"Bish^p S^r Jon^n," and clearly refers to Sir Jonathan Trelawney,
Bart., consecrated bishop of {551} Bristol, Nov. 8, 1685, translated to
Exeter in 1689, and to Winchester in 1707.]

_Ferdinand Mendez Pinto._--

"Ferdinand Mendez Pinto was but a type of thee, thou liar of the first
magnitude!"

Where is the original of the above to be found? Was Ferdinand Mendez Pinto
a real or imaginary character?

INQUIRENS.

[A famous Portuguese traveller, in no good odour for veracity. His
_Travels_ have been translated into most European languages, and twice
published in English. A notice of Pinto will be found in Rose's _Biog.
Dict._, s. v.]

_Satin._--What is the origin of the word _satin_?

CAPE.

[See Ogilvie and Webster. "Fr. _satin_; W. _sidan_, satin or silk; Gr.
and Lat. _sindon_; Ch. and Heb. _sedin_; Ar. _sidanah_."]

_Carrier Pigeons._--When were carrier pigeons first used in Europe?

CAPE.

[Our correspondent will find some interesting notices of the early use
of the carrier pigeon in Europe in the _Penny Cyclopaedia_, vol. vii. p.
372., art. "COLUMBIDAE;" and in the _Encyclopaedia Britannica_, vol. vi.
p. 176., art. "CARRIER PIGEON."]

* * * * *

Replies.

"PYLADES AND CORRINA."--PSALMANAZAR AND DEFOE.

(Vol. vii., pp. 206. 305. 435. 479.)

I had forwarded for insertion a short answer to the Query as to _Pylades
and Corinna_ before DR. MAITLAND'S communication was printed; but as it now
appears more distinctly what was the object of the Query, I can address
myself more directly to the point he has raised. And, in the first place, I
cannot suppose that Defoe had anything to do with _Pylades and Corinna_, or
the _History of Formosa_. In all Defoe's fictions there is at least some
trace of the master workman, but in neither of these works is there any
putting forth of his power, or any similitude to his manner or style. When
the _History of Formosa_ appeared (1704), he was ingrossed in politics, and
was not, as far as any evidence has yet informed us, in the habit of
translating or doing journeyman work for booksellers. Then the book itself
is, in point of composition, far beneath Defoe, even in his most careless
moods. As to _Pylades and Corinna_, Defoe died so soon after Mrs.
Thomas--she died on the 3rd February, 1731, and he on the 24th April
following, most probably worn out by illness--that time seems scarce