The word occurs twice in page 61. vol. ii. of the Sportsman’s Cabinet, in the article on the Stag or Red Deer, where it is printed Heavier; and it will be found also as Hever, in Mr. Jesse’s Scenes and Tales of Country Life, at page 349.

WM. YARRELL.

Ryder Street, St. James, Feb. 11. 1850.

Mr. Halliwell gives the words haver and havering, in the same sense as havior.  Are not these words identical with aver, averium, in the sense of cattle, tame beasts? Averium, from the old French, aveir, i.e. avoir, originally meant any personal property; but like catalla, chattels, it came to signify more particularly the most important part of a peasant’s possessions—­namely, his live stock.  Thus, in the laws of William the Conqueror (Thorpe’s Ancient Laws, vol. ii. p. 469.), we find:—­

    “Si praepositus hundredi equos aut boves aut oves aut porcos
    vel cujuscumque generis averia vagancia restare fecerit,” &c.

The word may naturally enough have been applied to deer reduced to the state of tame and domesticated cattle.

C.W.G.

[TREBOR furnishes us with a reference to Pegge’s Anonymiana, who endeavours to show that the proper term is “halfer;” on the same principle that an entire horse is spoken of, the word being pronounced “haver” by those who call half “hafe,” while those who pronounce half with the open a say “hauver:”  while J. Westby Gibson suggests that Havior is Evir, from the Latin “Eviro, Eviratus, Eviratio,” but admits that he can give no authority for the use of Evir.]

Sir W. Hamilton (No. 14. p. 216.).—­Douglas says, that this Sir W. Hamilton was not son, but grandson and brother of the 1st and 2nd earls of Abercorn, his father having died vita patris.  I therefore doubt that the inscription has been miscopied.  “He was,” Douglas says, “resident at Rome, on the part of the Queen Dowager;” but this could hardly be the service alluded to.

C.

Dr. Johnson’s Library (no. 14. p. 214.).—­I have a copy of Dr. Johnson’s Sale Catalogue.  The title is as follows: 

“A catalogue of the valuable Library of Books of the late learned Samuel Johnson, Esq., LL.D., deceased, which will be sold by auction (by Order of the Executors) by Mr. Christie, at his Great Room in Pall Mall, on Wednesday, February 16. 1785. and three following Days.  To be viewed on Monday and Tuesday preceding the Sale, which will begin each Day at 12 o’Clock.  Catalogues may be had as above.”

It is a Catalogue of 28 pages and 662 lots, of which 650 are books.  The twelve last are prints, chiefly “framed and glazed.”  The Catalogue is very rare; there is not a copy in the British Museum, and Messrs. Christie and Manson are without one.  I may add, as your correspondent is curious about Johnson’s Library, that I have the presentation copy to the Doctor of Twiss’s Travels in Spain, with “the gift of the Author” in Johnson’s handwriting, immediately beneath Twiss’s MS. presentation.  The Twiss was in Lot 284.