The introduction of the military word into English can be traced, as to time, with a certain probability. In 1579, Thomas Digges published his _Arithmeticall Militare Treatise named Stratioticos_, which he informs us is mainly the writing of his father, Leonard Digges. At page 170. the father seems to finish with "and so I mean to finishe this treatise:" while the son, as we must suppose, adds p. 171. and what follows. In the father's part the word _alarm_ is not mentioned, that I can find. If it occurred anywhere, it would be in describing the duties of the _scout-master_; but here we have nothing but _warning_ and _surprise_, never _alarm_. But in the son's appendix, the word _alarme_ does occur twice in one page (173.). It also occurs in the body of the _second_ edition of the book, when of course it is the son who inserts it. We may say then, that, in all probability, the military technical term was introduced in the third quarter of the sixteenth century. This, I suspect, is too late to allow us to suppose that the vernacular force which Shakspeare takes it to have, could have been gained for it by the time he wrote. The second edition was published in 1590; about this time the spelling of the English language made a very rapid approach to its present form. This is seen to a remarkable extent in the two editions of the _Stratioticos_; in the first, the commanding officer of a regiment is always _corronel_, in the second _collonel_. But the most striking instance I now remember, is the following. In the first edition of Robert Recorde's _Castle of Knowledge_ (1556) occurs the following tetrastich:-- "If reasons reache transcende the skye, Why shoulde it then to earthe be bounde? The witte is wronged and leadde awrye, If mynde be maried to the grounde." In the second edition (1596) the above is spelt as we should now do it, except in having _skie_ and _awrie_. M. _Prelates of France_ (Vol. ii., p. 182.).--In answer to a Minor Query of P.C.S.S., I can inform him that I have in my possession, if it be of any use to him, a manuscript entitled _Tableau de l'Ordre religieux en France, avant et depuis l'Edit de 1768_, {253} containing the houses, number of religions, and revenues, and the several dioceses in which they were to be found. M. Midgham House, Newbury, Berks. _Haberdasher_ (Vol. ii., p. 167.).-- "Haberdasher, a retailer of goods, a dealer in small wares; T. _haubvertauscher_, from _haab_; B. _have_; It. _haveri_, _haberi_, goods, wares; and _tauscher_, _vertauscher_, a dealer, an exchanger; G. _tuiskar_; D. _tusker_; B. _tuischer_." This derivation of the term _haberdasher_ is from _Thomson's Etymons_, and seems to be satisfactory. _Haberdascher_ was the name of a trade at least as early as the reign of Edward III.; but it is not easy to decide what was the sort of trade or business then carried on under that name. Any elucidation of that point would be very acceptable. D.