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 ;. xii. NOV. as, IDOL] NOTES AND QUERIES.

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sprang m Scotland ? The Breckenridge arms are Vert, a St. Andrew's cross ingrailed argent between a mullet in chief, two gar- lands in fesse, and three roses in base or, within a border of the third charged with three crescents of the field. Cresf a cock sable, beaked and armed gules / motto, . Virtue and labour." Is there any connexion indicated u ~ ^'- J *

Where and

WALTER M. GRAHAM EASTON.

FLAYING ALIVE. To what date did the punishment of flaying alive survive in Eng- land ; and was this punishment ever a legal penalty] T. R. E. N. T.

or Brecon families ?

JAS. M. BRECKENRIDGE. St. Louis, Mo., U.S.

"SCRIPTURES OUT OF CHURCH." Can any of your readers tell me whence is the quota- tion, "Scriptures out of church are blas- phemies " ? I thought it was Mrs. Adams in Fielding's ' Amelia,' but failed to find it there. H. H. STATHAM.

NICHOLAS BACON OF BRUSSELS. In the Gent. Mag. for 1765 (p. 390), and also for 1766 ). 290), there are references to a M. Nicholas "")n, a student at Brussels and Louvain, wiiu, though blind, ''obtained all the first prizes in the different classes of literature

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Exchequer of Scotland in the eighteenth century ; of Charles Erskine, Lord Tinwald, Lord Justice Clerk 1748-63, or of his son, James Erskine, Lord Barjarg (also Alva), a Lord of Session in Scotland 1761-96?

A. A. H.


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versity of Louvain with his masterly erudi- tion," and "was esteemed the greatest literary prodigy in the world." He was then but nineteen. Is anything known of the after history of this wonderful youth, who is said I to have been allied in blood, as he certainly seems to have been in intellectual endow- ments, to the great family of his name in England ? JOHN HUTCHINSON.

Middle Temple Library.

TOPOGRAPHY OF ANCIENT LONDON. Abra- ham of the jelusie, elsewhere gelosye, circa 1277 ; Moses of Doggestrete, 1281 ; Joce fil Deuleeresse, Norwich, writes in 1280, " I bind myself to give a gold mark to the cemetery

London -

fourteenth centuries in Scotland. It is first found in the Galbraith family, and Sir Arthur de Galbraith is one of those named as subscribing to the Ragman Roll in 1296. The name is significant of the connexion of the Galbraiths with the Lennox ; particularly with Dunbarton, which figures in ancient writings as Arthur's Castle. I have elsewhere more than once laid stress on this alias of the citadel of Dunbarton as a strong indication that it was an abode, probably the capital, of the historic Arthur, King of the Britons. It is common knowledge that Dunbarton sig- nifies the hill of the Briton, but I am not at present going into all that can be said for King Arthur's connexion with it or that of the Galbraiths with him. After the Hamil- tons had intermarried with the Galbraiths the name Arthur spread to them, and from them to other families I know of. From what I have said some may see an argument to strengthen the conjecture that Aitken is derived from Arthur ; but I have not found time to go into the history of the name

Where were these M. D. DAVIS.

"So, WHEN AT LAST." Whence are these lines ?

So, when at last by slow degrees

My sluggish veins grow old and freeze,

Faith shall reveal to ray dim eye

Visions of blest eternity,

Till, life dissolving at the view,

I wake and find the vision true.

C. P. PHINN. Watford.

INSCRIPTION ON SNUFFBOX. On the lid of a round papier-mache snuffbox which I have is a picture of two officers, one in full and the other in undress uniform. Above the one in undress are the words, " Who steals my purse steals trash, but he who filches from me my good name robs me of that which not enriches him, but makes me poor indeed." There is a hand from the clouds pointing at the other officer and the words " Such a man was JSrew'd in Hell ! " Under- neath the first-named figure is " Honor with- out power," and under the other "Power