Mr. Sherwen, an ingenious furgeon and apothecary of this place, whofe accuracy and judgment I can confide in, as I have not yet had an opportunity of examining this phænomenon myfelf. The child's father has the conduct of a paper-mill by the fide of Enfield Marsh, and is I believe about 36 years of age: his mother about 42, and at prefent of a healthy habit; neither of his parents remarkable for their fize or ftature. They have had 5 children: the eldeft of the three now living is 12 years old, and rather small of his age; but his paternal grandfather was of a fize larger than ordinary. They had another fon of uncommon proportion, who died of the meazles in Jan. 1774, at the age of 15 months; the carpenter who made his coffin obferved, that he had never measured fo tall a child. The prefent fubject, being the second of the kind, excites a greater degree of curiofity, of which the father intends to avail himself, by carrying the child up to London, and making a public fhew of him. In the year 1744-5, Dr. Mead laid before the Society an account of a gigantic boy of two years old, at Willingham, in Cambridge fhire. As the story may not be fresh in every one's memory, I fhall compare his dimenfions with thofe of young Everit, premifing this one obfervation, that the Willingham lad, whofe name was Hall, allowing for his years, was, in this refpect, lefs of a prodigy than the Enfield boy; though, as Mr. Dawkes, the furgeon, who defcribed him, remarks, "he past through the four ftages of life in lefs than fix years, being 5 years and 10 months old at his death, and only 4 feet 6 inches high. feet. inch. HALL, round the wrift, 6 thickness of thigh, I 21 waift, Mr. Sherwen adds, he fhould have been glad to have given the folid contents of animal fubftance in pounds avoirdupois but this was not poffible, as the mother is poffeft with the vulgar prejudice against weighing children. He could therefore only fay, that, when the exposes his legs, thighs, and broad back to view, it is impoffible to be impreft with any other idea than that of seeing a young giant. The boy has very fine hair, pure clear fkin, free from pimple or blemish : he is extremely lively, and has a bright clear eye, the pupil not in the leaft dilated; and, excepting a pair of broad cheeks, his head is rather lefs in proportion than his other parts. From thefe circumstances Mr. S. ventures to prognofticate, that he is as likely to arrive at maturity (accidental difeafes excepted) as any child he ever faw. Soon after the date of the above letter, the boy was carried to a relation's in Great Turnstile; but the confined fituation had fuch an effect on his health, that he was foon brought back into his native air. He has now been in London above a month, and is arrived at the following dimenfions. Height 3 feet 3 inches, round the breaft 2 feet 6 inches; loins 3 feet inch, thigh I foot ro inches, leg i foot z inches, arm 11 inches and a half, wrift 9 inches, he is well proportioned all over, and fubfifts entirely on the breaft; was not remarkable when born, but at about fix weeks after began, and has rapidly continued, to encrease to his prefent amazing fize. His coun tenance is what every one would call comely, but with rather more expreffion in it than is ufual at his age, though exceedingly pleafing from his being uncommonly well tempered. He is to be feen from eleven in the morning till four, at Mr. Owen's, Confectioner, No. 66, Cornhill." His weight was guefled at nine ftone. Mr. 128 Saxon Infeription explained.-Yew-Trees used for Palm.. Mr. UREAN, Whatever was the destination of the piece of brass engraved in your Mag 1779, p. 536, (for I rather think it was a fhrine or part of one,) the infcription, as exhibited by your correfpondent, is Bodric me warh, i. e. Bodric made me. Worh may be an abbreviation for workte. It corre. fponds with the infcription of the famous Bijou, found in the Itle of Athelney, engraved by Hickes, (Thefaur. I. p. 42,) Dr. Musgrave, (Belg. Brit.) and Dr. Gibfon, (Camden in Somerfet,) Alfred me het geþercan, Alfred caused me to be made. No fuch name as Bodric occurs among the abbots of this house, whofe foundation, as an abbey, is as early as the clofe of the 14th century, in the reign of Ethelred, king of Mercia. (Tann. Not. Mon. 616. Willis' Mit. Ab. II. 260, 338. Mon. Ang. II. 203.) It is therefore probable that Bodric was either a benefactor, or the artist who executed