For "bullish," Milton shall be his own interpreter. "I affirm it to be a _bull, taking away the essence of that which it calls itself_." The phrase "bid you the base" is apparently taken from the old game of Prisoner's Base, for which, if necessary, reference may be made to the _Boy's Own Book_. I am inclined to think that the very phrase was, in my school days, used in the game; but if wrong in any remembrance, I may still be right in my conjecture, and then the phrase would be equivalent to, "I challenge you to follow me," as one boy follows another in Prisoner's Base; and we should then have a curious illustration of the antiquity of the game. PHILIP HEDGELAND. _The Termination "-ship"_ (Vol. iv., p. 153.).--A. W. H. is referred to Dr. Latham's _English Language_, § 294. p. 372., ed. 2. The Dutch termination _-schap_, e.g. _vriendschap_, may be added. CHARLES THIRIOLD. "_A little Bird told me_" (Vol. iv. p. 232.).--The following are merely a few rough notes made from time to time on this saying. I have tried to put them into some kind of order but they are too trivial, and too easily verified by reference, to deserve more space in print than they have hitherto had in writing:-- 1. Last lines of _King Henry IV._ Part II., and Steevens's note. 2. The "pious lie" of Mahomet's pigeon. See Gibbon, _Decline and Fall_, chap. 1. Marg. lemma--"His character," the note beginning--"The Christians, rashly enough," &c. And--"Life of Mahomet" [_Library of Useful Knowledge_] note on p. 19. For line from--_Dunciad_--[a slovenly reference] see book iv. 358. 3. From the Greek? See Potter's _Gr. Antiquities_, book ii. chap. xv.--or Robinson's _Antiq. Greece_, book iii. chap. xv. _ad init._ as both refer to _Aristoph. Aves._ [600. 601. Bekker.] 4. _Ecclesiastes_, chap. x. 20. To these I may add the origin assigned to the saying by Mr. Bellenden Ker, in his _Essay on the Archæology of our Popular Phrases and Nursery Rhymes_, 1837, vol. i. p. 63., viz.:-- "A LITTLE BIRD. "A good humoured way of replying to, _who told you this story?_ And imparting you don't mean to inform him, that you have a good reason for not letting him know. _Er lij t'el baerd_; q. e. _by so doing_ [telling] _I should betray_ [do wrong to] _another_," &c. C. FORBES. _Mark of Reference in Bible_ (Vol. iv., p. 57.).--May not this originate in the Hebrew Keri, used for the same purpose, and of nearly the same shape? F. J. Bradford.