This was properly a punishable offence in soldiers; havock being the cry of mutual encouragement to general massacre, unlimited slaughter, that no quarter should be given, &c. A tract on "The office of the constable and Mareshall in the tyme of Warre," contained in the black book of the Admiralty, has this passage: "Also, that no man be so hardy to crye havock upon peyne that he that is begynner shall be deede therefore: and the remanent that doo the same, or follow, shall lose their horse and harneis ... and his body in prison at the king's will." And this appears to answer well to the original term, which is taken from the ravages committed by a troop of wild beasts, wolves, lions, &c., falling on a flock of sheep. But some think it was originally a hunting term, importing the letting loose a pack of hounds. Shakspeare combines both senses: "Cry havock! and let slip the dogs of war." In a copy of Johnson's _Dictionary_ before me, I find "HAVOCK (haroc, Sax.), waste; wide and general devastation." _Spenser_. "HAVOCK, _interj_, a word of encouragement to slaughter." _Shakspeare_. "TO HAVOCK, _v. a._, to waste; to destroy; to lay waste." _Spenser_. Jarltzberg. _Schlegel on Church Property in England._--Fr. Schlegel, in his _Philosophy of History_, says, p. 403., "in England and Sweden church property remained inviolate:" what the case may be in Sweden I do not know, but it appears strange that a man of such general knowledge as F. Schlegel should make such an assertion as regards England. S.N. * * * * * QUERIES. P. MATHIEU'S LIFE OF SEJANUS. In a letter from Southey to his friend Bedford, dated Nov. 11, 1821 (_Life and Correspondence_, vol. v. p. 99.), he desires him to inform Gifford that "In a volume of tracts at Lowther, of Charles I.'s time, I found a life of Sejanus by P.M., by which initials some hand, apparently as old as the book, had written Philip Massinger. I did not read the tract, being too keenly in pursuit of other game; but I believe it had a covert aim at Buckingham. I have not his Massinger, and, therefore, do not know whether he is aware that this was ever ascribed to that author; if he is not, he will be interested in the circumstance, and may think it worthy of further inquiry." As others may be led by this hint to enter on such an inquiry, I would suggest that it may save much trouble if they first satisfy themselves that the _Life of Sejanus_ by P. Mathieu may not have been the tract which fell in Southey's way. It is to be found in a volume entitled "_Unhappy Prosperity_, expressed in the History of Ælius Selanus and Philippa the _Catanian_, with observations upon the fall of Sejanus. Lastly, Certain Considerations upon the life and Services of _Monsieur_ Villeroy, translated out of the original [French] by _S'r T. H._[_awkins_], _second edition_, 12'o. London, 1639."