Alarum (Vol. ii., pp. 151. 183.).—­There can be no doubt that the word alarm (originally French) comes from the warning war-cry a l’arme.  So all the French philologists agree; and the modern variance of aux armes does not invalidate so plain an etymology.  When CH. admits that there can be no doubt that alarm and alarum are identical, it seems to one that cadit questio,—­that all his doubts and queries are answered.  I will add, however, that it appears that in the words’ original sense of an awakening cry, Shakspeare generally, if not always, spelled it alarum.  Thus—­

“Ring the alarum bell!”—­Macbeth.

                     “—­Murder
  “Alarum’d by his sentinel the wolf.”
  Macbeth.

“When she speaks, is it not an alarum to love?”
Othello.

“But when he saw my best-alarum’d spirits roused
to the encounter.”—­Lear.

In all these cases alarum means incitement, not alarm in the secondary or metaphorical sense of the word, which has now become the ordinary one.  In truth, the meanings, though of identical origin, have become almost contradictions:  for instance, in the passage from Othello, an “alarum to love”—­incitement to love—­is nearly the reverse of what an “alarm to love” would be taken to mean.

C.

Practice of Scalping among the Scythians, &c. (Vol. ii., p. 141.).—­Your correspondent T.J. will find in Livy, x. 26., that the practice of scalping existed among the Kelts.

“Nec ante ad consules ... famam ejus cladis perlatam, quam in conspectu fuere Gallorum equites pectoribus equorurn suspensa gestantes capita, et lanceis infixa ovantesque moris sui carmine.”

W.B.D.

Gospel Tree (Vol. ii., p. 56.).—­In reply to W.H.B., I may mention that there is a “Gospel Tree” near Leamington.  I do not know of one so called in Gloucestershire.

GRIFFIN.

Martinet (Vol. ii., p. 118.).—­There is no doubt the term martinet is derived from the general officer M. de Martinet indicated by MR. C. FORBES, and who was, as Voltaire states, celebrated for having restored and improved the discipline and tactics of the French army; whence very strict officers came to be called martinets:  but is it also from this restorer of discipline that the name of what we call cat-o’-nine-tails is in French martinet?  This is rather an interesting Query, considering how severely our neighbours censure our use of that auxiliary to discipline.

C.

"Yote” or “Yeot" (Vol. ii., p. 89.).—­You may inform B. that Yote or Yeot is only provincial pronunciation of Yate or Gate, a way or road.  The channel made to conduct melted metal into the receptacle intended for it, is called a gate.