"That the forfeiture shall have relation to the time of the original offence committed, which was the cause of the death, and that was, the throwing himself into the water, which was done in his lifetime, and this act was felony."----"So that the felony is attributed to the act, which act is always done by a living man and in his lifetime," as Brown said; for he said, "Sir James Hale was dead, and how came he to his death? It may be answered, By drowning. And who drowned him? Sir James Hale. And when did he drown him? In his lifetime. So that Sir James Hale being 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.