graphy dodaim is not Tylor's, but Schoolcraft's. See his 'Indian Tribes,' 1851, p. 151.

(c) The real origin of totem is from "Algonkin" (i.e. Odjibway) otem, which first the French of appeared in European literature in 1612, in Lescarbot ("son daemon appellé

aoutem," p. 683). It then dropped out of sight, until it was reborrowed from the Odjibway into English in the form totem, the initial t being due to the incorporation of part of a possessive pronoun. Totem is to Lescarbot's aoutem exactly as Shakspere's nuncle is to uncle. This the 'Century' knows, and tries to explain; but I doubt if any one fresh to the matter would understand its explanation, which must be my excuse for restating wellknown facts in (I hope) simpler language.

Queries.

JAS. PLATT, Jun.

We must request correspondents desiring information on family matters of only private interest to affix their names and addresses to their queries, in order that the answers may be sent to them direct.

HUGH PERCY.-At the dispersion of the Ashburnham Library was sold a somewhat remarkable folio MS. in the handwriting of Hugh Percy. Numerous dated entries occur in it, ranging from 1658 to 1662. It contains on ninety-four leaves a large number of examples of the rules of arithmetic, written in a small and beautiful hand, and embellished with very quaint grotesque initials, in red, blue, and green ink. It must have been a

work of enormous labour, and of great utility a fly-leaf after the title page is the following

to a student of commercial arithmetic.

note:

WARREN HASTINGS AND SIR CHARLES MALET.-I should be glad to verify a tradition in our family to the effect that at the trial of Warren Hastings, and after Sir Charles Malet had given his evidence, Warren Hastings replied, "Sir Charles, you are the soul of honour." HAROLD MALET, Colonel.

REV. THOMAS NEWMAN.- Who was Thomas Newman, a minister who, with many others,

had his passage paid out to the Plantations by the Privy Purse, 1721-5? E. E. COPE.

DAVID MORGAN, JACOBITE - I am anxious to trace the descendants of David Morgan, of Monmouthshire, executed for high treason in 1746. His will names only a daughter, Mary Morgan. Is anything known of her subsequent history? GEORGE RICKWORD.

"BROACH" OR "BROOCH."

Pull off, pull off the broach of gold. This line, so spelt, occurs in 'Lady Clare' at p. 230 of the new "Florin Edition" of 'Poems by Tennyson' issued by the Oxford University Press. Nobody, of course, could be audacious enough to suggest the possibility of a printer's error in such a publication, and so we are driven to inquire whether we shall be expected in future to spell the word "broach" in this way, whatever its meaning. Unfortunately the word does not occur in the short list of 'Alternative or Difficult Spellings' in Mr. Hart's fascinating Rules for Compositors'; but in the 'N.E.D.' we are informed that "broach" and "brooch" are the same word, both having reference to the spit or pin which forms part of the article, "the differentiation of spelling being only recent and hardly yet established." Yet the former spelling indicates "a tapering instrument," " a spit," &c., and the latter is said to be "now used mainly as a (female) ornament." The examples cited of the latter use go back as far as Chaucer, and in them the word is uniformly spelt without an a. How long a period is considered necessary by philologists before a spelling can be said

to have become established?

"WAPITI": ITS PRONUNCIATION.---All dictionaries spell the name of this animal in the same way, and mark it as stressed upon the first syllable (wapiti). I was therefore surprised to find that Paul Fountain, in his new book on 'The Great North-West' (1904), not only always spells it wipiti, but in his glossary, p. 349, accents it upon the second syllable (wipíti). Is this an error of the press? Or can any reader confirm this pronunciation, from personal knowledge of how the term is sounded in Canada?

of his age) in 1604, one does not quite see how his death could be called untimely. Should “her" be read for "his" in the last line?

Among the MSS. belonging to Lord Braybrooke at Audley End mentioned 'Eighth Rep. Hist. MSS. Comm.,' p. 277, is the chartulary and register of Sir Thos. Cornwallis, and the third document therein transcribed is said to be

"3 & 4 Philip & Mary-Letters Patent of the guardianship of the heir of Sir Thomas Cornwaleys (italics mine) to John Bowall [i.e. Boxall), D.D., William Cordell, Esq., their Majesties' SolicitorGeneral, and John Suliarde, Esqre."

