperis omne refert quod vocis imagine...

" I remember no pleasantry to have escaped' him, except in some allusion to country squires he observed that the word polish cemes from TroXts as that of rust is derived from rus. He assured me the person who was reduced to the situation of a private soldier was really the- author of ' The Diaboliad,' and mentioned the circumstance of his being entertained by a party of Gentlemen who invited him for the purpose of. being diverted by his eccentricities. After he had remained some time and was taking leave of his hosts with the awkward gait of a clown,, he was suddenly stopped by one of the company who told him his real situation was known to all . present and that they had secured an extension of his absence from the commanding officer.. On this he stepped back, assumed the Gentleman, and fascinated them as much with the elegance of his carriage, as he had before contributed to their amusement in an opposite capacity.

" The Professor took my hand with great civility when I left him, which^was at a very late hour.

H.

" DECELERATE." A word whieh is new to me, and is not given in any dictionary to which I have access, appears in the first section of the bill recently issued by the Railway Executive Committee. The sen- tence runs as follows : "1. The passenger - train service will be considerably curtailed and decelerated." This last word has appar- ently received official sanction, and it seems to me desirable to record its use for the first time. STEPHEN *L BARNS.

Frating, Woodside Road, Woodford Wells.