and he says that some commentator describes these lines as "a vaticination of the Spanish discovery of America." I believe, however, that Lord Bacon may claim the merit of having been the first to notice this vaticination. In his essay "Of Prophecies" he says: "Seneca, the tragedian, hath these verses:-- 'Venient annis Sæcula seris, quibus Oceanus Vincula rerum laxet, et ingens Pateat tellus, Tiphysque novos Detegat orbes; nec sit terris Ultima thule.' "'A prophecy,' he adds, 'of the discovery of America.'" I have quoted this from an edition of Bacon's _Essays_, printed at the Chiswick Press, by C. Whittingham, for J. Carpenter, Old Bond Street, London, 1812: and not the least curious circumstance is the curious form which Bacon, evidently quoting from memory, has given to the passage. HENRY H. BREEN. St. Lucia, March, 1851. _Shakspeare's Designation of Cleopatra_ (Vol. iii., p. 273.).--I fully agree with your correspondent S. W. SINGER that an imperfect acquaintance with our older language has been the weak point of the commentators, but at the same time I think they have been equally guilty of an imperfect acquaintance with the history and character of Cleopatra, and one at least of a careless reading of the text; otherwise it appears incomprehensible how, on the one hand, the words of the great poet could have been so distorted; on the other hand, how Scarus could be thought to allude, by the word "ribald," to Antony. On reference to Rider's _Dictionary_, published in 1589, the very year in which Malone places Shakspeare's first play, _First Part of Henry VI._, may be found the word _Ribaud_, leno, a bawd, a pander; _Ribaudrie_, lascivia, obscoenitas, impudicitia, Venus; and _Ribaudrous_, obscoenus, impudicus, impurus. _Hagge_, doubtless the word of Shakspeare, also may be found in Rider, answering to the Latin _lamia_, _fascinatrix_, _oculo maligna mulier_. Arguing from the above, what more appropriate term than "ribaudred hagge" could be applied to Cleopatra, a queen celebrated for her beauty, her cunning, her debauchery, nay, even adultery. The sister and wife of Ptolemy Dionysius, she admitted Cæsar to her embraces, and by him had a son called Cæsarion, and afterwards became enamoured of Antony, who, forgetful of his connexion with Octavia, the sister of Cæsar, publicly married her; thus causing the rupture between him and Cæsar, who met in a naval engagement off Actium, where Cleopatra, "when 'vantage like a pair of twins appeared," by flying with sixty sail, ruined the interest of Antony, and he was defeated; and so were called forth the imprecatory words of Scarus. "Yond ribaudred Hagge of Egypt, Whom leprosy o'ertake." FRANCISCUS.