270 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



[Oct. 6. 1855. 



markable difference, as in the third 500 of No. 4., 

 the increase or decrease does not appear spread 

 with any degree of equality over the whole 

 number, but occurs generally within tlie space of 

 less than 100 words. In the case of Sir W. 

 Scott (the instance above referred to), the first 

 1000 words are taken from The Black Dwarfs 

 and, to avoid passajjes containing dialogue, the 

 second 1000 from The Legend of Montrose : so 

 that they can scarcely perhaps be rightly summed 

 up together as 2000 consecutive words ; but as 

 each 500 give so close a result, for the sake of 

 comparison with the other examples, they are 

 so considered in the table. It was found ne- 

 cessary to steer clear of the parts containing dia- 

 logue (as in the first 1000 words in I'he Black 

 Dwarf), as i^i that case Sir Walter ranked be- 

 tween Nos. 7. and 8. : the result being 2169 

 and 2041 letters only per 500 words, or 4201 per 

 consecutive thousand (a second thousand, roughly 

 taken for the sake of proof, gave 4256) ; so that 

 it becomes evident that in making the compari- 

 sons on a large scale, care must not only be taken 

 to avoid passages containing technical terms to 

 any great extent, but also to avoid those contain- 

 ing a mixture of dialogue and narrative ; or, at 

 all events, dialogue must not be compared ivith 

 narrative. 



In the above experiment, made merely for 

 amusement, the authors were selected entirely at 

 random, and also the viorks from which the exam- 

 ples are taken. There are doubtless many others 

 who would show a much wider difference : for 

 instance, I should say that the difference in result 

 between Haliburton and Carljle, or Ruskin, would 

 be something considerable ; and that our American 

 friend would in both cases be beaten by " long- 

 chalks." And, of course, if the experiment were 

 made on a large scale " as a test of authorship," 

 care would be taken to select the most favourable 

 specimens of each author's style. I subjoin the 

 names of the works from which the above exam- 

 ples are taken, and "the cue" in each case, as it 

 is not worth while to occupy more of your valu- 

 able space by inserting them in this note : so that 

 should any of your readers have courage enough 

 to carry out the experiment to its full extent, 

 they may take advantage, by applying to you, of 

 the IGOOO words already examined ; though I 

 think it will be found a dilHcult matter to steer 

 clear of dialogue for the 10,000 consecutive words 

 in the cases of Sir W. Scott and Dickens. 



R. W. Hackwood. 



No. 1. Legend of Montrose (^Waverley Novels, Library 

 edition, 1852), p. 194. 1. 14., " according." 



No. 2. Hitchcock's Religion of Geology (Collins's edi- 

 tion), p. 22. 1. 14., "globe the." 



No. 3. Bleak House, p. 4. 1. 29., « thus." 



No. 4. Sketch Book (new edition, Murray, 1826), p. 12. 

 1. 11., " of." 



No. 5. Vicar of Wakefield (Willoughby, 1841), p. 12. 



No. 310.] 



Or, chap, ii., paragraph beginning 

 Paragraph com- 



1. 11., "months." 

 " Some months." 



No. 6. Spectator (No. 3.), " soon." 

 mencing, " I had very soon." 



No. 7. Onition on Habit (Tweedie, 1854), p. 6. 1. 24., 

 " grandeur." 



No. 8. Wise Saws and Modern Instances (2nd edition), 

 p. 9. 1. 21., « out. The." 



CAMBRIDGE JEUX I) ESPRIT. 



(Vol. xii., p. 52.) 



In the year 1844 (I think), Mr. J. Brame, of St. 

 John's College, Cambridge, proposed and opened 

 a debate at the Union Society on this subject, 

 " That the abolition of monasteries, in the reign 

 of Henry VIII., was an unjustifiable and impolitic 

 measure ; and their re-establishment would be 

 highly beneficial to the country." After three 

 nights' hot discussion it was put to the vote, and 

 the numbers were — 



For the motion ------ 88 



Against it ------ 60 



Majority for the motion - - - - 28 

 The occasion was too good to be passed by, and 

 accordingly the follow ingjew (T esprit was very ex- 

 tensively circulated among the under-graduates : 



THE VISION OF ST. BRAHAMUS. 



Touching the Restoration of Monasteries. 



" Cujus, velut segri somnia, vanas 



Fingentur species." 



St. Brahamus reposeth from his pious exercises. 



" St. Brahamus had fasted 

 From ten o'clocls till four, 

 Then a little slice of pork he took — 

 I'm told he took no more. 



" He took a little Audit ale 



For his poor stomach's sake ; 

 He sat him down in his arm-chair, 

 And strove to keep awake. 



" He yielded unto no light thoughts 

 That rose his mind within ; 

 But found the devil in his doze, 

 And sorrowed for his sin. 



St. John bringeth unto him the Ladye Margaret, and re- 

 proveth him, for giving place to the infirmity ofhisfiesh. 



" St. John unto the sleeper came, 

 That by the fire was set ; 

 And he led in his hand a saintly maid, — 

 The Ladye Margaret. 



" * Kise, sluggish spirit, look upon 

 Her countenance divine ; 

 I lead her to thee, sinful man, 

 A pearl thrown unto swine.' 



** St. Brahamus bestirred himself 

 (For his saintly zeal was rare) ; 

 But he could not shake away his sleep 

 Nor rise from his arm-chair. 



