NOTES AND QUERIES. 
[No. 17. 
naturalist, he will probably be considered good 
authority; and Hyfr, the most likely origin of the 
altered terms of the deer park-keepers. 
The word occurs twice in page 61. vol. ii. of 
the Sportsman's Cabinet, in the article on the Stag 
or Red Deer, where it is printed Heavier; and it 
will be found also as Hever, in Mr. Jesse’s Scenes 
and Tales of Country Life, at page 349. 
Wma. YARRELL. 
Ryder Street, St. James, Feb. 11. 1850. 
Mr. Halliwell gives the words haver and haver- 
ing, in the same sense as havior. Are not these 
words identical with aver, averium, in the sense 
of cattle, tame beasts? Averium, from the old 
French, aveir, i.e. avoir, originally meant any 
personal property; but like catalla, chattels, it 
came to signify more particularly the most im- 
portant part of a peasant’s possessions — namely, 
his live stock. Thus, in the laws of William the 
Conqueror (Thorpe’s Ancient Laws, vol. ii. p.469.), 
we find : — 
“Si preepositus hundredi equos aut boves aut oves 
aut porcos vel cujuscumque generis averia vagancia 
restare fecerit,” &c. 
The word may naturally enough have been 
applied to deer reduced to the state of tame and 
domesticated cattle. Ora eer 
[Tresor furnishes us with a reference to Pegge’s 
Anonymiana, who endeavours to show that the pro- 
per term is “halfer;” on the same principle that an 
entire horse is spoken of, the word being pronounced 
“haver” by those who call half “hafe,” while those 
who pronounce half with the open @ say “hauver:” 
while J. Westby Gibson suggests that Havior is Evir, 
from the Latin “ Eviro, Eviratus, Eviratio,” but admits 
that he can give no authority for the use of Evir.] 
Sir W. Hamilton (No. 14. p. 216). — Douglas 
says, that this Sir W. Hamilton was not son, but 
grandson and brother of the Ist and 2nd earls of 
Abercorn, his father having died vita patris. I 
therefore doubt that the inscription has been mis- 
copied. “He was,” Douglas says, “resident at 
Rome, on the part of the Queen Dowager ;” but 
this could hardly be the service alluded to. C. 
Dr. Johnson's Library (No. 14 p. 214.).—I 
have a copy of Dr. Johnson’s Sale Catalogue. 
The title is as follows : — 
«“ A Catalogue of the valuable Library of Books of 
the late learned Samuel Johnson, Esq., LL.D., de- 
ceased, which will be sold by Auction (by Order of 
the Executors) by Mr. Christie, at his Great Room in 
Pall Mall, on Wednesday, February 16. 1785, and three 
following Days. To be viewed on Monday and Tues- 
day preceding the Sale, which will begin each Day at 
12 0’Clock. Catalogues may be had as above.” 
It is a Catalogue of 28 pages and 662 lots, of 
which 650 are books, The twelve last are prints, 
chiefly “framed and glazed.” The Catalogue is 
very rare; there is not a copy in the British 
Museum, and Messrs. Christie and Manson are 
without one. I may add, as your correspondent 
is curious about Johnson’s Library, that I have 
the presentation copy to the Doctor of Twiss’s 
Travels in Spain, with “the gift of the Author” 
in Johnson’s handwriting, immediately beneath 
Twiss’s MS. presentation. The Twiss was in 
Lot 284. Perer CunnincHam. 
MISCELLANIES. 
Etymology of “ News.” — The word “news” is 
not derived, as many suppose, from the adjective 
new, but from a practice that obtained in news- 
papers of an early date, of prefixing to the title 
the letters expressive of the cardinal points, 
thus : — 
N. 
E. W. 
S. 
meaning that their intelligence was derived from 
all quarters of the globe. This must, at any rate, 
be allowed as ingenious etymology. 
J.U.G. Gutcu. 
THE GOLDEN AGE. 
(From the Latin.) 
Why “golden,” when that age alone, we're told, 
Was blest with happy ignorance of gold — 
More justly we our venal times might call 
“ The Golden Age,” for gold is all in all. Rvurus. 
NOTES ON BOOKS, SALES, CATALOGUES, ETC. 
Messrs. Sotheby and Co. will sell on Monday 
next two Collections of Autographs ; the first con- 
sisting of Autograph Letters, the property of a 
gentleman; which will be immediately followed 
by that belonging to the late Mr. Rodd, and the 
extensive Correspondence of the late William 
Upcott, Esq., comprising several thousand Auto- 
graph Letters. Mr. Rodd’s collection comprises 
many letters of great historical and literary in- 
terest. 
Messrs. Puttick and Simpson will sell by auction 
on Friday, March the 8th, and seven following 
days, the extensive and very important Stock of 
Books of Mr. James Carpenter, of Bond Street, 
who is retiring from business. The characteristics 
of this fine collection are the numerous books of 
prints and illustrated works which it contains, 
such as the matchless Series of Piranesi’s Works, 
being the dedication copy to the king of Sweden ; 
a copy of Boswell’s Life of Johnson, in 8 vols. |} 