this piece of filigrane work. P. 439. What are the marks which gave name to the ancient Picts but tattooing? Mr. URBAN, Y OUR ingenious correfpondent, A. B. (Mag. for Dec. p. 578, &c.) I think has fully confuted the notion of yew-trees having been planted in church-yards, for the purpose of furnishing the parishioners with bows. He has farther advanced a probable jecture, that they were intended as fubititutes for palms, and carried in proceffion on Palm Sunday. It is true indeed, that the flowering branches of the fallow, being at prefent, in most parts of the kingdom, I believe, called palms, is a circumstance which seems, to make againft this opinion. But prefumptive arguments are of weight, agaiuft pofitive evidence; and the following extract from Caxton's direction, for keeping feasts all the year, printed in 1483, will be allowed, I prefume, to be decifive in the point. It is taken out of the lecture tor Palm Sunday; where the writer, after giving the fcriptural account of our Saviour's triumphant entrance into Jerufalem, proceeds thus: "Wherfore holy chirche this day makyth folempne proceffyon, in mvnde of the proceffyon that Cryft made this day. no But for enchefon that we have non olyue that berith grene leef, algate therefore we take ewe in fede of palme and olyue, and beren about in proceffyon, and fo is thys day callyd Palme Sonday. Yew then being the fubftitute for palm on this occafion, it will now I fuppofe be readily admitted, that this was the purpofe for which these venerable trees were originally planted in the church yards; and indeed this fingle circumstance of the place where they grow, the religious character of former ages confidered, would lead us to conclude that they were defigned for fome facred ufe. However, I think it is not improbable that other branches and flowers, and among these the fallow, perhaps, might often be carried together with yew, or in defect of it, on this occafion; for the expreffion in the Festival is more vague; we take palme and floures in the proceffyon:" and other books, that are lefs fcarce, speak of this folemnity in fimilar terms. Oxford, Jan. 28. I am &c. R. C P. S..As a further confirmation of what was faid refpecting Sherethurfday, in your Mag. for June 1779, P 291, col. 1, it may be obferved, that Caxton, in his book above quoted, gives the fame account of it. Indeed the Festival, (which I now find was printed alfo by Caxton, but in what year I know not) though_taken, as the introduction fays, out of Legenda Aurea, feems in many places tranfcribed or abridged from this book of Caxton's; and the quotation from an old MS. (Mag. for Dec. p. 597) 10 exactly agrees with the extract given above, that the likenefs, or rather famenefs, however occafioned, could hardly be accidental. I Mr. URBAN. March 9, 1780. THINK myfelf highly honoured by the notice which your old and very valuable correfpondent T. Row has taken of my conjecture concern. ing Yew-trees; and with he had either bestowed upon it the fanction of Algate or algate, that is, alway or always. See Tyrwhitt's Gloff. to the Canterbury Tales. I think it is probable that this last word (always) obtained Its prefent meaning by the fame fort of tranfition. See Skinner's Etymol. The word gate is in the North fill used to Lignify a way. Yew-trees, why planted in Church-yards, further confidered. his approbation, or fubftantially refuted it. His objections to the fuppofition of the branches of the yew-tree being carried on Palm Sunday, are, firft, that that tree is of baneful influ ence, and, fecondly, of a funeral na→ ture; and therefore improper to be employed in an act of joy and ovation, in remembiance of our Saviour s triumph. ant entry into Jerufalem. From the firit, befides the quotation from the poetical Statius, we are referred to the philofophic Evelyn, who Teems to me to favour the idea as little as poffible. He mentions, among other ufes of the wood, the making tankards of it, notwithtanding the ill report brought upon fuch vellel's by some tippling fellows. The thade and fruit of it he had often tried himfelf, without any bad cobiequences: he acknowledges that it is effeemed noxious to 'cattle, yet marvels that there appear no more fuch effects of it, buth hories and other cattle being free to brouse én it, where it naturally grows. As little credit does he feem to give to what that oldelt of all old women, Aubrey, lays about its noxious