Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 4.djvu/150

 238 NOTES AND QUERIES. p>* s. iv. 3m. ie, m specimens. The first dialogue is certainly that which Rafael de Nicoleta took as the basis of his Biscayan version. But he did not copy the Castilian text quite rightly, nor did he reproduce the latter part of it. He ends at the words "al almueVzo" on p. 8 and turns them into " a almorzar." Here are a few of the interesting words in the first dialogue. P. 1, " assehead," " proue oat" ; p. 2, " paned " =acuchilladas, "thin cloth," " rash"=man, "durt" ; p. 3, " yewer," "sanguined "=pavon- nda; p. 4, " curious "=delicddo, "deske or caske "=escritorio ; p. 5, " pie-wife "=pas- telera; p. 7, "cater"=despensJro. The colla- tion of the Castilian part shows, inter alia, that Nicoleta's " acorida " should be acorrida ; " ara," aoru ; " despachan me," despeehan me =" they despite me." One of your corre- spondents having thrown doubt upon my assertion that Spanish x had formerly the sound of English th, let me show him in another work of J. Minsheu the signature "luan Minxu " at the end of a document in Castilian dated 1617. Dr. Arturo Farinelli, titular professor in the University of Inns- bruck, informed me that Ganasa, mentioned (p. 2) in Minsheu's first dialogue, was the Italian playwright referred to by Mr. W. Fitzmaurice Kelly in his ' History of Spanish Literature' (London, 1898). The etymon of " doiley" has been discussed in ' N. & Q.' Minsheu, p. 8, has "Tres toallas y un frutero," translated by " three towels and one fruit cloth," with the marginal note, "Fruit cloth to couer the fruit when it is carried to the table." The pronunciation of toalla seems well capable of passing on English tongues into the sound of " doiley." Palamedes. National Nicknames (9th S. iv. 28, 90,212). —In Mr. Holden Mac Michael's mostvaluable list there is, I submit, one error. " Polack " is not a nickname, but better than our "Pole" or the French "Polonais." It is also the older English form, as witness Shakespeare. D. Selectmen (9th S. iv. 169).—This term occurs in ' Uncle Tom's Cabin,' chap. xix. Miss Ophelia is relating to St. Clare the account of the ill-usage and death of the unhappy negress Prue, and asks: "Haven't you got any selectmen, or anybody to interfere and look after such matters ? " From the context, it would seem to have been such officials were unknown to Southerners like St. Clare. Francis P. Marchant. Brixton Hill. Mrs. Catherine Macaulay (9th S. iv. 200). —I only know of two authentic portraits of Mrs. Catherine Macaulay Graham, my great- aunt. One I possess, either a Romney or a Gainsborough ; the other was bought at a sale of Mrs. Dr. Arnold's effects (the said Dr. Arnold wasanephewof Mrs. Macaulay'ssecond husband), and is now in the possession of Mr. E. P. Roberts, whose address I should be glad to obtain. Where is her statue by Bacon to be seen 1 I would willingly take a journey to see it. I have a picture from the Ladyfi Magazine of a beautiful marble statue erected by Dr. Wilson, rector of St. Stephen's, Wal- brook, and placed in his church during her lifetime, but removed thence by order of the vestry. If still in existence, I would give a great deal for it. James J. G. Graham. Much Cowarne Vicarage, Bromyard. [The statue by Bacon came into the possession of the Right Hon. J. Wilson Patten, subsequently Lord Winmarleigh. Two engraved portraits of Mrs. Macaulay are in existence by Katherine Read; a third, by Cipriani, was engraved by Basire in 1767. A picture by Gainsborough, the property of Mr. E. P. Roberts, was exhibited at the Grosvenor Gallery Winter Exhibition, 1884-5. Many other facts in connexion with her are known. For Har- rington's ' Oceana' consult ' Diet. Nat. Biog.,' under ' Harrington, James,' vol. xxiv. p. 434.] NOTES ON BOOKS, &c. The History of the Castle, Toion, and Port of Dover. By the Rev. S. P. H. Statham. (Longmans k Co.) A history of Dover—the castle of which Hubert de Burgo, refusing to resign it to " French aliens," called " the very key and gate of England "—cannot be other than interesting and stimulating. No lack of materials for such a work has to be bewailed. The town accounts from the year 1365 and the minutes of the Common Assemblies from 1506 are available, and in the British Museum, the Record Office, and elsewhere are documents of much importance. There are two ways of treating records of this description. One way is to calendar the grants, charters, and other municipal documents, printing in extenm such as are of paramount interest or offer any special features. This course, now freely adopted in many boroughs, produces works which are the delight of the antiquary, the historian, and the student of national development. Another plan, which has commended itself to Mr. Statham, consists in giving, so far as is possible, a consecutive history, illustrated by extracts from local charters and records. A work thus constituted aims, of course, at a larger, if less exigent public. On the whole, Mr. Statham has discharged his task well. His book does not convey the idea that he is a practised writer. It displays many current inelegances of style, and is not free from repetitions. Its scheme, even, is almost too ambitious, beginning at a period when Dover had no history separate from that of England. A volume of abundant interest, likely to enjoy considerable popularity, is, however, obtained, and the account of the castle—most of the records of which have been destroyed— and that of St. Mary-in-the-Castle, of which the