352
NOTES AND QUERIES. [9* s. i. APRIL 30, 98.
protest should be made against the introduc-
tion of the French system he cannot be aware
that the legislature is of a contrary opinion,
as it has just been legalized in this country
(British and Irish). The metric system has
for years past been in use for all scientific
purposes, and some two years ago, having
determined to give the sizes of books in cen-
timetres (size of print, not the paper) when
of any importance, I tested the centimetre
measure in 'Whitaker's Almanack' with a
steel rule, and found it absolutely accurate.
When in France I find it the greatest annoyance not to be able to understand the thermometer without calculation. It is per- fectly certain that the French will never adopt our system, and therefore, if only to simplify matters for our children, we ought to adopt theirs.
I have been told that the metric system had been in use for some years in one of our Government offices, when one fine morning they woke up to find they had been doing what was absolutely illegal by Act of Parlia- ment. Whether this is true or not I cannot say, but it is an undoubted fact that last year the legislature passed an Act to legalize the use of the metric system. The Act is the 60 & 61 Viet., c. 46, and is called the Weights and Measures (Metric System) Act, 1897. As I have already stated, before this Act the metric system was illegal ; this authorizes its use. The old and the new law are given in the monthly Law Notes for October, 1897. RALPH THOMAS.
SOME SMITHS : SIR JAMES SMITH, KNIGHT (9 th S. i. 282). See Burke's ' Extinct Baronet- age,' sub Smyth of Isfield. He was elected Alderman of Portsoken 29 July, 1673, dis- charged 7 July, 1687, restored 1688, and resigned in 1689. Served as sheriff 1672-3, and Lord Mayor 1684-5. Was knighted by Charles II. 29 Oct., 1672, and died 7 or 9 Dec., 1706, aged seventy-three, being buried at West Ham, in Essex. The baronetcy conferred upon his son in 1714 became extinct in 1811.
W. D. PINK.
SOLOMON'S GIFT OF ISRAELITISH TOWNS TO HIRAM (9 th S. i. 87). There is no reason to question the plain meaning of 1 Kings ix. 11, viz., that Hiram might have had, had he chosen, the "twenty cities." That those "cities" contained, as PERTIN AX suggests, "a population of Israelites worshipping Jehovah" cannot be proved or disproved. If he will turn to Matthew Henry's ' Commentary' he will find an explanation that, so far as we know, is not unreasonable. Probably the notion that Solomon's intended alienation of
Israelite territory was blameworthy is a pious
opinion of later growth. There is no express
legislation on the point in the Old Testament,
and, if the higher critics be right, Leviticus xxv.
represents the sentiments of an age many
centuries later than Solomon.
C. S. WARD. Wootton St. Lawrence.
Your correspondent should, I think, have quoted 1 Kings ix. 9-14, which points out that "at the end of twenty years [the italics are
mine], when Solomon' had built the house
of the Lord King Solomon gave Hiram
twenty cities in the land of Galilee." It appears (ibid., ix. 12, 13) that Hiram, after having made an inspection of the "cities," was not pleased with the gift. " What cities are these which thou hast given me, my brother? And he called them the land of Cabul [i.e. Disgust] unto this day." But it appears elsewhere (2 Chronicles viii. 1, 2) tnat "at the end of twenty years [the italics are mine], wherein Solomon had built the
house of the Lord Hiram had restored
[the 'cities'] to Solomon Solomon built
them, and caused the children of Israel to dwell there." It seems, therefore, that it is extremely doubtful whether Hiram ever took possession of the " twenty cities." But if we assume, for the sake of discussion, that the "twenty cities" were handed over "to the rule of Phoenician idolaters" I am quoting your correspondent's words it is scarcely a matter which should excite our surprise. The Tyrians were a people who were far in advance of the Israelites in manufactures, in knowledge of the metals, and in skilled work- manship. For upwards of twenty years Hiram had been on friendly terms, and had proved very useful to Solomon, more espe- cially in connexion with the building and the decoration of the Temple ; moreover, it was all-important that King Solomon should secure the Tyrians as allies, for without their help it would not have been possible to build and man a fleet of ships, e.g., "Hiram sent ships by the hand of his servants, and the^ went with the servants of Solomon to Ophir. Is it certain, as suggested by your correspon- dent, that the inhabitants of the "twenty cities" formed "a population of Israelites worshipping Jehovah," at least in the sense that no other gods were recognized by them ? The worship of Jehovah (Yahwe), the Hebrew God, was certainly mingled with the cere- monies of other gods down to the time of Hezekiah. And down to and including a part of Hezekiah's reign serpent-worship formed a part of the religious rites and cere- monies (2 Kings xxiii. 4). The " high places
