where the EDITOR may perhaps think a letter so characteristic of the writer is worthy of a place. BRISTOLIENSIS.

DERIVATION OF JERKIN.

Derivation of Jerkin."— Our etymologists derive jerkin from the Saxon Cyrtelkin. Kirtle is doubtless from Cyrtel. But, not feeling altogether satisfied with the above derivation of jerkin, I venture to propose another, suggested by analogy. The dress of a schoolboy is in Portugal often called josezinho, that is, "Little Joseph," or "Little Joey," the term being facetiously transferred from the wearer to his coat.

In like manner we have in our own language jacket="Little John," or "Little Jacky.' So in French we find jaquette, which is fem. of the unused form jaquet (dimin. from jaque), i. e. petit Jacques," "Little James," or "Little Jemmy."

"Le

May not jerkin, in like manner, be "Little Jerry?" In that case, Porson's well-known catenary derivation, terminating in cucumber, has more in it than meets the eye.

The termination -kin is diminutive, as in spillikins. Thus spiel (German), a game; spielchen, a little game; spillikins.

With the English jacket and French jaquette compare the German jäckchen. Perhaps one of your correspondents will be able to give us some account of the military term shako, which appears to come originally from the old Spanish xaco, though adopted into our language with an altered meaning. Xaco is a modification of jaco (short for Jacobus or James, and, like xaco, signifying a jacket).

With regard to the old French word jaque, which is still used in the phrase jaque de mailles, it is notorious that the medieval S. Jacques (of Compostella) was a true knight; and he may still be seen in Roman Catholic countries occupying many a niche with sword in hand, and armed da capo a piedi. May we not then suppose that to him is due the French phrase jaque de mailles, as well as our own English expression jack-boots, which properly stands for boots worn as armour? And may not jaquette still point, as we have supposed, through jaquet to "Little James," as well as our English jacket to "Little Jolin," josezinho to "Little Joseph," and jerkin to "Little Jerry ?" THOMAS BOxs.

TRANSIT OF VENUS IN 1769: MOOR AND THOM. Impromptu by Professor Moor on the visit of the beautiful Duchess of Hamilton (afterwards Duchess of Argyll and grandmother to the present

Duke) to view the transit of Venus in 1769, at the University of Glasgow:

"They tell me Venus is in the Sun,

But I say that's a story-
Venus is not in the Sun,

She's in the Observatory."

This memorable incident of the presence of the Duchess is more particularly noticed by the facetious Rev. William Thom, A.M. minister of Govan, near Glasgow, when satirising Dr. Trail (then Professor of Divinity), under the name of Dr. Tail (Vindication, Glasgow, 1770, p. xviii.), in the following remarks:

"I did not know till lately that the Doctor was an astronomer-but the instance I have in view is too memorable to allow me any longer to doubt of it. A certhe Doctor is a member, had made suitable preparation tain learned Society (the University Professors), of which for observing the late transit of Venus. One great difficulty which these gentlemen foresaw they would meet with in the course of their experiments on this subject was, how they might know her when they saw her. To aid them in this, they requested her Grace the D-ch-ss of H-m-1-t-n, who had been accustomed to look at Venus from her infancy, to be present at the observations. Her Grace accordingly, with great good nature, condescended to assist on the occasion; and as soon as the planet made its appearance she gave notice to the society, as had been agreed upon. The Doctor-who was the observer next to her Grace did not indeed at first seem to assent to the observation, and even, it must be confessed, denied it pretty peremptorily; but he was in a little time convinced that her Grace was right, and acknowledged his own mistake with a modesty and candour which will do him infinite honour with all ingenious minds and true lovers of astronomy."

It is now impossible to ascertain whether the Govan laird was afterwards equally frank in acknowledging his mistake to Mr. Thom, as related in a traditional anecdote of the witty divine, as follows. At a forenoon's Sunday worship in the parish church a proprietor on the Saturday night previous had slipped a pack of cards into the skirt pocket of his coat, and had forgot to take them out. He occupied a front pew in the gallery, and rising up at the commencement of the prayer, and drawing out his pocket handkerchief, the whole pack flew among the people in the area below. Mr. Thom delayed for a few moments till composure was restored, and looking fixedly at him addressed him thus, " Ah man, but your Bible has been ill bun' (bound)." G. N.

