the name Pomona, brings forward the objection that Solinus, in using the word, is speaking of Thule, which was distant five days' sailing from Orkney. To this it may be answered that the error of transferring the name Pomona to the latter is chargeable against those who misapplied Solinus' words, and not against that author, whose meaning is obvious enough. Mr. Laing, having examined several of the earlier editions of Solinus, found the word pomona printed in two of them, with a capital initial letter, while in a third it appears as Pynoma" a circumstance which seems greatly to strengthen, if not altogether to confirm, the probability of the correctness of Professor Munch's conjecture. JAMES MACDONALD. Elgin.

66

J. G. F. is referred to Dr. Barry's Account of the Orkney Islands, p. 20., where that author conjectures that the name is compounded of two Icelandic words, which signify Greatland; "and this name (he adds) is very applicable if a comparison be made between it and the other Islands."

May there not be some affinity between "Pomona and the simple Mona," the name given by Cæsar to the Isle of Man, and by Tacitus to Anglesea?

It is remarked in Haining's Historical Sketch and Descriptive View of the Isle of Man (Liverpool, 1824), p. 3., citing Woods, a historian of the same island, that "Perhaps the words Mona and Man may both of them be derived from the ancient British word Mon, accented grave in Owen's Dictionary, and signifying what is isolated," a description not inapplicable to Pomona. G.

--

Edinburgh.

BOMB. (2nd S. xi. 29.)

Bentivoglio, in his History of the Wars of Flanders (English ed. 1678), makes no mention of the use of bombs at the siege of Nimeguen in 1590. Grotius, in his De Rebus Belgicis, translated by Manley, and published in 1665, is equally silent. Both authors, however, are more general than particular in their descriptions of the missiles used in the sieges of which they write. Cayet, mentioned by FUSEE, may therefore be right in stating that bombs were used at Nimeguen.

To find the first undoubted occasion on which the bomb was employed as an instrument of offence, is not I fancy an easy task, but there is evidence to prove that it was invented and used before 1590.

Leonardo da Vinci, the celebrated painter, equally celebrated as a military engineer, in a letter he wrote to Ludovico il Moro, Regent of Milan (cir. 1489), speaks of his possessing a kind

of bombard... with which to throw hail-shot (“minuti di tempesta "), and with the fire of which to cause great terror to the enemy. The original of this letter is in the Ambrosian library at Milan. A translation of it is in Jervis's Engines of War, published in 1859, p. 41.; and a faulty one (so Captain Jervis states) is in Brown's Life of Leonardo da Vinci, published in 1828. Two sketches of Da Vinci's bombards and bombs will be seen in Jervis, p. 42.

Mante, in his Naval and Military History of the Wars of England, iv. 443. (without date), says, that the inhabitants of Venloo entertained the Duke of Cleves, then on a visit to them, by firing some bombs, said to have been just invented. This occurred about 1588. Mante's authority for this is Strada, and he proceeds, quoting that writer:

"I know that some have written that a month or two before a like experiment had been made at Bergen-opzoom, by an Italian deserter from the Spanish troops make them some hollow balls of stone or iron, which, who had engaged with the Dutch, and had promised to being thrown into a besieged town and bursting after their fall, would set everything on fire; but, as he was preparing his composition, a spark having fallen on the powder, he was blown up, and by his death left his employers in an uncertainty whether or not his search would succeed."

Long before this period (1588) the bomb was known in England. A reference to Rymer's Fœdera will show this. There the record is, that in 1543, mortars for bomb-shells were cast at Buckstead in Sussex. The mechanics employed were Ralph Page and Peter Baude, both Flemings. In Hollingshed the former artist is named Rafe. Hoge.

