Rollin's Ancient History and History of the Arts and Sciences.—It may be useful to note, for the benefit of some of your student readers, that the most procurable editions of Rollin's Ancient History are deficient, inasmuch as they do not contain his History of the Arts and Sciences, which is an integral part of the work. After having possessed several editions of the work of Rollin, I now have got Blackie's edition of 1837, in 3 vols. 8vo., edited by Bell; and I learn from its preface that this is the only edition published since 1740 containing the History of the Arts and Sciences.

How comes it that the editions since 1740 have been so castrated ?

Iota.

Liverpool, October 16. 1850.

Jezebel.—The name of this queen is, I think, incorrectly translated in all the Bible Dictionaries and CyclopÆdias that have come under my notice. It was common amongst all ancient nations to give compound names to persons, partly formed from the names of their respective divinities. This observation applies particularly to the Assyrians, Babylonians, and their dependencies, together with the Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Egyptians, and Greeks. Hence we find, both in scripture and profane history, a number of names compounded of Baal, such as Baal-hanan, Gen. xxxvi. 38., the gift, grace, mercy, or favour of Baal; the name of the celebrated Carthaginian general, Hannibal, is the same name transposed. The father of the Tyrian prince, Hiram, was called Abibal, my father is Baal, or Baal is my father. Eshbaal, the fire of Baal; Jerubbaal, let Baal contend, or defend his cause; Meribaal, he that resists Baal, or strives against the idol, were Hebrew names, apparently imposed to ridicule those given in honor of Baal. The father of Jezebel was called Ethbaal, Kings xvi. 31., (classically, Ithobalus,) with Baal, towards Baal, or him that rules. Lastly, Hasdrubal signifies help or assistance of Baal. Will some of the talented contributors to "Notes and Queries" inform me what is the composition and meaning of Jezebel, as it has hitherto baffled my own individual researches? Is it the contracted feminine form of Hasdrubal?

W. G. H.

Clarendon, Oxford Edition of 1815.—The following curious fact, relating to the Oxford edition of Lord Clarendon's History in 1815, was communicated to me by a gentleman who was then officially interested in the publication, and personally cognisant of the circumstances.

In the year 1815, the University of Oxford determined to reprint Clarendon's History of the Rebellion, and to add to it that of the Irish rebellion; but as it was suspected by one of the delegates of the press, that the edition from which they were printing the "Irish Rebellion" was spurious, as it attributed the origin of the rebellion to the Protestants instead of the Catholics; a much earlier copy was procured from Dublin, through the chaplain of the then Lord Lieutenant, which reversed the accusation which was contained in the copy from which the University had been about to print.

J. T. A.

September 30. 1850.

Macaulay's Country Squire.—I suppose I may take it for granted that all the world has long since been made merry by Mr. Macaulay's description of "the country squire on a visit to London in 1685." (History of England, vol. i. p. 369.)

I am not aware that Steele's description of a country gentleman under similar circumstances has ever been referred to; it is certainly far from being as graphic as Mr. Macaulay's; but the one may at all events serve to illustrate the other, and to prove that Urbs had not made any very great progress in urbanity between 1685 and 1712.

"If a country gentleman appears a little curious in observing the edifices, signs, clocks, coaches, and dials, it is not to be imagined how the polite rabble of this town, who are acquainted with these objects, ridicule his rusticity. I have known a fellow with a burden on his head steal a hand down from his load, and slily twirl the cock of a squire's hat behind him; and while the offended person is swearing or out of countenance, all the wag-wits in the highway are grinning in applause of the ingenious rogue that gave him the tip, and the folly of him who had not eyes all round his head to prevent receiving it."—Spectator, No. 354.

C. Forbes.

October 11.

Miching Mallecho.—The Writer of the review of Urquhart's Travels in the Quart. Rev. for March 1850, who is, in all probability, identical with the author of the Handbook of Spain, felicitously suggests that Miching Mallecho is a mere misprint for the Spanish words Mucho Malhecho, much mischief: Hamlet, iii. 2. Imagining that I had seen this ingenious conjecture somewhere in print before, I referred to, and was disappointed when I found it not in Knight's Shakspeare (library ed.). Recently, in looking over Dr. Maginn's admirable dissections of Dr. Farmer's Essay on the Learning of Shakspeare, I discovered what I was in search of, and beg to present it to the notice of your readers.

"That the text is corrupt, I am sure; and I think Dr. Farmer's substitution of mimicking malhecco, a most unlucky attempt at emendation. In the old copies it is munching malicho, in which we find traces of the true reading, mucho malhecho, much mischief.

"'Marry, mucho malhÉcho—it means mischief.'"—Fraser's Magazine, Dec. 1839, p. 654.

J. M. B.