Chapter L: M. M. R

_Royal Salutes._--When the Queen arrives at any time in Edinburgh after sunset, it has been {246} remarked that the Castle guns are never fired in salute, in consequence, it is said, of the existence of a general order which forbids the firing of salutes after sunset. Is there such an order in existence? I would farther ask why twenty-one was the number fixed for a royal salute?

S.

_"The Negro's Complaint."_--Who was the author of this short poem, to be found in all the earlier collection of poetry for the use of schools? It begins thus:

"Wide o'er the tremulous sea,
The moon spread her mantle of light;
And the gale gently dying away,
Breath'd soft on the bosom of night."

HENRY STEPHENS.

"_The Cow Doctor._"--Who is the author of the following piece?--_The Cow Doctor_, a Comedy in Three Acts, 1810. Dedicated to the Rev. Thomas Pennington, Rector of Thorley, Herts, and Kingsdown, Kent; author of _Continental Excursions_, &c.

This satire is addressed to the Friends of Vaccination.[1]

S. N.

[Footnote 1: On the title-page of a copy of this comedy now before us is written, "With the author's compliments to Dr. Lettsom;" and on the fly-leaf occurs the following riddle in MS.:

"Who is that learned man, who the secret disclos'd
Of a book that was printed before 'twas composed?

_Answer._

He is harder than iron, and as soft as a snail,
Has the head of a viper, and a file in his tail."--ED.

_Soomarokoff's_ "_Demetrius._"--Who translated the following drama from the Russian?

_Demetrius_, a Tragedy, 8vo., 1806, translated by Eustaphiere. This piece, which is a translation from a tragedy of Soomarokoff, one of the most eminent dramatic authors of Russia, is said to be the first (and I think it is still the only) Russian drama of which there is an English translation.

S. N.

_Polygamy._--1. Do the Jews at present, in any country, practise polygamy? 2. If not, when and why was that practice discontinued among them? 3. Is there any religious sect which forbids polygamy, besides the Christians (and the Jews, if the Jews do forbid it)? 4. Was Polygamy permitted among the early Christians? Paul's direction to Timothy, that a bishop should be "the husband of one wife," seems to show that it was; though I am aware that the phrase has been interpreted otherwise. 5. On what ground has polygamy become forbidden among Christians? I am not aware that it is directly forbidden by Scripture.

STYLITES.

_Irish, Anglo-Saxon, Longobardic, and Old English Letters._--I would be glad to know the earliest date in which the Irish language has been discovered inscribed on stone or in manuscript; also the earliest date in which the Anglo-Saxon, Longobardic, and Old English letter has been known in England and Ireland.

E. F.

Youghal.

_Description of Battles._--Judging from my own experience, historical details of battles are comparatively unintelligible to non-military readers. Now that, unhappily, we shall probably be compelled to "hear of battles," would not some of our enterprising publishers do well to furnish to the readers of history and of the bulletins, a popular "Guide to the Battle Field," drawn up some talented military officer? It must contain demonstratively clear diagrams, and such explanations of all that needs to be known, as an officer would give, on the spot, to his nonprofessional friend. The effects of eminences, rivers, roads, woods, marshes, &c., should be made plain; in short, nothing should be omitted which is necessary to render an account of a battle intelligible to ordinary readers, instead of being, as is too often the case, a mere chaotic assemblage of words.

THINKS I TO MYSELF.

_Do Martyrs always feel Pain?_--Is it not possible that an exalted state of feeling--approaching perhaps to the mesmeric state--may be attained, which will render the religious or political martyr insensible to pain? It would be agreeable to think that the pangs of martyrdom were ever thus alleviated. It is certainly possible, by a strong mental effort, to keep pain in subjection during a dental operation. A firmly fixed tooth, under a bungling operator, may be wrenched from the jaw without pain to the patient, if he will only determine not to feel. At least, I know of one such case, and that the effort was very exhausting. In the excitement of battle, wounds are often not felt. One would be glad to hope that Joan of Arc was insensible to the flames which consumed her: and that the recovered nerve which enabled Cranmer to submit his right hand to the fire, raised him above suffering.

ALFRED GATTY.

_Carronade._--What is the derivation of the term _carronade_, applied to pieces of ordnance shorter and thicker in the chamber than usual? Here the idea is that they took their name from the Carron foundries, where they were cast. In the early years of the old war-time, there were carron pieces or carron guns, and only some considerable time thereafter carronades. How does this stand? and is there any likelihood of the folk story being true?