entissimorum Regnorum Angliae,
etc., chorographica descriptio; Gulielmo Camdeno, authore_, Londini, 1607,
folio. All these contain the quotations I have specified, but no more, and
I am anxious to see the whole of the poem.

||S.

_National Airs of England._--Among the national gleanings which are sent to
your journal, I have not seen any that relate to the traditional music of
England. We allow our airs to be stolen on all sides, and, had not Mr.
Chappell acted the part of a detective, might never have recovered our own
property. Ireland has taken "My Lodging is on the cold Ground" and "The
Girls we leave behind us," while Scotland has laid claim to all her own _at
least_, and Germany is laying violent hands on "God save the Queen."

Under these circumstances, would it not be a good thing, for those who have
the power, to communicate the simple air of any song which appears native
to our country, together with the words? I fancy that in this way we should
gain many hints, besides musical ones, highly interesting to your readers.

? (3.).

{393}

P.S. It has struck me that the origin of the word _mass_ may be found in
the custom, referred to in an early number of "NOTES AND QUERIES," of
messing persons together at dinner in former times.

_Poor Pillgarlick._--Whence comes the expression, "Poor Pilgarlick," and
how should the words be spelt?

H. P.

Exeter.

_Inscription on a Portrait._--Can any of your correspondents explain the
meaning of the following inscription:--

io par. pla
vx

placed at the top left-hand corner of an old portrait in my possession,
supposed to be that of Philip II. of Spain?

C. EDWARDS.

_Burton's Parliamentary Diary._--The sale of _clergymen for slaves_ is
alluded to in vol. iv. of Burton's _Diary_. This has received elucidation
at p. 253. of your present volume.

_Tobacconists._--At p. 320, vol. i., of Burton's _Parliamentary Diary_ it
is stated, that

"Sir John Reynolds said he had numbered the House, and there were at
rising at least 220 present, besides _tobacconists_."

What and who were the persons designated as tobacconists?

P. T.

_"The Owl is abroad."_--On what ground is the fine base song, "The Owl is
abroad," attributed to Henry Purcell? Dr. Clarke has done so in his
well-known selections from Purcell's works; and Mr. G. Hogarth, in his
_Memoirs of the Musical Drama_, speaking of Purcell's _Tempest_, says:

"There is a song for Caliban,