Can any one explain how there came to be an heir of Sir Thomas Cornwallis at that date, the guardianship of whom was vested in the Crown? During the whole of the above regnal year, i.e. from 25 July, 1556, to 5 July, 1557 (except between the 9th of August and the 1st of September, 1556), Sir Thomas was at Calais, where he was Treasurer.

JOHN B. WAINEWRIGHT.

"BLOOD-FUNKERS." - Was this a common term of abuse as blood-letting fell out of fashion?

MEDICULUS.

"CAVEAC" TAVERN. - I should be much

obliged if any of your readers could give me any information about an old London tavern known as the "Caveac" Tavern, formerly in Spread Eagle Court, Finch Lane, E.C. It is and pulled down about 1800, "Caveac" being the corruption of the name Cahuac, a FrenchJ. P. SIMPSON.

supposed to have been erected about 1700,

is possible that 'N. & Q.' may come to the rescue and fix the point for ever. At a guess, I should say that the old top hat and cutaway coat (with "ducks" in summer) lasted up to 1864 or 1865, when the present uniform came in.

The transformation of the "bus" is more difficult to determine. Again, one might hazard a "shot" that it began not much before 1887, or even later. Whether the abolition of the door and the introduction of the staircase were simultaneous it would be hard to say. Certainly some omnibuses were spoken of, by way of distinction, as "staircase" omnibuses as late as 1889 and 1890; and even then the knifeboard prevailed. The "garden seats," as a universal practice, are not much more than a decade old.

I have heard elderly people declare that they "cannot remember" such a thing as an omnibus with a door. PHILIP NORTH.

POLAR INHABITANTS. - In the 'Maxims, Characters, and Reflections' of Fulke Greville, published without the author's name in 1756 (p. 27), we are told that "the two polar regions of the globe are fabled to be and both are most uncomfortable climates." inhabited, one by giants, the other by pigmies, From what source did Greville derive this piece of folk-lore?

K. P. D. Ε.

Replies.

SIR WALTER L'ESPEC.
(10th S. ii. 287, 513.)

It is rather odd to see the great and munificent Baron of Helmslac in Yorkshire styled "Sir Walter " It is little wonder that families of his name desired to trace some relationship, but descendants they could not be, as his sisters Hawise, Albreda, and Odeline were his heirs. He himself was the heir, probably son, of "Willelm Spech," who held in 1086 (Dom. Bk. i. 214b and 215) Wardon and other manors in Bedfordshire in capite, for these descended to him.

In Devonshire in 1166 we find Richard "Espec" holding three knights' fees of Robert FitzRoy, and (Richard "Spec") one of the Honor of William de Traci ('Liber Niger, 120, 121). This Richard de "Espech," as husband of (Margaret?) the daughter and heiress of William de "Treiminettes" ("de tribus Minutis"), of "Branford," confirmed to the church of St. Nicholas at Exeter and the monks of Battle, there serving God, the advowson of St. Peter at Branforf, given them by Walter de Tribus Minutis and William his son, whose daughter "I married" ("duxi uxorem"). Robert "Espac" one of the witnesses. This grant was further confirmed, first by Robert "de Espech," as son (and heir) of Richard "Espec," and witnessed by Master Alard, then Sheriff of Devon; and afterwards by William "Espech," as son of Richard and brother (and heir) of Robert "Espac." This priory at Exeter was a cell of Battle Abbey (Coll. Top et Gen., i. 62, 382).

This is how the family of Speke became possessed of Brampford-Speke, so called after them to this day. I do not see how "L'Espec" could ever have meant "Spicer." Norman surnames were derived from a great variety of sources; even opprobrious nicknames were handed down, and the names of animals and birds were used. Anyhow, the only example of a similar word given in Du Fresne's edition of Du Cange's 'Glossary' is "Espec, nunc Pivert: l'oiseau à plumage jaune et vert," identified as the green woodpecker.

If this was the origin of the surname it would make it more probable that all who bore it were descended from one so nicknamed, from some personal peculiarity that suggested its being given him, perhaps perseverance in going through with anything he undertook, returning again and again if foiled.

