it seems likely to be preserved. I may add, that many words and many forms of expression which have gone out of vogue in England, or have become provincial, are still in daily use in Ireland. J.M.B. _Time when Herodotus wrote._--The following passage appears to me to afford strong evidence, not only that Herodotus did not complete his history till an advanced age, but that he did not _begin_ it. For in lib. i. 5. he writes: "[Greek: ta de ep' emou en megala, proteron en smikra]," "those cities, which in my time _were_ great, were of old small." This is certainly such an expression as none but a man advanced in years could have used. It is perhaps worth observing, that this passage occurring in the Introduction does not diminish its weight, as the events recorded in it, leading naturally into the history, could not well have been written afterwards. As I have never seen this passage noticed with this view. I shall be glad to see whether the argument which I have deduced from it appears a reasonable one to your classical readers. A.W.H. "_Dat veniam corvis," &c._--There were two headmasters of the school of Merchant Taylors, of the respective names of Du Guard and Stevens: the former having printed Salmasius' _Defensio Regia_, was ejected by Lord President Bradshaw; and the latter held the vacant post in the interim, from February to September, 1650. He wrote during his tenure of office in the School Probation Book."-- {406} "Res DEUS nostras celeri citatas Turbine versat." "_Dat veniam corvis, vexat censura columbas_, Pejus merenti melior, et pejor bono." On his restoration Du Gard pleasantly retorted,-- "Du Gardum sequitur Stephanus, Stephanumque vicissim, Du Gardus: sortes versat utrinque DEUS." M.W. * * * * * QUERIES. DRYDEN'S "ABSALOM AND ACHITOPHEL." In my small library I have neither Malone's _Life of Dryden_, nor that of more recent date by Sir Walter Scott; and, possibly, either of those works would render my present Query needless. It relates to a copy of _Absalom and Achitophel_ now lying before me, which is a mere chap-book, printed on bad paper, in the most economical manner, and obviously intended to be sold at a very reasonable rate: indeed, at the bottom of the title-page, which is dated "1708," we are told that it was "Printed and sold by H. Hills, in Black-fryars, near the Water-side, _for the Benefit of the Poor_." It consists of twenty-four pages, small 8vo., and, in order that the poem should not occupy too much space, one of the pages (p. 22.) is in a smaller type, and in double columns. At the end is the following singular "ADVERTISEMENT. "To prevent the publicks being impos'd on, this is to give notice that the book lately published in 4to. is very imperfect and uncorrect, in so much that above thirty lines are omitted in several places, and many gross errors committed, which pervert the sense."