been a labour of love, and the labour of a life?

And, in the third and last place, I find, in the _Bristol Gazette_
of the early part of last month, the following paragraph:--"THE RED
MAIDS, 120 in number, enjoyed their annual dinner in honour of the
birthday of their great benefactor, Alderman Whitson. The dinner
consisted of joints of _veal_ (which they only have on this
occasion), and some dozens of plum puddings. The mayor and Mayoress
attended, and were much pleased to witness the happy faces of the
girls, to whom the Mayoress distributed one shilling each."

Can any of your curious contributors give me any account of these
_Red Maids_?--why they are so called, &c., &c.?--and, in fact, of
the charity in general?

It will not be one of the least of many benefits of your
publication, that, in noticing from time to time the real intention
of many ancient charitable bequests, the purposes of the original
benevolent founder may be restored to their integrity, and the
charity devoted to the use of those for whom it was intended, and
who will receive it as a charity, and not, as is too often the case,
be swallowed up as a mere place,--or worse, a sinecure.

ARTHUR GRIFFINHOOF, JUN.

* * * * *

THE NAME OF SHYLOCK.

Dr. Farmer has stated that Shakspere took the name which he has
given to one of the leading characters in the _Merchant of Venice_
from a pamphlet entitled _Caleb Shilloche, or the Jew's Prediction_.
The date of the pamphlet, however, being some years posterior to
that of the play, renders this origin impossible. Mr. C. Knight, who
points out this error, adds--"_Scialac_ was the name of a Marionite
of Mount Libanus."

But "query," Was not _Shylock_ a proper name among the Jews, derived
from the designation employed by the patriarch Jacob in predicting
the advent of the Messiah--"until _Shiloh_ come"? (Gen. xlix. 10.)
The objection, which might be urged, that so sacred a name would not
have been applied by an ancient Jew to his child, has not much
weight, when we recollect that some Christians have not shrunk from
the blasphemous imposition of the name _Emanuel_ ("God with us")
upon their offspring. St. Jerome manifestly reads SHILOACH, for he
translates it by _Qui mittendus est. (Lond. Encyc_. in voc.
"Shiloh.") Now the difference between _Shiloach_ and _Shylock_ is
very trivial indeed. I shall be very glad to have the opinion of
some of your numerous and able co