g alive, caused Sir James Hale to die; and the act of the
living man was the death of the dead man. And then for this offence it
is reasonable to punish the living man who committed the offence, and
not the dead man. But how can he be said to be punished alive when the
punishment comes after his death? Sir, this can be done no other way
but by devesting out of him, from the time of the act done in his life,
which was the cause of his death, the title and property of those
things which he had in his lifetime."

The above extract is long, but the work from which it is taken can be
accessible to but very few {124} of your readers. Let them not, however,
while they smile at the arguments, infer that those who took part in them
were not deservedly among the most learned and eminent of our ancient
judges.

THOMAS FALCONER.

Temple.

_Shakspeare Suggestion_.--

"These sweet thoughts do even refresh my labours;
Most busy--less when I do it."
_Tempest_, Act III. Sc. 1.

I fear your readers will turn away from the very sight of the above. Be
patient, kind friends, I will be brief. Has any one suggested--

"Most busy, least when I do"?

The words in the folio are

"Most busy _lest_, when I do it."

The "it" seems mere surplusage. The sense requires that the thoughts should
be "most busy" whilst the hands "do least;" and in Shakspeare's time,
"lest" was a common spelling for _least_.

ICON.

_Shakspeare Controversy._--I think the Shakspeare Notes contained in your
volumes are not complete without the following quotation from _The Summer
Night_ of Ludwig Tieck, as translated by Mary Maynard in the _Athen._ of
June 25, 1853. Puck, in addressing the sleeping boy Shakspeare, says:

"After thy death, I'll raise dissension sharp,
Loud strife among the herd of little minds:
Envy shall seek to dim thy wondrous page,
But all the clearer will thy glory shine."

CERIDWEN.

* * * * *

Minor Notes.

_Falsified Gravestone in Stratford Churchyard._--The following instance of
a recent forgery having been extensively circulated, may lead to more
careful examination by those who take notes of things extraordinary.

The church at Stratford-upon-Avon was repaired about the year 1839; and
some of the workmen having their attention directed to the fact, that many
persons who had attained to the full age of man were buried in the
churc