"Sir George Downing was not the son of Calibut Downing, rector of Hackney, but of Emmanuel Downing, a London merchant, who went to New England. Governor Hutchinson, in his _History of Massachusetts_, gives the true account of Downing's affiliation, which has been further confirmed by Mr. Savage, of Boston, from the public records of New England." J.P.C. _Hulls, the Inventor of Steam-boats_ (Vol. iii., p. 23.).--Your facetious correspondent, NOCAB, may gain some information relative to his friend Jonathan Hulls, by going to the British Museum, and asking for the following book from Mr. Grenville's library. I will give the full title and Mr. Grenville's note, as it stands in my Catalogue of the library. GRENVILLE CATALOGUE (Vol. i. p. 351.) "Hulls, Jonathan. A Description and Draught of a new-invented Machine for carrying vessels or ships out of, or into any harbour, port, or river, against wind and tide, or in a calm. For which his Majesty has granted letters patent, for the sole benefit of the Author, for the space of Fourteen years. London, 1737, folding plate.[10] 8vo. R.[11] "This new invented machine is a steam-boat. It entirely puts an end to the claims of America to the invention of steam navigation, and establishes for this country the honour of that important discovery." HENRY FOSS. 42. Devonshire Street, 12. Jan. 1851. [Footnote 7: Representing, as well as I remember, a perfect steam-boat.] [Footnote 8: Meaning Russia binding.] [We are also indebted to [Curly-pi] for a reply to NOCAB'S query.] "_The lucky have whole days_" (Vol. i., pp. 231. 351.).--I can inform your correspondents P.S. and H.H., that the passage in question is correctly quoted by the latter at p. 351., and that it is to be found in Dryden's _Tyrannic Love_. HENRY H. BREEN. St. Lucia, West Indies, Nov. 1850 "_Clarum et venerabile nomen_" (Vol. ii., p. 463.).--Your enquirer as to whence comes "Clarum et venerabile nomen," &c., will find them in Lucan. Book ix. l. 203. E.H. Norwich. _Occult Transposition of Letters_ (Vol. i., p. 416.; Vol. ii., p. 77.).--_Concert of Nature._--Other examples of these ambiguous verses are given by J. Baptista Porta, _de Furtivis Literarum Notis_, one of which has suggested the following lines, as conveying the compliments of the season to the editor of "NOTES AND QUERIES:" but which, transposed, would become an unseasonable address:-- "Principio tibi sit facilis, nec tempore parvo Vivere permittat te Dea Terpsichore. Si autem conversis dictionibus leges, dicent,-- Terpsichore Dea te permittat vivere parvo Tempore, nec facilis sit tibi principio." I beg leave sincerely, to add, in the words of Ausonius (Ep. xxv.),-- "Quis prohibet Salve atque Vale brevitate parata Scribere? Felicesque notas mandare libellis." This magnificent epistle inculcating--