"Yet in this captious and intenible sieve I still pour in the waters of my love." _i.e._ yet into this sieve, which catches at, and yet never holds them, I still pour the waters of my love. There seems to me a double meaning of the word _captious_, indicating an under-current of thought in the author; first, the literal sense, then the inferential: "this sieve catches at and seems as if it would intercept the waters of my love, but takes me in, and disappoints me, because it will not uphold them." The objection to explaining _captious_ by simply _fallacious_, is that the word means this by inference or consequence, rather than primarily. Because one who is eager to controvert, _i.e._ who is captious, generally, but not always, acts for a sophistical purpose and means to deceive. Cicero, I believe, uses _fallax_ and _captiosus_ as distinct, not as synonymous, terms. E. A. D. _Boiling to Death_ (Vol. ii., p. 519.).-- "Impoysonments, so ordinary in Italy, are so abominable among English, as 21 Hen. 8. it was made high treason, though since repealed; after which the punishment for it was to be put alive in a caldron of water, and there boiled to death: at present it is felony without benefit of clergy."--Chamberlayne's _State of England_,--an old copy, without a title-page. Judging from the list of bishops and maids of honour, I believe the date to be 1669. WEDSECNARF. _Dozen of Bread_ (Vol. ii., p. 49.).--The Duchess of Newcastle says of her _Nature's Picture_: "In this volume there are several feigned stories, &c. Also there are some morals and some dialogues; but they are as the advantage loaf of bread to the baker's dozen." 1656. WEDSECNARF. _Friday Weather_ (Vol. iii., p. 7.).--A very old friend of mine, a Shropshire lady, tells me that her mother (who was born before 1760) used to say that Friday was always the fairest, or the foulest, day of the week. WEDSECNARF. _Saint Paul's Clock_ (Vol. iii., p. 40.).--In reply to MR. CAMPKIN'S Query, I send you the following extract from Easton's _Human Longevity_ (London, 1799): "James Hatfield died in 1770, aged 105. Was formerly a soldier: when on duty as a centinel at Windsor, one night, at the expiration of his guard, he heard St. Paul's clock, London, strike _thirteen_ strokes instead of twelve, and not being relieved as he expected he fell asleep; in which situation he was found by the succeeding guard, who soon after came to relieve him; for such neglect he was tried by a court-martial, but pleading that he was on duty his legal time, and asserting, as a proof, the singular circumstance of hearing St. Paul's clock strike thirteen strokes, which, upon inquiry, proved true--he was in consequence acquitted." J. B. COLMAN.