others who never say th without throwing their tongue beyond their lips, and others who, really making dental sounds of d and t, pronounce them in a manner not to be imitated by those who pronounce them as we do; are the sounds in the first case to be called dento-cerebral, in the second, dento-labial, and the third case, dento-dental, or is cacophony worse than nonsense. The nations alluded to are the Indians, the Icelanders, and the Gaels. The same argument applies to the appellation palatal. It is no less strange than true, that we have lived nearly 6,000 years in the world without discovering that k and q might be, and are, pronounced with the tongue not in contact with the palate, but with the jaw. But, alas! it was not ordained that our language should be enriched with the epithets faucal or nixal. Etymologis aliter visum est. If q and k are palatal, then are the German ch, Spanish r, Welsh k, &c. &c., palato-gutturals; but if we take the guttural sound as the standard, then are k and q gutturo-palatals. I wanted names for two things, 1st, for the collection of the four sounds 8, z, sh, zh, and, 2nd, for the whole assemblage of the hissing sounds, such as the abovementioned, and the additional ones of ch and j. Surely the word sibilant is better suited for a generic than a specific denomination.

Sir, it is my confirmed opinion, that the faulty classification of lettersthe very elements-has led to much spurious philology, and will lead to R. G. L.

more.

MR. URBAN, B-ll, Dec. 5. "A little knowledge is a dangerous thing," and a desire to show that little knowledge still more unsafe. At p. 583 of your last number is a paper from Mr. Clark, on Balloons, and the date of their invention, in which he says, "While pursuing my antiquarian researches the other day, in a rare poetical work, entitled, The Shipwreck of Jonas,' translated by Sylvester, from Du Bartas, 4to, 1594, í was much struck by meeting with the following couplet :

In this single couplet, therefore, we appear to be presented with confirmation strong as proofs of Holy Writ,' that instead of balloons being, as generally supposed, an invention of no more than some 60 years' standing, they were known at least two centuries previous."

The greatness of Mr. Clarke's error is in exact proportion to the positiveness of his assertion. In the first place I shall remark, calamo currente, that Sylvester's Jonas is a very common book, and not rare; in my small library I have no less than three editions of it. Next that the word balloones as used by Sylvester, does not mean what we call air-balloons; but that the name of our air-balloons are adopted from the balloons of Sylvester; i. e., large balls covered with leather and skin, and filled with air (answering to our foot-ball, which is a small balloon); and that these balloons are used in Italy in the game, called from them, Ballone or Pallone; and that Mr. Clark might have known this, had he reflected on the word joined to balloon, like windy balloones bounde;' the ball, at the game of Pallone, bounding instantly from the racket, the side walls, and the floor; but we never heard of air-balloons bounding in the air. From the large air-filled balls used in the Italian game, did our balloons, similarly inflated, take this name. J. M.

THERE are certain items in the parochial accounts of the churchwardens, or proctors, of several churches and chapels in Oxford, transcribed and preserved in Wood's manuscripts in the Ashmolean Museum, which may serve incidentally to illustrate the ancient custom of burning odious persons in effigy, to amuse the populace. It is not perhaps generally known, that before the Reformation, when the public amusements of the people were systematically interwoven with the ceremonies of religion, encouragement was given to this popular propensity on certain anniversaries; particularly the dedication day, which was generally followed by a whole week of

feasting, rejoicing, and revelry. On this festival, sometimes called the church holiday,' the proctors of the church of St. Giles, about the years 1529-30-39-46, regularly charged the parish with an item of 7d. for a pound of betars' or betters;' probably bitters, or bitter herbs dried. The use of these herbs, as well as the entry itself, has perplexed every antiquary since the time of Anthony à Wood. That persevering and industrious collector of manuscript information observes, in the margin of his transcript, Skinner's Dict. hath not the word;' and therefore he gives it up. But one of these items seems to throw some light on the subject: Comp. 1540. It. for a pound of JUDAS betars 7d.' Another item occurs occasionally, not only in these accounts, but in those of other churches, 'for a pound of betars for Judas light.' This item, coupled with others, for 'wax 'for the dedication day, 20d.'-' for a pound of wax at dedication day'for 4 pound of wax at S. Gyles tyde 2s. 6d. It. for gress (grease) at the dedication day,' &c., leaves us but little to imagine respecting the use and object of these ingredients, thus mixed together on the dedication day. We have seen multitudes in our day, in town and country, attracted by mere curiosity, without any religious or other motive, to see the wax-works.' How, then, could religious devotees refrain from flocking together in crowds to see the traitor Judas, whose lively image, or effigy, we may well suppose was faithfully represented in the wax, burning gradually in a blue flame like the tapestry of the House of Lords in the late conflagration, so well described by your correspondent A. J. K. (vol. ii. p. 478), whilst his bitter smoke ascended up as the smoke of a furnace. (See Psalms xxxvii. 20, lxviii, 2, Isaiah, and Revelation of St. John, passim.)

