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REPLIES TO MINOR QUERIES.

Wellington, Wyrwast, and Cokam (Vol. i., p. 401.).—­The garrison in Wellington was, no doubt, at the large house built by Sir John Topham in that town, where the rebels, who had gained possession of it by stratagem, held out for some time against the king’s forces under Sir Richard Grenville.  The house, though of great strength, was much damaged on that occasion, and shortly fell into ruin.  Cokam probably designates Colcombe Castle, a mansion of the Courtenays, near Colyton, in Devonshire, which was occupied by a detachment of the king’s troops under Prince Maurice in 1644, but soon after fell into the hands of the rebels.  It is now in a state of ruin, but is in part occupied as a farm-house.  I am at a loss for Wyrwast, and should doubt the reading of the MS.

S.S.S.

Sir William Skipwyth (Vol. i., p. 23.).—­Mr. Foss will find some notices of Will.  Skipwyth in pp. 83, 84, 85, of Rotulorum Pat. & Claus.  Cancellariae Hib.  Calendarium, printed in 1828.

R.B.

Trim, May 13. 1850.

Dr. Johnson and Dr. Warton (Vol. i., p. 481.).—­Mr. Markland is probably right in his conjecture that Johnson had Warton’s lines in his memory; but the original source of the allusion to Peru is Boileau: 

          “De tous les animaux
  De Paris au Perou, du Japon jusqu’a Rome,
  Le plus sot animal, a mon avis, c’est l’homme.”

Warton’s Poems appeared in March, 1748.  Johnson’s Vanity of Human Wishes was published the 9th January, 1749, and was written probably in December or November preceding.

C.

Worm of Lambton (Vol. i., p. 453.).—­See its history and legend in Surtees’ History of Durham, vol. ii. p. 173., and a quarto tract printed by Sir Cuthbert Sharp.

G.

“A.C.” is informed that there is an account of this “Worme” in The Bishoprick Garland, published by the late Sir Cuthbert Sharpe in 1834; it is illustrated with a view of the Worm Hill, and a woodcut of the knight thrusting his sword with great nonchalance down the throat of the Worme.  Only 150 copies of the Garland were printed.

W.N.

Shakspeare’s Will (Vol. i., pp. 213, 386, 403, 461, and 469.).—­I fear if I were to adopt Mr. Bolton Corney’s tone, we should degenerate into polemics.  I will therefore only reply to his question, “Have I wholly mistaken the whole affair?” by one word, “Undoubtedly.”  The question raised was on an Irish edition of Malone’s Shakspeare.  Mr. Bolton Corney reproved the querists for not consulting original sources.  It appears that Mr. Bolton Corney had not himself consulted the edition in question; and by his last letter I am satisfied that he has not even yet seen it:  and it is not surprising if, in these circumstances, he should have “mistaken the whole affair.”  But as my last communication (Vol. i., p. 461.) explains (as I am now satisfied) the blunder and its cause, I may take my leave of the matter, only requesting Mr. Bolton Corney, if he still doubts, to follow his own good precept, and look at the original edition.