"De tribus Minutis" is another peculiar surname, possibly originally given to one for performing some remarkable feat in that brief space, or to one who used to say, as some do now, "I shall only be two or three minutes," knowing well they will be much longer. There may, of course, be a more subtle derivation for both surnames, but I am afraid this is too small a matter to ask PROF. SKEAT to give us his opinion upon. A. S. ELLIS.

Westminster.

It is quite certain that the O. French espec has nothing to do with spicer, but is a totally different word, and means a speight, i.e., a woodpecker. Godefroy's 'O.F. Dict.' gives espec, especque, espoit, espois, a woodpecker,

with several quotations. A very clear one is from an old glossary: "Picus, ung pivert ou especque." Pivert is still in use. The O.F. espec resulted from an attempt to adopt the Du. and G. specht. Cf. Prov. E. wood-spack, wood spite, both given by Swainson (E.D.S.). Cotgrave has both épeiche and épiche, "a speight, the red tailed woodpecker, or highaw." The form épeiche is still in use; so says Hatzfeld. The E. form is speight, which is also used as a proper name There was an editor of Chaucer who spelt it Speght.

WALTER W. SKEAT.

SPELLING REFORM (10th S. ii. 305, 450). It would be interesting to know what is the ground of the preference which MR. RALPH THOMAS feels for the spelling forego rather than forgo. I suppose forebid. foreget, or foreswear would have no attraction for him, so that he would say that he liked forego best because he, and probably a majority of his contemporaries, have always so written it. He does not trouble himself about which is right. Neither do I: that is to say, I do not desire to alter a spelling in accordance with what I perceive to be the true origin of the word. But if I find that there are good literary authorities, ancient and modern, for a certain spelling which does accord with the true etymology, I like to side with those who know the fact rather than with those who do not. Now the for words are generally akin to the German words beginning with ver, and the fore words to those in German beginning with vor. If. then, I find two words forego and forgo, differently built up, and entirely differing in signification, though differing but little in sound. I am not surprised that they should have been confounded, though I should see cause for regret if the blunder should be perpetuated. I wrote some of this to a friend many years ago. He answered, "Ah! Shakspere and Milton are

good enough for me, and as they spelt so I spell." What he meant was that as their later editors spelt so he spelt; and I have thought it might interest your readers, or some of them, if I showed how Shakspere and Milton themselves did deal with those verbs. I have not Milton at hand nor the concordance; but, if my memory serves me, he had four times to express the sense "do without," and then the word he used was forgo. Once he expressed going before, and his word was, as might be expected, forego. I am not sure of the numbers, but I am quite sure of the distinction.

Nor is there any doubt in the case of

Shakspere. I mean Shakspere himself, not

his editors. Eleven times they use the word forego or its belongings: in eight of them they mean him to express "do without"; but the poet himself spelt them, so far as the First Folio teaches us, forgo. In two cases

one in 'All's Well that Ends Well,' and one in 'Othello'-he means goes before," and writes "fore-goer" and "fore-gone."

There is one more an interesting one-in 'All's Well that Ends Well,' Act I. sc. iii. : "By our remembrances of days foregone." So write the editors, and so-nearly-wrote Shakspere "......of days forgon." It may be that he spelt wrongly in the opposite way from theirs; but bearing in mind that the German absolute equivalent of the English forgo is vergehen, and that that means "to pass away, to elapse," it would seem that we have here another meaning for the legitimate word forgo, the passage meaning "of days gone by " or "of vanished days."

ALDENHAM.

"LICENCE" AND "LICENSE" (10th S. ii. 484). -Like every one else, I have the greatest respect for PROF. SKEAT as an authority in the etymology of our language. In my note at 10th S. ii. 451 I should not have said that license, practise, and prophesy are spelt with ce when used as nouns "in defiance of all rule." It was a mistake due to a partial alteration of my sentence, which is not worth explaining. I had PROF. SKEAT'S dictionary at hand when I was writing. My objection was, and is, to the two spellings, the arbitrary double forms which serve no useful purpose and are a real trouble in the schoolroom. PROF. SKEAT is in favour of ce in all these words. In the case of the third word I read in his dictionary that the distinction between the sy and cy forms is "unoriginal, arbitrary, and absurd." Very well, then; cannot we get rid of the double form altogether? There is no good reason why in these matters we should be bound by the mere custom of former centuries; more especially since we most of us know how erratic and haphazard the spelling of our ancestors was. In his dictionary PROF. SKEAT rightly raises his voice against ascendant and descendant; in this he rebels against former usage and authority; but he falls away over the word attendant, because he has found attendaunce in Chaucer; in this he becomes again a slave to authority and usage.

