188 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



[No. 173. 



sharply with a stick." I think this is an error, 

 and that it owes its name to its use in the assay of 

 gold and silver. We find this application of It 

 described in a work (now scarce) published in 

 1677, under the title of A Touchstone for Gold 

 and Silver Wares. The author, after describing 

 the qualities of a good touchstone, observes 

 (p. 36.): 



" The way to make a true touch on the touch-stone 

 IS thus: When your touch-stone is very clean . . . 

 your silver being filed . . . rub it steadily, and very 

 hard, on the stone . . . until the place of the stone 

 whereon you rub be like the metal itself . . . wet all 

 the toucht places with your tongue, and it will show 

 itself in its own countenance." 



And that the touchstone was used In this con- 

 nexion at a much earlier period is obvious from 

 the language of the ancient statutes. The 

 28 Edward 1., stat. 3. cap. 20., requires all gold 

 and silver wares to be " of good and true aHay, 

 that is to say, gold of a certain touch" And the 

 word occurs in the same sense in other statutes. 



A. R. 

 Birmingham, 



The error of Coleridge, alluded to by your 

 correspondent Alphage, Is certainly not a little 

 singular, especially as the word. In the sense of 

 stone or marble, occurs in Ben Jonson, Drayton, 

 and Sir John Harrington, and there is a good 

 article on the word in Nares's Glossary. I must, 

 however, altogether dissent from your correspon- 

 dent's statement that the reason for the name of 

 Touchstone Is, that a musical sound may be pro- 

 duced by touching It sharply with a stick, and 

 agree with Nares that It obtained its name from 

 being used as a test for gold. See a very inte- 

 resting article on Assay Marks by Mr. Octavius 

 Morgan (Archceological Journal, ix. 127.), from 

 which it appears that, for the trial of gold, touch- 

 needles were applied to the touchstone. 



Thompson Coopee. 



Cambridge. 



Eva, Princess of Leinster (Vol.vl., p. 388.). — 

 O'Haloran, In his History of Ireland, says : 



" In 11 68, Dermot Mac Murchad, King of Leinster, 

 having carried away Dearbhorgie, wife of O'Ruark, 

 prince of Breffin, was driven from his kingdom by the 

 husband, assisted by the lady's father, the King of 

 Meath. 



" He arrived at Bristol, having obtained letters patent 

 of Henry II. for any of the king's subjects to assist him 

 against his enemies ; but no one in Bristol was found 

 able or willing to undertake such expedition, when 

 Strongbow, Earl of Pembroke, who resided at Chep- 

 stow Castle, offered his assistance ( Seyer's Memoirs of 

 Bristol) ; and, in 1 169, entered Ireland with two hun- 

 dred knights and others, to the number of 1000. The 

 object being effected, Strongbow was united to Eva, 

 the daughter of Dermot ; and, at that prince's death, 

 became seised of Leinster." 



By this it appears, that Dermot eloped with the 

 lady in 1168; and, as Strongbow was united to 

 Eva the following year, Eva consequently could 

 not have been the offspring of that connexion. 

 Who her mother was, I am unable to find out. 



C. H. 



Whipping Post (Vol. vl., p. 388.). — These me- 

 mentos of the salutary mode of punishment prac- 

 tised by our forefathers, are of frequent occurrence. 

 I have met with them In country villages in all 

 parts of England with which I am acquainted. 

 They generally accompany that place of " duranco 

 vile," the stocks ; and occasionally have accom- 

 modation for two persons, I suppose to suit the 

 various sizes of offenders. T. H. Kersl,ey, B.A, 



Audlem, Cheshire. 



The Dodo (Vol.vil., p. 32.). — The progress of 

 the interesting Inquiry In " N. & Q." regarding 

 the Dodo, induces me to communicate the fact, 

 that amongst the architectural decorations of the 

 palace of the ancient Kings of Kandy, in Ceylon 

 (now Inhabited by the governor, Reginald C. 

 Buller, Esq.), there occur frequent and numerous 

 representations of a bird, which In every particular 

 of shape is Identical with the extinct fowl of 

 Mauritius. What is more curious Is, that the 

 natives were familiar with the figure as that of 

 "the sacred bird," which Is common on the 

 Buddhist monuments throughout the island ; but 

 Ceylon possesses no existing species at all resem- 

 bling the Dodo. I have a drawing copied from 

 the figures in the Kandy palace ; but as your pub- 

 lication does not admit of engraved illustration, I 

 do not send it. J. Emebson Tennent. 



Some weeks ago, on looking over a box of old 

 Kentish deeds and papers, P. C. S. S. found a 

 lease, signed by his ancestor Sir John Fineux, on 

 the 6th of October, 1522, to which Is affixed a 

 seal In perfect preservation, bearing what P. C. S. S. 

 has hitherto erroneously supposed to be the crest 

 of the Fineux family, viz. an eagle displayed. He 

 is now, however, indebted to your correspondent 

 (Vol. vi., p. 83.) for the conviction that It must be 

 a Dodo, and that it can represent nothing else. 

 For It Is of" unwieldy form," has " disproportionate 

 wings," and is altogether of a " clumsy figure." 

 P. C. S. S. has till now believed that the uncouth 

 appearance of the bird was owing to the want of 

 skill In the artist. But It Is now clear that it 

 must undoubtedly be a Dodo ; and P. C. S. S. will 

 henceforward live, sihi carior, in the certainty that 

 the chief justice of England temp. Henry VnL, 

 from whom he has the honour to descend, bore a 

 " veritable Dodo " as his crest. 



P. C. S. S. takes this occasion of adverting to 

 some Queries which appeared a few months ago, 

 respecting serjeants' rings. He has In his pos- 



