"Original Poems."—There is a volume of poetry by a lady, published under the following title, Original Poems, on several occasions, by C. R., 4to., 1769. Can you inform me whether these poems are likely to have been written by Miss Clara Reeve, authoress of The Old English Baron, and other novels? I have seen at least one specimen of this lady's poetry in one of the volumes of Mr. Pratt's Gleaner.

Sigma.

A Bristol Compliment.—A present made of an article that you do not care about keeping yourself is called "A Bristol Compliment." What is the origin of the phrase?

Haughmond St. Clair.

French or Flemish Arms.—What family (probably French or Flemish) bears Azure, in chief three mullets argent; in point a ducal coronet or; in base a sheep proper crowned with a ducal coronet or.

Penn.

Precedence.—Will any of your correspondents assign the order of precedence of officers in army or navy (having no decoration, knighthood, or companionship of any order of knighthood), not as respects each other, but as respects civilians? I apprehend that every commission is addressed to the bearer, embodying a civil title, as e.g., "John Smith, Esquire," or as we see ensigns gazetted, "A. B., Gent." My impression therefore is, that in a mixed company of civilians, &c., no officer is entitled to take rank higher than the civil title incorporated in his commission would imply, apart from his grade in the service to which he belongs. On this point I should be obliged by any notices which your correspondents may supply; as also by a classification in order of precedence of the ranks which I here set down alphabetically: barristers, doctors (in divinity, law, medicine), esquires, queen's counsel, serjeants-at-law.

It may be objected that esquire, ecuyer, armiger, is originally a military title, but by usage it has been appropriated to civilians.

Suum Cuique.

"Sf?d?."—The meaning of this word is wanted. It is not in Stephens' Thesaurus. It occurs in Eichhoff's Vergleichung der Sprachen Europa und Indien, p. 234.:

"Sanscrit bhid, schneiden, brechen; Gr. f???; Lat. fido, findo, fodio; Fr. fends; Lithuan., fouis; Deut. beisse; Eng. bite" [to which Kaltschmidt adds, beissen, speisen, fasten, Futter, Butter, Mund, bitter, mÄsten, feist, Weide, Wiese, Matte]; "Sans. bhidÂ, bhid, Spaltung, Faser; Gr. sf?d?, Lat. fidis; Sans. bhittis, graben; Lat. fossa; Sans. bhaittar, zerschneider; Lat. fossor."

T. J. Buckton.

Lichfield.

Print of the Dublin Volunteers.—Can any of your correspondents inform me when, and where, and by whom, the well-known print of "The Volunteers of the City and County of Dublin, as they met on College Green, the 4th day of Nov., 1779," was republished? An original copy is not easily procured.

Abhba.

John Ogden.—Can any reader of "N. & Q." furnish an account of the services rendered by John Ogden, Esq., to King Charles I. of England? The following is in the possession of the inquirer:

"Ogden's Arms, granted to John Ogden, Esq., by King Charles II., for his faithful services to his unfortunate father, Charles I.

"Shield, Girony of eight pieces, argent and gules; in dexter chief an oak branch, fructed ppr.

"Crest, Oak tree ppr. Lion rampant against the tree.

"Motto, Et si ostendo, non jacto."

Oakden.

Columbarium in a Church Tower.—At Collingbourne Ducis, near Marlborough, I have been told that the interior of the church tower was constructed originally to serve as a columbarium. Can this really be the object of the peculiar masonry, what is the date of the tower, and can a similar instance be adduced? It is said that the niches are not formed merely by the omission of stones, but that they have been carefully widened from the opening. Are there any ledges for birds to alight on, or any peculiar openings by which they might enter the tower?

J. W. Hewett.

George Herbert.—Will any one of your correspondents, skilled in solving enigmas, kindly give me an exposition of this short poem of George Herbert's? It is entitled—

G. D.

Apparition which preceded the Fire of London.—An account of the apparition which predicted the Great Fire of London two months before it took place, or a reference to the book in which it may be found, will oblige

Ignipetus.

Holy Thursday Rain-water.—In the parish of Marston St. Lawrence, Northamptonshire, there is a notion very prevalent, that rain-water collected on Holy Thursday is of powerful efficacy in all diseases of the eye. Ascension-day of the present year was very favourable in this respect to these village oculists, and numbers of the cottagers might be seen in all directions collecting the precious drops as they fell. Is it known whether this curious custom prevails elsewhere? and what is supposed to be the origin of it?

Anon.

Freemasonry.—A (Hamburg) paper, Der FreischÜtz, brings in its No. 27. the following:

"The great English Lodge of this town will initiate in a few days two deaf and dumb persons; a very rare occurrence."

And says farther in No. 31.:

"With reference to our notice in No. 27., we farther learned that on the 4th of March, two brethren, one of them deaf and dumb, have been initiated in the great English Lodge; the knowledge of the language, without its pronunciation, has been cultivated by them to a remarkable degree, so that with noting the motion of the lips they do not miss a single word. The ceremony of initiation was the most affecting for all present."

Query 1. Would deaf and dumb persons in England be eligible as members of the order? 2. Have similar cases to the above ever occurred in this country?

J. W. S. D. 874.