Bombs were "invented," so Haydn states in his Dictionary of Dates, "at Venloo in 1495, but according to some authorities near a century after." Da Vinci's letter to the Sforza places the fact a few years earlier, about 1489, and Strada about 1588, nearly coincident with Haydn's dates. Haydn adds, "they came into general use in 1634, having been previously used only in the Dutch and Spanish armies." This general use of the missile is apparently attributed to an Englishman. James, in his Military Dictionary, art. "Mortar," states that Mr. Malter, an English engineer, first taught the French the art of throwing shells, which they practised at the siege of Motte in 1634. This is one year earlier than the siege named by FUSEE. AS Haydn and James give no authorities for their statements, no idea can be offered of the sources from whence they M. S. R. obtained their information.

RICHARD, SEVENTH EARL OF ANGLESEY (2nd S. x. 27. 156.) —I have to thank MR. FYNMORE for his notice of my Query respecting the seventh

Earl of Anglesey. It would seem from Debrett, that Richard, the sixth Earl, only married two wives. I find that he married four: 1st, Ann Phrust, as stated by Debrett; 2nd, Ann Simpson of Dublin, the only daughter of a wealthy citizen; 3rd, Anne Salkeld, the mother of Richard, the seventh Earl; 4th, Juliana Donovan, the mother of Arthur, the unsuccessful claimant of the earldom of Anglesey, but successful in his claim to the title of Viscount Valentia in the Irish peerage. MR. FYNMORE states, from Debrett, that the claimant to the title of Earl of Anglesey, on the death of the sixth Earl, was John Annesley, of Ballisack, Esq. The source from which I quote (namely, that it was Richard Annesley the son,) is the Gentleman's Magazine of the time when the contest arose (about 1767), in which a statement of the facts is given at some length. I am, therefore, inclined to regard this as a more reliable

source.

The questions which I before put, still remain to be answered; and if MR. FYNMORE, or any other correspondent, can assist me in the solution, I shall feel greatly obliged. When did Richard, the seventh Earl of Anglesey die? Where was he interred? And if married, did he leave issue?

H. J. M.

NATHANIEL HOOKE (2nd S. x. 467.)- ABHBA was so good as to refer me to the Catalogue of Sir William Betham's sale, in which mention was made of a patent creating "Nathaniel" Hooke a peer of Ireland; but having some doubt that "Nathaniel Hooke" had been so distinguished, and thinking it more probable that it was Colonel Hooke who had been thus rewarded for his services in Scotland in 1707, I took the liberty of writing to Sir Thomas Phillipps, who you stated in a Note to an article of mine on the subject of my ancestor, had purchased his patent, to ask him to favour me with a copy of it. Not having obtained the information as I had hoped, may I ask if any of your correspondents happened to see the patent in question previous to or at the sale, and could inform me whether the patent was granted to a "Nathaniel" Hooke, and if not, to whom?

The Christian name of the Colonel is never once mentioned in the Secret History, and all his letters are signed "Hooke." This work, it appears, was published simultaneously in Dublin and in London in 1760, and curiously enough was set up in two distinct types in that year, showing how little correspondence there must have been between the booksellers in the two capitals in that day. Copies of both editions lie before me. One is printed, large octavo, in London for "T. Becket, at Tully's Head, near Surry Street, in the Strand," and the other in small octavo, in Dublin, by "James Potts, at Swift's Head, in Dame Street, and Samuel Smith, at Mr. Faulk

entered as Colonel Andrew Hooke's. There is also an [In the Catalogues of the British Museum this work is edition published in 1775, "London, Printed for John Donaldson, corner of Arundel Street, No. 195. Strand," 8vo., pp. 210. In the title-page, the words "in favour of the Pretender," and "never before published," are omitted. The preface is entirely new, and the allusions to Lockhart's Memoirs for notices of Col. Hooke are suppressed.. It states that the French edition was "printed. at the Hague"; and this translation is dated" Edinburgh, April, 1760. The articles in the body of the book are also rearranged."-ED.]

SIR HENRY KILLIGREW (2nd S. xi. 17.) - Two or three letters, relating to Killigrew's mission to Heidelberg, &c., will be found in The Reformers of England and Germany, published by Dr. Heppe of Marburg, in 1859. The same may be seen in Latin, with an English rendering, in the same book as published in a translation (Hatchard's, 1859). These letters have, I believe, been nowhere else published.

