120 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



[No. 250. 



There are two or three poems in the Life which 

 ought to be in his collected works. I shall only 

 instance the spirited "British Grenadiers" (vol. ii. 

 p. 289.), and the noble lines entitled " Launch 

 of a First Rate" (vol. iii. p. 295.). Had the 

 " Launch " been composed before the last collec- 

 tion of his poems passed through Campbell's 

 hands, I fancy even Ms fastidiousness would have 

 permitted its addition to the " Naval Songs." 



In curiosa felicitas of expression, Campbell's 

 small volume is a mine of wealth ; yet he some- 

 times uses epithets so faulty that they could not 

 have escaped a far less critical eye. I think it 

 has never been remarked that the obvious and 

 unmistakeable pleonasm in the burden of " Ye 

 Mariners of England," — 



" While the stormy tempests blow " 

 (one might, with as much propriety, speak of a 

 tranquil calm!), was first rejected by the poet 

 after it had been reprinted hundreds of times, in 

 his most elaborate edition of 1837, with Turner's 

 illustrations ; and that he substituted the exact 

 words of the chorus of the old song (" Ye Gentle- 

 men of England"), the music of which elicited 

 this noble lyric, — 



" While the stormy winds do blow," 



in which, by-the-bye, the full, open sound of 

 *' do " seems to me preferable to the hissing of 

 " -pests." Yet it was some time before the tem- 

 pests were driven from the field by the winds, for 

 I find them arrayed in exquisite type in the Book 

 of Qems (culled, I presume, by Mrs. S. C. Hall), 

 published the year after Campbell's pet edition. 



Geo. Huntlt Gordon. 

 H. M. Stationery Office, Aug. 4, 1854. 



P. S.—r Since writing the above I have observed 

 " The Launch " in an edition published since 

 Campbell's death ; yet surely it must be little 

 known, else our daily papers would have quoted 

 it, when they gave such copious illustrations of 

 the sublime, heart-stirring launch of the Royal 

 Albert. Printed as a broadside, it would have 

 been most welcome, if dispersed among the visitors 

 to Woolwich on that magnificent day ! 



HAMPSHIRE PROVINCIAI, WORDS. 



In a former volume (Vol. v., p. 173.) one of 

 your correspondents happily suggested that a col- 

 lection of provincial words and expressions should 

 be made in " N. & Q." As education is now on 

 the advance in our country villages, the provincial 

 dialect and " simple annals " of the poor are fast 

 disappearing. It is therefore of some importance 

 to gather and preserve the homely language and 

 phraseology of the people. 



Perhaps the following list of words, which I 



have collected from time to time, may prove ao 

 ceptable to some of your readers. 



Civil, good-natured ; used much of animals, as 

 " a civil dog." 



Front, frit, frightened. 



Pure, well, in good health. 



Safe, sure, as " safe to die." 



Nens as he was, " much the same as he was." 



Pretty nens one, "pretty much the same." 



Thumb, a name given to the " mousahunt," or 

 smallest of the weasel tribe. 



Pooks, haycocks. 



Tender, used of a sharp east wind, as " the wind 

 is very tender." 



Fit time, long time. 



Fit deal of trouble, much trouble. 



Nunch, lunch: I have never heard this meal 

 called by another name. 



Lodging. This quaint but expressive word was 

 made use of by a labouring man, in reply to an 

 inquiry after the health of his child : " Oh, Sir, 

 he is pretty much lodging, neither better nor 

 worse." 



Contraption, construction. 



Spiritiud, angry ; as, " I got quite spiritual with 

 him." 



Stump, a stoat. 



Bavins, bundles of underwood. 



Should these examples of the Hampshire dialect 

 prove worthy of a place in " N. & Q.," I shall be 

 induced from time to time to send any fresh ex- 

 pressions or words which may come under my 

 notice. F. M. Middlbton. 



Medstead, Hants. 



THE INQUISITION. 



The Inquisition in all its proceedings, except 

 those by which it celebrated its triumphs in the 

 public autos, has ever shrouded itself in mysterious 

 secrecy. In the want of correct intelligence re- 

 lating to it, many groundless and improbable 

 stories have found a ready reception with unin- 

 formed persons, if only related with a show of 

 authority, how unsubstantial soever the truth of 

 them may prove to be. That some respectable 

 writers have lent their pens to the circulation of 

 such mistakes, and in some degree mischievous 

 accounts, shows a want of care to verify the facts 

 they narrate to their readers, or reflects more 

 seriously upon their zeal, too eager in its conflict 

 with error to pause a moment to consider, whe- 

 ther their erroneous statements may not injure 

 the truth it is generally intended to support. Not 

 a little currency has thus been given to a story 

 about the destruction of the palace of the Inqui- 

 sition of Madrid, which, as it will appear, must be 

 classed with childish legend or German romance. 



