old divine,"
and which J.M.G. moralises upon, and asserts to be a misquotation for
"the _road_ to hell," &c., is this:--Boswell, {141} in his _Life of
Johnson_ (_sub_ 15th April, 1775), says that Johnson, in allusion to the
unhappy failure of pious resolves, said to an acquaintance, "Sir, hell
is paved with good intentions." Upon which Malone adds a note:

"This is a proverbial saying. 'Hell,' says Herbert, 'is full of
good meanings and wishings.'--_Jacula Prudentum_, p. 11. ed.
1631."

but he does not say where else the proverbial saying is to be found. The
last editor, Croker, adds,--

"Johnson's phrase has become so proverbial, that it may seem
rather late to ask what it means--why '_paved_?' perhaps as
making the _road_ easy, _facilis descensus Averni_."

C.

_The Plant "Haemony"_ (Vol. ii., p. 88.).--I think MR. BASHAM, who asks
for a reference to the plant "haemony", referred to by Milton in his
_Comus_, will find the information which he seeks in the following
extract from Henry Lyte's translation of Rembert Dodoen's _Herbal_, at
page 107, of the edition of 1578. The plant is certainly not called by
the name of "haemony," nor is it described as having prickles on its
leaves; but they are plentifully shown in the engraving which
accompanies the description.

"_Allysson._--The stem of this herbe is right and straight,
parting itself at the top into three or foure small branches.
The leaves be first round, and after long whitish and _rough_,
or somewhat woolly in handling. It bringeth foorth at the top of
the branches little _yellow_ floures, and afterward small rough
whitish and flat huskes, and almost round fashioned like
bucklers, wherein is contained a flat seede almost like to the
seed of castell or stocke gilloflers, but greater.

"Alysson, as Dioscorides writeth, groweth upon rough mountaynes,
and is not found in this countrey but in the gardens of some
herboristes.

"The same hanged in the house, or at the gate or entry, keepeth
man and beast from _enchantments and witching_."

K.P.D.E.

As a "Note" to DR. BASHAM'S "Query", I would quote Ovid's _Metamorph._,
lib vii. l. 264-5.:

"Illic Haemonia radices valle resectas.
Seminaque, et flores, et succos incoquit acres."

T.A.

_Practice of Scalping amongst the Scythians--Scandinavian
Mythology._--In Vol. ii., p. 12., I desired to be informed whether this
pra