Oct. 15. 1853.] 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



375 



the names are spelled Swiney ; but changes of this 

 kind, by the parties themselves, are by no means 

 uncommon. 



The question, whether Swinney had ever before 

 spoken to Lord G. Sackville, remains unanswered, 

 although Junius most probably made a mistake in 

 that matter. Valentine Weston. 



The Six Gates of Troy (Vol. viii., p. 288.).— 

 The passage of Dares relative to the gates of 

 Troy describes the deeds of Priam on succeeding 

 to the throne : 



" Priamus ut Ilium venit, minime moram fecit, am- 

 pliora mcenia exstruxit, et civitatem munitissimam red- 

 didit ...... Regiam quoque a;dificavit, et ibi Jovi 



Statori aram consecravit. Hectorem in Paeoniam misit, 

 Ilio portas fecit, quarum hxe sunt nomina : Antenorea, 

 Dardania, Ilia, Scaea, Thymbrsea, Trojana. Deinde, 

 postquam Ilium stabilitura vidit, tempus expectavit." — 

 Chap. 4. 



It will be observed that these six names corre- 

 spond with the six names in Shakspeare, except 

 that Shakspeare, following some ignorant tran- 

 scriber, substitutes Chetas for Soman. 



The work, consisting of forty-four short chap- 

 ters, which has come down to us under the title of 

 De JExcidio Troja Historia, by Dares Phrygius, 

 is a pseudonymous production, which cannot be 

 placed earlier than the fifth or sixth century. 

 See the preface to the edition of Dederick, Bonnse, 

 1835 ; or the article "Dares," by Dr. Schmitz, in 

 Dr. Smith's Dictionary of Greek and Roman Bio- 

 graphy. Other writers spoke of four gates of 

 Troy. (See Heyne, Exc. xiv. ad ^n. ii.) L. 



Milton's Widow (Vol. vli., p. 596. ; Vol. viii., 

 pp. 12. 134. 200.). — Having noticed several 

 Queries and Replies in your pages concerning the 

 family of the poet Milton's third wife, I beg to 

 give the following extracts from a pamphlet printed 

 by Pullan of Chester so recently as 1851, entitled 

 Historical Facts connected iviih Nantwich and its 

 Neighbou7'hood : 



" In tbat same year (1662), Milton was received at 

 Stoke Hall as the kushand of Elizabeth MinshuU, the 

 grand-davghter of Geoffrey MinshuU." — P. 50. " Not far 

 from the Hall, where Milton was once a welcome visitor, 

 stands the Yew Tree House." 



There can be little doubt the author of the 

 pamphlet referred to derived the information on 

 which those statements were made from an au- 

 thentic source ; and if so, it seems pretty clear, the 

 Elizabeth MinshuU whom Milton married was 

 grand-daughter of Geoffrey MinshuU of Stoke Hall. 



T. P. L. 



Manchester, 



Boom (Vol.vii., p. 620. ; Vol. viii., p. 183.).— 

 The Bittern is not an uncommon bird in some 

 parts of Wales, where it is very expressively called 



Aderyn-y-Bwn (the Boom-bird), or Bwmp-y-Gors 

 (Boom of the Fen) : the w is pronounced as 

 double o. W. R. D. S. 



'■'■ NuggeV not an American Term (Vol. vii. 

 passim). — It is a mistake in your correspondent 

 to suppose that the word " nugget " was used in 

 California by American " diggers " to denominate 

 a lump of gold. That word was never heard of 

 in this country until after the discoveries in Aus- 

 tralia. It is not used now in California ; " lump " 

 is the proper term ; and when a miner accumulates 

 a quantity, he boasts of his " pile," or rejoices in 

 the possession of a " pocket full of rocks." 2121. 

 Philadelphia, 



Soke Mill (Vol. viii., p. 272.). — Suit is not 

 now enforced to the King's Mills in the manor of 

 Wrexham, in the county of Denbigh, but the 

 lessee of the manorial rights of the crown receives 

 a payment at the rate of threepence per bushel 

 for all the malt ground in hand-mills within the 

 limits of the manor. Taffy. 



Binometrical Verse (Vol. viii., p. 292.). — This 

 verse appeared in the Athenceum (Sept. 2, 1848, 

 No. 1088, p. 883.), given by one correspondent as 

 having been previously forwarded by another ; 

 but it does not appear to have been previously 

 published. M. 



Watch-paper Inscription (Vol. viii., p. 316.). — 

 Twenty-five years ago this inscription was set to 

 music, and was popular in private circles. The 

 melody was moderately good, and the " monitory 

 pulse-like beating " of course was acted, perhaps 

 over-acted, in the accompaniment. I am not 

 sure it was printed, but the fingers of young ladies 

 produced a great many copies. Your corre- 

 spondent's version is quite accurate, and I think 

 he must have heard it sung, as well as read it. 

 Segnius irritant, &c. is not true of what is read as 

 opposed to what is heard with music. M, 



Dotinchem (Vol, viii,, p, 151.), — Dotinchem 

 appears to be the place which is called Deutichem 

 in the map of the Netherlands and Belgium, pub- 

 lished by the Useful Knowledge Society in 1843, 

 and Deutekom in the map of the kingdom of the 

 Netherlands, published by the same society in 

 1830, Moreri spells the name Dotechem, Dote- 

 kom, and Dotekum. It is situated on the Yssel, 

 south-east of Doesburg, B. J. 



Reversible Names and Words (Vol. viii., p. 244.), 

 — I cannot call to mind any such propria mascula : 

 but I think I can cast a doubt on your corre- 

 spondent's crotchet. Surely our civic authorities 

 (not even excepting the Mayor) are veritable 

 males, though sometimes deserving the sobriquet 

 of " old women." Surveyors, builders, carpenters, 



