Portrait of John Rogers, the Proto-Martyr.—Should you think the following minor Note interesting to your correspondent Kt., perhaps you will find a corner for it in your miscellany.

Living some time ago on the picturesque coast of Dorsetshire, I had the good fortune to have for a neighbour a lady of cultivated taste and literary acquirements; among other specimens of antiquity and art to which she drew my attention, was a portrait, in oil, of John Rogers; it was of the size called "Kit Cat," and was well painted. This portrait she held in great veneration and esteem, declaring herself to be (if my memory does not deceive me) a descendant of this champion of Christianity, whose name stands on the "muster roll" of the "noble army of martyrs."

In case Kt. should wish to push his inquiries in this quarter, I inclose you the name and address of the lady above alluded to.

M. W. B.

"Brallaghan, or the Deipnosophists."—Edward Kenealey, Esq., reprinted under the above sonorous title (London: E. Churton, 1845) some amusing contributions of his to Fraser and other Magazines. At pp. 94. and 97. he gives us, however, the "Uxor non est ducenda" and the "Uxor est ducenda" of the celebrated Walter Haddon; and that too without the slightest intimation that he himself was not their author. It is not, I think, fair for any man thus to shine in borrowed plumes, or at least transcribe verbatim, and without acknowledgment, from a writer so little known and old-fashioned as Haddon. Let me therefore give the reference, for the benefit of the curious: D. Gualteri Haddoni Poemata, pp. 70-3. Londini, 1567, 4to.

Rt.

Stilts used by the Irish.—We have all heard of the use of stilts by the shepherds of the Landes; but I have met with only one passage which speaks of their use in Ireland. I have crossed rivers, both in Scotland and in Ireland, on stilts, when the water was not deep, and have seen them kept instead of a ferryboat, when there was no bridge, but do not think they are in common use at the present day. The passage in question is quoted in Ledwich's Antiquities, p. 300.:

"I had almost forgotten to notice a very remarkable particular recorded by Strada (Strada, Belg., 1. viii. p. 404., Borlase's Reduction, 132.). He tells us that Sir Wm. Pelham, who had been Lord Justice of Ireland, led into the Low Countries in 1586 fourteen hundred wild Irish, clad only below the navel, and mounted on stilts, which they used in passing rivers: they were armed with bows and arrows. Having never met with this use of stilts among any other people, it seemed a matter of curiosity to notice it here."

Eirionnach.

Queries.

ETYMOLOGY OF THE WORD "DEVIL."

What is the etymology of the word devil? This may appear an unnecessary question, since we have a regular chain of etyma, διάβολος, diabolus, diavolo, devil. But it is the first of this chain that puzzles me. I am aware that it is considered a translation of שָׂטָן‎, and is derived usually from διαβάλλειν, calumniare. But שָׂטָן‎ means adversarius, consequently the rendering would not be accurate. As the word in classical writers always means a false accuser, and never a supernatural agent of evil, I doubt the correctness of the usual derivations in the case of ecclesiastical usage; and am inclined to consider it one of the oriental words, in a Hellenistic dress, with which the Septuagint and Greek Testament are replete. Mr. Borrow, in Lavengro, instances as a reason for believing that divine and devilish were originally the same words, the similarity of the gypsy word Un-debel, God, and our word devil. Struck with this remark, on consideration of the subject, I perceived that there were several other coincidences of the same kind, as follows:—The Greek δαίμων means either a good or bad spirit of superhuman power. The Zend word afrîtî, "blessed," corresponds to the Arabic afrît, "a rebellious angel." The Latin divus, "a god," (and of course Διος, with all its variations,) belongs to the same family as the Persian dîv, "a wizard or demon;" while the jin or jan of the Arabian Nights answer to the forms Zan, Zêna, Zeus, Janus, Djana or Diana. All words denoting deified power, and employed by the inhabitants of Greece and Umbria.

These singular resemblances may prove that fetish worship was more widely spread than is generally believed, and I think justify my doubts as to the etymology of the word in question.

Richard F. Littledale.

Dublin.

FORGED PAPAL SEAL.

An old seal was discovered some years ago by accident in the ruins of an abbey in the south of Ireland, of which the followings is a description. The workmanship is rude, the material a species of bronze. The impression consists of a circle of raised spots: on either side are two venerable human faces, both bearded; there is a rude cross between them. Above them are the letters—

These are supposed to stand for "St. Paul" and "St. Peter." It is said that this seal was used for the purpose of affixing an impression to an instrument which pretended to be a Papal Bull: in fact, that it was used for forging Pope's Bulls. One of the objects of such forgeries (if they really occurred) would be, to grant dispensations for marriages on account of consanguinity. Some noble families in Ireland had very ancient Papal dispensations of this nature. It would often be convenient that extraordinary despatch should be used in obtaining a dispensation.

Can any of your correspondents compare the seals on those dispensations with the above, or throw any light on the practice of dispensing with the ecclesiastical law against consanguineous marriages?

H. F. H.

Wexford.

A PASSAGE IN "ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL."

Will Mr. Singer favour me with the information where the proposed emendation, referred to by him in "N. & Q.," Vol. v., p. 436., in All's Well that ends Well, infinite cunning for "inſuite comming," of the folio 1623, is to be met with? If it be in the Athenæum it has escaped my observation, although I have turned over the pages of that able periodical carefully to find it. I have a particular reason for wishing to trace the suggestion, if I can, to the source where it originated. Owing to an accident, which it is needless to explain, the number of "N. & Q." containing Mr. Singer's communication did not meet my eye until this morning.

J. Payne Collier.

May 22. 1852.

SURNAMES.

I have to thank many of your readers who have favoured me with private letters on this subject since the printing of the prospectus of my Dictionary of Surnames in your columns; and before troubling you with a string of Queries, I would briefly refer to two or three points in the kind communications under this head in "N. & Q."