class="right">PEREGRINUS.

POETICAL COINCIDENCES.
Sheridan.

In the account which Moore has given, in his Life of Sheridan, of the writings left unfinished by that celebrated orator and dramatist, he states:

"There also remain among his papers three acts of a drama without a name, written evidently in haste, and with scarcely any correction."

From this production he gives the following verses, to which he has appended the note I have placed immediately after them:—

"I have taken the liberty here of supplying a few rhymes and words that are wanting in the original copy of the song. The last line of all runs thus in the manuscript:—

which not rhyming as it ought, I have ventured to alter as above."

Now the following sonnet, which occurs in the third book of Sir Philip Sidney's Arcadia, is evidently the source from whence Sheridan drew his inspiration, the concluding line in both poems being the same. Had Moore given Sheridan's without alteration, the resemblance would in all probability be found much closer:—

The edition I quote from is that "Printed by W. S. for Simon Waterson, London, 1627." I may add, that I wrote to Moore as far back as 1824 to point out this singular coincidence; but although the communication was courteously acknowledged, I do not believe the circumstance has been noticed in any subsequent edition of Sheridan's memoirs.

T. C. SMITH.

FOLK LORE.

Medical Use of Pigeons (Vol. iv., p. 228.).

—In my copy of Mr. Alford's very unsatisfactory edition of Donne, I find noted (in addition to R. T.'s quotation from The Life of Mrs. Godolphin) references to Pepys's Diary, October 19, 1663, and January 21, 1667-8, and the following from Jer. Taylor, ed. Heber, vol. xii. p. 290.: "We cut living pigeons in halves, and apply them to the feet of men in fevers."

J. C. R.

Michaelmas Goose—St. Martin's Cock.

—In the county of Kilkenny, and indeed all through the S.E. counties of Ireland, the "Michaelmas Goose" is still had in honour. "St. Martin's Bird" (see p. 230. antè) is, however, the cock, whose blood is shed in honour of that saint at Martinmas, Nov. 11. The same superstition does not apply, that I am aware of, to the Michaelmas Goose, which is merely looked on as a dish customary on that day, with such as can afford it, and always accompanied by a mélange of vegetables (potatos, parsnips, cabbage, and onions) mashed together, with butter, and forming a dish termed Kailcannon. The idea is far different as to St. Martin's Cock, the blood of which is always shed sacrificially in honour of the Saint. Query, 1. The territorial extent of the latter custom? And, 2. What pagan deity has transferred his honours to St. Martin of Tours.

JAMES GRAVES.

Kilkenny.

Surrey Folk Lore.

—A "wise woman" has lately made her appearance not far from Reigate in Surrey. One of the farmers' wives there, on being scalded the other day, sent to the old dame, who sent back a curious doggrel, which the good woman was to repeat at stated times. At the end of a week the scald got well, and the good woman told us that she knew there was no harm in the charm, for "she had heard say as how it was some verse from the Bible."

When in a little shop the other day, in the same part of the country, one village dame was speaking of the death of some neighbour, when another said, that she hoped "they had been and told the bees."

In the same neighbourhood I was told a sovereign cure for the goitre was to form the sign of the cross on the neck with the hand of a corpse.

M. M. P.

THE CAXTON COFFER.

The devices of our early English printers are often void of significancy early, or else mere quibbles. In that particular, Caxton set a commendable example.

His device is "W.4.7C." The two figures, however, are interlaced, and seem to admit of two interpretations. I must cite, on this question, the famous triumvirate—Ames, Herbert, and Dibdin:

"The following mark [above described] I find put at the end of many of his books, perhaps for the date 1474, when he began printing in England, or his sign."—Joseph AMES, 1749.

"The following mark [above described] I find put at the end of many of his books, perhaps for the date 1474, when he began printing in England, or his sign."—William HERBERT, 1785.

"The figures in the large device [above described] form the reverse impression of 74; meaning, as it has been stated, that our printer commenced business in England, in the year 1474: but not much weight can be attached to this remark, as no copy of the Chess book, printed in 1474, has yet been discovered which presents us with this device."—T. F. DIBDIN, 1810.

In lieu of baseless conjectures, I have here to complain of timidity. There is scarcely room for a doubt on the date. As dom de Vaines observes, with regard to dates, "dans le bas âge on supprimoit le millième et les centaines, commençant aux dixaines." There can be no objection to the interpretation on that score. The main question therefore is, in what order should we read the interlaced figures? Now, the position of the point proves that we should read 74—which is the date of The game and playe of the chesse. The figures indicate 1474 as clearly as the letters W. C. indicate William Caxton. What is the just inference, must ever remain a matter of opinion.

In the woodcut of Arsmetrique, published in the Myrrour of