362 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



t2-» S. IX. May 12. '60. 



Babylon, called in Gen. xi. 12. njJp2, with which 

 also the Talmud (Sanhedrin, 92. a) agrees. In a 

 Greek translation at St. Mark's library, Venice, 

 N"in nyp3 is rendered eV xe8/w irpTjgecuy (in the 

 plain of combustion), like "lIT in Ezek. xxiv. 5., 

 and mno, frequently mentioned in the Talmud. 

 If we accept the etymology of ")H as contracted 

 from the Aram. NTlN 1*1 (of the fire), and take 

 into consideration the narrative of the three men 

 in Daniel who were thrown into the fire and deli- 

 vered, we may be led to infer the same of Abra- 

 ham, and to find an analogy in -|1X ; the more so 

 as the belief might have spread, that the name of 

 NTH nj/p3 originated from the custom to deliver 

 over to the flames those that were opposed to idol- 

 worship. 



3. One more hypothesis concerning "11X and the 

 origin of the legend connected with it may be ad- 

 vanced. Jewish interpreters already waver in 

 the explanation of "lit*, some translate it by plain, 

 light, mountain. Others combine the two last sig- 

 nifications into mountain of light or fire, referring 

 to Is. xxiv. 15. Now there existed among the 

 Indians, Chaldeans, and Parsees, whose mythical 

 ideas and religious systems were more or less akin 

 to each other, a mountain of the gods, which was 

 considered as the basis and principal seat of their 

 worship, and on which to throne. Is. xiv. 13. 

 represents the haughty ^Nebuchadnezzar. The 

 Hindoos called that mountain, which was sur- 

 rounded by other smaller mountains dedicated to 

 the gods, Meru, the Persians Albordst or Tireh, 

 and deemed it to be the residence of Ormuzd, the 

 God of Light. If we look for the physical origin 

 of the light and fire worship to the mountains of 

 Medea, full of naphtha pits, the resin of which 

 kindles so easily and blazes up into bright flames, 

 and take into consideration the affinities of ~i")X 

 (Ar. ~iinx, north ; "in, mountain ; "YIK, light ; also 

 cavern and pit, Is. xi. 8.), we are not far from the 

 source and origin of the fire-worship. The pas- 

 sage in Is. xxiv. 15., D V "I1N3, &c, stands therefore 

 in antithesis to DTI M fcG, and may be interpreted, 

 that as the worship of the true God had pene- 

 trated the Western Isles, so also would the 

 mountains and clefts in the north-east, where 

 the fire-worship (D ,- T)N) to which Nimrod was 

 addicted had its principal seat, not be left un- 

 affected. So that the fact that Abraham had 

 wrested himself from this idolatry (the fire-wor- 

 ship) and attained a knowledge of the true God) 

 embodied itself in the legend of a material deli- 

 verance from fire. Julius Kessler. 



187. Lee Bank, Birmingham. 



fHiitrjr f2ot£<J. 



Errors in Moi>ern Books on the Peerage. — 

 Fitzwalter. The first Earl of Fitzwalter (cr. 1730) 



is called Henry Mildmay in Burke's Ext. and 

 Dorm. Peerage, ed. 1831. His lordship's name 

 was "Benjamin." (Nicolas and Courthope's Hist. 

 Peerage, p. 200.) 



Marlborough. Charles, second Duke of Marl- 

 borough, was nominated, in 1758, Commander of 

 the Land Forces in an expedition against the French 

 colonies. (Burke's Peerage and Baronetage, 1841, 

 p. 668.) It was against the coasts of France, and 

 not against her colonies, that the expedition was 

 directed. 



Vaughan. Under the title "Lisburne"in the 

 last-mentioned work (p. 623.) the Hon. John 

 Vaughan is represented as having been colonel of 

 the 4th regiment of foot. It ought to read " 46th 

 regiment." 



Colville. David Lord Colville served in the 51st 

 regiment from 1755 to 1782 (see Army Lists), 

 and was on Gen. Game's staff" in New York in 

 1766 ; yet there is no mention of him in those edi- 

 tions of Burke or Debrett that I have seen. 



E. B. O'Callaghan. 

 Albany, New York. 



The late Duke of Wellington. — I send an- 

 other address to, and reply from, Sir Arthur 

 Wellesley, which I am induced to do, knowing 

 the exertions which the present Duke of Welling- 

 ton has been making to collect every waif and 

 stray of his distinguished father's writings : — 



" Sir, 



" We the Citizens of Limerick, feeling in common with 

 all his Majesty's Subjects, the great and important value 

 of the signal victory obtained over the French, at the 

 battle of Vimiera, beg leave to convey to you with senti- 

 ments of gratitude our admiration of that happy com- 

 bination of gallantry and judgement displayed by you on 

 that occasion. 



" We congratulate the Empire at large upon this pre- 

 sage of future triumphs: the battle of the 21st of August 

 has left this most gratifying impression upon the minds 

 of all persons that a British Army is invincible when led 

 by a Commander who, like you, unites the qualities of 

 coolness and promptitude. 



" We rejoice that the result of the late enquiry has se- 

 cured to you the establishment of that great character 

 acquired by a succession of public services. 



" The above Address having been presented by Col. 

 Vereker to Sir Arthur Wellesley, he was pleased to re- 

 turn the following Answer: — 



" Dublin Castle, Jan. 14, 1800. 

 " Gentlemen, 

 "I am much obliged to you for the kindness which yt>n 

 have manifested towards me in the handsome terms in 

 which you have addressed me. 



" I participate in your confidence in the discipline and 

 gallantry of his Majesty's troops; and I rejoice that I 

 should have been so fortunate at the head of a detach- 

 ment of the army upon an occasion in which, by the 

 conduct of the troops in the field, they augmented the 

 confidence of their countr3'men in their prowess, and in- 

 creased the security of the country against the attempts 

 of its inveterate and relentless enemy. 

 " To the Citizens of Limerick." 



W. J. Fitz-Patrick. 



