SUBLIME PRAYERS. (Vol. III, pp. 40, 71.) Allow me to contribute Phodus of Plato), to those sublime production, and as

the "Prayer of Socrates" (found in the already published in your pages. It is a follows:

"O beloved Pan! and all ye other gods that dwell about this place! grant me to become beautiful within, and that with all outward things I may be at peace. May I deem none rich but the prudent, and may I love only such a portion of gold as the wise can carry."

H. W. HAZZEN, Mt. Carroll, Ill.

THE MEANING OF CANAILLE. word used to designate the coarse siftings of wheat flour?

What is the derivation of the

A. C. H., Concord, N. H. Canaille, the French word for rabble, is used to designate the coarse siftings of wheat flour, and is pronounced canell, accent on the second syllable. (Vol. II, p. 638.)

GEO. R. HOWELL, Albany, N. Y.

P. C. Mozooudar, author of "The Oriental Christ," page 145, says: "Though the learned, the wealthy, and the self-conscious kept out of the way, the poor, the canaille, the humble, greeted him and blessed him (Christ)."

GENERAL SPINNER. (Vol. II, p. 591) Is Gen. Spinner, formerly U. S. Treasurer, living, and if so, what is his present P. O. address? ARTEMAS MARTIN.

The New York World says the venerable ex-Treasurer (Francis E. Spinner) now more than eighty, is once more happily heard from at Pablo Beach, Florida, where a visitor says he walks, talks, and acts like a man of fifty. J. C. H. SCHMIDT, Ansonia, O.

TRADITIONAL NAMES. (Vol. III, p. 103.) Reference is made to "similarity of names" as Biblical students observe many are so in the Scriptures. I would like to know what the "traditional names are which are referred to in works on the mysteries. CRAFTSMAN. The traditional names, as given in "Mackey's Encyclopædia," are Akirop, Gravelot, Hoben, Joabert, Karmavil, Morphey, Romvel, Stolkein, and Tercy.

NAMES OF THE APOSTLES. Did the twelve apostles have double names as is the modern custom, and what?

WELLINGTON HOWARD.

This correspondent has only to take his New Testament and compare records of the four evangelists. He will find them there given:

The following list of names of those like the

apostles, may assist in distingushing "the twelve: "

names of the

Thomas, called Didymus, the apostle,
Matthew, called Levi, the apostle,

Lebbeus, called Thaddeus, the apostle,
Judas Iscariot, the apostle,

Judas, the apostle, brother of James,
Judas of Gallilee,

Judas of Damascus,

Luke vi, 19.

Acts v, 37.

Acts IX, 10.

Acts XV, 22.

Matt. I, 2.

Judas, call Barsabas,

Judas, son of patriarch Jacob,

CHARACTERISTICS OF A GREAT MAN. Reference is made to a work by M. Burnouf on the "Lotus de la bonne Loi," in which that author gives an exhaustive treatise on the "Thirty-two Characteristics of a Great Man." Please give us a synopsis of these characteristics.

J. PAYSON SHields.

These signs are the various characteristics ascribed to or possessed by different Indian heroes and probably exaggerated by the fancies of Indian poets. The list has been formulated and published

in that grand exposition of Buddhism illustrated from Siamese sources and entitled "The Wheel of the Law," by Henry Alabaster, p. 312. The "characteristics" there given are taken from the work of the learned Burnouf:

I. His head is crowned with a protuberance of the skull.

2.

3.

4.

His curly hair is of a brilliant black, shining like the tail of a peacock.

He has a broad and regular forehead.

Between his eyebrows is a circle of down, brilliant as snow or silver.

5. His eyelids are like those of a heifer.

6. He has brilliant black eyes.

7, 8, 9. He has forty teeth, all equal, set closely together, and of

IO.

II.

12.

the most perfect whiteness.

His voice is like that of Brahma.

He has an exquisite sense of taste.

His tongue is broad and thin, or, according to the Thibetan version, "long and thread-like."

13. He has the jaw of a lion.

14.

15.

His shoulders or arms are perfectly rounded.

He has seven parts of his body filled out, or with protuber ances (i. e. soles of his feet, palms of his hands, shoulders and back.)

16. The space between his shoulders is covered.

17.

18.

19.

20.

21.

22.

23.

His skin has the luster or color of gold.

