S.I.APBTLSO,'^.] NOTES AND QUERIES.
353
ind altars dedicated to Baal and Astarte
existed ; at any rate, there is no proof that
- hey were destroyed in Solomon's time.
following the partial reformation by Heze-
dah, we find that the restoration by Manasseh
ncluded the introduction of an image of
Astarte within the sanctuary, that places
vere provided for the sacred prostitutes, and
i;hat women were appointed to weave hangings
in connexion with the worship of the goddess.
If your correspondent, when he uses the
words "Phoenician idolaters," means that the
Hebrews, because they worshipped Yahwe,
were superior to the Tyrians, he ought in
fairness to support his theory by evidence.
G. E. WEARE.
Weston-super-Mare.
Cornelius a Lapide, in his ' Commentary, anticipates many objections of the present time. In reference to this he has :
Quaeres, an licite Salomon has urbes ab Israele
injuriam fecisset Israelites contra legem Dei, qui
illas eis assignarat et dederat. Rursum Hiram
Galilseos hos pertraxisset ad sua idola et gentilis-
mum. Quare non tradidit Hiramo absolutum
plenumque harum dominium, sed tantum usumfruc-
turn, ut scilicet Hiram ex eis redditus et jura, quae
Salomon percipere solebat, reciperet, donee expensas
suas pro Salomone factas compensaret; vel certe
usque ad vitam suam, ut eo mortuo redirent ad
regnum et reges Israelis. Ita Abulensis, Serarius,
Salianus et alii."
Several explanations are given in Poli
- Synops. Grit.,' inclusive of this.
Bishop Wilson has :
"These were not cities in the land of promise, which, as being God's gift to his people, could not be alienated ; but were cities conquered by David, and not yet inhabited by Israel."
Dean Farrar observes in agreement with this that up to this time the towns " seem to have belonged to Galilee of the Gentiles" r Solomon, his Life and Times,' p. 118). But he terms it "a blot on Solomon's adminis- tration," p. 117. ED. MARSHALL, F.S.A. [Very many replies are acknowledged.]
POPE AND THOMSON (8 th S. xii. 327, 389, 437; 9 th S. i. 23, 129, 193, 289). MR. TOVEY claims that he states the case of the disputed recension of 'The Seasons' fairly. But does he state it fairly? While deprecating dog- matism on the subject, he clearly gives his decision in favour of Pope.
I do not profess to throw any special light on the problem. Perhaps it is ultimately im- possible to settle the matter definitely. In favour of Thomson's own right in the disputed revision, however, there seem to me to be
two points that should be distinctly kept in
mind :
1. If the comparative value of evidence is to be recognized, it will be hard, I think, for any impartial mind to conclude otherwise than in support of Thomson. Put before a regularly constituted tribunal, with the damaging weight of expert testimony against the handwriting being Pope's, would the case result in a finding other than for Thomson]
2. It must be remembered on behalf of a dogmatic opinion on the matter that the whole difficulty is one of date not far removed not sufficiently far removed, at all events, to place the problem utterly beyond accurate means of settlement. Were the dispute one concerning the authenticity of a lost tale of Miletus, or even a play of Shake- speare, it would be different. But, in all the circumstances, it appears to be somewhat inconclusive simply to resolve the affair into a mystery. BONCHESTER.
ARMS OF BERKSHIRE TOWNS (9 th S. i. 108). For Abingdon, Maidenhead, Newbury, Beading, Windsor, and Wokingham, see 'The Topographical Dictionary of England,' by Samuel Lewis, in four volumes, London,
1831. EVERARD HOME COLEMAN.
71, Brecknock Road.
A column of ' N. & Q.' would hardly suffice to reply to Miss THOYTS'S query not one, perhaps, of very general interest. Let me refer her, rather, to a fairly accessible work, Mr. Fox-Davies's ' Book of Public Arms ' (1894), wherein she will find a full description, with illustrations, of (to quote the title-page) the " armorial bearings, heraldic devices and seals, as authorised and as used" by the towns of Abingdon, Heading, Windsor, Wallingford, Wokingham, Maidenhead, and many others. OSWALD HUNTER BLAIR, O.S.B.
Fort Augustus, N.B.
HOGARTH (9 th S. i. 269). The sign of the
" Man loaded with Mischief " is now in the
possession of Mr. G. H. P. Glossop, of Holm-
hurst, St. Albans, who is the ground landlord
of the "Primrose," No. 414, Oxford Street,
once known by the sign of the " Mischief."
Mr. Glossop stated in 1890 his belief that the
sign was painted by Hogarth that his father,
grandfather, and great-grandfather believed
- t to be by Hogarth. " My great-grandfather,"
le says,
'was born in the year 1740. Hogarth died, I Delieve, in 1764. I know that the sign has been in the possession of members of my family for one hundred years, but more than that I cannot say."
It is, however, not catalogued among
