The first Pastoral consists of thirty-seven stanzas; the second of seventy-two; the third of forty-eight; each stanza of eight ten-syllable verses, of which the first six rhyme alternately; the last two are a couplet.  There is a short argument, in verse, prefixed to each poem.  That of the first runs thus:—­

“Anander lets Anetor wot
His love, his lady, and his lot.”

of the second,—­

  “Anetor seeing, seemes to tell
  The beauty of faire Muridell,
  And in the end, he lets hir know
  Anander’s plaint, his love, his woe.”

of the third,—­

  “Anander sick of love’s disdaine
  Doth change himself into a swaine;
  While dos the youthful shepherd show him
  His Muridellaes answer to him.”

This notice of these elegies cannot fail to be highly interesting to your correspondent on Basse and his works, and others of your readers who feel an interest in recovering the lost works of our early poets.

W.H.  GUNNER

Winchester, March 16. 1850.

* * * * *

FOLK LORE.

Something else about “Salting."—­On the first occasion, after birth, of any children being taken into a neighbour’s house, the mistress of the house always presents the babe with an egg, a little flour, and some salt; and the nurse, to ensure good luck, gives the child a taste of the pudding, which is forthwith compounded out of these ingredients.  This little “mystery” has occurred too often to be merely accidental; indeed, all my poorer neighbours are familiarly acquainted with the custom; and they tell me that money is often given in addition at the houses of the rich.

What is the derivation of cum grano salis as a hint of caution?  Can it come from the M.D.’s prescription; or is it the grain of Attic salt or wit for which allowance has to be made in every well-told story?

A.G.

Ecclesfield Vicarage, March 16, 1850.

Norfolk-Weather-Rhyme.

  “First comes David, then comes Chad,
  And then comes Winneral as though he was mad,
      White or black,
      Or old house thack.”

The first two lines of this weather proverb may be found in Hone’s Every-Day Book, and in Denham’s Proverbs and Popular Sayings relating to the Seasons (edited for the Percy Society):  but St. Winwaloe, whose anniversary falls on the 3rd of March, is there called “Winnold,” and not, as in our bit of genuine Norfolk, Winneral.  Those versions also want the explanation, that at this time there will be either snow, rain, or wind; which latter is intended by the “old house thack,” or thatch.

Medical Charms used in Ireland—­Charm for Toothache.—­It is a singular fact, that the charm for toothache stated (No. 19. p. 293.) to be prevalent in the south-eastern counties of England, is also used by the lower orders in the county of Kilkenny, and perhaps other parts of Ireland.  I have often heard the charm:  it commences, “Peter sat upon a stone; Jesus said, ‘What aileth thee, Peter?’” and so on, as in the English form.