y Mr. Park, it is probably a
misapprehension that the same task had engaged some of the hours of her
captivity; or rather is it not one of those dove-tailing conjectures in
which some of our most popular lady-biographers have recently exhibited
such extravagant and misplaced ingenuity?

JOHN GOUGH NICHOLS.

_Boethius' Consolations of Philosophy_ (Vol. ii., p. 56.).--JARLTZBERG
is wrong in supposing that Richard Viscount Preston's translation
appeared _first_ in 1712. I have now before me an edition in 8vo.
"London: printed by J.D. for Awnsham and John Churchill, at the Black
Swan, in Paternoster row; and Francis Hildyard, bookseller in York,
MDCXCV." Horace Walpole, in his _Royal and Noble Authors_, states that
the publication in 1712 was the "_second_ edition corrected;" and Mr.
Park says in a note, that the first edition was in 1695, 8vo.

C.H. COOPER

Cambridge, June 24. 1850.

* * * * *

ETYMOLOGICAL QUERIES ANSWERED.

J. MN. (Vol. ii., p. 153.) has propounded a dozen of most recondite and
puzzling archaisms, upon which I have to offer a few notes.

"_Rykelot_, a magpie?"--The popular and provincial names of animals
deserve more careful notice than they have received from glossarists. I
need scarcely observe how frequently personal names were derived from
those of birds. In the {170} Hundred Rolls we find a "Richard Rikelot"
in Huntingdonshire (vol. ii. p. 626.). I know not what has led to the
supposition that this name denotes the magpie. It may possibly be traced
to the same root as that of a cognate species, the _cornix frugivora;
Roeck_, Germ., according to Gesner; Friesic, _roek_; Ang.-S. _hroc_, the
rook: but I am at a loss to discover anything similar in old French to
explain the occurrence of the termination, which seems to be a popular
or familiar diminutive, a Gallicism, analogous to _partlot_.

"_Wrusum or Wursum._"--The latter is the correct reading. Trotter
Brockett includes the word amongst Northern Provincialisms.--"_Wursum_,
pus, particularly when foul." Jamieson is inclined to derive the word
_woursom_ or _worsum_, used in the same sense by Douglas, in his
translation of Virgil, and by other North Country writers, from Ang.-S.
_Wyr_, pus, and _sum_, as denoting quality.

"_Sabraz._"--This term has perplexed me much in preparing notes on the
portion of the _Promptorium_ I have now in hand. In the Harl. MS. 221.
is found "Sabrace, _sabracia_, Comm." The autho