rom
the Cassii their prince, Cassivellaunus or Cassibelinus, first took his
name;" and he adds that "it seems very probable that Cassivellaunus denotes
as much as the Prince of the Cassii." (_Camd. Brit._, p. 278., edit. 1695.)
According to which the word would be compounded of _Cassi_ and _vellaunus_
or _belinus_; and this derivation is fortified by the word Cunobelinus,
which plainly is formed in a similar manner. Now there is a Celtic word,
_tir_ or _ter_ (from which _terra_ is derived), and the Welsh word _tir_
(which I have heard pronounced _teer_), all denoting land. If then this
word be added to Cassi, we have Cassiter, that is, the land of the Cassi,
Cassiland. And as we have England, Scotland, and Ireland, possibly the
ancient inhabitants may have called their country Cassiter; and as
_chalybs_, steel, was so called both by the Greeks and Romans from the
people that made it, so might tin be from the country where it was found.
My derivation is conjectural, no doubt, and as such I submit it with great
deference to the candid consideration of your readers.

Isaiah, who lived B.C. 758, mentions tin in i. 25.

Ezekiel, who lived B.C. 598, mentions tin xxii. 18. 20.; and xxvii. 12.,
speaking of Tyre, he says:

"Tarshish was thy merchant by reason of the multitude of all kinds of
riches; with silver, iron, _tin_, and lead, they traded in thy fairs."

This passage clearly shows that, at the time spoken of by Ezekiel, the
trade in tin was carried on by the inhabitants of Tarshish, whether that
place designates Carthage, or Tartessus in Spain, or not; and there can be
little doubt that they brought the tin from England; and the addition of
silver, iron, and lead, tends to strengthen this opinion.

Herodotus recited his History at the Olympic Games, B.C. 445; and probably
the same people traded in tin in his time as in the time of Ezekiel.

The Hebrew word for tin is derived from a verb meaning "to separate," and
seems to throw no light on the subject.

S. G. C.

* * * * *

MILTON'S WIDOW.

(Vol. viii., pp. 452. 544. &c.)

Your correspondents MR. MARSH and MR. HUGHES are entitled to an apology
from me for having so long delayed noticing their comments on my
communication on the above subject in Vol. viii, p. 134., which comments
have failed in convincing me that I have fallen into the error they
attribute to me, because it is manifest Richard Minshull of Chester, son of