A Bit o' fine Writin'.—In the Preface to certain Lectures on Ecclesiastes, recently published, there occurs a choice scientific illustration, the "intellectual vastitude" whereof "necessitates a certain catholicity" of acquirements possessed by few readers. The author is referring to Jerome, and says:

"The most painful thing in his writings is the tone of litigious infelicity by which they are pervaded. It is a sort of formic acid which flows from the finger-points not of our good father alone, but of a whole class of divines; and, like the red marks left by the feet of ants on litmus-paper, it discolours all his pages."

There are two vignettes in the work: one illustrates "Consider the lilies," concerning which the artist had the benefit of an eminent botanist's opinion, to ensure correctness in the design. The other represents Solomon in all his glory, driving his own chariot, holding the reins in his right hand, and a sceptre or "morning-star" in his left hand. Methinks this illustration would not have passed muster with Mr. Scharf or Dr. Braun.

An Uplondishe Manne.

Custom of Cranes in Storms.—Some of your readers may be able further to illustrate the customs which I mention:

"Ex avibus est prÆsagium coeli. When the crane taketh up a stone and flies with it in his foot, it is a sign of a storm."—Bishop Andrewes' Orphan Lectures, p. 92.: Lond. 1657, fol.

Nonnus describes cranes as carrying stones in their mouths to prevent them from being carried hither and thither by the violence of winds and storms.—Dyonysiacks, lib. xii. p. 689.: Antwerp, 1569.

Bishop J. Taylor mentions a similar custom in the case of geese, but there is a different reason assigned for it:

"Ælian tells of the geese flying over the mountain Taurus: ?spe? ?a???te? sf?s? st???? d?ap?t??ta?; that for fear of eagles nature hath taught them to carry stones in their mouths till they be past their danger."—Sermon XXIII. The Good and Evil Tongue. Part II. ab init., p. 168.: Lond. 1678, fol.

Rt.

Warmington.

Aldress.—This word signifies the wife of an alderman. It is found on a brass plate in the following epitaph, in the church of St. Stephen, Norwich, as given by Blomefield, Hist. Norw., 1739, vol. ii. p. 595. Where else may it be met with? It is assuredly a better designation than that of "Mrs. Ald. A.," or "The Lady of Ald. B.;" and, from its occurrence in this place, seems to be a term once in use:

Cowgill.

How the Ancient Irish used to crown their King.—

"A White cow was brought forth, which the king must kill, and seeth in water whole, and bathe himself therein stark naked; then, sitting, in the same cauldron, his people about him, he must eat the flesh and drink the broth wherein he sitteth, without cup or dish, or use of his hand."

Cited by Sir R. Peel in the debate on the Union with Ireland, April 25th, 1834. (Mirror of Parliament, p. 1311.)

One of Junius's Correspondents identified.—It has often appeared to me that a portion of the pages of "N.& Q." would be usefully employed in supplying information relative to works either anonymous, or by authors of whom little is known. The French have one or two works expressly on this subject, but we have not any of the kind.

I have a volume now before me, concerning the author of which I now seek for information, as he was one of those who entered the lists with Junius, and addressed him under the signature of "An Advocate in the Cause of the People." One of his letters is reprinted in vol. i. p. 429. of (I am sorry to say) the unsatisfactory edition of the Letters of Junius recently published by Mr. Bohn; but the editor does not seem to have known the name of this "Advocate." This I learn from the work in question: Hope's Curious and Comic Miscellaneous Works, started in his Walks: London, printed for the Author, 8vo. without year or printer's name; but the Preface is dated April 24, 1780, and the Dedication is signed "John Hope," who had, he tells us, "once the honour of sitting" in the House of Commons; and he also informs us that Falkner wrote part of the poem The Shipwreck under his roof. Besides many amusing articles in prose and verse, the volume contains twenty-one papers entitled "The Leveller," which I believe originally appeared periodically in the Westminster Mag.; but I do not find them noticed by Drake in his Essays on that class of literature.

F. R. A.

Oak House.