_Father Maximilian Hell_ (Vol. iii., p. 167.).--A querist is in conscience bound to be a respondent; I therefore hasten to tell you that Dr. Watt (_Biblioth. Britan._ iv. MAGNETISM, ANIMAL) should have written _Hell_ instead of _Hehl_. It was that eminent astronomer, Maximilian _Hell_, who supposed that magnets affected the human frame, and, at first, approved of Mesmer's views. The latter was at Vienna in 1774; and perhaps got some parts of his theory from Father Hell, of whom he was afterwards jealous, and therefore very abusive. The life of Hell in Dr. Aikin's _General Biography_ is an unsatisfactory compilation drawn up by Mr. W. Johnston, to whom we are indebted for the current barbarism _so-called_. In that account there is not one word on Hell's _Treatise on Arti__ficial Magnets_, Vienna, 1763; in which the germ of animal magnetism may probably be found. ENGASTRIMYTHUS. _Meaning of "strained" as used by Shakspeare_ (Vol. iii., p. 185.).--The context of the passage quoted by L. S. explains the sense in which Shakspeare used the word "strain'd:" "_Portia._ Then _must_ the Jew be merciful. _Shylock._ On what _compulsion_ must I? tell me that. _Portia._ The quality of mercy is not strain'd," &c. that is, there is nothing forced, nothing of compulsion in the quality of mercy. Johnson gives: "To strain, to force, to constrain." Q. D. L. S. will find his difficulty solved by Johnson's Dictionary (a work to which he himself refers), if he compares the following quotation with Portia's reply to Shylock:-- "He talks and plays with Fatima, but his mirth Is forced and strained," &c. EGDUF. [We have also to thank, for replying to this Query, our correspondents R. F., R. T. G. H., P. K., J. H. KERSHAW, C. M., Y., E. N. W., C. D. LAMONT, and also MR. SNOW, who remarks that "actresses rarely commence this speech satisfactorily, or give, or seem to feel, the point of contrast between the _must_ and _no must_, the _compulsion_ and _no compulsion_. In fact, the whole of it is usually mouthed out, without much reference to Shylock or the play, as if it had been learned by rote from a school speech-book. Hazlitt says, in his _Characters of Shakspeare's Plays_, 'The speech about mercy is very well, but there are a thousand finer ones in Shakspeare.'"] _Headings of Chapters in English Bibles_ (Vol. iii., p. 141.).--The summaries of the contents of each chapter, as found in the authorised editions of our English Bible, were prefixed by Miles Smith, bishop of Gloucester, one of the original translators, who also wrote the preface, and, in conjunction with Bishop Bilson, finally reviewed the whole work. Your correspondent will find full answers to his other queries in Stackhouse and Tomlins; in Johnson's _History of English Translations_, &c.; and in T. H. Horne's _Introduction_. COWGILL. * * * * * Miscellaneous. NOTES ON BOOKS, SALES, CATALOGUES, ETC.