His arms are so long that when he stands upright his hands reach to his knees.

His front is lion-like.

His body is perfectly straight, tall as a banyan-tree, and round

in proportion.

His hairs grow one by one.

And their ends are turned to the right.

The generative organs are concealed.

24, 25. He has perfectly round thighs, and his legs are like those

of the King of the Gazelles.

His toes and fingers are long.

The nails of the toes are well developed.

His instep is high.

26.

27.

28.

29.

His feet and hands are soft and delicate.

30.

31.

32.

His toes and fingers are marked with lines forming a network.
Under the soles of his feet are marked two beautiful, lumi-
nous, brilliant white wheels, with a thousand rays.
His feet are even and well placed.

"KRISS KRINGLE"?

What is the Kriss Kringle?

Z.

The words are a corruption of the German "Christ Kindlein "the infant Christ. The German for child is kink, of which the diminutive is kindlein. This in some parts of Germany and Pennsylvania has been formed into kindel, and the children are promised gifts at Christmas from "Christ kindel." The corruption of this into "Kriss Kringle," as the name of the infant of Bethlehem is neither English nor German but mere gibberish or jargon.

THE ANCILE (Vol. II, p. 608.) What was the use of the ancile, referred to by "G. S. CLARK," and also, the size? Z.

According to William Smith, LL.D., author of "Greek and Roman Antiquities," the original ancile was found, according to traddition, in the palace of Numa; and as no human hand had brought it there, it was concluded that it had been sent from heaven. At the same time the haruspices declared that the Roman state would endure as long as this shield remained in Rome. To secure its preservation in the city, Numa ordered eleven other shields, exactly like it, to be made by the armorer Mamurius Veturius, and twelve priests of Mars Gradivus, were appointed under the administration of Salii, whose office it was to preserve the ancilia. They were kept in the temple of that god, on the Palatine mount, and taken from it only once a year, on the calends of March. The feast of the god was then observed during several days, at which time the Salii carried the shields, or the ancilia, about the city, singing songs in praise of Mars, Numa, and Mamurius Veturius, and at the same time performing a dance, which in some respects resembled the morris dance of the present day, and while performing the dance they struck the shields with rods, so as to keep time with their voices and with the movements of their dance.

The form of the ancile occurs on ancient coins. Plutarch, in explaining their shape, remarks, that" they are neither circular, not yet like the pelta, semicircular, but fashioned in two crooked indented lines, the extremities of which, meeting close, form a curve (ankulon).”

The shape was probably similar to this () curving inward. The size as represented in ancient cuts is about 24 inches in length by 15 in width. They were suspended on a rod resting on the shoulders of two persons when carried in the celebrations.

QUESTIONS.

(a) Who is the author of the line: "The light that never was on land and sea"?

Who is the author of the following: "Who can tell how hard it is to climb the steep where Fame's proud temple shines afar "?

Will some reader give the verses of Rev. J. P. Rodman's poem of "The Battle of Bennington"?

What is the origin of the wooden Indian for a tobacconist's sign? PHILOS.

(b) Will some one show the fallacy of the following:

(c) Generally, I observe one thing that you very carefully do when giving foreign language quotations, and that is, you most invariably translate them, which I admire. I notice one, however, (Vol. III, p. 143,) Bishop Abbott's last words-In te speravi; ne confundar in eternum-which please translate. M. O. WAGGONER.

(d) Will some reader give us the English translation of the epitaph on the tomb of Stanislaus, chevalier de Bouffleurs, who died in Paris, Jan. 17, 1815. He is said to have written his own epitaph as published by you (Vol. III, p. 79) as follows: Mes amis, croyez vous que je dors,

Ꮓ

Give an explanation of Gunter's Chain, Line, Quadrant, and Scale; and why called Gunter's.

Why was Adrianus called "the locomotive " Emperor ?
What is meant by "Red Republics," and "Red Monarchies"?
Who invented the sand-blast, and what led to it?

Give the origin and meaning of Boycotting, Taylorizing, and Burking.
GIMEL.

(f) What is the formula called the "Remedy of the Mint?" Z. (g) What is the earliest notice of Shakespeare in any American book or correspondence? Is he referred to by any New England Puritan writer? Have any of the works of the "Immortal Bard" been found in any New England inventories of books on Probate records? J. Q. A., Natick, R. I.