By the way, is not the "lanycoll" (so called, I presume, from the froth like wool (_lana_) at the neck (_collum_) of the vessel), mentioned in the old ballad of "King Edward and the Shepherd" (Hartshorne's _Met. Tales_, p. 54.), the same beverage as "lamb's-wool?" H.G.T. _Totness Church_ (Vol. ii., pp. 376. 452.).--My thanks are due to your correspondent S.S.S. for kindly furnishing information as to the singular arched passage mentioned in a former note, which drew my attention as a casual visitor, and which {30} certainly appears to be the "iter processionale" referred to in the will of William Ryder. Any information as to the subject of the good woman's tradition would be very acceptable. Perhaps S.S.S. will allow me, in return for his satisfactory explanation of the "dark passage" in question, to over a very luminous passage in confirmation of his view of Goldsmith's. H.G.T. _Lights on the Altar_ (Vol. ii., p. 495.).--In the 42nd canon of those enacted under King Edgar (Thorpe's _Ancient Laws and Institutes of England_, vol. ii. pp. 252-3.) we find:-- "Let there be always burning lights in the church when mass is singing." And in the 14th of the canons of AElfric (pp. 348-9. of the same volume):-- "Acoluthus he is called, who bears the candle or taper in God's ministries when the Gospel is read, or when the housel is hallowed at the altar: not to dispel, as it were, the dim darkness, but, with that light, to announce bliss, in honour of Christ who is our light." C.W.G. _Time when Herodotus wrote_ (Vol. ii., p. 405.).--The passage quoted by your correspondent A.W.H. affords, I think, a reasonable argument to prove that Herodotus did not commence his work until an advanced age; most probably between the ages of seventy and seventy-seven years. Moreover, there are various other reasons to justify the same conclusion; all which A.W.H. will find stated in Dr. Smith's _Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology_, vol. ii. I believe A.W.H. is correct in his supposition that the passage has not been noticed before. T.H. KERSLEY, A.B. King William's College. _Adur_ (Vol. ii., p. 108.).--The connexion of the Welsh _ydwr_ with the Greek [Greek: hydor] is remarkable. Can any of your readers tell me whether there be not an older Welsh word for _water_? There are, I know, two sets of Welsh numerals, of which the later contains many Greek words, but the older are entirely different. Is not _cader_ akin to [Greek: kathedra], and _glas_ to [Greek: glaukos]? J.W.H. _The Word "Alarm"_ (Vol. ii., pp. 151. 183.).--I send you an instance of the accurate use of the word "alarm" which may be interesting. In an account of the attempt made on the 29th of Oct. 1795, to assassinate Geo. III., the Earl of Onslow (as cited in Maunder's _Universal Biog._ p. 321.) uses the following expression:-- "His Majesty showed, and, I am persuaded, felt, no alarm; much less did he fear."