O'Connor, a child of five years old at her father's death, had a very faint recollection of him; but I perfectly remember him, with his ardent look, and, while still young, a grey head,—"a volcano covered with snow," as was observed of him. O'Connor's only child, a mild gentlemanly young man, but certainly not the inheritor of his parent's talents, predeceased him, so that no descendant, either of Condorcet or O'Connor, now survives.

J. R. (of Cork).

INEDITED POETRY.

(Vol. v., pp. 387. 435.)

By way of concluding my notes upon the MS. volume of poetry, from which I have already transcribed two pieces (inserted at pages 387. 485. of your present volume), I now send you the short poem referred to in my first communication:

"February 15th, past two in the morning.

Going to bed very ill.

Oh, when shall I, from pain and sorrow free,

Enjoy calm rest, and lasting peace with thee!

When will my weary pilgrimage be o'er, When shall my soul from earth to heav'n soar, And, freed from flesh, the God of Gods adore.

Oh thou who only knowest what is best,

Give me, oh give me, peace, content and rest!

In life and death, oh be thou ever nigh,

And my great weakness with thy strength supply.

If on the bed of sickness I am laid,

Then let me find that thou can'st give me aid.

My drooping soul may thy blest Spirit chear,

And dissipate disponding gloomy fear.

May the bright angels watch around my bed,

And keep my timorous soul from fear and dread.

And should excess of agony or pain,

Or fever's rage o'er reason longest gain;

Even then protect me by thy mighty power,

Oh save me, save me, in that dreadful hour!

Make every thought such as thou mayst approve,

And every word show I my Maker love.

If void of reason I should think, or say,

Ought that's improper, wash such staines away.

Resign'd unto thy will let me submit,

With joy to whatsoever thou think'st fit.

In peace let me resign my latest breath,

And, void of fear, meet the grim tyrant death.

My parting soul let me to God entrust,

And hope a Resurrection with the just."

The devotional feeling displayed in these lines, and the circumstances under which they were composed, will probably render them interesting to some of your readers. The other poems in the little volume relate chiefly to the death of her beloved husband. I should have sent one of these had I thought them suitable to your columns. Suffice it to say, that her grief for her bereavement seems only to have been equalled by her affectionate reminiscences of the piety and excellence of the departed bishop, and only to have been assuaged by the "sure and certain hope" which filled her mind. The Queries which I would found upon the MS. are two in number:

1. What is the precise date of the author's death?

2. The meaning (if any) of the subscription to the piece printed at page 435.?

Permit me to notice a trifling error of the press, p. 387. col. 2. l. 21, for then read them; and to thank you for the space given to these three communications.

W. Sparrow Simpson, B.A.

P.S.—Since writing the above I have seen the observation of your correspondent C. B., p. 523.: I cannot think the meaning of the signature so evident as he implies. His reason for the use of the name Juba is evidently correct: I am indebted to him for the suggestion, and must confess that the coincidence had escaped me. With regard to the word Issham, had it been intended to signify that the former name was "assumed, or false," it would certainly have been written I-sham, as C. B. evidently feels. It is possible that this part of the signature may have no meaning: this I must leave for some other correspondent to determine.

FOLK LORE.

Lancashire May-day Custom.—On the 1st of May, the following custom is observed in some parts of Lancashire, though now very nearly obsolete.

Late on the preceding night, or early on that morning, small branches of trees are placed at the doors of houses in which reside any marriageable girls. They are emblematical of the character of the maidens, and have a well understood language of their own, which is rhythmical. Some speak flatteringly, others quite the reverse: the latter being used when the character of the person for whom it is intended is not quite "above suspicion."

A malicious rustic wag may sometimes put a branch of the latter description where it is not deserved, but I believe this is an exception.

I only remember a few of the various trees which are laid under contribution for this purpose. The following will illustrate what I am writing about. I must premise that wicken is the local name for mountain ash:

(I omit the epithet given here, as commonly, to an unchaste woman), and is used for a notorious delinquent.

A. B.

Liverpool.

Hair cut off, an Antidote.—A few days ago I observed my old servant thrusting something into the ear of one of my cows. Upon inquiry, I was informed that it was hair cut off the calf's tail, the said calf having been taken away from the cow on the previous morning: the butcher cut it off, for the above purpose, "to make her forget the calf." I half resolved on sending this account to "N. & Q.," but I hesitated, under the idea that it would perhaps hardly be worth the while. But this afternoon my eye caught the following scrap in a newspaper just published:

"At Oldham, last week, a woman summoned the owner of a dog that had bitten her. She said that she should not have adopted this course had the owner of the animal given her some of its hair, to ensure her against any evil consequences following the bite."

There is so much similarity in the two cases, that I now would ask whether your readers can throw any light on the subject?

Bœoticus.

Edgmond, Salop.

Weather Prophecy—The Oak Tree and the Ash (Vol. v., p. 534.).—When the oak comes out before the ash, there will be fine weather in harvest. I have remarked this for several years, and find it generally correct, as far as such things can be.

Bosquecillo Viego.

THE DIPHTHONG "AI."

Speaking of the diphthong ai, Walker, in the "Principles of English Pronunciation" prefixed to his Dictionary, says (Art. 202.):

"The sound of this diphthong is exactly like the long slender sound of a; thus, pail a vessel, and pale a colour, are perfectly the same sound."

This sound is analysed (Art. 225.) as