Dec. 31. 1853.] 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



639 



Revocation of the Edict of Nantes. — The im- 

 mense loss sustained by France in all her great 

 interests, as affecting her civil and religious li- 

 berties, her commerce, trade, arts, sciences, not to 

 speak of the unutterable anguish inflicted upon 

 hundred of thousands of individuals (among whom 

 were the writer's maternal ancestors, — their 

 name, Courage), by the revocation of the Edict of 

 Nantes, has lately called into action the pens of 

 some industrious and talented men of letters, 

 among whom M. Weiss is one of the most me- 

 ritorious. His interesting work, I observe, is 

 about to receive an English dress. In the shape 

 of a Note through your medium, in order that the 

 translator may avail himself of information which, 

 possibly, may not have reached him, it should be 

 known that Mr. William Jones, one of the highly 

 respected and accomplished employes of the 

 British Museum, has written a letter to the 

 Journal des Debats (inserted in its number of 

 Nov. 30, and signed with his name), containing 

 farther information of a painfully-absorbing 

 nature, from documents in the Museum, respecting 

 the dragonnades, and the sufferings and perse- 

 cutions of a French pastor. John Macrat. 



Oxford. 



^wtxisi. 



DERIVATION OF SILO. 



Can you or any of your correspondents inform 

 me what is the derivation of the word silo ? 



For many years after the colony of New South 

 Wales was founded, it was almost wholly depen- 

 dent upon the mother country for such supplies 

 of grain, &c. as were necessary for the life and 

 health of its inhabitants ; and, consequently, store 

 ships were regularly despatched from our shores 

 to Sydney. 



It happened however that, in consequence of 

 wrecks and other disasters, the colonists were, on 

 more than one occasion, reduced to the greatest 

 distress, and starvation almost began to stare them 

 in the face. Under these circumstances, one of the 

 early governors of Sydney, to prevent the recurrence 

 of famine, gathered a large supply of corn and de- 

 posited it in granaries which he had excavated out 

 of the solid rock at the head of the bay, near the 

 mouth of the Paramatta River. These were termed 

 silos or siloes : they were hermetically sealed up, 

 and from time to time the old corn was exchanged 

 for new. 



The supply of corn in these remarkable store- 

 houses is still kept up ; nor as late as the time of 

 my departure from those colonies last year, did 

 I hear of any intention of discontinuing this old 

 custom. 



Now the termination of this word in o marks 

 it as Spanish j and accordingly, on reference to 



Baretti's dictionary of that language, I find the 

 word " Silo, a subterraneous granary." But, Sir, 

 this discovery only raises another question, and 

 one which I wish much to see solved. A Spanish 

 substantive must be for the most part the name of 

 something existing at some time or other in Spain. 



When, therefore, did such granaries exist in 

 Spain, in what part of the country, and under what 

 circumstances ? Augustus Strong. 



Walcot Rectory, Bath. 



Minor cauerird. 



Handwriting. — I should be much obliged if any 

 of your correspondents could inform me (and that 

 soon) whether there be published, in English, 

 French, German, or Spanish (though it is most 

 desired in English), a manual giving a standard 

 alphabet for the various kinds of writing now in 

 use, viz. English hand, engrossing, Italian, Ger- 

 man text, &c., with directions for teaching the 

 same ; in fact, a sort of writing-master's key : and 

 if so, what is its title, and where it can be pro- 

 cured. 



A friend believes to have seen such a work 

 advertised in The Athenceum (probably three or 

 four years ago), but has no recollection of the- 

 name. E. B. 



Rev. Joshua Brooks. — Can any of your nume- 

 rous readers inform me as to the early history of 

 the late Rev. Joshua Brooks, who was for many 

 yearschaplain of the Collegiate Church, Manchester, 

 and who died in 1821 ? C. (I.)- 



" New Universal Magazine ^ — I wish to know 

 the time of the commencement and termination of 

 the The New Universal Magazine, or Lady's Polite 

 Instructor. 



A few volumes are in the British Museum. 

 Vol. vi. is for July 1754 to January 1755. D. 



Francis Browne. — Anthony Browne, first 

 Viscount Montague, married, secondly, Magdalen,, 

 daughter of Lord Dacre of Gillesland, from whom 

 descended (amongst others) Sir Henry Browne of 

 Kiddlngton. This Sir Henry married twice: his 

 second wife was Mary Anne, daughter of Sir P. 

 Hungate ; by her he had issue Sir Peter Browne, 

 who died of wounds at Naseby. Sir Peter mar- 

 ried Margaret, daughter of Sir Henry KnoUys, 

 and had two sons, Henry and Francis. Did this 

 Francis Browne ever marry ? and if so, whom, 

 and when, and where ? Newburiensis- 



Advent Hymn. — Why is this hymn not included 

 amongst, those at the end of the Book of Common 

 Prayer ? 



Might it not be added to those already given 

 for the other festivals of the Church, &c. ? It 