I appeal to PROF. SKEAT to have the courage of his opinions, and to head the party of reform in spelling. He will probably find that Oxford, Cambridge, the Conference

one morning, men beheld the eloquent grandson of Atlas arrayed in surplice, doctor's hood, scarf, bands, and trencher cap, his black face peering out of these adornments unacademically. A frost had hardened the water in the basin, giving access to the god during the night; but the ice had been carefully broken, so that no one could approach him in the morning without a plunge into freezing water five feet deep. King Gaisford, in his rage and fury, commanded that the image should be removed, and I seem to remember it lying in the St. Aldate's yard of which Canon Thompson speaks. When Lord Derby came down to be installed as Chan

are too cautious to originate.

F. P.

GREAT SEAL IN GUTTA-PERCHA (10th S. ii. 528). The Great Seal of Ireland at the present day is made of gutta-percha of a green colour. The process consists of softening two discs of gutta-percha in hot water and impressing the matrices on the discs. To use no stronger word, the very name "guttapercha " is enough to condemn such a material for the purpose; but apart from considerations of a sentimental nature, the use of gutta-percha is to be deprecated, for when subjected to certain changes of temperature, and after the lapse of some years, it seems to lose some of its consistency and to become fragile and gradually decay. The seal of Ulster's office used to be made in guttapercha, but I have substituted for it pure vermilion wax, which is practically everlasting, and, even if not encased in a metal box, is safe from being eaten by rats or mice, owing to the red lead in the colouring.

I may mention that the Great Seal of England is made of a very brittle yellow material, mostly composed of resin, the result being that it is very easily broken. I would suggest to the Clerks of the Crown and Hanaper that they should return to the ways of our forefathers, and use pure wax, which can be obtained, specially prepared, from Messrs. Ready, of the British Museum.

It is lamentable to contemplate that in a hundred years or so there will hardly be a perfect specimen of the gutta-percha Great Seal of Ireland, or the resin Great Seal of England, in existence.

ARTHUR VICARS, Ulster.

MERCURY IN TOM QUAD (10th S. ii. 467, 531).-I knew Tom Quad in the early thirties, when a current story explained the recent deposition of Mercury. Coming to chapel

"Memoirs of the four last years of the reign of Queen Anne, from 1710, to her death. In which the characters of the most eminent persons of both parties that acted under that Princess are impartially drawn and the history of those important transactions are [sic] set in a clear light. To which is prefixed a succinct view of the continual struggles of parties, from the Reformation to 1710. London, printed for T. Cooper, at the Globe in Paternoster Row, 1742."

I do not find this in Halkett and Laing's 'Dictionary,' though it is mentioned in Watt, but without information as to the author. An earlier work, with a somewhat similar but still longer title, and dated 1729, is mentioned by both, and attributed to "Gibson."

I do not know whether the 1742 book is founded on, or is perhaps merely a reissue of, that of 1729, as I have not seen the latter. The former is written in the Whig interest, but is of no value. J. F. R. Godalming.

BIBLIOGRAPHY OF CHRISTMAS (10th S. ii. 503). - May I add to W. C. B.'s second valuable list the following, relating to what must ever be a subject of unabated interest ?

Thomas K. Hervey. The Book of Christmas: descriptive of its Customs, Ceremonies, Traditions, Superstitions, Fun, Feeling, and Festivities. Svo, 1836. With illustrations by R. Seymour. The Atheneum gave a very favourable review of this work.

William Sandys, F.S.A. Christmas Tide: its History, Festivities, &c.

Christmas in Naples. The Duke of Andria Carafa, in The Daily Messenger of Paris, Nov. or Dec. (probably the latter), 1903. Santa Claus in Italy. 26 Deca, 1903.

Christmas in France. France.'

The Daily Telegraph, Coxe's 'Tour through