m den Aetna zu besteigen, wollte er von einer Wagniss nach dem Gipfel,
besonders in der gegenwaertigen Jahreszeit gar nichts hoeren. Ueberhaupt,
sagte er, nachdem er uns um Verzeihung gebeten, die hier ankommenden
Fremden sehen die Sache fuer allzuleicht an; wir andern Nachbarn des
Berges sind schon zufrieden, wenn wir ein paarmal in unserm Leben die
beste Gelegenheit abgepasst und den Gipfel erreicht haben. Brydone, der
zuerst durch seine Beschreibung die Lust nach diesem Feuergipfel
entzuendet, ist gar nicht hinauf gekommen."

From these quotations it is evident, that Mr. Finch was not singular in the
belief he entertained; and certainly the scepticism of men so eminent as
Professor Gioeni, Dr. Barthels, and Messrs. Eyries and Parisot (the French
writers whose names are attached to the Memoir in the _Biog. Univ._), must
be grounded on reasons deserving of attention. An ordinary reader of
Brydone would accept the account of his ascent with implicit confidence;
but when veteran professors, scientific men, and experienced travellers and
scholars refuse to believe that he reached the summit of Etna, the most
probable mode of accounting for their incredulity is, perhaps to suppose,
that in their opinion he had mistaken some other part of the mountain for
the real summit. Not having met with any detail of their reasons for
disbelief, I am only able to state their bare assertion. In my opinion, the
beautifully glowing and poetical description of the magic scene beheld by
Brydone from the mountain--a description, the perusal of which, in youth,
remains for ever after imprinted on the memory, like a passage from Addison
or Gibbon, could only have been written by an actual spectator.

JOHN MACRAY.

Oxford.

* * * * *

"THE RED COW"--CROMWELL'S CARRIAGES, ETC.

(Vol. ix., p. 87.)

I have known "The Red Cow," at the top of Granham Hill, near Marlborough,
for fifty years, but do not recollect ever to have heard of any particular
origin for the sign.

The old carriages at Manton were built about a century and a half ago,
perhaps not so much, for one of the Baskerville family, on the occasion of
his being sheriff of the county to which he belonged, probably Wilts or
Hereford. There are two of them: one a square coach, and the other a very
high phaeton. The Baskerville arms--Ar. a chevron gu. between three hurts,
impaling, quarterly, one and four, or, a cross moline