H.I.

Sheffield, March 9. 1850. {373}

Passage in Frith’s Works (No. 20. p. 319).—­This passage should be read, as I suppose, “Ab inferiori ad suum superius confuse distribui.”

It means that there would be confusion, if what is said distributively or universally of the lower, should be applied distributively or universally to the higher; or, in other words, if what is said universally of a species, should be applied universally to the genus that contains that and other species:  e.g., properties that are universally found in the human species will not be found universally in the genus Mammalis, and universal properties of Mammalia wil not be universal over the animal kingdom.

T.J.

Martins, the Louvain Printer.—­Your correspondent “W.” (No. 12. p. 185.) is informed, that in Falkenstein’s Geschichte der Buchdrucherkunst (Leipzig, 1840, p. 257.), Theoderich Martens, printer in Louvain and Antwerp, is twice mentioned.  I have no doubt but this is the correct German form of the name.  Mertens, by which he was also known, may very possibly be the Flemish form.  His Christian name was also written Dierik, a short form of Dietrich, which, in its turn, is the same as Theodorich.

NORTHMAN.

Master of the Revels.—­“DR. RIMBAULT” states (No. 14. p. 219.), that Solomon Dayrolle was appointed Master of the Revels in 1744, but does not know the date of his decease.  It may be unknown to Dr. Rimbault, that Solomon Dayrolle_s_ was an intimate friend and correspondent of the great Lord Chesterfield:  the correspondence continues from 1748 to 1755 in the selection of Chesterfield’s letters to which I am referring.

Dayrolles, during all that period, held a diplomatic appointment from this country at the Hague.  See Lord Chesterfield’s letter to him of the 22d Feb. 1748, where Lord C. suggests that by being cautious he (Dayrolles) may be put en train d’etre Monsieur l’Envoye.

In several of the letters Chesterfield warmly and familiarly commends his hopeful son, Mr. Stanhope, to the care and attention of Dayrolles.

I have not been able to ascertain when Dayrolles died, but the above may lead to the discovery.

W.H.  LAMMIN.

French Maxim.—­The French saying quoted by “R.V.” is the 223rd of Les Reflexions morales du Duc de la Rochefoucauld (Pougin, Paris, 1839).  I feel great pleasure in being able to answer your correspondent’s query, as I hope that my reply may be the means of introducing to his notice one of the most delightful authors that has ever yet written:  one who deserves far more attention than he appears to receive from general readers in this degenerate age, and from whom many of his literary successors have borrowed some of their brightest thoughts.  I need not go far for an illustration: 

  “Praise undeserved, is scandal in disguise,”

is merely a condensation of,