approach to cleanliness, as its exposure to the influence of a well-heated oven cleansed it of all its foulnesses. The ancient clay tobacco-pipe is not now to be met with in an entire state. The stem was very thick, and massive-its bowl was small in size-its spur was blunt, and the end generally impressed with the gauntlet. Two such ancient pipes, with broken stems, are now before me.

The quaint Tom Fuller, in his "Worthies of England,” when describing the County of Wilts, thus, interestingly, speaketh of such pipes:

"Tobacco-Pipes.

"The best for shape and colour (as curiously sized) are made at Amesbury in this County. They may be called Chimneys portable in pockets, the one end being the Hearth, the other the Tunnell thereof. Indeed, at the first bringing over of Tobacco, Pipes were made of Silver, and other metalls; which, though free from breaking, were found inconvenient, as soon fouled, and hardly cleansed.

"These Clay-pipes are burnt in a Furnace for some fifteen hours, on the self-same token, that, if taken out half an hour before that time, they are found little altered from the condition wherein they were when first put in. It seems all that time the fire is a working itself to the height, and doth its work very soon, when attained to perfection. Gauntlet-pipes, which have that mark on their heel, are the best; and hereon a Story doth depend.

"One of that Trade, observing such Pipes most salable, set the Gauntlet on those of his own making, though inferior in goodness to the other. Now the Workman who first gave the Gauntlet sued the other upon the Statute, which makes it penal for any to set another's Mark on any Merchantable Commodities. The Defendant being likely to be cast (as whose Counsell could plead little in his behalf) craved leave to speak a word for himself; which was granted. He denied, that he ever set another man's mark: for the Thumb of his Gauntlet stands one way, mine another; and the same hand given dexter or sinister in Heraldry is a sufficient difference.' Hereby he escaped; though surely such, who bought his Pipes never took notice of that Criticisme, or consulted which way the Thumb of his Gauntlet respected."

In the volume of "Poems," by Isaac Hawkins Browne, Esq.,

A Pipe

published by his son in the year 1768, are verses on of Tobacco," in imitation of six several Poets, viz. Cibber, Ambrose Philips, Thomson, Young, Pope, and Swift. These are most ingenious, and close, imitations of their varied style; but, in the address to the Reader, it is said by the son, that "The Imitation of Ambrose Philips was not written by my Father, but sent to him by an ingenious Friend."

NOTE 8-(p. 349.)

"The Corporation knew not what to do-the dilemma, in which they were involved, was a most serious one-the ruin of the City might follow the adoption of either alternative, but― the noble John Halle cut the Gordian Knot."

The expression of cutting the Gordian Knot is well known, and its application is, generally, well understood to be that of a bold extrication from circumstances of pressing difficulty. In the present instance, the inhabitants of the goodlie Citie of Salisburie were placed under an unavoidable choice of difficulties. The ancient proverb of "Incidit in Scyllam, qui vult vitare Charybdin," was well applicable to them. Edward, the Fourth, strove to preserve his seat on the Throne-the Duke of Clarence and the Earl of Warwick sought to push him from thence. Their officers severally urged the aid of the Citizens-they would not permit them to be quiet spectators of this mortal coil. The Citizens, on the other hand, uncertain as to whom victory might finally attach herself-fearful of the final result-and dreading ruin to themselves, and to the City, from the adoption of either alternative-knew not what to do! They were seized with stupor, from which the energies of the noble, and patriotic, John Halle aroused, and relieved them. "Give me" (said he) “the forty marks, and I will find the forty men." Thus did this generous-this intrepid man-at once-cut the Gordian Knot-thus did he, borne away by his love for the City, and for its interests, resolve to trust to the chapter of

Scylla and Charybdis were, the one, dangerous rocks on the Coast of Italy-the other, a perilous whirlpool on the Coast of Sicily. To avoid them, by steering safely between them, was esteemed by the Romans a deed of peril, and gave birth to the above proverb, which has descended down to the present day, and will last to the end of time.-E. D.

accidents, and to his own good fortune, to extricate her from a perilous, and distressing, situation, although he well knew, that, if his Sovereign were successful against his foes, his conduct might (unable to appease his wrath) bring down ruin, and destruction, on himself, his family, and property.

For the information of the general reader, I beg permission to quote, from the pages of Lempriere's "Classical Dictionary," the following historical account of the origin of the expression of cutting the Gordian Knot: "Gordius, a Phrygian, who, though originally a peasant, was raised to the throne. During a sedition the Phrygians consulted the oracle, and were told, that all their troubles would cease as soon as they chose for their king the first man they met going to the temple of Jupiter, mounted on a chariot. Gordius was the object of their choice, and he immediately consecrated his chariot in the temple of Jupiter. The Knot, which tied the yoke to the draught-tree, was made in such an artful manner, that the ends of the cord could not be perceived. From this circumstance a report was soon spread, that the Empire of Asia was promised by the oracle to him, who could untie the Gordian Knot. Alexander, in his conquest of Asia, passed by Gordium, and, as he wished to leave nothing undone, which might inspire his soldiers with courage, and make his enemies believe, that he was born to conquer Asia, he cut the Knot with his sword; and from that circumstance asserted, that the oracle was really fulfilled, and that his claims to universal empire were fully justified."

