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In the department of the Magazine allotted to Correspondents, I shall be glad to receive more assistance from my readers. Notices of antiquities, of remarkable events, or other matters communicated to me, have ever formed an interesting portion of the contents of the Magazine, and by means of my pages literary men have been enabled to interchange their thoughts, and often to obtain a solution of their difficulties. I am therefore desirous that in this respect, as in others, new friends and new contributors will favour me with their communications.

SYLVANUS URBAN..

E PLURIBUS UNUM.

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THE

CONTENTS.

PAGE

MINOR CORRESPONDENCE.-Wrong Division of Syllables-Baron Munchausen-Jeru-
salem and Durham-King of Jerusalem-Roman Remains in Buckinghamshire-The
Gipsies in England...

Autobiography of Sylvanus Urban. Chap. VI.

History and Antiquities of Boston, Lincolnshire

The House of Commons in 1857

23

WRONG DIVISION OF SYLLABLES.

MR. URBAN,-Your correspondent W.C., in his complaint that certain words are erroneously divided in printed lines, appears to me to attend too much to their pronunciation, and too little to their derivation and composition. Instead of assuming them to be printed wrongly, I think he would do better in saying that our method of pronouncing them is incorrect.

For instance, in the word "magnificent," (one of his own examples,) which is derived from the Latin magnifico, a compound of magni and facio (often separate in the older authors), it would scarcely be right to make the division after the "f" and so cut up, if I may use the expression, the component parts of the word. The same objection applies to his proposed division of the word "equivalent:" and if W. C. will take the trouble to examine the inflections of the Latin opinio he will, no doubt, be convinced that the point of division in " opinion" should be after As for the the i, and not after the n. word "consider," I believe he will find that in most good books it is divided as he wishes; but in this case it should be recollected that the syllable "sid" is the root of the word, being akin to the Greek ιδω οι ειδω.

In arguments of this kind, Sir, you will doubtless bear me out in saying that it is always dangerous to trust to the mere pronunciation of a word, which in comparatively few cases exactly agrees with its orthography. To arrive at a just conclusion, we should invariably trace its origin, and then subject it to a careful analyzaHOMUNCULUS. tion.

Cloisters, Westminster.

BARON MUNCHAUSEN.

MR. URBAN,-Some thirty years ago, one of the principal captains of Dolcoath Mine, in the parish of Camborne, informed me that "Baron Munchausen's Travels" had been written there, by a German, who had many years previously performed the duties of storekeeper of that mine, of which the freehold has long been in the noble family of Basset.

I have lately made enquiry on the subject, of the present intelligent manager of Dolcoath; who tells me that one of the oldest of the mining captains used often to speak of the wonderful chemical experiments made in the office by Mr. Raspe, a German gentleman employed at the mine: of his literary performances, however, his informant had made no mention.

Our united recollections seem to con

firm, and even to extend the interesting information afforded by "F. N." of "Lincoln's-Inn," in your November number (p. 590), to the conclusion that "Baron Munchausen's Travels" were written at Dolcoath Mine, in Cornwall, by Mr. Raspe, who was then storekeeper of that establishH.

ment.

Penzance.

JERUSALEM AND DURHAM.

MR. URBAN,-In Sharp's "New Gazetteer of the British Islands," (2 vols. 8vo., 18,) there is a citation from "an old writer,"-"He who has seen Durham has seen Zion, and may save a journey to Jerusalem." This is satisfactory, as I have crossed the Tees, and am not likely to visit Palestine; but for my full assurance I should be glad to learn who that "old writer" may be, and what is the name of W. E. F. his work.

KING OF JERUSALEM.

MR. URBAN,-In Fuller's "Historie of the Holy Warre," (small folio, Cambridge, 1647,) p. 126, I read that "King Richard, with some of his succeeding English kings, wore the title of Jerusalem in their style for many years after;" i. e. after Coeur-deLion had bestowed the island of Cyprus on Guy de Lusignan. The authority given is "Sabell. Enn. 9. lib. v. p. 378," but the assertion is not borne out by any record that I am acquainted with. Can any of your readers inform me better on the

matter?

W. E. F.

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