Minor Notes.

Lord Stowell.-Allow me to suggest that it might possibly, if not probably, be worth some lawyer's while to edit a volume which should contain selections or choice extracts from the judgments and decisions of that accomplished civilian, Lord Stowell, better known perhaps as Sir Wm. Scott, whose reputation stands so high, not only in his

Cy git le père, cy git la mère,
Cy git la sœur, cy git le frère,
Cy git la femme, et le mari,
Et il n'y a que deux corps ici."

1651. Giovan Battista Weeninx.

I should be glad to receive an explanation of some equally puzzling lines which accompany a curious allegorical picture of the time of James I. A female is represented seated in a chair, nursing an old man who is asleep in her lap. Three younger men are seen descending a hill, and a fourth, approaching, asks the lady the following question:

"Madam, be pleased to tell who that may be
So sweetly resting there upon your knee;
And to resolve me who are yonder three
That come down from the castle, as you see?"
To which she answers:

"The first my brother is, by father's side;
The next, by mother's, not to be denyde;
The next my own sonn is, by marriage right,
And all sonns by my husband, this same knight."
WILLIAM BATES.
Birmingham.

Minor Queries. William Penn. In one of the News-letters published in the Ellis Correspondence (ii. 211.), and dated Sept. 22, 1688, it is said:

"Another of their shams is that Mr. Penne is made Comptroller of Excise arising from tea and coffee; which is also false."

True or false the passage is worth quoting, because Mr. Dixon, in his able defence of Penn, mentions, incidentally, that he had never seen the Quaker's name spelt with a final e. But was the report false, or is the news-writer quibbling? Luttrell, in his Brief Relation (i. 461.) records, in Sept. 1688,

"Mr. Penn is made Supervisor of the revenue of the

excise and hearthmoney."

This may have been another version of the "sham" but it may not. Luttrell also tells

us

"The Corporations of Warwick and the City of Norwich are dissolved, for refusing to take into their bodies

Penn and Lobb, and such fellowes."

Irish Almanacs.-What is the date of the earliest Irish Almanac? and in what year did the Dublin Directory make its first appearance? I have at this moment before me one for the year 1777; but it had many predecessors. It is worth while to compare, as I have done, Watson's Gentlemen's and Citizen's Almanac for 1757 with Thom's Irish Almanac and Official Directory for the present year. ABHBA.

"Proxies and Exhibits." What the origin and meaning of "proxies and exhibits," for which certain fees are charged to the clergy who appear in person at the visitation (for example) of His Grace the Archbishop of Dublin? ABHBA.

The Channel Steamers. In these days of memorials, it has occurred to me to inquire the name of the man who first navigated a sea-going steamer down either of our channels, and thus led the way in that grand career which has carried our naval and mercantile marine to such an astonishing pitch of power. The name of the man and of the vessel ought not, methinks, to be forgotten.

I hope some one of your correspondents will be able to satisfy this inquiry. EXPLORATOR.

The first known Tragedy, Comedy, and Almanac in the English Language. It is recorded that the first tragedy was published in 1561, and with the title of Gortuduc, or Ferrex Porrex. The first comedy in 1566, known by the title of Supposes. And that the first almanac made its appearance from the Oxford press in 1673.

Malta.

W. W.

Picture of Achilles. - I am desirous of discovering where a picture by "N. Vheughels" of the dipping of Achilles in the Styx is. My object is

to ascertain whether that in my possession be the original or not. For at least twenty-five years my family has possessed a picture of the above subject, but until yesterday, when I stumbled upon an exact engraving thereof, we have never known by whom it might have been painted. The engraving is French line, and by "E. Jeurat, 1719." W. P. L. Greenwich.