B. H. C.

SEVERE WEATHER (2nd S. xi. 30.) There are some difficulties connected with the method your correspondent A. A. suggests; although, certainly, a register of the number of days, when skating was practicable, in each year, would give a very good general idea as to the severity of the weather. Situation has a great deal to do with the strength of the ice. Some would consider it safe; while others, not venturing on, would declare it was not strong enough for skating.

One pond, of a tolerable size, in a very sheltered spot on Clapham Common, usually retains the ice for a considerable time after a regular thaw has set in; and whenever a slight night frost occurs, is as good as ever for skating. The only drawback being, certain difficulty experienced in crossing two to four feet of weak ice covering the space melted during the thaw, between the bank and the old ice.

Skaters, when the pond was in this state, have been frequently amusing themselves on a mass of floating ice; and all other ponds in the neighbourhood "open-water."

Although embracing but a short period, the following table from what records I have kept may be serviceable; at any rate, they will assist to form materials from which the desired result may

"In this and the following chapters the expression 'East End,' is generally used as if synonymous with altar end.

"On this side of the Alps such an expression would

be always correct. It is so in nine cases out of ten in such German cities as Milan or Verona, but is correct only by accident in such as Pisa, Ferrara, Bologna, or any of the cities of the south, where the Gothic races did not entirely supersede the original population; but as without very large detailed plans of the towns it is impossible to ascertain this, the expression has been allowed to stand.

"The orientation of churches, by turning their altars towards the east, is wholly a peculiarity of the Northern or Gothic races: the Italians never knew or practised it."

MEMOR.

BRAZIL (2nd S. x. 449.) —I do not know that I can throw much light on this subject, but it seems at least unquestionable that the honour of the discovery of this great country belongs to the Spaniards. In the beginning of December, 1499, Vincent Yanez Pinzon, one of the skippers who had accompanied Columbus in his first voyage, in 1492, sailed from Palos on a voyage of discovery, and on 28th January, 1500, reached the coast of Brazil, near Cape St. Augustine. From that point he sailed along the coast to the north west, passing the mouths of both the river of the Amazons and the Oronoko. He was followed almost immediately by another townsman of Palos, one Diego de Lepe, who also reached Cape St. Augustine, and sailed along the coast to the south west. These were intentional discoveries; the next was purely accidental. Vasco da Gama having returned from India in September, 1499, the King of Portugal fitted out a strong fleet for the purpose of following up his success, and gave the command to Pedro Alvarez Cabral, who sailed

from Lisbon in March, 1500; but authorities differ as to the day on which he reached the coast of Brazil. Bishop Osorio, the Portuguese Cicero, says, in his lib. i. De Rebus Regis Emmanuelis, that "solvit Capralis cum omni classe viii. Idus Martii, anno a Christo nato M.D. ;" and that "octavo Kalend. Maii nautæ terram conspiciunt." This latter date is of course, in English, 24th April. Maffæi, in his Historiarum Indicarum, lib. ii., says, "Capralis Martio mense ad Hesperides tertio decimo die processit," and then "post mensem circiter in telluris conspectum ventis feruntur.” This would bring us, somewhat vaguely, down to the 13th of April, as the day of discovery. Castaneda says that the fleet came in sight of land on the 24th of April, but stood along the coast till they found a good harbour, which they named Porto Seguro; and next day, being in Easter week, a solemn mass was said on shore. Faria y Sousa, in his Asia Portuguesa, says that the fleet anchored on Easter eve, in a harbour which they called Seguro. There seems, therefore, to be no room for doubt that this accidental discovery of Brazil by the Portuguese happened in the month of April, A.D. 1500; but how to reconcile the authorities with each other, or with the fact that the Good Friday of that year happened on the 17th of April, I do not know.

The books above mentioned are the only ones I have at hand to refer to; but if DELTA will look at Southey's History of Brazil, he will probably find the discrepancies accounted for and reconciled.