I cannot, however, refrain from presenting to my reader this anecdote in the interesting words of Quintus Curtius, the Historian of Alexander, the Great :—

"Alexander, urbe in suam ditionem redacta, Jovis templum intrat. Vehiculum, quo Gordium Midæ patrem vectum esse constabat, adspexit, cultu haud sane à vilioribus, vulgatisque usu abhorrens. Notabile erat jugum adstrictum compluribus nodis in semetipsos implicatis, & celantibus nexus. Incolis deinde adfirmantibus, editam esse oraculo sortem; Asiæ potiturum, qui inexplicabile vinculum solvisset: cupido incessit animo sortis ejus implenda. Circa regem erat & Phrygum turba, & Macedonum : illa exspectatione suspensa, hæc sollicita ex temeraria regis fiducia. Quippe series vinculorum ita adstricta, ut unde nexus inciperet, quove se conderet, nec ratione, nec visu percipi posset, solvere adgresso injecerat curam, ne in omen

verteretur inritum inceptum. Ille nequaquam diu luctatus cum latentibus nodis; nihil, inquit, interest quomodo solvantur : gladioque ruptis omnibus loris, oraculi sortem vel elusit, vel implevit."

NOTE 9-(p. 360.)

"The aforesaid messuage and two ploughlands in Gratley are held of John Grene, Knight, in socage by fealty, and the rent of one pound of cumin annually."

The tenure by socage is largely explained by Blackstone in his "Commentaries on the Laws of England," Vol. ii. p. 79, (Christian's Edit. 1809,) and the learned Editor has further elucidated the subject in an interesting note. In the "Law Dictionary" of Potts, "Socage" is defined to be "a tenure of lands by or for certain inferior services of husbandry to be performed to the lord of the fee. This was a tenure of so large an extent, that all the lands in England, which were not held in knight's service, were held in socage." This definition is not, I think, sufficiently full. The tenure by socage was of two sorts the one called free socage-the other villein socage-the latter tenure being clogged with baser services than the former, which, perhaps, in its nature, approached much nearer to the copyhold inheritance, the holding being acknowledged by some annual payment, either of a small sum of money, or the delivery of some article in kind, which, in this instance, was-a pound of cumin.

I will refrain from endeavouring to develope the origin of the words soc, sock, and socage, as I fear, gentle readers, we should all be lost in a quagmire; neither will I longer dilate on the tenure by socage, a subject interesting to few but the professed lawyer, or him, who is studious of the constitutional history of his country.

In the Linnæan System cumin stands in the class Pentandria, order Digynia, and is included in a natural tribe of plants called Umbellatæ. Bailey, in his "English Dictionary," thus well characterises this tribe of plants: "Umbelliferous Plants (among Botanists) Plants which have round Tufts, or small Stalks standing upon greater, or have their Tops branched and spread like a Lady's Umbrella." Gentle Reader! if you are a

* “Quinti Curtii Rufi de rebus gestis Alexandri Magni, Regis Macedonum, Libri Superstites." Edit. à Snakenburg. Tom. i. p. 56.

botanist, you must well know an umbellate plant-if not-the kind of plants, which constitute the umbellate tribe, you will easily recognise on my thus reminding you of the names of some of the genera, such as parsley, parsnip, carrot, chervil, hemlock, fennel, angelica, and coriander. These have all large bunches of flowers, and each bunch consists of a congeries of smaller ones. Such is a very general, and concise, but imperfect description of an umbellate plant. I am restrained, by the desire of brevity, from going into a full description of an umbellate plant, yet I must apprise you, that every plant, bearing the port of one, is not admitted into that tribe; as, for instance, the elder, whose bunch, or raceme, of flowers is umbellate in shape, yet the florets possess botanical characters, which place the plant in a different class.

The Cuminum (Cumin) is the produce of Egypt, and other Eastern countries. It is extensively cultivated at Malta, from whence the druggists of this country are supplied with the seed, which bears a great similitude to that of anise, but is somewhat larger, and coarser.

The seeds of cumin are, in their nature, carminative, and stomachic. Old Gerarde, in his "Historie of Plants," ́speaks highly of their virtues; and, according to his account, as well as from occasional modern practice, they may be considered as a good ingredient in cataplasms, &c. Their use is, however, now more restricted to medicines for cattle.

Cumin was in much more general repute amongst the Ancients. Pliny (Nat. Hist. Lib. xx. caps. xiv. xv.) enlarges much on its medical virtues. Sir Thomas Browne, in his " Observations upon several Plants mentioned in Scripture,” (included in his "Certain Miscellany Tracts," which were published posthumously, by his relatives, in the year 1684,) saith, “That we meet so often with Cumin Seed in many parts of Scripture in reference unto Judæa, a Seed so abominable at present unto our Palates and Nostrils, will not seem strange unto any, who consider the frequent use among the Ancients, not onely in medical, but dietetical use and practice: for their Dishes were filled therewith, and the noblest festival preparations in Apicius were not without it: And even in the Polenta, and parched Corn, the old Diet of the Romans, (as Pliny recordeth,) unto every Measure they mixed a small proportion of Linseed and Cumin Seed.