John Willis, educated in Christ's College, Cambridge, took the degrees of B.A., 1592–3; M.A., 1596; B.D., 1603. On June 12, 1601, he was admitted to the rectory of St. Mary, Bothan, London; which he resigned in 1606, on being appointed rector of Bentley Parva, Essex. He is author of a work on the art of memory, and of the first treatise on alphabetical short-hand. Can any of your correspondents give further information respecting him?

Cambridge.

C. H. & THOMPSON COOPER.

John Carter, F.S.A., Author of the "Pursuits of Architectural Innovation." The late Mr. John Britton, F.S.A., was informed by Sir John Soane that some of the adventures and peculiarities of John Carter were described and satirised in a

pamphlet entitled The Life of John Ramble, Artist (a "draftsman"): the copies of which are said to have been bought up and destroyed by Carter. Does a copy exist in Sir John Soane's library? in that of the Institution of British Architects, or elsewhere? J. G. N.

Captain Roger Harvie.-Frequent and honourable mention is made of the above-named officer in Pacata Hibernia; or, a History of the Wars in Ireland, during the Reign of Queen Elizabeth. To what family did he belong? and are any members of it still resident in Ireland, where there are many of the name? His death is thus described in vol. ii. p. 645. (edit. Dublin, 1810):

"But the present service received no small prejudice by meanes of the untimely departure of Captaine Roger Harvie, whose heart being overwhelmed with an inundation of sorrowes, and discontentments taken, (though in my conscience not willingly given,) by one that had beene his honourable friend, as his heart blowen like a bladder (as the surgeons reported), was no longer able to minister heate to the vitall parts, and therefore yeelded to that irresistable fate, which at last overtaketh all mortall creatures. The untimely death of this young gentleman was no small occasion of griefe to the Lord President, not onely that nature had conjoyned them in the neerest degrees of consanguinitie, but because his timely beginnings gave apparent demonstration, that his continuall proceedings would have given comfort to his friends, profit to his countrey, and a deserved advancement of his owne fortunes."

Авива.

"Felix culpa," &c.- What is the remaining part of the Latin proverb which begins: "Felix culpa"? X. Y.

Francis Rouse and the Birkheads. Francis Rouse, in his will, published in "N. & Q." (1st S. ix. 440.), is shown to have remembered the poor of Knightsbridge; and in the registers of Trinity Chapel, there are frequent mentions of the name. Among the Christian names are Thomas, Anthony, and Richard, names also found in the above-mentioned will; and John likewise, a name mentioned in Noble. Thomas Rouse, in April, 1687, married Hester Birkhead, of whose family I inquired about in 2nd S. i. 374. From the entries relating to this latter family, I have reason to think they were connected with St. Botolph's, Bishopsgate, and Dr. Littleton, the author of the Latin Dictionary, was acquainted with them. I should be greatly obliged, if answers can be given to the following questions concerning these families: 1. Was Francis Rouse connected with Knightsbridge in any way, or related to a family in its locality? There are "Rouse's Buildings" in Chelsea still.

2. Was he related to, or connected with, the Birkheads?

3. Can any information of the Birkheads, with these additional clues, be given me ? H. G. D.

Tomb of Queen Katharine Parr. -The tomb of this Queen is now about to be restored: can any of your correspondents inform me where there is any drawing or engraving of it, or furnish me with any particulars relating to her funeral, beyond those narrated in the ninth volume of the Archæologia?

I should also be extremely obliged for an account of any relics or authenticated portraits, which may have come under the notice of some of your readers, or any historical facts which have not already been referred to in Miss Strickland's Life of Katharine Parr.

J. D. A.

Coffin Plates in Churches. In passing through Rhudland, N. Wales, a short time ago, I was looking through the churchyard at a gravestone which has been noticed in "N. & Q.," and on looking inside the church I was surprised to see a number of coffin plates nailed up to the walls, particularly on the south side. I found at the time of interment the plate with name, age, &c., was taken off the coffin, and brought into the church and placed as I found it until it rusted away. On inquiring from a dissenting minister who was acquainted