J. L.

MIDWIVES (2nd S. xi. 59.) —I do not know whether midwives were licensed by ecclesiastical authority, or by Act of Parliament. They were, however, compelled to take an oath, the form of which is given in Strype's Annals, vol. i. p. 537.

Many parish Registers contain entries of baptisms by the midwife, and in some ancient injunctions to the Clergy by the Archbishop of York, is the following:

"Item- all Curates must openly, in the Church, teach and Instruct the Mydwiefes of the very wordes and fourme of Baptisme, to thentents, that they may use them perfietly, and none oder." (See Burn's History of Parish Registers, pp. 81, 82. 85.)

Henley.

JOHN S. BURN.

MR. S. GRAY (2nd S. xi. 29.)-Mr. Simon Gray was a native of Dunce, co. Roxburgh. He entered the War Office in February, 1810, and retired upon a superannuation allowance in 1828, being then sixty-one years of age. He returned to his native town, and lived on some property which he had purchased. He was a man of eccentric habits, having some peculiar views on political economy. He carried out his prudential maxims in the management of his own affairs, and, on his death, on 28th April, 1842, he left considerable property, the result, I believe, of his own thrift. His executor was his nephew, a Mr. James Thompson. I have never seen the book to which allusion is made in the Query. I presume it must have been published before 1841, for I believe that during the last year or so of his life Mr. Gray was incapacitated from literary

exertion.

Hammersmith.

JOHN MACLEAN.

23. Richard Poolle, Knight of the Garter, m. Margaret, daughter and solle here of George, Duke of Clarence and of Ellizabeth, daughter and here of Therle of Sals.

Sir Geoffrey (son of Sir Richard), and two of his sons, wrote their name Poole upon the wall of their prison chamber in the Tower of London, 1562 and 1564.

It would appear from the Harleian pedigree above copied, that the original arms of Poole were "or, a lion rampant gu., a bordure arg.;" and that the saltire belonged to the Pemarthe family, vided between the four sons of David (18th in whose property passed to the Pooles, and was dithe pedigree.) Blewlinus (19), was the first who omitted to quarter the lion with the saltire, and assumed the saltire alone, in which he was copied by his descendants. I believe, however, that the lion shows them to have been one of the reigning Welsh families. A list of the descendants of Sir Richard Poole, or Pole, and Margaret Plantagenet, and certainly to me. would be very acceptable to many persons I think, It is a subject which, by its unaccountable obscurity, invites investigation. The present owner of Fordington Manor, Sussex, may perhaps possess deeds which would assist the inquirer, as it was inhabited (some say built) by Sir Richard, and sold by Sir Geffrey, who, other authorities say, held it in right of his wife, Constance Pakenham. The will of the latter, which confirms this view, may be seen at the Will Office, London, dated 12th Aug. 1570, and proved in Sept. 1570. In it she desires to be buried near to her late dear husband at Stoughton; but I have ascertained that no vestige or record of their interment exists there now. T. E. S.

CENTENARIANISM (2nd S. x. passim.) — Observing your correspondent J. R., M.D., wishes to know whether any person ever becomes a centenarian, permit me to direct his attention to the Athenæum of Jan. 7, 1860, where he may see recorded two well-authenticated examples, which I then communicated to that journal; one being an old soldier still living in Chelsea Hospital, the other, Miss Baillie, a sister of the late eminent London physician, and of the authoress Miss Joanna. The former centenarian, named Richmond, will attain his 106th birthday the 4th of March next; while Miss Baillie, who resides at Hampstead, entered her 101st year the 24th of last September. J. WEBSTER.

24. Brook Street, W.

DATE OF MISSALS (2nd S. xi. 48.) There are various ways of ascertaining the date of church service-books, but they are much the same as those used to discover the period at which other manuscripts have been written. In late times the insertion of a modern saint's day, or other festival, would be a proof that the book was written after the bull of canonisation, or the institution of