"Receipt" or "Recipe."—In one of Mr. Ryle's popular tracts, "Do you pray?" Wertheim and Mackintosh: London, 1853, occurs the following expression, p. 18.:

"What is the best receipt for happiness?"

Is the use of "receipt" for "recipe" to be admitted into the English language?

W. E.

Death of Philip III. of Spain.—D'Israeli, in his Curiosities of literature, states to the effect that this kings fatal illness was induced by the overheating of a brazier, whereof state etiquette forbad the removal until the person in regular attendance should arrive. For this statement he quotes no authority, and consequently Mr. Bolton Corney, in his Illustrations of the Curiosities of Literature (2nd ed., p. 87.), discredits the story.

It is singular that Mr. Corney should have forgotten that the anecdote is given by the MarÉchal de Bassompierre, who was at Madrid at the time of the king's death; the MarÉchal's informant was the Marquis de Pobar, who was present at the scene. Is not this sufficient? (See MÉmoires de Bassompierre, under the date of 11th of March, 1621, vol. i. p. 548. of the edition of Cologne, 1665.)

C. V.

Churchwardens.—In an old scrap-book in my possession, I met with the following, which, should you deem it of sufficient interest, I shall be glad to see inserted in "N. & Q." The print appears to be about sixty or seventy years old, and evidently from a newspaper:

"The institution of churchwardens is of remote antiquity, they having been first appointed at the African Council, held under Celestine and Boniface, about the year of our Lord 423. These officers have at different periods been distinguished by different appellations, Defensores, Œconomi, and PrÆpositi EcclesiÆ, Testes Synodales, &c. In the time of Edward III. they were called Church Reves, as we read in Chaucer:

'Of church reves, and of testamentes,

Of contractes, and of lacke of sacramentes.'

At this day they are called Churchwardens; all those names being expressive of the nature of the office, which is to guard, preserve, and superintend the rights, revenues, buildings, and furniture of the church. In an old churchwarden's book of accounts, belonging to the parish of Farringdon, in the county of Berks, and bearing date A.D. 1518, there is the form of admitting churchwardens into their office at that period, in the following words: 'Cherchye Wardenys, thys shall be your charge: to be true to God and to the cherche: for love nor for favor off no man wythin thys parriche to withold any ryght to the cherche; but to resseve the dettys to hyt belongythe, or else to go to the devell.'"

Your readers will observe that the last is a very summary kind of sentence. Any farther information relating to the institution of churchwardens^[1] will be esteemed by

J. B. Whitborne.

Epigram.—In an old book I found this epigram, published in 1660, more suitable perhaps for your columns during the excitement of the Papal aggression than now:

Aliquis.

Edinburgh.

Oxford Commemoration Squib, 1849.—The following jeu d'esprit was circulated in Oxford at the Commemoration in 1849; it created a great sensation at the time, from its clever allusion to the political changes on the other side of the channel, and, I think, deserves to be rescued from oblivion by a place in the columns of "N. & Q.:"

"LIBERTY! FRATERNITY! EQUALITY!

"Citizen Academicians,

"The cry of Reform has been too long unheard. Our infatuated rulers refused to listen to it. The term of their tyranny is at length accomplished. The Vice-Chancellor has fled on horseback. The Proctors have resigned their usurped authority. The Scouts have fraternised with the friends of liberty. The University is no more. A Republican Lyceum will henceforth diffuse light and civilisation. The hebdomadal board is abolished. The Legislative Powers will be entrusted to a General Convention of the whole Lyceum. A Provisional Government has been established. The undersigned citizens have nobly devoted themselves to the task of administration.

(Signed) "Citizen Clough (President of the Executive Council).

Sewell.

Bossom (Operative).

John Conington.

Wrightson."

Your academical readers will appreciate the signatures.

Tewars.

Professor Macgillivray.—The mention by W. (Vol. viii., p. 467.) of this lamented naturalist's posthumous work, descriptive of the Natural History of Balmoral, and of its intended publication by Prince Albert, induces me to hope that you will give insertion to the following extract from Professor Macgillivray's History of the Molluscous Animals of Aberdeenshire, &c., as showing the character of the man, and the spirit in which he prosecuted his researches.

"The labour required for such an investigation cannot be at all appreciated by those who have not directed their energies towards such an object. The rocky coasts and sandy beaches of the sea, the valleys and hills of the interior, the pastures, mossy banks, thickets, woods, rocks, ruins, walls, ditches, pools, canals, rills, and rivers, were all to be assiduously searched. No collections of mollusca made in the district were known to me, nor do any of our libraries contain the works necessary to be consulted, although that of King's College supplies some of great value. In a situation so remote from the great centres of civilisation, the solution of doubts is often difficult of attainment, and there is always a risk of describing as new what may already have been entered into the long catalogue of known objects. But the pleasure of continually adding to one's knowledge, the sympathy of friends, the invigorating influence of the many ramblings required, the delight of aiding others in the same pursuits, and many other circumstances, amply suffice to carry one through greater difficulties than those alluded to, even should the sneers of the ignorantly-wise, or the frowns of the pompously-grave, be directed toward the unconscious wight, who, immersed in mud, gropes with the keenness of a money-gatherer, for the to them insignificant objects, which have exercised the wisdom and the providence of the glorious Creator."—Preface, p. 10.

J. Macray.

Manifesto of the Emperor Nicholas.—Some of the newspapers, having stated that the concluding Latin words in this manifesto—"Domine in te speravi, ne confundar in eternum"—are from the Psalms, I beg to say that these words are not taken from the Scriptures of either Testament, nor from the Apocrypha; but constitute the last verse of the "Te Deum," commencing, "We acknowledge thee to be the Lord," and ending, "O Lord, in thee have I trusted, let me never be confounded." It is usual to sing "Te Deum" after victories, but Nicholas begins his song before he achieves one: taking the last verse first.

T. J. Buckton.

Lichfield.