From a passage of Virgil we may further illustrate this ancient practice of burning persons in effigy, as performed among other rites of classical enchantment.

Limus ut hic durescit, et hæc ut cera liquescit.'

Similar operations were attributed to the dealers in witchcraft in the middle ages. But enough has been

said, it is hoped, to explain the nature of this Judas' light,' and to prove that it was usually exhibited on the dedication day, or anniversary of St. Giles, in the church called after his name in Oxford, before the assembled multitudes: being a compound of wax, grease, and bitter herbs, formed into an effigy of the betrayer of his lord;' the burning of whom thus publicly was supposed to be instrumental in exciting a spirit of devotion. For it was a proverbial malediction of the earliest ages, that the wicked should have their portion with the traitor Judas, cum Judâ proditore,' in everlasting flames. This malediction is usually appended to ancient charters, as a kind of technical or legal formality, instances of which are too numerous to be quoted; but some have been recently made known by the " Registrum Wiltunense" of Sir Richard Colt Hoare. In one example, however, we find a departure from the general punishment of the wicked by fire. The compiler of a charter, granting three hides of land at Langford to Wilton Abbey, in the year 963, denounces the punishment of keen blasts of ice, or glaciers, instead of fire; considering this, probably, as more tremendous to the inhabitants of a northern latitude: "6 perpessus sit gelidis glacierum flatibus," &c. J. I.

P.S. The writer of this article, at the same time that he rejoices to witness the revival of Saxon literature, to which he trusts he has in some humble

degree contributed, regrets, with many others, the personal controversies which it has occasioned. For himself, he takes this opportunity of disclaiming all participation in such unseemly warfare. This disclaimer he should not have thought necessary, had not the signature of J. I. been used and quoted by some writers, and an allusion made by another to a cause "pending between Trin. Coll. Camb. and Trin. Coll. Oxon." What the latter corporation has to do with the cause, is not quite clear; and the former is no further concerned in it, than that old Abraham Wheloc, the editor of Alfred's Bede, with other valuable works in the 17th century, and Mr. Kemble, a young Saxonist of great promise in the nineteenth cen

tury, happen to have been both admitted members of that same society. May the scion prove worthy of the original plant! Wheloc has done much; may Mr. Kemble do more!

What says Scaliger? "Illiberale facinus, propter nescio quas verborum quisquilias, &c. aliorum hominum eruditionem atque adeo totum nomen et famam in periculum vocare."

IN the accompanying Plate, our readers are presented with a view of the magnificent building which has succeeded the old Theatre called the Pantheon, in Oxford-street. The spot on which our grandfathers spent some of their idlest hours, and indulged in revelries which have never been found thoroughly to assimilate with English manners, has now become the scene of patient industry, and busy though elegant traffic.

Having already, in our number for July, p. 87, given a description of the building, with well-merited encomiums on the designs of the architect, Mr. Sydney Smirke, we shall only repeat, that the great saloon, represented in the plate, is 116 feet long by 90 feet wide; that the arabesque paintings are executed in oil-colours, having a very gay and lively effect, without tawdriness; and that the other ornaments with which Mr. Sydney Smirke has so highly enriched his architecture, are all executed in an improved kind of papier maché, a material the advantages of which are so apparent, that we must regard its introduction as a new era in the style of internal decoration, and therefore consider it deserving of a little further notice.

It would be difficult to trace the origin of the art of making plastic ornaments of paper; but it is clear that it was considerably practised more than two centuries ago. Many of the fine old ceilings, in deep relief, of the Elizabethan era, are of this mate

rial. There are also several handsome ceilings at Chesterfield House. During the early part of the last century it was also considerably in use. Smith, in his Life of Nollekins, mentions a curiously ornamented ceiling of this material, in the parlour of No. 41, Leicester-fields, which is painted in imitation of parts of the ceiling of Whitehall Chapel. On the front of a house in the Strand are three profiles of the three first Georges, which are formed of papier maché.

For many years a considerable trade was carried on in this manufacture; until a change took place in the general style of architectural ornament, and the small shallow patterns which were introduced by the Adams's, led to the substitution of a composition, in which putty is the chief ingredient. For shallow ornaments of that description the composition is, perhaps, still most suitable; but it is not capable of taking forms in which boldness and depth are required. The main difference of Mr. Charles Bielefeld's papier maché from that of the old manufacturers, is, that it is made all in one mass, and not in successive layers, and can be much more rapidly dried. Its merits are, that the artist can not only infinitely surpass, in boldness and relief, works executed in plaster or putty composition; but he can fully equal, in sharpness and effect, the most elaborate wood carvings. Its durability is proved by the ancient works already mentioned; its expense is less