quality, which, fays he, is very odd, if true; concluding, whether all this (Aubrey's) narrative be but a dream, I cannot tell. I am, however, ready to allow that inftances may be produced of cattle dying from eating the leaves but the inftances are very rare, being only, I believe, when the animals have been confined, and much preffed for food. It is notorious, that in inany parts of the kingdom, thefe trees grow wild, and no ill effects are found from them; particularly, I obferved, läßt fimmer, feveral very ve Herable ones in Lord Portfinouth's park at Hufborn, Hampshire, where deer and all kind of eattie were feeding, and I prefume with impunity. But to come nearer the point when our anceltors faw (as their potterity do now) the parfon's cow and horfe feeding and thriving in churchyards among thele trces, it is not very likely that they Thould entertain fuch dreadful ideas of their noxious quality, or baneful influence, as to effeem their branches improper to be employed in the festivity of Palm-Sunday. Secondly, as to its funeral nature, I fee as little force in that objection: for when sprigs of yew tree, as well as of other ever-greens, have been used in our funeral ceremonies, it has not been, like the cyprefs of old, emblematical of the total extin&tion of the deceased, Gint. Mau. March 1780. 129 but, as is univerfally allowed, of his refurrection; an idea, that, instead of being fraught with grief and defpair, is, of all others, the most confolatory to the heart of man. And, in truth, our ancient funerals, as well as fome modern ones, were cofed with merrymakings at least equal to the preceding forrow, most of the testators directing, among other things, viêtuals and drink to be distributed at their exequies; one in particular, I remember, orders a fum of money for a drinking for his foul. So that there feems no reason, why this tree being fometimes ufed at funerals, fhould itamp fuch a lugubrous mark upon it, as to render it unfuitable to more joyful occafions. Ivy and bay, that uled to adorn the brows of poets and conquerors, have not on that account been thought by the chriftians of all ages incompatible with funeral folemnities. As to box, having faid nothing about its use in England, I am not at all concerned about its appearing or not, in our church yards; and whether yew-trees were planted there for the reafon I have fuggefted, or for none at all (for T. Row has alligned n-...), I fhall leave to them to determine, ho may think this question worth examining. I cannot finish, without begging T. R. to inform me, what the tree is, if it be not the yew tree, which was formerly fo familia: ly called a palm among us. If it be answered, that every branch that was carried on Palm-Sunday was called a palm-branch; I still think it clear from my quotations, particularly that from the Horda Angel-cynnan, that we had fome tree that was peculiarly diftinguifhed by the name of palm. 1 am, &c. A. B. This friendly Correfpondent's hint about a General Index is what we have been for fome time employed upon. Mr. URBAN, MR. Gorge Forster, in his Voyage round the World, has this pallage: "Capt. Cook, and all thofe perfons who had feen New-Holland with him in the Endeavour, upon examining New Caledonia, unanimously pronounced that in its general appearance it perfectly refembled that continent. What new difcoveries Mr. George Forfter may have made, I know not; but that Capt. Cook has proved NewHolland to be an end is likew certain. I am therefore unable to account for this expreffion in fu.}** intelligeat water. Thefe Figures are carved upon à ftone joining to the Infcription as in the plate. The fize of these two stones is not specified, any more than the time when they were first noticed; and, whether owing to any accident, as plaister falling off, it feems, however, to be quite a modern difcovery, as Dr. Burn, whose History of Cumberland was published in 1777, mentious nothing of it. +DLVRRENDE WERE RATO- NAVAM This Infeription is on a ftone above an old door-way, on are long spaces; where no Bolton Chapel ftands in the parish of Morland, about four miles North of Appleby, to which it is adjoining, on the Western bank of the river E ten, in Cumberland. Explanatory Remarks on the Inscription at Bolton Chapel. Mr. URBAN, A FEW days ago I received the annexed fculpture and infcription from a good friend at Lancaster, who hoped that I might be able to throw fome