_High Dutch and Low Dutch_ (Vol. viii., p. 413.).--Considerable misapprehension appears to have arisen with regard to these expressions, from the fact of the German word _Deutsch_ being sometimes erroneously understood to mean Dutch. But German scholars very well know that in Germany nothing is more common than to speak of _Hoch Deutsch_ and _Nieder Deutsch_ (High German and Low German), as applied respectively to that language when grammatically spoken and correctly pronounced, and to the bad grammar and worse pronunciation indulged in by many of the provincials, and also by the lower class of people in some of the towns where High German is supposed to prevail. Thus, for examples Dresden is regarded as the head-quarters of _Hoch Deutsch_, because there the language is spoken and pronounced with the most purity: Berlin, also, as regards the well-educated classes, boasts of the _Hoch Deutsch_; but the common people (das Volk) of the Prussian capital indulge in a dialect called _Nieder Deutsch_, and speak and pronounce the language as though they were natives of some remote province. Now, the instance of Berlin I take to be a striking illustration of the meaning of these expressions, as both examples are comprised in the case of this city. The German word for "German" is _Deutsch_; for "Dutch" the German is _Hollaendisch_; and I presume it is from the similarity of _Deutsch_ and _Dutch_ that this common error is so frequently committed. For the future let it be remembered, that _Dutch_ is a term which has no relation whatever to German; and that "High German" is that language spoken and written in its purity, "Low German" all the dialects and mispronunciations which do not come up to the standard of correctness. JAMES SPENCE HARRY. 8. Arthur Street. _Translations of the Prayer Book into French_ (Vol. vii., p. 382.; Vol. viii., p. 343.).--Besides the editions already mentioned, a 4to. one was published at London in 1689, printed by R. Everingham, and sold by R. Bentley and M. Magnes. Prefixed to it is the placet of the king, dated 6th October, 1662, with the subsequent approbation of Stradling, chaplain to Gilbert (Sheldon), Bishop of London, dated 6th April, 1663. It seems ("N. & Q.," Vol. vii., p. 92.) that a {479} copy is in the British Museum; one is also in my possession. I presume that there were other editions between the years 1663 and 1689. H. P. _Divining-rod_ (Vol. viii., p. 293.).--For a full account of the divining rod see _La Physique occulte, ou Traite de la Baguette Divinatoire, &c._, par Pere L. de Vallemont, a work by no means uncommon, having passed through several editions. Mine is "a Paris, chez Jean Boudot, avec priv. 1709, in 12^o. avec figures," with the addition of a "Traite de la Connoissance des Causes Magnetiques, &c., par un Curieux." A Cornish lady informs me that the Cornish miners to this day use the divining-rod in the way represented in fig. 1. of the above-mentioned work. R. J. R.