a visitor.

Is your correspondent A. B. R. correct in stating this parody to have been
the composition of Dr. Maginn? In the biography of this brilliant writer in
the twenty-third volume of the _Dublin University Magazine_, Dr. Moir, who
had undoubtedly good opportunities of knowing, mentions that his first
contribution to _Blackwood_ was the Latin translation of "Chevy Chase," in
the number for November 1819; if this be correct, many of the cleverest
papers that appeared under the name of Odoherty, and which are all
popularly attributed {12} to Maginn, must have been the work of other
authors, a circumstance which I had been already led to suspect from the
frequent local allusions to Scotland in general, and to Edinburgh in
particular, which could have scarcely proceeded from the pen of a native of
Cork, who had then never visited Scotland. Since Dr. Moir's own death, it
appears that the _Eve of St. Jerry_, and the _Rhyme of the Auncient
Waggonere_, have been claimed for him, as well as some other similar
pieces; and I believe that the series of _Boxiana_, which also appeared
under the name of the renowned ensign and adjutant, was written by
Professor Wilson. Maginn's contributions were at first under various
signatures, and some time elapsed before he made use of the _nom de guerre_
of Morgan Odoherty, which eventually became so identified with him.

J. S. WARDEN.

Paternoster Row.

* * * * *

ITS.

(Vol. vii., p. 578.)

I am sorry to intrude upon your valuable space again in reference to this
little word, but the inquiry of MR. RYE (p. 578.), and other reasons,
render it desirable. The truth is that MR. KEIGHTLEY, MR. RYE and myself,
are more or less mistaken. 1. MR. KEIGHTLEY, in his quotation from
Fairfax's _Tasso_ (MR. SINGER's accurate reprint, 1817), has _his_ in both
lines. 2. MR. RYE, in understanding me to refer to any translation proper;
unless Sternhold and Hopkins are to be considered as having produced one.
3. Myself, in supposing the old metrical version in the Book of Common
Prayer originally had the word _its_. I copied from the Oxford edition in
fol. of 1770; but a 4to. edition, "printed by Iohn Daye, dwelling over
Aldersgate, anno 1574," does not exhibit the word in the places specified;
we have instead _her_ in both places.

Hitherto, then, the oldest examples of the use of this word have been
adduced from Shakspeare. These are to be found in the first folio,