170
NOTES AND QUERIES. [ios. V.MARCH 3, 1906.
5 th S. x. 391. Desiring a design for a
book-plate, I wish to know if there is in
existence any old illustration representing
the process of walking cloth, or of a walking-
mill, or one in any way appropriate to the
original meaning of the name, that I can use
for this purpose.
JAMES W. WALKER, M.D. 153, E. Fifty-third Street, Chicago, U.S.A.
POWER'S ' BIBLIOTHECA HIBERNICA.' In the very interesting 'Life of Sir J. T.Gilbert,' iust published by Longmans, a letter of the late Bishop Reeves appears at p. 148, stating : 4< Mr. Power writes to me that he is busy compiling his * Bibliotheca Hibernica,' and that his materials have grown to great dimensions." This was John Power, of Bellerne, Youghal, a frequent contributor to
- N. & Q.' Can any reader say what has
become of this material ?
JOHN S. CRONE.
GORDON LETTERS. Charles Kirkpatrick Sharpe ('Correspondence,' i. 549 \ writing to Sir Walter Scott from Hoddam Castle, 22 or 23 June, 1812, says :
"I had lately put into my hands a packet of letters written by the wife of the second Duke [of Gordon] to a Mrs. Dunbar, which prove that she had the turn of a Sappho, and of many ladies mentioned by Brantome. How Mrs. Dunbar came to preserve such documents is wonderful."
Where are these documents now ] and what truth is there in the story? The Duchess (born Lady Henrietta Mordaunt) has usually been regarded as a very common-sense lady.
J. M. BULLOCH. 118, Pall Mall.
THOMAS GLOUCESTER, ARMIGER. Can any of your readers supply a clue to the parent age of the above ? He held property in Eas Herts, c\ 1435, and was succeeded in his estates by his brother John Edward.
J. A. T.
DOGS AT CONSTANTINOPLE. Is anything known of their introduction into this city I have read that they followed one of the earlj conquerors, and were allowed to remain, know that they act as scavengers now. Ha( they any other special occupation previously William Lithgow, in his curious book o travels entitled 'The Totall Discourse,' pub lished in London, 1640, states :
" If a Turke should happen to kill another Turke his punishment is thus; after he is adjudged t death, he is brought forth to the market-place, am a bloeke being brought hither of foure foot high, th malefactor is stript naked, and then laid thereupo with his belly downward ; they draw in his middl together so small with running cords, that the strike his body a two with one blow : his hinde
arts they cast to be eaten by hungry Dogs kept
or the same purpose ; and the fore-quarters and
ead they throw into a grievous fire, made there
or the same end : and this is the punishment for
lanslaughter." P. 153.
this be substantiated with reference to he dogs ?
W. A. HENDERSON. Dublin.
" Pic NIC," A CARRIAGE. In The Gentle- lan's Magazine for July, 1810, is an account f an accident to Mr. and Mrs. Barber, who vith two other ladies were returning to Cam- Bridge from Heasingfield, in a vehicle called a lic-nic, which carries two persons before, and wo behind the horse. How was this vehicle onstructed so that two people were in front >f the horse ? FRANCIS C. BUCHANAN.
Clarinish, Row, N.B.
" IN LIGHT I WILL REMEMBER." It is
bought that the words "In light I will remember, and in darkness not forget," were attached to a wreath for Sir Henry Irving. Who wrote them 1 E. COOKSON.
Ipswich. _
PORTMANTEAU WORDS AND PHRASES.
(10 th S. v. 110.)
1. HUMPTY DUMPTY in his exegesis of "Jabberwocky" says : "Well, 'slithy' means 'lithe and slimy' ...... You see, it 's like a port-
manteau there are two meanings packed up into one word" ; and later : "Well, then, 'mimsy' is 'flimsy and miserable' (there's another portmanteau for you)."
Unhappily, his interpretation went no further than the first verse. Had he reached the fifth and sixth verses, he would probably have explained " galumphing " as equivalent to "galloping and triumphing," and "chor- tled " in the manner suggested at the above reference, though I doubt whether he would have accepted the definition of portmanteau words and phrases there given. " When I use a word," he says, " it means just what I choose it to mean neither more nor less." To "preet" he might well have given the meaning "prim and meet"; and as for " mobus," he would probably have classed it with " mome " as a mere abbreviation.
2. Phrases similar to "He is the greatest of any man " are common in Greek. Homer ('II.' ii. 673) has KaAAio-ros dvyp ...... T<OV
aAAwi/ Aavcuoi/. ^Eschylus (' Eum.' 30) has
UV TTpiv to-dSwv fJiaKpto apto-ra. Sophocles
('Ant.' 100) has TO KaAAiorov ...... ruv
7rpoTepa>i>cdos,and ('Ant.' 1212)