light upon it; which, I frankly own, I am not able to do: but as others may be more fortunate, to them I recommend it through your channel; and if it may fave them fome trouble, I will juft mention what has occurred to me on the fubject. To 'begin with the Carving; which one fhould expect would fpeak an univerfal language, and confequently be readily made out; which is not, however, the cafe, at leaft with me. I fee two combatants, feemingly cafed in armour from head to feet; the helmets of both are remarkably pointed at top; and both plainly have ftirrups, which feem to grow out of the belly of the horfes, without any the leaft appearance of ftirrup-leathers. The horses too of both feem compleately cafed in leather at least, as they exhibit no eyes, mouths, ears, or manes: but as their tails too feem equally covered, (looking more like thofe of large rams) perhaps the uniformity of their whole appearance fhould be charged to the badness of the carving: though I think not, no more than to being worn -Smooth by time and weather: the stirrups might be faftened to this cafe or thell. One bears on his left arm an oval fhield, which, I believe, is an uncommon fhape: his right hand is 'raised level with his fhoulder, and he pushes a tilting spear (I venture to call it to from its fwelling bigger in the middie) into the neck of his adverfary, who lifts up his left hand, and lowers the banner in his right hand; both feemingly in token of yielding. It is obfervable that there is no appearance of his having a fhield; nor -has his banneret any apparent head or fpike to it, and the ftaff is uniformly flender throughout. This, one should fuppofe, was the reprefentation of fome formal combat: but in thefe it was ufual to be very exact in feeing that the combatants arms were the fame in fize, &c. and from the cut or indented fhape of the banneret, we must conclude, that it is the Gonfannen or Ecclefiaftical bánner: fuch, I fuppofe, - was St. Cuthbert's, at Durham; which, befides appearing in proceffions, was fometimes advanced against the Scots, with good fuccefs: but if fo, this must be the champion, Vower, advocate or avoué of the church in 131 fome difpute; and that the fight should refer to fomewhat of this kind, is natural enough to think, from the place where it is fixed. But we may well wonder why a defeat of a fon militant of the church fhould be reprefented. If I have made but little out of the carving, I am afraid I fhall come off ftill worse with the infcription. In it I obferve two croffes, ++. Combatants croffed themfelves before they began to engage; and children before they ventured upon their A B C, hence called the Chrift's-cross-row, and the fign of it is ftill prefixed as a mark or direction to them in their hornbooks. The ftops feem to be: : : and・ perhaps they were at first all but however that be, they probably all mean only one and the fame thing, the feparation of words barely. There is alfo a comma twice, and both times after O. Of the letters themfelves it is obfervable, that two very different A's viz. A and A; and two E's, viz. E and e and at least two T's, if the first word of the 4th line ends like juftitie, mæftitie, trif titie, &c. are employed in this fhort infcription. The two firft words, as I venture to call them, feem exceedingly like those that compofe the last line; except a fmall horizontal stroke in the middle of a perpendicular item of the ift letter, which, perhaps, was not vifible in the correspondent one of the laft line,or was over-looked. If it ought not to be at all in the first letter, then one might read DominuS LVR RENDE WERE DVN ASHVM MILES DE BO ELTVN. D the firft letter may be fuppofed to be the Saxon D; but that is, I believe, always formed with the horizontal froke of equal length on both fides of the perpendicular one; which is not fo here; and if it was, no more infight into the meaning is gained. Mr. Burn, in his Hiftory of Cumberland, p. 454, informs us, that Boeltun was one of the four ancient ways of writing Bolton. If it should be thought that the copy doth not juftify fuppofing that more than a single letter is wanting in MES, we should confider that it might be wrote MLES: the I being included in L, either thus E, or thus E, differing only in length. But a fill greater difficulty with me, is the knight's being loaded with three names, at a time when very great peo. ple had often no more than a fhort mono |